PRESIDEN >>> A VERY IMPRESSIVE WIN FOR
BILL CLINTON, ESPECIALLY IN THE
BIG PIVOTAL STATES OF TEXAS AND
FLORIDA.
FLORIDA. >> IT IS ONLY TONIGHT THAT I
FULLY UNDERSTAND WHY THEY CALL
THIS SUPER TUESDAY.
>> BILL CLINTON TONIGHT, WHO WAS
EARLY PERCEIVED AS THE
FRONTRUNNER AND RAN INTO A PATCH
OF PERSONAL DIFFICULTIES, MAKES
A CLAIM TONIGHT ON THE IDEA THAT
HE IS THE FRONTRUNNER FOR THE
DEMOCRATS.
DEMOCRATS. >> THAT WAS TOM BROKAW’S
COVERAGE OF SUPER TUESDAY 28
YEARS AGO WHEN A YOUNG BILL
CLINTON, THE COMEBACK KID, TOOK
ADVANTAGE OF A NEW GROUPING OF
SOUTHERN PRIMARIES IN 1992,
SWEEPING THE SOUTH ON SUPER
TUESDAY AND COMPLETING A RETURN
THAT HE HAD BEGUN IN NEW
HAMPSHIRE.
HAMPSHIRE. TOM JOINS US NOW, ALONG WITH
SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER FOR
NBC NEWS DIGITAL, SHANNON
PETTYPIECE AND NATIONAL POLITICS
REPORTER FOR "THE NEW YORK
TIMES" JENNIFER MEDINA.
>> TOM, ONCE AGAIN, SUPER
TUESDAY SHOWS WHY IT IS SUPER
FOR THE CANDIDATE THAT WINS.
ONCE AGAIN, IT IS BLACK
DEMOCRATIC VOTERS THAT MAKE ALL
THE DIFFERENT IN THE WORLD.
>> WELL, JOE, AS I WAS WATCHING
ALL OF THAT, I WAS THINKING
ABOUT, THAT WAS FOR BILL CLINTON
ABOUT HIS 20th COMEBACK OF THAT
YEAR ALONE.
YEAR ALONE. HE WAS MAKING A COMEBACK EVERY
OTHER WEEK, AS YOU MAY RECALL.
IT BEGAN WITH SCANDALS THAT WERE
GOING ON IN ARKANSAS, BOTH
PERSONAL AND THAT HAD MONEY
ATTACHED TO THEM AS WELL.
HE WAS ALWAYS CLAIMING A
VICTORY.
VICTORY. THEN, OF COURSE, HE GOT TO THE
PLACE WHERE HE WAS GOING TO BE
THE CANDIDATE, BECAUSE HE WAS
KIND OF BORN TO RUN FOR
PRESIDENT FROM THE BEGINNING OF
HIS LIFE ON.
NO ONE HAS GONE THROUGH MORE, I
SUPPOSE, INCARNATIONS THAN BILL
CLINTON.
CLINTON. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEN AND
NOW AS I KEEP SAYING IS, YOU
CANNOT OVERESTIMATE THE IMPACT
OF SOCIAL MEDIA.
EVERYBODY HAS THEIR FINGER ON A
KEY STROKE SOMEWHERE.
YOU CAN’T TRUST MOST OF WHAT YOU
ARE SEEING, FRANKLY, THESE DAYS.
IT MOVES A WHOLE LANDSCAPE
AROUND.
AROUND. THE FACT IS THAT, FIVE DAYS AGO
THEY WERE SAYING JOE IS A NICE
GUY BUT IT’S OVER.
THERE WAS JOE BACK THE PLACE HE
LIKES TO BE, MAKING A BIG
SPEECH, BEING TRIUMPHANT AGAIN.
WHAT I’M SAYING IS, THIS IS A
HUGELY IMPORTANT WEEK.
IT AIN’T OVER.
>> MIKE, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT
NEW HAMPSHIRE IN OUR LAST HOUR.
WE SAT THERE ON THE SET WITH JOE
BIDEN IN THAT RESTAURANT IN
MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE.
IN SOME WAYS, IT FELT LIKE IT
WAS ALREADY OVER.
HE SAW THE WRITING ON THE WALL.
HE KNEW HE WAS GOING TO COME IN
FOURTH OR FIFTH IN NEW
HAMPSHIRE.
HAMPSHIRE. PEOPLE SAID HE LOST A STEP.
THERE WAS ALMOST A FUNERAL FEEL
TO IT, LIKE WE WERE -- SOME
PEOPLE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE WERE
COMING TO SAY GOOD-BYE
POLITICALLY TO JOE BIDEN AT SOME
OF THE EVENTS.
NOW HERE WE ARE THREE WEEKS
LATER TALKING ABOUT HIM AGAIN AS
THE FRONTRUNNER IN THIS RACE.
>> YOU KNOW, TO THAT POINT AND
THE POINT YOU, TOM, RAISED IS IT
IS AMAZING TO ME THE NUMBER OF
CANDIDATES AND THE PEOPLE
SURROUNDING CANDIDATES FOR
PRESIDENT THIS YEAR AND FOR THE
PAST COUPLE OF CYCLES, WHO THINK
THAT TWITTER IS THE UNIVERSE.
THEIR CAMPAIGNS AND THOUGHTS ARE
MOLDED BY WHAT THEY SEE ON
TWITTER.
TWITTER. IN THE RESTAURANT THAT YOU WERE
SPEAKING ABOUT, IN BARBER SHOPS
AROUND THE COUNTRY, IN GAS
STATIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY, NOT
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT
TWITTER ALL DAY LONG.
>> THE OTHER THING IS THAT IF
YOU LISTEN TO THE LAST COUPLE OF
DAYS, A WHOLE BUNCH OF THOSE
PEOPLE WHO WERE INTERVIEWED
SAID, I MADE UP MY MIND IN THE
LAST 12 HOURS OR SO.
I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT IT, BUT
I HAVE A BUSINESS TO RUN, I HAVE
KIDS TO GET TO SCHOOL, I HAVE
THINGS THAT I WANT TO DO.
WE’RE CONSUMED BY IT.
THE OTHER PIECE OF THIS IS, NO
BETTER EXAMPLE OF BEING AMBUSHED
BY EVENTS THAN THIS HEALTH
CRISIS WE’RE GOING THROUGH.
THIS IS OF ENORMOUS PROPORTIONS.
IT HAS NO BOUNDARIES.
WE DON’T HAVE A WAY OF
CONTROLLING IT.
CONTROLLING IT. THE VERY BEST PEOPLE IN THE
FIELD ARE SAYING, MAYBE IN A
YEAR OR A YEAR AND A HALF WE
WILL HAVE A GRIP ON THIS OF SOME
KIND.
KIND. IN THE MEANTIME, PEOPLE ARE
SAYING, WHAT DO I DO?
WHAT DO I DO ABOUT MY CHILDREN,
MY WORKPLACE?
MY WORKPLACE? WE’RE GOING THROUGH A REAL
TRANSITION BOTH POLITICALLY,
SCIENTIFICALLY, ECONOMICALLY.
SCIENTIFICALLY, ECONOMICALLY. THE WORLD IS A MUCH DIFFERENT
PLACE TODAY THAN IT WAS TEN DAYS
AGO, QUITE HONESTLY.
>> WANT TO GET TO SHANNON.
YOU ARE WRITING ABOUT SUPER
TUESDAY’S SILVER LINING FOR
TRUMP.
TRUMP. SHANNON, TELL US ABOUT IT.
>> WELL, I THINK THIS IS REALLY
GOOD FLUS SNEWS AND BAD NEWS FOR
TRUMP CAMPAIGN.
TRUMP CAMPAIGN. YOU SEE BIDEN DOING INCREDIBLY
WELL WITH SUBURBAN VOTERS, WITH
BLACK VOTERS.
BLACK VOTERS. YOU SEE LARGE DEMOCRATIC TURNOUT
IN VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA
THAT COULD BE INDICATORS FOR HOW
THINGS WILL GO IN MICHIGAN AND
PENNSYLVANIA.
PENNSYLVANIA. I THINK THAT’S THE DOWNSIDE FOR
TRUMP.
TRUMP. THE GOOD SIDE FOR THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN IS TO THE POINT YOU
HAVE BEEN MAKING THAT THIS IS
FAR FROM OVER.
THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN HAS WANTED
FROM THE VERY BEGINNING FOR THIS
NOMINATING PROCESS TO DRAG OUT
AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.
THEIR DREAM SCENARIO WOULD BE A
CONTESTED CONVENTION.
CONTESTED CONVENTION. WITH SANDERS STILL IN STRIKING
DISTANCE, THEY ARE HOPING THAT
AT THE END, IF BIDEN IS THE
NOMINEE, HE COMES OUT BRUISED,
BLOODIED, BROKE, LOW ON MONEY,
WHILE THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN HAS HAD
THAT TIME TO FOCUS ON RALLIES
AND FOCUS ON THEIR OWN ATTACKS
AGAINST BIDEN OR SANDERS,
WHOEVER THE NOMINEE SHOULD BE.
THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN
VERY -- HAS BEEN HONING THOSE
ATTACKS ON BIDEN.
WE SAW IT AT A RALLY MONDAY
NIGHT, LAYING INTO THE GAFFS AND
HOW THEY WILL PUT BIDEN INTO A
HOME IF HE IS ELECTED.
AND THE BERNIE SANDERS SOCIALIST
ARGUMENT.
ARGUMENT. THEY HAVE TIME TO CREATE
CARICATURES OF THE CANDIDATES.
>> YOU ARE WRITING ABOUT THE
LATINO VOTE AS IT APPLIES TO
THIS PROCESS, JENNIFER.
LET’S TALK ABOUT THAT FROM LAST
NIGHT.
NIGHT. JOE BIDEN WON A SURPRISING
VICTORY IN TEXAS.
BERNIE SANDERS DID WIN THE
LATINO VOTE THERE.
HE DID VERY WELL AMONG NEVADA.
CALIFORNIA, IT’S LATE TO BE
SEEN.
SEEN. PRESUMABLY, SANDERS WILL DO WELL
AMONG LATINOS THERE.
HE HAS INVESTED A LOT OF TIME
AND ENERGY INTO KOURING INGCOURT
LATINO VOTE.
LATINO VOTE. >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. WHAT WE KNOW IS THEY REMAIN THE
FASTEST GROWING GROUP AND THE
SECOND LARGEST NON-WHITE
DEMOGRAPHIC IN 2020.
IT IS CLEARLY A DEMOGRAPHIC THE
SANDERS CAMPAIGN HAS POURED A
LOT OF TIME AND RESOURCES INTO.
IT HAS PAID OFF.
LATINOS ARE KEEPING THE SANDERS
CAMPAIGN ALIVE IN SOME SENSE IN
TEXAS AND IN CALIFORNIA.
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE STATES
BEYOND IS A BIG QUESTION.
WE’RE LOOKING AHEAD AT TWO VERY
DIFFERENT STATES, ARIZONA AND
FLORIDA, WHERE LATINOS ARE VERY
DIFFERENT IN BOTH OF THOSE
STATES.
STATES. THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN HAS RECEIVED
ENDORSEMENTS FROM PROMINENT
LATINO ELECTED OFFICIALS,
INCLUDING IN TEXAS AND
CALIFORNIA.
CALIFORNIA. I THINK WHAT’S INTERESTING FROM
THE CALIFORNIA AND THE WEST IS
THAT YOU SEE SO MANY LATINOS AND
YOUNG LATINOS IN PARTICULAR WHO
REALLY FEEL TURNED ON AND
LISTENED TO BY THE SANDERS
CAMPAIGN AND WHAT HAPPENS TO
THAT ENERGY, I THINK IT’S A BIG
INTERESTING THING TO WATCH.
>> THAT’S THE FEELING.
WHAT IS THE SPECIFIC POLICY
ISSUE?
ISSUE? IS THERE SOMETHING THAT LATINO
VOTERS ARE HEARING FROM BERNIE
SANDERS ON QUESTIONS OF POLICY
THAT PERHAPS THEY’RE NOT HEARING
FROM JOE BIDEN AND OTHER MORE
MODERATE CONDITIONANDIDATES?
MODERATE CONDITIONANDIDATES? >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. THERE’S A FEW THINGS I HEAR OVER
AND OVER AGAIN FROM SUPPORTERS.
ONE IS HEALTH CARE.
NUMBER TWO IS STUDENT LOANS AND
STUDENT DEBT.
STUDENT DEBT. NUMBER THREE AND IN THIS ORDER
IS IMMIGRATION.
IS IMMIGRATION. THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE
AN EMOTIONAL TIE TO IMMIGRATION
OR WHO HAVE SOME SORT OF FAMILY
TIE TO UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS
AND FEEL LIKE SANDERS IS REALLY
SAYING THE KINDS OF THINGS THEY
WANT TO HEAR.
IT’S MORE ABOUT THE SORT OF
SOCIAL PROGRAMS AND SOCIAL
PROMISES THAT HE IS MAKING THAT
ARE REALLY DRAWING THESE YOUNG
LATINO VOTERS.
LATINO VOTERS. >> YOU KNOW, TOM, EARLIER YOU
WERE TALKING ABOUT BILL CLINTON.
WE SHOWED THE CLIP, THE COMEBACK
KID IN 1992.
IN THE COURSE OF YOUR CAREER,
THE COURSE OF COVERAGE OF
PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES, OR ANY
ELECTIONS, HAVE YOU EVER SEEN
SUCH A SHOCKING COMEBACK WITHIN
ONE WEEK AS WE HAVE SEEN FROM
THE JOE BIDEN CAMPAIGN?
>> NO.
>> NO. NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.
WE ALL -- THOSE OF US WHO HAVE
BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS A LONG
TIME HAVE KNOWN JOE PERSONALLY.
IT DOESN’T MEAN WE’RE GREAT
FRIENDS WITH HIM.
IT’S PART OF THE CULTURE.
>> SPEAK FOR YOURSELF.
>> WE HAVE GROWN UP WITH.
JOE IS THE OLD WARRIOR.
I SAW HIM OUT IN IOWA.
IT WAS SAD.
HE WAS IN A SMALL ROOM BECAUSE
THEY HAD TO FILL IT UP.
THEY DIDN’T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE
TO DO THAT.
BUTTIGIEG WAS DOING BETTER
ACROSS THE STREET.
I THOUGHT, THIS IS THE LAST
HURRAH FOR JOE AT THIS POINT.
YOU COULD SEE HIM TAILING DOWN
MANY THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT
CAUGHT FIRE.
CAUGHT FIRE. I’M NOT QUITE SURE WHY.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE,
ESPECIALLY IN HIS AGE GROUP,
BEGAN TO SAY, THIS IS SERIOUS
STUFF THAT WE’RE DEALING WITH.
WE’RE NOW TALKING ABOUT MAKING
JUDGEMENTS ABOUT NOT JUST ABOUT
THE ECONOMY BUT ALSO ABOUT
HEALTH SCARES, ABOUT WHAT’S
GOING ON IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND
WHAT’S HAPPENING AND WHAT’S
HAPPENING TO THE CHARACTER OF
AMERICAN POLITICS AT THE
NATIONAL LEVEL.
NATIONAL LEVEL. UNDER THIS PRESIDENT.
THIS WHIMSICAL WAY, I’M NOT
GOING TO DO THIS, I WANT TO
CHANGE TO THIS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE AMUSED BY
THAT AND ARE WELCOMING IT.
OTHERS ARE SAYING, WAIT A
MINUTE, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE
FUTURE, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT BIG
DECISIONS HERE.
DECISIONS HERE. I THINK THAT THAT’S WHAT
PROMPTED SOME PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY
ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE, TO SAY,
YOU BETTER TAKE A DEEP BREATH
HERE AND FIGURE OUT WHERE IT IS
WE WANT TO GO AND HOW WE WANT TO
GET THERE.
GET THERE. IT DOESN’T MEAN THAT THIS
PRESIDENT IS OUT OF GAS, BECAUSE
HE HAS A WAY OF KIND OF TURNING
THINGS AROUND.
THINGS AROUND. IF YOU LOOK AT HIS REACTION,
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE LAST 24
HOURS, HE CAME OUT PUNCHING AWAY
AGAIN.
AGAIN. NOT ACKNOWLEDGING IN ANY WAY
THAT JOE HAD HAD A BIG TIME.
>> TOM BROKAW, THANK YOU SO
MUCH.
MUCH. SHANNON, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.