♪ ♪
>>> HOW MUCH AS YOU CONFRONT ♪ ♪
>>> HOW MUCH AS YOU CONFRONT VOTERS OUT THERE THERE’S JUST AN
EXHAUSTION WITH THE CRAZINESS
AND ABNORMALITY OF DONALD TRUMP?
>> I DON’T HEAR THAT AS MUCH AS
I HEAR A DESIRE FOR US TO RETURN
TO CIVILITY AND DECENCY.
I MET A YOUNG MAN AND HE SAID I
WORK, I CAN’T EVEN TALK POLITICS
ANYMORE.
ANYMORE. WE CANNOT HAVE A CIVIL
CONVERSATION.
CONVERSATION. SOMETHING IS WRONG IN THIS
COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.
AS PRESIDENT, WHAT WOULD YOU DO
TO HEAL THIS?
I SAID IF WE WAIT FOR SOMEBODY
TO BE PRESIDENT TO DO THIS,
WE’RE TOO LATE.
THE CAMPAIGN HAS TO BE ABOUT
THIS.
THIS. WHOEVER IS OUR NEXT PRESIDENT
WILL HAVE TO CAMPAIGNED IN A WAY
TO HAVE BROUGHT THIS COUNTRY
TOGETHER AND NOT ON OUR
DIFFERENCES BUT ON OUR
COMMONALITY AS AMERICANS.
>> THAT WAS BETO O’ROUKE TALKING
WITH SOME WEIRD, BALD, SUN
GLASSWARING FREAK IN IOWA THIS
WEEKEND.
WEEKEND. THE EPISODE ON "SHOWTIME."
WE WORKED UP IN THE FIRST 24
HOURS OF HIS CAMPAIGN,
CONGRESSMAN O’ROURKE RAISED $6.1
MILLION, BEATING OUT THE OTHER
CAMPAIGNERS INCLUDING BERNIE
SANDERS, WHO HAD $5 MILLION
AFTER HIS FIRST DAY OF
CAMPAIGNING.
CAMPAIGNING. NOW WE’RE AWAITING ON ONE MORE
BIG NAME, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT
JOE BIDEN.
JOE BIDEN. THIS WEEKEND BIDEN GAVE ANOTHER
LITTLE HYPOTHETICAL
LITTLE HYPOTHETICAL LITTLE HINT HE’S ABOUT TO JUMP
IN.
IN. >> I’M TOLD I GET CRITICIZED BY
THE NEW LEFT.
I HAVE THE MOST PROGRESSIVE
RECORD OF ANYBODY RUNNING --
ANYBODY WHO WOULD RUN.
I DIDN’T MEAN --
>> WELL, I MAY BE THE ONLY ONE
NOT TOTALLY CONVINCED HE’S GOING
TO RUN BUT I BELIEVE HE’S GOING
TO RUN.
TO RUN. THERE’S A MAN WHO’S BEING
PAINTED AS A MODERATE BY A LOT
OF PEOPLE, WHO REALIZES HE’S
BEING PAINTED AS SUCH, JOE BIDEN
IS, AND HE ALSO RECOGNIZES THE
CLIMB IN THE PARTY IS NOT THAT
HOSPITABLE AS A MODERATE.
SO HE’S CLAIMING -- IF HE RUNS,
HE WILL BE THE MOST PROGRESSIVE
PERSON IN THE FIELD.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT?
>> IT’S A LIE.
IT’S NOT TRUE PERIOD.
I MEAN, THINK, THIS IS PART OF
THE POINT, HE’S GOING TO RUN ON
THE OBAMA AGENDA.
PART OF THE RUNNING ON OBAMA
AGENDA OR THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY
IS IN SOME WAYS TO STAND IN THE
REPRESENTATION THAT OBAMA’S
PRESIDENCY WAS SOMEHOW
PROGRESSIVE.
PROGRESSIVE. AND THAT IS JUST SIMPLY AN
INDICATION OF HOW SLIPPERY A
SIGNIFIER PROGRESSIVE ACTUALLY
IS IN TERMS OF ITS MEANING.
WHEN WE LOOK AT JOE BIDEN AND
HIS POSITIONS WITH REGARD TO
CRIMINAL JUSTICE, WHEN WE THINK
ABOUT HIS POSITIONS WITH REGARD
TO WALL STREET AND WE THINK
ABOUT HIS POSITION VIS-A-VIS
HEALTH CARE, RIGHT, WHERE WAS HE
IN THE DEBATE WITH REGARDS TO
SINGLE PAYER MEDICARE FOR ALL
AND WHAT McCAIN AND OBAMA-- BECA
OBAMACARE.
OBAMACARE. BUT HE’S CERTAINLY NOT TO THE
LEFT OF KAMALA HARRIS.
CORY BOOKER, MAYBE.
BUT PART OF WHAT I’M THINKING
HERE -- LET ME PUT IT QUICKLY,
IT IS CLEAR PEOPLE CHANGE THEIR
MINDS.
MINDS. AND WE DON’T WANT TO BE THE KIND
OF PEOPLE TO KEEP FOLKS STUCK.
BIDEN HAS TO GIVE AN HONEST
ACCOUNT OF HOW HE MOVED FROM
HERE TO THERE.
IF PEOPLE ARE CONVINCED, THEY
WILL BE CONVINCED.
YOU JUST CAN’T LIE.
>> THE SAME QUESTIONS WILL BE
ASKED OF BETO O’ROUKE.
FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WERE
DOUBTING THIS WEEKEND AFTER BETO
HIT THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL AND
DIDN’T RELEASE HIS 24 HOURS OF
FUND-RAISING NUMBERS, PEOPLE
WERE ALL OVER TWITTER,
ESPECIALLY BERNIE FANS SAYING
HE’S A FAILURE.
HE DIDN’T RAISE ANYTHING.
HE’S KEEPING IT SECRET BECAUSE
I’VE GOT A SOURCE IN TEXAS WHO
SAID HE ONLY RAISED $500,000.
THEN HE COMES OUT WITH $6.1
MILLION.
MILLION. WHATEVER YOU SAY ABOUT BETO
O’ROUKE, TURNS OUT HE CAN RAISE
MONEY, EVEN IF HE’S NOT RUNNING
AGAINST TED CRUZ.
BUT THE QUESTIONS REMAIN, A LOT
OF PROGRESSIVES LOOK AT HIM AND
SAY HE’S TOO MODERATE, HE’S
VACCUOUS, HE’S NOT STAKED OUT
STRONG POLICY POSITIONS IN LINE
OF WHERE THE COUNTRY IS NOW.
WHAT SAY YOU?
>> I THINK HE’S BEEN REALLY
LIGHT ON SUBSTANCE.
I’M DISAPPOINTED HOW MUCH WE
LEARNED ABOUT BETTIS
LEARNED ABOUT BETO O’ROUKE SINCE
HE ANNOUNCED HIS RETURN.
THERE’S CLEARLY BETO MANIA GOING
ON.
ON. HE LOVES TO JUMP ON TABLES IN
MISSISSIPPI.
MISSISSIPPI. PEOPLE ARE JUST THROWING CASH AT
HIM, GOOD FOR HIM.
BUT I THINK THE PEOPLE WHO ARE
LOVING BETO RIGHT NOW ARE GOING
ON A FEELING, ARE GOING ON SORT
OF HIS CHARISMA AND ARE NOT
NECESSARILY LISTENING TO HIM ON
SUBSTANCE.
SUBSTANCE. BECAUSE ELIZABETH WARREN, BERNIE
SANDERS, A COUPLE OTHERS, ARE
RUNNING VERY SUBSTANTIVE
CAMPAIGNS SO FAR AND BETO SIMPLY
IS NOT.
IS NOT. >> LET ME ASK YOU THIS QUESTION,
WE’RE GOING TO GO TO BREAK AND
COME BACK TO THIS CONVERSATION.
WE JUST TALKED ABOUT BETO AND
BIDEN, RIGHT, MAYBE BOTH SEEN BY
SOME ON THE PROGRESSIVE SIDE OF
THE PARTY IS NOT PROGRESSIVE
ENOUGH.
ENOUGH. THE WHITE HOUSE IS MORE WORRIED
ABOUT THOSE TWO MORE THAN
ANYBODY ELSE.
ANYBODY ELSE. >> THEY FEEL THE MORE CENTRAL
LANE IS PERHAPS WHERE TRUMP IS
MOST VULNERABLE.
MOST VULNERABLE. THEY LIKE THE IDEA OF THE
CONTRAST VERSUS THE CANDIDATES
ON THE FARTHER LEFT OF THE
SPECTRUM, THAT IS WHY WE HEAR
THE WORLD SOCIALISM A LOT.
THEY WANT TO PLAY THAT GAME.
THEY FEEL SOMEONE LIKE JOE
BIDEN, BETO OPPOSES ISSUES IN
THE CONTRAST AND APPEARANCE OF
THE PRESIDENT BUT BIDEN WHO WE
KNOW IS ALREADY POPULAR IN THE
STATES IN THE MIDWEST THAT
DELIVERED THE PRESIDENCY TO
DONALD TRUMP IN 2016, SO THERE
IS AN ELEMENT THERE OF CONCERN.
I THINK IT IS TELLING THOUGH
THAT THOSE ARE THE TWO PEOPLE,
BIDEN AND O’ROURKE, THE
PRESIDENT WENT AFTER ON TWITTER
IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS,
WHICH SHOWS HIS DEGREE OF
CONCERN.
CONCERN. >> YOU LOOK AT THE BETO O’ROUKE
PHENOMENON, DONALD TRUMP IS NOT
THE MOST SOPHISTICATED POLITICAL
MIND IN THE WORLD BUT HE
UNDERSTANDS ELECTRICITY, HE
UNDERSTANDS LIGHTNING IN A
BOTTLE, HE UNDERSTANDS BIG
CROWDS.
CROWDS. BETO WENT TOE TO TOE WITH HIM IN
EL PASS KWLOE AND SHOWED HE HAD
ALL OF THOSE THINGS AND THEN YOU
SEE HIM ON THE BIDEN SIDE, AND
LET ME READ THE TWEET FROM
TRUMP, THIS IS HOW YOU KNOW HE
GOT UNDER TRUMP’S SKIN.
JOE BIDEN GOT TONGUE-TIED OVER
THE WEEKEND ABOUT THE VERY
SIMPLE LINE ABOUT WHETHER HE WAS
GOING TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT.
GET USED TO IT.
ANOTHER VERY LOW IQ INDIVIDUAL.
YOU SEE A TRUMP LIKE THAT AND
ISN’T IT TRUMP IS THE WORLD’S
WORST POKER PLAYER SAYING I’M
WORRIED ABOUT THAT GUY?
>> YES, I THINK TRUMP IS EASY TO
BAIT.
BAIT. BUT HAVING BEEN TO THIS MOVIE ON
THE OTHER SIDE A BUNCH OF TIMES,
IT’S A REAL MISTAKE TO OBSESS ON
CANDIDATES THIS EARLY.
IT’S BETTER TO OBSESS ON VOTERS
IN THE PRIMARY WHO GO SHOPPING
AND HAVE A WHOLE PROCESS TO FIND
SOMEBODY.
SOMEBODY. THE BIG TRUMP THAT IS BEING
MISSED IF YOU POLL THE 30
MILLION-PLUS PEOPLE WHO WILL
PARTICIPATE IN THE DEMOCRATIC
PRIMARIES THIS YEAR -- NEXT
YEAR, EXCUSE ME, THEY’RE NOT ALL
LEFT WING LIBERALS.
IT’S NOT THE PARTY OF THE
PROGRESSIVE BROOKLYN HIPSTER,
DESPITE THE EXPRESSION ON
TWITTER.
TWITTER. YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS IN THE
EARLY SEASON BEFORE THE VOTERS
IS WE SET UP RULES OF GRAVITY,
CROWD SIZE, WHO’S THE FIRST ONE
OUT?
OUT? WHO’S THE MOST PROGRESSIVE?
AND THEN THE REAL GRAVITY HITS
AFTER LABOR DAY.
I WOULD BE CAREFUL, IT’S TOO
EARLY TO KNOW IF ANY OF THESE
CANDIDATES WILL BE GOOD BECAUSE
THEY HAVE TO GO OUT AND RUN AND
GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, WHICH
REALLY DETYPES THEM.
>> I TOTEALLY GET THAT POINT.
AND IT’S RELEVANT TO THE
DEMOCRATIC FIELDS AND THAT
SPEAKS TO ONE THING WE KNOW
ABOUT THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATING
ELECTORATE IS THE IMPORTANCE
THAT WOMEN VOTERS ARE GOING TO
HAVE IN IT.
THEY WERE THE ANIMATING FORCE,
DRIVING FORCE THAT GOT DEMOCRATS
TO RETAKE CONTROL OF THE HOUSE
AND DROVE THIS HUGE TURNOUT IN
THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS OF 2018.
HERE ARE TWO OF THE DEMOCRATIC
CANDIDATES, BETO O’ROUKE AND
CORY BOOKER, BOTH TALKING ABOUT
THE IMPORTANCE OF WOMEN IN THE
PARTY.
PARTY. >> NO MATTER WHAT, I’M LOOKING
YOU IN THE EYE AND SAYING THIS,
THERE WILL BE A WOMAN ON THE
TICKET.
TICKET. I DON’T KNOW IF IT’S IN THE VICE
PRESIDENT’S POSITION OR
PRESIDENT’S POSITION, BUT IF I
HAVE MY WAY, THERE WILL BE A
WOMAN ON THE TICKET.
>> IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT
NOT TO SELECT A WOMAN WITH SO
MANY EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN WHO ARE
RUNNING RIGHT NOW, BUT FIRST I
WOULD HAVE TO WIN.
AND THERE’S -- THIS IS AS OPEN
AS IT HAS EVER BEEN.
>> LAURA, I WANT TO ASK YOU, WE
HAVE 13 CANDIDATES IN THE RACE
NOW.
NOW. FIVE ARE WOMEN.
GOT A LOT AFTER TENSION,
ELIZABETH WARREN, AMY KLOBUCHAR,
KAMALA HARRIS ALL IN THE RACE.
DO YOU THINK THOSE GUYS ARE
SPEAKING SOMETHING DEMOCRATS
ACCEPT, THERE’S NO WAY THERE’S
NOT GOING TO BE A WOMAN ON THIS
TICKET WHEN WE GET TO A DECISION
AT THE END OF THE NOMINATION
CONTEST?
CONTEST? >> THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NOT
SOMETHING THE DEMOCRATS HAVE
JUST ACCEPTED THAT A WOMAN IS
NOT GOING TO BE ON THE TOP OF
THE TICKET, OF COURSE NOT.
BUT I DO THINK IT SPEAKS TO THE
FACT LOOK AT THE FUND RAISING
NUMBERS, FOLLOW THE MONEY P YOU
LOOK AT WHAT BERNIE HAS RAISED
AND WHAT BETO HAS RAISED,
COMBINED MORE THAN ALL OF THE
WOMEN COMBINED HAVE RAISED SO
FAR.
FAR. SO I THINK THAT CLEARLY AMERICA
STILL HAS SOME KIND OF BIAS
GOING ON.
GOING ON. CLEARLY WHEN YOU FEEL SOMETHING
IN YOUR GUT ABOUT WHICH
CANDIDATE YOU LIKE FOR SOME
REASON EVERYONE GRAVITATES
TOWARDS A WHITE MAN.
IT’S BEEN THAT WAY FOR 200
YEARS.
YEARS. AND I THINK THE WOMEN, YOU KNOW,
OBVIOUSLY HAVE AN UPHILL COME