VALLOW’S FIRST COURT HEARING MAYBE LATER TODAY.
>> Julie: THANK YOU, JONATHAN
HUNT.
HUNT. >> Ed: FRESH TURMOIL FOR
DEMOCRATS TODAY AFTER MICHAEL
BLOOMBERG’S NATIONAL DEBUT ON
THE DEBATE STAGE WENT BUST.
THE NEXT DEBATE IS ON TUESDAY.
SO WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR HIM TO
FLIP THE SCRIPT AND BOUNCE BACK
FROM A DISMAL FIRST APPEARANCE?
ARI FLEISCHER, FORMER WHITE
HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY, FOX NEWS
CONTRIBUTOR AND BEEN THROUGH A
CAMPAIGN OR TWO.
ARI, GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> Ed: I’M NOT SURE ANYBODY WAS
EXPECTING.
EXPECTING. SOME PEOPLE TRIED TO LOWER
EXPECTATIONS.
EXPECTATIONS. DIDN’T HAVE MUCH COMPETITION AT
NEW YORK CITY MAYOR.
DIDN’T DO THAT GREAT IN DEBATES.
BUT THERE WAS A WIDE ASSUMPTION
THAT WAS WRONG THAT HE WAS
GOING TO PREPARE AND BE READY
FOR SOME OBVIOUS ATTACKS.
WHAT WENT WRONG?
>> I THINK TWO THINGS WENT
WRONG FOR THE MAYOR.
NUMBER ONE, I’VE SEEN IT IN A
LOT OF SMART PEOPLE BEFORE
SAYING I GOT THIS.
I’VE BEEN THE MAYOR OF A TOUGH
CITY AND I DEAL WITH THE
NATION’S MOST HOSTILE PRESS
CORPS, TOUGH OPPONENTS AND I’M
READY.
READY. THEY FOOL THEMSELVES.
YOU AREN’T READY UNTIL YOU’VE
BEEN IN A PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE.
HE DOESN’T TAKE QUESTIONS AT
TOWN HALL MEETINGS.
THE OTHER CANDIDATES ARE
GETTING A REGULAR BARRAGE OF
QUESTIONS FROM CITIZENS.
IT MAKES YOU THINK THINGS
THROUGH AND SHOWS
VULNERABILITIES AND YOU HAVE TO
PERFORM OVER TIME AND GET
BETTER.
BETTER. HE DOESN’T DO THAT.
HE DOESN’T TAKE QUESTIONS.
SO HE STOPPED TAKING BATTING
PRACTICE.
PRACTICE. HE NEVER TOOK IT AND HIT
HIMSELF WITH HIS OWN PITCH.
>> Ed: WHAT DOES HE NEED TO DO
TO FIX IT TUESDAY?
>> HE NEEDS TO SHINE.
HE NEEDS TO BE ARTICULATE AND
COME OUT ON THE OFFENSIVE AND
NEEDS TO SHOW WHY HE IS
DIFFERENT FROM BERNIE AND ALL
THE OTHERS.
THE OTHERS. WHAT ARE HIS IDEAS THAT
DIFFERENTIATE HIM AS A DEMOCRAT
TO LEAD AMERICA?
HE HAS A PLAY BETTER DEFENSE.
WHEN HE IS ATTACKED OVER
NON-DISCLOSURES AND STOP AND
FRISK, WHAT ARE HIS ANSWERS?
THAT’S WHERE HE WAS WOEFULLY
UNPREPARED.
UNPREPARED. ONE FINAL LITTLE POINT, ED.
LOOK YOUR OPPONENTS IN THE EYE.
MAYOR BLOOMBERG LOOKED INTO THE
DISTANCE AND HE LOOKED ABOVE IT
ALL.
ALL. YOU LOOK WEAK IF YOU CAN’T LOOK
SOMEONE IN THE EYE.
>> Ed: MAYBE DISMISSIVE THAT
YOU AREN’T EVEN BOTHERING TO
ENGAGE THEM DIRECTLY.
YOU ALSO BRING US TO ANOTHER
IMPORTANT POINT WHEN YOU SAY
DIFFERENTIATE YOURSELF FROM
OTHERS ON THE STAGE.
HE DID TRY TO DO THAT ON
CAPITALISM VERSUS SOCIALISM AND
TAKE THAT DIRECTLY TO BERNIE
SANDERS, BUT KIM STRASSEL SAID
SOMETHING INTERESTING THIS
MORNING.
MORNING. THIS FIELD IS NOT LACKING IN
PROGRESSIVES.
PROGRESSIVES. IT IS LACKING COURAGE.
IF MR. BLOOMBERG WANTS VOTERS
TO RALLY AROUND HIM HE NEEDS TO
GIVE THEM A REASON, NOT AN ECHO.
THE POINT BEING THAT ON A WHOLE
BUNCH OF ISSUES HE IS ACTUALLY
TRYING TO PLAY IN THE MODERATE
LANE BUT HE IS MOVING LEFT
FURTHER AND FURTHER LEFT ON
WALL STREET REFORM AND OTHER
THINGS WHERE HE USED TO BE MORE
CENTRIST.
CENTRIST. HE IS NOT SHOWING COURAGE, SHE
SAYS.
SAYS. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. IT IS A GREAT COLUMN AND GREAT
POINT.
POINT. MIKE BLOOMBERG IF HE HAD STUCK
TO BEING A TRUE CONSERVATIVE
FISCAL DEMOCRAT I THINK HE
COULD HAVE OPENED UP A REAL
DIFFERENTIATION WITH BERNIE
SANDERS THAT WOULD HAVE DONE
WELL IN A DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY,
TOO.
TOO. BUT HE DIDN’T.
HE DID WHAT JOE BIDEN DID.
ABANDONED PREVIOUS POSITIONS
THAT WERE DEEPLY HELD.
WHY?
WHY? THE FEAR OF THE LIBERAL
SOCIALIST WING INSIDE THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
DEMOCRATIC PARTY. IT IS POSSIBLE HIS APOLOGIES
AND HIS TAKING BACK PREVIOUS
POSITIONS WILL PUT HIM OUT OF
PLACE IN THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY
BECAUSE IT IS NOT CREDIBLE.
YOU CAN’T FIX IT.
HE ALREADY APOLOGIZED FOR STOP
AND FRISK.
AND FRISK. HE CAN’T SAY I’M PROUD OF THE
FACT I CRACKED DOWN ON CRIME.
THE PEOPLE WHO I PROTECTED THE
MOST WERE HISPANIC AND BLACK
AND I’M PROUD OF WHAT I DID.
HE WOULD BE UNIQUE IN THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY IF HE DID THAT.
NOW THE ONLY THING UNIQUE ABOUT
HIM IS HIS MONEY.
>> Ed: FINAL POINT HERE, THERE
IS ANOTHER DILEMMA FOR MICHAEL
BLOOMBERG AT THE CENTER OF THE
RACE, HIS CAMPAIGN PUT OUT THE
MEMO THIS WEEK TRYING TO SOUND
THE ALARM BELLS IF YOU LOOK AT
THE MAP AFTER SUPER TUESDAY
BERNIE SANDERS COULD HAVE AN
INSURMOUNTABLE DELEGATE LEAD.
ON THE OTHER HAND THEY ARE NOW
LOBBYING OTHER SO-CALLED
MODERATES TO WIN THEM OVER.
IT MAY ANGER THE CAMPS MORE.
"POLITICO" HAS THE STORY
BLOOMBERG PLOTTING BROKERED
CONVENTION STRATEGY.
CONVENTION STRATEGY. BACK STOP TO BLOCK BERNIE
SANDERS BY POACHING SUPPORTERS
FROM JOE BIDEN AND OTHER
MODERATES.
MODERATES. A PLAY FOR A CANDIDATE WHO
HASN’T WON A DELEGATE OR
APPEARED ON A BALLOT AND COULD
BRING HAVOC TO THE CONVENTION
RAISING THE PROSPECT OF PARTY
INSIDERS DELIVERING THE
NOMINATION TO A BILLIONAIRE
OVER A PROGRESSIVE POPULIST.
THE SPECTER OF TAKING IT AWAY
STEALING IT FROM BERNIE SANDERS
AGAIN, THE PERCEPTION BUT ALSO
HOW CAN A BLOOMBERG SUPPORTER
GO TO THE BIDEN FOLKS AND SAY
HEY, YOU OUGHT TO COME OVER TO
US, WHEN THEY SKIPPED THE FIRST
FEW CONTESTS AND BIDEN HAS BEEN
OUT THERE SLUNG IT OUT FOR A
FEW MONTHS?
FEW MONTHS? >> WELL, LET’S JUST STATE THE
FACTS.
FACTS. IF THEY GET TO THE CONVENTION
AND NO ONE HAS 50% THERE WILL
BE HAVOC AT THE CONVENTION AND
EVERYBODY WILL TRY TO BE
POACHING EVERYBODY’S DELEGATES.
I HAVE NO QUARREL WITH THAT.
THAT’S A SOUND STRATEGY.
ONE OF THE THINGS BLOOMBERG HAS
THOUGHT IF BIDEN COLLAPSES
BLOOMBERG WANTED TO BE THE
ALTERNATIVE AND SETTLE IT AT
THE CONVENTION.
THE CONVENTION. DON’T FORGET THERE WILL BE AN
ELEMENT OF DEMOCRATS
BLOOMBERG’S MONEY CAN SAVE US.
THEY MIGHT HOLD THEIR NOSE AT
SOME OF HIS POSITIONS BUT THEY