>>> WE HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU, IS IT TIME FOR MODERATES TO
SEIZE MOMENTUM IN THE DEMOCRATIC
RACE?
RACE? >> THIS IS STILL A COUNTRY THAT
IS LESS REVOLUTIONARY THAN IT IS
INTERESTED IN IMPROVEMENT.
THEY LIKE SEEING THINGS
IMPROVED, BUT THE AVERAGE
AMERICAN DOESN’T THINK THAT WE
HAVE TO COMPLETELY TEAR DOWN THE
SYSTEM AND REMAKE IT.
AND I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT FOR
US NOT TO LOSE SIGHT OF THAT.
>> I’M JOINED NOW BY VALERIE
JARRETT.
JARRETT. SHE WROTE THE BOOK "FINDING MY
VOICE."
VOICE." HE IS SAYING THE AVERAGE SYSTEM
DOESN’T NOT WANT TO BLOW UP THE
SYSTEM, A RADICAL CANDIDATE IS
NOT WHAT THEY NEED?
>> YEAH, HE SAID DON’T LET
PERFECT BE THE ENMY OF GOOD.
CHANGE HAPPENS INCREMENTALLY.
SO I THINK IT IS LESS HAND
INDICATION OF WHO HE HE FAVORS,
MORE SAGE ADVICE HAVING RUN TWO
SUCCESSFUL PRESIDENTIAL RACES.
ONCE YOU GET TO THE GENERAL
ELECTION THE COUNTRY TENDS TO BE
MORE IN THE MIDDLE AND WE
SHOULDN’T LOSE SIGHT THAT’S
ACTUALLY KEEPING OUR EYE ON THE
PRIZE, IS TO WIN THE GENERAL
ELECTION, NOT JUST THE PRIMARY.
AND HE SAID AT THE END OF THE
REMARKS, WHOEVER EMERGES AS THE
NOMINEE, HE WILL SPEND ALL OF
HIS ENERGY TRYING TO MAKE SURE
TO HELP THEM GET ELECTED.
SO THAT’S AN INDICATION OF HOW
STRONG I THINK HE BELIEVES THE
FIELD IS.
FIELD IS. >> THEN IS HE BASICALLY TELLING
DEMOCRATS THAT SOMEBODY LIKE AN
ELIZABETH WARREN OR A BERNIE
SANDERS DOESN’T HAVE A GOOD
CHANCE IN THE GENERAL?
>> NO, I THINK IT’S MORE JUST
GIVING ADVICE.
GIVING ADVICE. IT’S SAYING, LOOK, IT’S OKAY TO
HAVE BOLD IDEAS, BUT ALSO LET’S
BE PRAGMATIC AND TO NOT GET SO
CAUGHT UP WITH OUR BOLD IDEAS
THAT WE DON’T APPRECIATE THE
FACT THAT ONCE YOU’RE IN OFFICE
YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK ON
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE AND
YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO TRY TO
GET LEGISLATION PASSED.
AND SO I’LL GIVE YOU A GOOD
EXAMPLE.
EXAMPLE. THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, I WOULD
HAVE LOVED TO HAVE SEEN A PUBLIC
OPTION INCLUDED WITH THE
ORIGINAL PACKAGE.
ORIGINAL PACKAGE. BUT GUESS WHAT?
WE DIDN’T HAVE THE VOTES FOR A
PUBLIC OPTION.
PUBLIC OPTION. BUT NOW 20 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE
HEALTH CARE BECAUSE WE DIDN’T
JUST SAY WELL, MY WAY OR THE
HIGHWAY.
HIGHWAY. SO I THINK IT’S REALLY ADVICE
ABOUT THE POSSIBLE, IT’S HIS
PULSE OF THE COUNTRY, HAVING
TRAVELED IT THROUGHOUT THE
COURSE OF NOT JUST HIS
PRESIDENCY, BUT BEFORE HAND AND
THE CAMPAIGN.
THE CAMPAIGN. AND HE THOUGHT HE WOULD WEIGH IN
AND HE DID IT LIGHTLY AND THEY
CAN TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT AS THEY
SEE FIT.
SEE FIT. BUT I ALSO THINK -- GO AHEAD,
STEPHANIE.
STEPHANIE. >> GIVEN THAT, YOU KNOW HOW HARD
IT IS TO TURN CAMPAIGN PROMISES
INTO POLICY.
INTO POLICY. HOW CRITICAL IS IT FOR THESE
CANDIDATES TO BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN
HOW THEY PLAN TO DO IT?
BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHO NEVER
EXPLAINED ANYTHING, PRESIDENT
TRUMP, AND HE WON.
>> LOOK, I THINK IT’S NOT JUST
ABOUT WINNING, BUT IT’S ALSO
ABOUT GOVERNING.
ABOUT GOVERNING. SO I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT
THEY ARTICULATE A CLEAR VISION
FOR OUR COUNTRY AND EXPLAIN HOW
THEY’RE GOING TO BRING US
TOGETHER AND GET IT IMPLEMENTED.
BECAUSE THE BOLD IDEAS, YOU
DON’T WANT THEM SITTING ON A
SHELF AND NOT BEING IMPLEMENTED.
AND TO DO THAT AT A TIME WHEN
OUR COUNTRY IS FEELING
POLARIZED, YET WHEN YOU TRAVEL
AROUND THE COUNTRY YOU SEE THERE
IS STILL A LOT OF GOODWILL OUT
THERE.
THERE. I’M LOOKING FOR THE CANDIDATE
WHO HAS A VISION.
I DO NOT THINK THAT THE
DIFFERENCES AMONG THE DEMOCRATIC
CANDIDATES ARE ANYWHERE HERE AS
BIG AS THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
THE CANDIDATES AND PRESIDENT
TRUMP.
TRUMP. THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, WE HAVE
THOSE WHO WANT TO TWEAK IT AND
HAVE MEDICARE FOR ALL, BUT RIGHT
NOW THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS
IN COURT TRYING TO REVEAL THE
ENTIRE ACT SO THAT PEOPLE WITH
PREEXISTING CONDITIONS WOULD BE
LEFT OUT IN THE COLD.
20 MILLION PEOPLE WILL LOSE
THOSE BENEFITS.
THOSE BENEFITS. SO I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO
HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING
MORE CONVERSATIONS WITH ISSUES
THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO WORKING
FAMILIES, EVERYTHING FROM EQUAL
PAY TO PAID LEAVE, WORKPLACE
FLEXIBILITY, A CULTURE THAT’S
FREE FROM SEXUAL HARASSMENT.
I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO
CONTINUE OUR CONVERSATION ABOUT
REDUCING GUN VIOLENCE, BUILDING
OUR ECONOMY, MAKING SURE EVERY
AMERICAN HAS HEALTH CARE.
AND SO THOSE ARE THE POLICY
ISSUES THAT I THINK WE SHOULD
DEBATE, AS WELL AS HOW WE WANT
TO GET THEM DONE.
>> DO YOU SEE THE CANDIDATE?
YOU’RE QUOTED IN NEW YORK
MAGAZINE SAYING THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY HAS AN EMBARRASSMENT OF
RICHES.
RICHES. BUT THE FACT THAT PEOPLE LIKE
DEVAL PATRICK AND MIKE BLOOMBERG
COULD BE GETTING IN THIS RACE,
DOESN’T THAT SHOW THAT THERE ARE
WORRIES THAT THE CANDIDATES THAT
YOU DO HAVE DON’T HAVE WHAT IT
TAKES?
TAKES? >> I THINK EVERYONE WHO IS IN
THE FIELD TODAY, I WOULD BE
PROUD TO GET BEHIND.
I THINK THAT MAYOR BLOOMBERG AND
GOVERNOR PATRICK ALSO HAVE GREAT
STRENGTHS.
STRENGTHS. AND I THINK IT’S MORE AN
INDICATION OF DO I THINK I NEED
TO GET IN THIS RACE, DO I THINK
I HAVE SOMETHING UNIQUE TO
OFFER.
OFFER. AND I WELCOME ANYONE WHO WANTS
TO GET INTO THE ARENA,
PARTICULARLY RIGHT NOW.
WHAT I AM MOST CONCERNED ABOUT
IS HAVING THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE
CANDIDATE EMERGE.
CANDIDATE EMERGE. I HAVE MADE MYSELF AVAILABLE TO
ANYONE WHO IS INTERESTED.
ONE OF THE CANDIDATES A FEW
WEEKS AGO SENT ME THE PLATFORM
THAT FOCUSES ON WORKING FAMILY
ISSUES, GENDER EQUITY AND I GAVE
MY ADVICE FREELY AND WOULD DO