>>> AT NOW THE REALITY NOTE THAT WILL PROBABLY BE IGNORED IN
TOMORROW NIGHT’S DEBATE -- THE
UNITED STATES SENATE.
REPUBLICAN SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HERE
CAREER IS IN TROUBLE IN HER
RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN MAINE.
>> SO WHY DO YOU HAVE THAT
FEELING THAT HE HAS CHANGED,
THAT HE LEARNED A LESSON?
>> WELL, I MAY NOT BE CORRECT ON
THAT.
THAT. >> IN LIGHT OF THE PRESIDENT’S
ACTIONS, DO YOU THINK THERE’S
ANY LESSONS THAT HE LEARNED FROM
BEING IMPEACHED?
BEING IMPEACHED? >> I DON’T KNOW WHICH ACTIONS
YOU’RE REFERRING TO.
>> YOU SAID THAT THE PRESIDENT
LEARNED HIS LESSON.
DID HE LEARN ANY LESSONS?
>> THAT AD IS PAID FOR BY THE
DEMOCRATIC SUPERPAC THAT’S
TRYING TO WIN CONTROL OF THE
UNITED STATES SENATE FOR THE
DEMOCRATS.
DEMOCRATS. SUSAN COLLINS IS NOW POLLING IN
A TIE WITH ONE OF HER DEMOCRATIC
CHALLENGERS, SUDIANSAN GIDEON.
THE RULE OF POLLING FOR
INCUMBENTS GENERALLY IS THAT
ANYTHING BELOW 50% MEANS THE
INCUMBENT IS GOING TO HAVE A
VERY DIFFICULT STRUGGLE GETTING
RE-ELECTED.
RE-ELECTED. THAT COULD MEAN THE DEMOCRATS
MIGHT WIN BACK THE SENATE.
WE’RE BACK IN JENNIFER PALMIERI
AND DAN PFEIFFER, AUTHOR OF
"UN-TRUMPING AMERICA."
"UN-TRUMPING AMERICA." AND, JENNIFER, ALMOST EVERYTHING
THEY TALK ABOUT TOMORROW NIGHT
WON’T MATTER IF MITCH McCONNELL
IS STILL IN CONTROL OF THE
SENATE.
SENATE. >> YEAH, AND CHUCK SCHUMER’S
REALLY GLAD THAT YOU’RE MAKING
THAT POINT BECAUSE THAT MAN IS A
RELENTLESS -- LET ME TELL YOU,
HE IS A RELENTLESS RECRUITING
MACHINE TO TRY TO GET GOOD
CANDIDATES TO RUN FOR SENATE.
AND THEY REALLY DO HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY TO WIN BACK THE
SENATE IF, YOU KNOW -- MAINE’S A
GOOD EXAMPLE WHERE THERE’S OTHER
STATES WHERE YOU HAVE VULNERABLE
INCUMBENTS, PEOPLE YOU DIDN’T
EXPECT NECESSARILY TO BE
VULNERABLE, LIKE JONI ERNST IN
IOWA AS WELL.
AND YOU’RE RIGHT.
WITHOUT CHANGING THE MAKEUP OF
THE SENATE, YOU’RE JUST GOING TO
RUN -- CONTINUE TO RUN INTO
BRICK WALLS.
BRICK WALLS. >> AND, DAN, IF THE DEMOCRATS
CAN GET THE WAVE GOING, YOU’VE
GOT ARIZONA PICKUP POSSIBLE.
COLORADO SEEMS LIKE A VERY
LIKELY PICKUP.
LIKELY PICKUP. SO FOUR, WHICH IS WHAT THEY
NEED, IS WELL WITHIN THE REALM
OF POSSIBILITY.
OF POSSIBILITY. >> THAT’S RIGHT.
WE HAVE A VERY GOOD CHANCE TO
GET THE SENATE, AND WE HAVE TO
DO IT NOW BECAUSE THIS IS THE
MOST FAVORABLE MAP WE’RE GOING
TO HAVE FOR A WHILE.
AND WHAT’S REALLY IMPORTANT IS
THAT WE ARE A UNITED PARTY THAT
IS STRONG AT THE TOP OF THE
TICKET BECAUSE WHEN DEMOCRATS --
OR THE CLOSE RACES USUALLY TIP
IN THE WINNER OF THE
PRESIDENTIAL.
PRESIDENTIAL. IN 2012, INDIANA, MISSOURI,
NORTH DAKOTA ALL TIPPED TOWARDS
OBAMA.
OBAMA. 2008, SIMILAR SITUATION IN
MINNESOTA AND ELSEWHERE.
SO WE HAVE TO BE UNITED.
IF WE DO, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY
TO ACTUALLY GET SOMETHING DONE.
AS YOU POINT OUT, IF WE DO NOT
AND MITCH McCONNELL STILL
CONTROLS THE AGENDA, THEN THERE
WILL BE NO LEGISLATION.
IF WE -- IF A SUPREME COURT
JUSTICE DECIDED TO RETIRE ON THE
WAY HOME FROM THE INAUGURATION,
MITCH McCONNELL WOULD HOLD THAT
SEAT OPEN FOR FOUR YEARS.
>> HE WOULD, ABSOLUTELY.
I HAVE NO DOUBT ABOUT IT
ANYMORE.
ANYMORE. JENNIFER, I WANT TO GO TO YOU
AND DAN ON THIS QUESTION ON THE
EVE OF THE DEBATE.
A CANDIDATE WHO NEEDS TO
CONVINCE VOTERS THAT HE OR SHE
CAN WIN, CAN BEAT THE REPUBLICAN
OPPONENT, WHAT IS THAT LIKE?
YOU’VE BEEN IN PRESIDENTIAL
CAMPAIGNS.
CAMPAIGNS. WHAT IS THAT LIKE WHEN THE
CANDIDATE HAS THAT OBLIGATION?
THE CANDIDATE IS NOT PRESUMED TO
BE THE ONE WHO CAN BEAT THE
REPUBLICAN OPPONENT.
REPUBLICAN OPPONENT. >> WELL, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE IN
THIS RACE THAT IT HITS THE
HARDEST ON THE RECOMMEND.
AND IT’S BIZARRE BECAUSE THERE
HAS BEEN SOMEBODY WHO WENT UP
AGAINST TRUMP IN A GENERAL
ELECTION.
ELECTION. IT WAS A WOMAN, AND SHE GOT 3
MILLION MORE VOTES, AND WOMEN
HAD HISTORIC WINS IN 2018.
I ARGUE IF THERE IS ANYTHING
THAT WE KNOW ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS
WHEN TRUMP IS ON THE BALLOT, IS
THAT WOMEN WIN.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU SEE
WARREN MAKES A CASE REALLY
FORCEFULLY ABOUT ELECTABILITY
NOW, AND I KNOW SHE DOES IT
BECAUSE SHE FEELS LIKE SHE HAS
TO.
TO. SHE’S GOT TO MAKE THAT -- SHE
CAN’T LET THAT QUESTION GO
UNANSWERED.
UNANSWERED. IT MAY BE THAT SHE’S BEEN
HELPING AMY KLOBUCHAR DOING
THAT, RIGHT?
THAT, RIGHT? SHE MADE THAT CASE REALLY
FORCEFULLY IN THE LAST TWO
DEBATES, AND YOU SAW KLOBUCHAR
DID -- BESTED HER IN NEW
HAMPSHIRE.
HAMPSHIRE. BUT IT’S THE WOMEN IN PARTICULAR
THAT HAVE TO PROVE TO PEOPLE
THAT WOMEN CAN WIN.
>> DAN, HOW DID BARACK OBAMA AND
THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN DO IT IN 2008
BECAUSE HE FACED THAT QUESTION.
CAN HE POSSIBLY WIN THE GENERAL
ELECTION?
ELECTION? >> WELL, HE HAD TO STAND ON THAT
STAGE AND BE SEEN AS SOMEONE WHO
LOOKED LIKE THEY CAN BE IN THE
OVAL OFFICE.
OVAL OFFICE. AND I WOULD SAY AS CHALLENGING
AS THAT WAS AS THE FIRST
AFRICAN-AMERICAN CANDIDATE, I
THINK IT’S MUCH HARDER NOW FOR
THE CANDIDATES OF COLOR AND THE
WOMEN CANDIDATES BECAUSE
ELECT --
ELECT -- >> WHY WOULD IT BE HARDER NOW?
>> BECAUSE THERE IS A PARANOIA
OF FEAR IN THE DEMOCRATIC
ELECTORATE, AND THERE’S BEEN
THIS NARRATIVE THAT THE ONLY WAY
WE WIN THE ELECTION IS
CONVINCING A GROUP OF WORKING
CLASS WHITE MEN IN WISCONSIN
THAT THEY SHOULD VOTE FOR A
DEMOCRAT.
DEMOCRAT. ANDSEXISM.
ANDSEXISM. I THINK THE BEST WAY ANY OF
THESE CANDIDATES CAN DO IT IS TO
NOT SEEM LIKE THE REPLICA OF
TRUMP BUT TO BE THE REPLACEMENT,
WHO LOOKS LIKE THE OPPOSITE, WHO
CAN REPRESENT CHANGE AGAINST
HIM.
HIM. AND I THINK WARREN, KLOBUCHAR,
BUTTIGIEG, SANDERS HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
>> DAN PFEIFFER GETS THE LAST
WORD.
WORD. HIS BOOK IS UN-TRUMPING AMERICA.