FOR EVEN BEFORE BIDEN WAS IN THE RACE.
RACE. YOU SAT DOWN WITH HIM TODAY.
IS THAT RIGHT?
GIVE ME THE VIEW FROM JOE BIDEN.
>> WELL, NICOLLE, IT’S JUST BEEN
A WHIPLASH PERIOD FOR ALL OF US
FOLLOWING THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN.
A WEEK AGO WE WERE ABOUT TO
RELEASE A POLL WITH A SINGLE
DIGIT LEAD AND IF THAT HELD,
THERE WERE A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE
BIDEN CAMP WHO DIDN’T THINK
THEY’D BE AROUND FOR SUPER
TUESDAY.
TUESDAY. AND NOW ALL THE SUDDEN THE PARTY
IS BEGINNING TO COALESCE AROUND
HIM IN A BIG WAY SO QUICKLY THAT
IT’S HARD TO KEEP OUR HEADS ON
STRAIGHT.
STRAIGHT. EVEN JUST TALKING TO THE VICE
PRESIDENT, THERE’S A FOCUS AND A
CALM AROUND HIM I HAVEN’T SEEN
IN HIM IN A WHILE.
WE TALKED ABOUT MAYOR PETE
DROPPING OUT.
DROPPING OUT. HE SAID HE ENCOURAGED HIM TO
STAY INVOLVED IN THE RACE.
COY ABOUT WHETHER HE ASKED FOR
HIS ENDORSEMENT.
HIS ENDORSEMENT. AND ASKED IF HE’S INVOLVED IN --
WHETHER HE WAS TALKING TO AMY
KLOBUCHAR OR OTHERS.
THE REWARD WOULD LEAK OUT THAT
AMY KLOBUCHAR WAS GOING TO
ENDORSE AND JOIN HIM TONIGHT.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU I WASN’T
PLANNING TO GO TO DALLAS.
WE WERE GOING TO SKIP AHEAD TO
CALIFORNIA TO BE IN POSITION FOR
SUPER TUESDAY WHERE HE IS GOING
TO BE TOMORROW.
BUT THE BIDEN TEAM, ACROSS THE
BOARD, HAS BEEN STRONGLY
ENCOURAGING
ENCOURAGING ENCOURAGING ME TO JOIN THERE.
IT’S ALMOST LIKE THERE’S A
"AVENGERS" SEQUEL IN DALLAS.
AND BY THE WAY, INCLUDING
PRESIDENT OBAMA HIMSELF TO TRY
TO HURRY THIS RACE TO A FINISH.
THERE’S A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS
HAPPENING THAT SUGGEST THEY
DON’T WANT TO WAIT FOR SUPER
TUESDAY.
TUESDAY. THEY WANT TO BEGIN THIS PROCESS
AS SOON AS YOU CAN.
>> YOU DANGLED SOMETHING REALLY
RIVETING IN FRONT OF ME.
TELL ME MORE ABOUT CONVERSATIONS
WITH FORMER PRESIDENT OBAMA
>> WE KNOW THE FORMER VICE
PRESIDENT TALKED TO HIM OVER THE
WEEKEND.
WEEKEND. AND CRAIG MELVIN ASKED BIDEN
LAST WEEK ABOUT WHY PRESIDENT
OBAMA WASN’T SENDING MORE SMOKE
SIGNALS UP IN TERMS OF HIS
SUPPORT FOR JOE BIDEN.
HE SAID I KNOW YOU DON’T BELIEVE
IT BUT I REALLY ASKED THE
PRESIDENT NOT TO ENDORSE ME.
HE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO SHOW
THAT HE EARNED THIS ON HIS OWN
MERITS.
MERITS. BUT WHEN YOU SAW LAST WEEK
PRESIDENT OBAMA’S LAWYERS REACT
TO THE TV AD BEING RUN IN SOUTH
CAROLINA THAT USED HIS OWN
AUDIO, THAT’S A STEP THEY HADN’T
BEEN TAKING.
BEEN TAKING. THAT WAS A SMOKE SIGNAL.
WE KNOW HE’S BEEN WORKING THE
PHONE LINES AND POTENTIALLY
SPEAKING TO OTHER CANDIDATES AS
WOEL.
WOEL. THERE’S A WAY PRESIDENT OBAMA
COULD HAVE AN IMP PACT WITHOUT
EXPLICITLY SAYING THE WORDS THAT
HE WANTS TO HAPPEN.
AND I THINK THAT’S -- A LOT OF
DEMOCRATS ARE TAKING THOSE
SIGNALS.
SIGNALS. SUSAN RICE IS A PERSON WHO, WHEN
SHE COMES OUT AND ANNOUNCES
SHE’S ENDORSING.
SHE’S ENDORSING. THAT’S SOMETHING I DON’T THINK
HAPPENS UNLESS THERE’S A SPIRIT
AROUND THE PRESIDENT SUGGESTING
THAT’S AN OUTCOMHE’S HAPPY TO
SEE.
SEE. >> AND WE PUT UP HER TWEET.
HAVING WORKED FOR A PRESIDENT
WHO I THINK ONLY ENDORSED IN THE
MESSY REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BECAUSE
HIS BROTHER WAS RUNNING, GEORGE
W. BUSH ENDORSED JEB BUSH.
I KNOW HOW RELULKTANT THEY ARE
BECAUSE THEY THINK THEY CAN PLAY
A ROLE IN BRINGING THE TWO
HALVES TOGETHER.
HALVES TOGETHER. BUT THERE ARE A WHOLE BUNCH OF
SUBPRESIDENTIAL ENDORSEMENT
SUBPRESIDENTIAL ENDORSEMENT THINGS.
THINGS. IT’S MY UNDERSTANDING MICHELLE
AND JOE BIDEN HAD A PRETTY CLOSE
RAPPORT.
RAPPORT. >> Reporter: THEY ABSOLUTELY
HAVE A VERY CLOSE RELATIONSHIP.
I HAVEN’T HEARD OF ANY OUTREACH
BETWEEN THEM.
BETWEEN THEM. AND AS OBAMA AND BIDEN HAVE BEEN
AS WELL.
AS WELL. IT’S WORTH PAYING ATTENTION TO I
THINK THESE KIND OF SIGNALS
COMING OUT.
COMING OUT. HARRY REED IS ANOTHER
ENDORSEMENT TODAY.
ENDORSEMENT TODAY. ONE MORE THING.
I SHOULD MENTIONED.
ONE OTHER THING IN TERMS OF THE
TEA LEAF READING WE’RE DOING A
LOT OF RIGHT NOW.
WHEN I ASKED THE VICE PRESIDENT
WHETHER HE THINKS OBAMA WOULD
HAVE TO STEP UP SOONER THAN THE
CONVENTION TO HELP UNITE THE
PARTY.
PARTY. HE SAYS HE KNOWS THE PRESIDENT
WANTS TO DO THAT AND HE BELIEVES
HE’LL BE THERE WHEN HE NEEDS TO.
AND HE SAID HE NEEDS TO BE THE
ONE TO ALSO BE THE FIGURE WHO
CAN ULTIMATELY UNITE THE PARTY
AND HE INTENDS TO DO THAT, HE
SAID.
SAID. >> SHORT OF A BARACK OBAMA
ENDORSEMENT A PETE BUTTIGIEG
INDORSZMENTIN
INDORSZMENTIN ENDORSEMENT IS PRETTY DARN GOOD.
HE GAVE ONE OF THE MOST ELOQUENT
AND ELEGANT SPEECHES FOR SOMEONE
COMING SHORT OF A DREAM OF
WINNING HIS PARTY’S NOMINATION.
HOW DID HE ARRIVE AT THE
SEQUENCING OF WITHDRAWING FROM
THE RACE AND MAKING THE
ENDORSEMENT AS WE EXPECT, AS
OTHER NEWS ORGANIZATIONS HAVE
REPORTED, HE’S HE’S EXPECTED TO
TONIGHT?
TONIGHT? >> THERE’S A PRIVATE PLANE
DESTENED FOR DALLAS THIS
EVENING.
EVENING. I TALKED TO MULTIPLE CAMPAIGN
OFFICIALS WHO SAID THE PATH WAS
VERY NARROW.
VERY NARROW. AND THIS IS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO
GOT IN THE RACE HOPING HE COULD
BE A DIFFERENT CANDIDATE, PLAY A
DIFFERENT SORT OF POLITICS.
IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR AN EXACT
OPPOSITE OF DONALD TRUMP, YOU
FIND PETE BUTTIGIEG.
AND OUTSIDE OF DRAWING CONTRAST
WITH BERNIE SANDERS AND A
SQUABBLE WITH AMY KLOBUCHAR ON
THE DEBATE STAGE IN NEVADA, YOU
HAVEN’T HEARD PETE BUTTIGIEG GO
AFTER THE FORMER VICE PRESIDENT
PRETTY MUCH ENTIRETY OF THIS
2020 YEAR.
2020 YEAR. THE MORNING OF THE NEVADA
PRIMARY.
PRIMARY. I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH PETE
BUTTIGIEG AND HE SAID THERE’S A
REALITY THAT THE PARTY COULD
WAKE UP THE MORNING OF MARCH
4th, THE DAY AFTER SUPER TUESDAY
WITH BERNIE SANDERS HOLDING AN
INSURMOUNTABLE DELEGATE LEAD.
HE NEEDED TO PERFORM WELL AMONG
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN NEVADA
AND SOUTH CAROLINA.
HE DID NOT.
IN TERMS OF A STRUCTURE TO GO
BEYOND, THEY’RE NO LONGER SECOND
IN NATIONAL DELEGATE COUNT AND
WHEN YOU’RE LOOKING AT
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS T WASN’T
THERE FOR THEM.
SO, WHEN YOUR’RE HAVING THAT
CONVERSATION, PETE BUTTIGIEG
LIKES TO SAY DEMOCRAT WHOSE HAVE
WON OVER THE LAST 50 YEARS WERE
ALL YOUNGER CANDIDATES WHO HAD A
DIFFERENT STYLE OF POLITICS.