A leaked memo from Senator Bernie Sanders' office indicates that he
has not ruled out running for president in 2024.
But there is a caveat, there is a caveat.
So what did the memo say?
In the event of an open 2020 for Democratic presidential primary,
Senator Sanders has not ruled out another run for president, so
we advise that you answer any questions about 2024 with that in mind.
Says the memo from Faiz Shakir,
a close Sanders adviser who was his campaign manager when he ran in 2020.
It seems pretty clear that Senator Sanders is
not looking to run if Biden is seeking reelection.
And so far based on what we've shared with you recently on the show,
it does look like Biden is planning to run for reelection.
>> Well, he's saying he will run.
>> He's saying that.
>> Statements that are made about whether you will run or
that you're not gonna run mean nothing.
I mean almost anything said in politics means nothing, but
that especially means nothing.
>> True, but, okay, so we don't know what's really gonna happen.
Bernie is very complimentary toward Biden.
So I do believe that he means what he's saying here or what this memo is saying.
I don't think that he would run in a primary against Biden, that's fair to say.
But let's just say for the sake of this discussion, Bernie ends up running.
Okay, look, let's be real.
He's 80 years old now, he would be 82 in 2024.
Is this a good idea?
>> I mean, look, obviously, we went through the experience of 2016 and
2020, great deal of baked in affection.
I gotta say though, maybe this makes me the bad guy,
kinda think maybe it's time for new blood.
Pete Buttigieg is really the wave of the future and
I just think that having that person, I'm joking obviously.
No, look, obviously I'm gonna support him.
We agree with him on most issues, a lot of issues.
I have concerns.
And if I were to like really focus down and like weigh the pros and
cons and everything,
is it possible that there are other candidates that I would place before him?
Potentially, yeah.
I mean, and that's not to take away anything of what he's contributed
over the last decade of the progressive movement or even the likelihood that
the people, I might rank before him wouldn't be here or not for him.
And if he's the candidate, yeah, let's do this again.
But what do you think?
>> I'm gonna be honest with the audience.
I don't know how I feel about it yet.
And that's not to say that I don't support Bernie Sanders.
Obviously, I do, he has the right policy agenda.
He has fought for the right things for the entirety of his career.
I think that, yeah, I just wish, I really do wish that he was younger and
more importantly that we did have a larger pool of true
progressives to pick from, to support.
>> We have a good pool.
>> Yeah, look, I don't know that we do.
So, look, I think that there are some good progressives in Congress-
>> Buttigieg?
>> No, definitely not Buttigieg.
But Buttigieg's a joke so let's move on from that immediately.
But I have one person in mind that I actually think would stand
a decent chance-.
>> Against who?
>> Against even a Republican.
>> Worthy to be the nominee.
>> Worthy to be the nominee, right.
I think Katie Porter would be a decent option.
And the reason why I say that is because she has managed to fight for
the same policies that we want without being as divisive as some of
the other progressive lawmakers have been.
And by the way, whether it's fair or not,
I think that the other progressive lawmakers have been targeted by
the right wing in a way that's incredibly unfair to them.
But whether we like it or not, let's say AOC decided to run,
I don't think she would win.
I just don't.
>> Okay, I think that's enough of your spears.
I knew you had AOC in mind.
>> I think if you would just shut up right now [LAUGH].
>> But Katie Porter has done, she's representing, okay,
it's more of a purple district at this point, but
it used to be a solid red district in California.
>> Okay, here's a hypothetical for you though.
>> Okay, ready for it.
>> To respond to you differentiating Katie Porter from the others.
I don't believe that in the right wing movement, there is much magic.
I think there is one magic trick though.
Do you know with the snap of their fingers where she'd become the nominee,
she would become Katie Porter, devoted antifa super soldier and cami?
I mean she's not divisive until they decide that she is and
they go all in attacking her.
I agree with there's less baked in hatred for her.
But do I care about those who have baked in hatred for like AOC?
They were never gonna vote for any democrat.
>> I think Katie Porter is more disciplined than other progressives in
Congress.
>> I think that Katie Porter has done a very good job.
I like a lot of her stances.
And again, if she was the candidate, first of all, if I had to choose her over quite
a few other democrats, yes, I'd go in on that, I would choose her over.
Like just randomly choose obviously, over a lot of them,
including many who were definitely trying to position themselves to run in 2024,
I assume though, that were we to dig into the specifics, we would
find more points of disagreement with her than a number of the other progressives.
>> Sure. >> That's my suspicion.
>> Listen, my number one concern is what are we gonna do
to decouple interest within the financial industry from Congress, basically.
And she's very hyperfocused and disciplined on that issue.
And that's a message that resonates across, listen, it's a message that
resonates across the board, whether you're a Democrat or a Republican voter, right?
And so that appeals to me about her, look, she's representing a Purple District
there, I'm sure there are things in her record that I wouldn't love, but
when it comes to that substantive policy issue, I think she'd be great.
I love that this Bernie Sanders story turned into a story about Katie Porter,
but the reason why is because let's keep it real, it's just, okay, now,
I know what I how I feel about it.
Listen, if it was between Bernie Sanders and some generic democrat in the primary,
obviously I'm gonna vote for him and support him, so
I don't want anyone to think I would act otherwise.
But I'm also realistic about the fact that homeboys 80 and
he'd be 82 and- >> 82 is the new 67.
>> I'm not sure it is.
[LAUGH] I'm not sure it is like the Democratic Party needs to get its
act together and it needs to help to promote and more importantly,
help mentor like young progressive lawmakers.
>> Yeah, I mean, look, that would be great.
I think that would objectively be in the best interests of the party in terms of
raising the odds of them winning, and they have no interest in that whatsoever.
They don't wanna do that cuz they want more Buttigieges, that's what they want.
They want more people who see all of this based on, okay, so I'm gonna run for this
office and then that office that office, okay, so I have to become a lobbyist for
four years and then I'll meet some consultants, that's what they want.
They don't want committed people, they like to dismantle committed people.
Buttigieg, if you rewind far enough, apparently had some values a very,
very long time ago, and those were scoured out of him.
And he's not even the worst of all the people that will likely be running in
that race.
But I do think there is some talent, look, if Bernie runs, when we say,
we'll vote for- >> You just vote AOC to run.
[LAUGH] That's all you're thinking about.
He's like- >> You are the only person at
this table that is thinking that, or at least saying it.
>> No, literally, anyone who's familiar with you knows what you're thinking.
>> I am to hear with it right now with you.
So, anyway, when we say that if Bernie runs, we will vote from and support,
understand that when I, like, I'll only speak for myself, feel free to jump off,
when I say support, I don't mean, like, okay, we're gonna like to support them and
that's what I'm gonna do, yeah, that'll be the thing.
But, yeah, look, if I had to support one candidate,
I think that one of the most dynamic, best communicating representative, like you
were talking about Katie Porter on those particular issues in terms of checking
like corporations, everything, I would argue right alongside her in that area.
AOC does a hell of a job, does she not?
This isn't about me, this is about America from that a little bit.
I don't know that she has.
I think that in some of the testimony, it's not making headline news anymore.
But if you're someone who obsessively searches every day, you find it and
I'm kidding.
No, she's been doing some great question, again,
like the stuff that's driving the news agenda.
I don't think it's focusing on it as much, but I'm considerate.
Okay. >> Let's have a contested primary.
Let's have debates with multiple progressives up there.
How unique would that be as an experience?
>> Listen, I have nothing against AOC.
>> It kinda seems like you do that.
>> I just think she needs more experience to be honest,
because- >> Running for
president, great experience.
>> Okay, I want a fighter.
Okay, I want someone, [SOUND] listen, hold on, hold on,
let me just give you a specific example of what I'm talking about and
I don't think that this is because she's a bad person.
I think that this is more an experience issue, okay?
So for instance when Congress was voting on an additional package of
military funding for Israel on top of the tens
of billions of dollars that were already allocated for his.
Remember that?
>> Vaguely.
Hold on, I'm actively flapping out the area that you're talking.
Okay, no, I don't know. >> She wanted to vote no, okay?
And that was the correct vote.
And then she got pressured by the corporate democrats-
>> This is the sorta purity politics.
>> No, it's not purity politics.
Hold on, it's not purity politics, okay?
The reason why I had an issue with that wasn't even necessarily allocating
additional funding for Israel, although that was bad enough, right?
She voted present at the end of the day instead of voting no.
It showed me that she's not confident enough to basically give
the corporate democrats the middle finger and say, no, no, I'm not-.
>> It's evidence, it's evidence.
I don't think it's like, well now we're done.
>> That was a really bad decision on her part.
But sure.
>> Yeah, and not the only one I'm sure.
>> I think that she took- >> She took down an establishment,
a powerful establishment Democrat,
something many other progressives as good as they are have never had to do.
And not just in a contested primary, open primary, she took down an incumbent,
she knows how to fight against those particular people and
that's what she does.
>> She does, she does.
My point is she's susceptible to corporate democrats
pressuring her to do things that she doesn't wanna do.
That's what I'm saying.
I know you don't like hearing it, but it's the truth [CROSSTALK],
let me finish my point, John, I have never heard like he's never interrupted me more.
>> I am much more comfortable with this argument if you get out as few of her
thoughts as possible.
>> Well, that is clear, that is clear and you have succeeded.
>> Continue, continue.
>> No, my point is she has the capability of being a fighter who is not
pressured into casting votes that she doesn't wanna cast.
That's the point that I'm trying to make, she needs to get more comfortable
leaning into that power and I think that that could build over time.
That's all I'm saying.
Katie Porter, she gives this, I don't know for me,
at least she gives this like personality or she has this characteristic of like,
no, I'm gonna steamroll you and I don't care and I like seeing that.
So I wanna see more of that.
And, look, I could be wrong.
This is just my analysis of the situation.
We wanna hear what you think so right in like-
>> I like Katie Porter.
>> Yeah, but not as much as AOC apparently, so [LAUGH].
>> Yeah, okay, that's news.
We're breaking news here.
Anyway, look, I think in terms of the point about discipline,
I think AOC at least in terms of social media picking fights and all that has been
much more disciplined over the past year and there are cons to that.
I think that her ability to help determine the agenda has been somewhat hamstrung by
the fact that she's less vocal and everything.
I also think that there has been a running threat of eraser of dark horse candidate
Tulsi Gabbard, the true choice for all progressives.
I think it's weird that you're nodding.
>> She went along with the right wing smear tactic of calling anyone who
fights on behalf of the LGBTQ community like groomers and stuff.
That's who she is, that's who she's always been.
But I don't wanna waste our time talking about that clown, but
I hear what you're saying.
Look, my point is some of these more freshmen progressives
need more experience, they need to settle into and
lean into their power and I think that they can do that.
And so we'll see what happens.
We don't know what's gonna happen.
I think that Joeb Biden, he's barely hanging in there now.
I don't know if he's really gonna run for reelection.
I personally think that's a bad idea.
>> He has to say that he's going to.
>> Right, of course, but I do like that, look, was this really a leak?
I mean I have a feeling that the Bernie team is maybe testing the waters and
I'm here for it.
Test the waters.
I like the idea of having options other than we're just gonna have to support
Biden, I guess, in 2024.
>> Or Harris.
>> And honestly, at this point, how things are going,
Biden doesn't really seem to have much of a chance.
Like it's not looking good to run.
>> Where he to run.
>> Where he to run, exactly.
>> Yes, my fear, definitely.
>> So it's just stuff to think about, again, there are no concrete, solid
predictions here, all we can really do is guess, but we'll see how it all plays out.