>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY, WORE BACK WITH MSNBC'S JOY REID.
AT HIS MARATHON PRESS CONFERENCE RAFT WEEK, PRESIDENT BIDEN SAID
"MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA TALK ABOUT HOW NOTHING HAS HAPPENED IN HIS
FIRST YEAR, AND THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, WE GOT AN AWFUL LOT
DONE."
IS THAT A FAIR COMPLAINT BY JOE BIDEN, BECAUSE THERE IS A WHOLE
LOT OF TALK IN THE MEDIA-- NO OFFENSE, ALSO MSNBC--
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: ...ABOUT THE AGENDA STALLING AND I'M SURE
HE'D LIKE TO GET EVERYTHING DONE OR HIS BASE WOULD LIKE TO GET
EVERYTHING DONE.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF HIS FIRST YEAR AND IS HE RIGHT TO COMPLAIN
ABOUT THE DESCRIPTION?
>> I THINK ALL PRESIDENTS COMPLAIN ABOUT THE PRESS.
NOBODY LIKES THE PRESS WHEN YOU WORK IN POLITICS BECAUSE YOU
WILL NEVER GET THE PRESS YOU WANT.
IN ONE SENSE, I THINK BIDEN HAS A POINT.
THE MEDIA DOES HAVE TWO BIASES-- CHANGE AND CONFLICT.
IF WE SEE CHANGE, WE RUN TOWARD THAT, AND THAT'S INTERESTING.
>> Stephen: CHANGE IS A NEW THING TO TALK ABOUT.
>> CHANGE IS NEW.
PRESIDENT OBAMA THAT WAS AN EXCITING SORT OF CHANGE IN
AMERICA'S CULTURE AND POLITICS.
YOU KNOW, THE MEDIA WILL GRAVITATE TOWARDS CHANGE AND
CONFLICT.
BUT THE MEDIA DOESN'T WANT TO BE IN CONFLICT, NECESSARILY, WITH
THE PRESIDENT BUT THE IDEA OF A SPORTS-LIKE CONFLICT IS WHERE
THE MEDIA TENDS TO GO.
THAT IS NOT HEALTHY WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH THE DECLINE OF
DEMOCRACY, WHICH IS NOT A SPORTING EVENT AND WE SHOULD
PROBABLY TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY, AND ARE THERE ARE TWO SIDES, AND
THERE ARE RIGHT SIDES BEING FOR OR AGAINST DEMOCRACY AND I THINK
THE MEDIA HAS FAILED THERE.
BUT I THINK COMPLICATED THINGS LIKE INFLATION AND ECONOMICS,
IT'S EASIER TO COVER IT LIKE A SPORTING EVENT-- REPUBLICANS SAY
THIS, DEMOCRATS SAY THIS-- AND SORT OF LAY THINGS AT THE FEET
OF THE PRESIDENT WHERE HE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT
IT.
I DOUBT ANY PRESIDENT CAN REVERSE INFLATION.
IT'S JUST NOT A THING THEY DO.
I THINK, YES, IN A SENSE THERE HAS BEEN-- POLICY IS BORING, SO
THE MEDIA WON'T COVER THE SORT OF POLICIES THAT ARE WORKING
THEIR WAY NORMALLY THROUGH CONGRESS AND HE SIGNS THEM.
CONFLICT -- >> Stephen: WHAT ABOUT THE
CRITICISM FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO GET JOE MANCHIN AND KIRSTIN
SINEMA TO SUPPORT THE CHANGE TO THE FILIBUSTER.
THERE IS A LOT DIRECTED AT THE ADMINISTRATION, AND, OBVIOUSLY,
SOME TO THOSE TWO PEOPLE, TOO.
BUT IS THERE ANYTHING HE COULD HAVE DONE?
>> I THINK-- AND BIDEN IS GOING TO GET THAT, I THINK, DOUBLY,
BECAUSE HE IS A MAN OF THE SENATE.
AND HE DID RUN PROCLAIMING THAT HE COULD CREATE THIS
BIPARTISANSHIP, AND THAT HE COULD MAKE CERTAIN THINGS
HAPPEN.
HIS LONG TENURE IN THE SENATE IS, WHOING AGAINST HIM IN THAT
SENSE.
>> Stephen: EVERY PRESIDENT SAYS THAT.
"OH, I CAN WORK-- I'LL GET IT DONE."
>> HE MENTIONS THAT.
IF I HAD TO GIVE ONE BIG CRITICISM TO THE ADMINISTRATION,
I THINK THEY MADE ONE BIG MISTAKE.
WHEN YOU'RE NEGOTIATING, PARTICULARLY WITH DIFFICULT
PARTIES, LIKE JOE MANCHIN AND EVERYBODY-- HE KNOWS JOE MANCHIN
IS DIFFICULT, HE'S ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY-- YOU DON'T NEGOTIATE
BY SAYING LET ME GIVE YOU EVERYTHING YOU WANT, AND NOW CAN
I GET SOMETHING.
THE ONE THING HE WANTED WAS THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL AND YOU GAVE
IT TO HIM.
HE'S ALREADY FIGURING OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THAT MONEY IN
VIRGINIA, AND THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO GIVE HIM.
HE DOES NOT WANT "BUILD BACK BETTER," THAT IS CLEAR.
HE DOESN'T CARE ANY THE CHILD TAX CREDIT.
HE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING THAT WILL HELP THE POOR.
HE'S ON HIS YACHT AND MASERATI.
AND THAT WAS AN ADMINISTRATION MISTAKE.
THE IDEA OF NEGOTIATING WITH HIM BY GIVING HIM EVERYTHING HE
WANTS AND THEN BEGGING HIM TO HELP YOU WITH THE THINGS HE
DOESN'T CARE ABOUT.
I THINK THAT WAS A STRATEGIC MISTAKE.
>> Stephen: NOW, YOU HAVE SAID--
( APPLAUSE )
INTO THE THIRD YEAR OF YOUR SHOW, AND YOU'VE OFTEN SAID,
"SCARING IS CARING."
WHAT IS THE LINE BETWEEN SCARING AND... PROVIDING ANXIETY TO AN
AUDIENCE UNNECESSARILY FOR THE EYEBALLS?
>> YEAH, AND WE-- I MEAN, THIS IS PROBABLY THE THING WE TALK
ABOUT MOST DURING OUR LENGTHY MORNING CALL THAT CAN GO ON AND
ON AND ON.
UPON WE REALLY DO CARE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
ONE OF THE REASONS I LOVE MY JOB IS I'M DOING AND TALK ABOUT
THINGS I DEEPLY CARE ABOUT.
I REALLY AM CONCERNED ABOUT OUR DEMOCRACY, AND I'M NOT JUST
SAYING THAT TO DO SCARING IS CARING.
I'M WORRIED THAT WE'RE GOING TO A PLACE THIS THIS COUNTRY THAT
WE WON'T BE ABLE TO PULL BACK FROM.
IF WE GO TOO FAR AND LOSE-- DEMOCRACIES FALL FAST, AND THEY
FALL WHEN YOU'RE NOT WATCHING AND YOU'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION.
AND THE WAYS IN WHICH OUR DEMOCRACY IS CRUMBLING, THEY
SCARE ME, RIGHT.
BUT WE HAVE TO GIVE THAT MESSAGE OUT IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T MAKE
PEOPLE WANT TO WATCH THE SHOW FROM UNDER THEIR BED, BECAUSE
THAT'S NOT HEALTHY.
SO WE TRY TO HAVE A LITTLE LEVITY IN THE SHOW.
WE TRY TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A LIGHT HEART IN THE SHOW, AND WE
TRY TO DO SOME THINGS THAT ARE FUN.
BECAUSE I THINK EVEN WHEN THINGS ARE BAD, YOU STILL NEED TO
SMILE, RIGHT.
YOU STILL NEED-- WHICH IS WHY I LOVE YOUR SHOW, WHICH IS WHY I
LOVE TO WATCH YOU.
( APPLAUSE )
CRUMBLE.
>> Stephen: YEAH, NO CRUMBLING.
>> NO CRUMBLING.
>> Stephen: NO CRUMBLING ALLOWED.
>> WE CAN'T AFFORD TO CRUMBLE.
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO FIGHT.
AND I THINK PART OF THEFIGHT IS KEEPING OUR SENSE OF HUMOR AND
NOT LETTING THE FORCES THAT WANT TO BREAK US AS A COUNTRY AND
BREAK OUR DEMOCRACY BREAK US PERSONALLY.
RIGHT, WE NEED TO FIGHT JOYFULLY.
>> Stephen: YOU CAN'T BE OVERWHELMED.
( APPLAUSE )
HERE.
"THE REIDOUT" AIRS WEEKNIGHTS ON MSNBC.
JOY REID, EVERYBODY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH THOMAS MIDDLEDITCH.