BACK TO YOU. >> Sandra: MIKE TOBIN ON THE
GROUND IN IOWA.
>> Ed: MORE NOW WITH MATT
WHITAKER FORMER ATTORNEY ACTING
GENERAL WHO HAILS FROM IOWA.
>> PROUD IOWAN.
>> Ed: STILL PROUD THIS MORNING
DAYS LATER?
DAYS LATER? >> WHAT YOU SAW IS ACTUALLY THE
TALE OF TWO PARTIES.
THE DEMOCRATS HAD ALL SORTS OF
PROBLEMS.
PROBLEMS. THE REPUBLICANS.
THE REPUBLICANS. I WAS THERE AND THE PRESIDENT
TRUMP’S REELECTION CAMPAIGN WAS
A WELL ORGANIZED MACHINE AND
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF IOWA
REPORTED THE RESULTS FOR THE
BIGGEST TURNOUT FOR A REELECT
EVER.
EVER. IT WAS REALLY A TALE OF TWO
PARTIES AND IT’S A SHAME THE
DEMOCRAT PARTY OF IOWA COULDN’T
DO SOMETHING THEY’VE BEEN DOING
SINCE 1976 WHEN JIMMY CARTER
WON THE CAUCUSES.
JUST GET THE VOTES TO THE
HEADQUARTERS AND COUNT THEM.
>> Ed: NO ARGUMENT THERE IS
CHAOS AND MORE CHAOS FOR IOWA
DEMOCRATS.
DEMOCRATS. THERE WAS CHAOS FOR REPUBLICANS
IN 2012 WHEN MITT ROMNEY WAS
INITIALLY DECLARED THE WINNER
IN IOWA AND COUNTING HANG ON,
IT WAS RICK SANTORUM.
>> I THINK THE VOTE WAS CLOSE.
7 OR 14 VOTES DIFFERENCE.
I SEE THE SAME THING PLAYING
OUT HERE.
OUT HERE. WE KEEP HOLDING AT 62% AND
SOMEHOW BUTTIGIEG HAS THIS
ADVANTAGE IN THE DELEGATE
EQUIVALENT BUT BERNIE IS
LEADING THE POPULAR VOTE.
IT WILL BE INTERESTING WHEN THE
DUST SETTLES TO SEE WHO
ACTUALLY WINS IOWA.
>> Ed: YOU ARE A PROUD IOWAN.
PROUD SUPPORTER OF THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. YOU TALKED ABOUT BEING ON THE
GROUND.
GROUND. HE HAD AN INCREDIBLE TURNOUT
FOR AN INCUMBENT.
SETTING RECORDS IN ALL THE REST.
BUT I WANTED TO HAVE YOU ON TO
TALK ABOUT THE INVESTIGATIVE
ASPECT OF THIS.
ONE THING TO FIGURE OUT THE
RESULTS AND WE’RE WAITING FOR
THAT.
THAT. YOU AS A FORMER ACTING ATTORNEY
GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES,
WHAT KIND OF INVESTIGATIONS MAY
THERE BE?
THERE BE? THERE HAVE BEEN SUPPORTERS OF
BERNIE SANDERS SAYING WAIT A
SECOND, WE THINK THERE IS SOME
FUNNY BUSINESS GOING ON HERE.
IT IS LEADING TO CONSPIRACY
THEORIES.
THEORIES. WILL THERE BE AN INVESTIGATION
TO FIND OUT IF THERE WAS
SOMETHING NEFARIOUS?
SOMETHING NEFARIOUS? >> IOWA CAUCUS IS A PARTY
FUNCTION.
FUNCTION. THE SECRETARY OF STATE DOESN’T
RUN THE ELECTION.
BOTH PARTIES ARE IN CHARGE OF
TABULATING THE RESULTS.
THE KEY IS FULL TRANSPARENCY.
EACH OF THE CANDIDATES -- I WAS
DOWN IN CENTREVILLE ON MONDAY
NIGHT AND I SAW A VERY STRONG
BUTTIGIEG TURNOUT.
BUTTIGIEG TURNOUT. SO IT’S HARD TO TELL DEPENDING
WHERE YOU ARE LOOKING AT THIS
STATE WHO WAS THE MOST POPULAR
CANDIDATE.
CANDIDATE. IN SOME OF THE COLLEGE TOWNS
BERNIE SANDERS WAS MORE POPULAR.
BUT THAT BEING SAID, I THINK
FUNDAMENTALLY SINCE THEY HAVE
THE PAPER BACK-UPS IT IS GOING
TO BE -- THERE WILL BE FULL
TRANSPARENCY AND WE’LL KNOW THE
EXACT TALLY ON ALL THREE.
LISTEN, THE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUE
IS THE DEMOCRAT PARTY OF IOWA
MADE THIS TOO COMPLICATED.
IT IS NOT THAT HARD.
1600 CAUCUS SITES.
TO COLLECT THOSE, HAVE PEOPLE
CALL IN THE RESULTS AND
TABULATE THEM.
TABULATE THEM. SOMETHING THAT HAS HAPPENED
SINCE 1976.
SINCE 1976. >> Ed: WE HAD DAN HENNINGER ON
EARLIER AND TOLD SANDRA MAYBE
THE WINNER OF ALL THIS MAY NOT
ACTUALLY BE THE FOLKS WHO WERE
CAUCUSING THAT DAY, IT MIGHT BE
MICHAEL BLOOMBERG.
MICHAEL BLOOMBERG. WATCH.
WATCH. >> IT’S PRETTY CLEAR TO ME THAT
MIKE BLOOMBERG WON IOWA.
LOOK, HIS CANDIDACY IS BASED ON
THE IDEA THAT JOE BIDEN MIGHT
FADE.
FADE. JOE BIDEN JUST FADED IN IOWA.
MIKE BLOOMBERG HAS THE MONEY,
THE GRAVITAS, HE IS WILLING TO
FIT WITH TRUMP.
I THINK HIS NUMBERS WILL RISE
VERY SMARTLY OVER THE NEXT
MONTH.
MONTH. >> Ed: REACT TO THAT AND THE
IDEA WE’VE SPENT SO MUCH TIME
SAYING HOW WOULD JOE BIDEN DO
HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH PRESIDENT
TRUMP?
TRUMP? HE MAY COME IN FOURTH HERE OR
WORSE IN IOWA AND HE IS HAVING
TROUBLE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
TALK ABOUT THE STATE OF THE
RACE.
RACE. >> REALLY, THE DEMISE OF THE
IOWA CAUCUSES ON THE DEMOCRAT
SIDE WILL BE MIKE BLOOMBERG.
IF YOU CAN SHOW YOU CAN SPEND
ENOUGH MONEY, MILLIONS IF NOT A
BILLION TO GET THE NOMINATION
THE IOWA CAUCUSES IN NEW
HAMPSHIRE, SOUTH CAROLINA AND
NEVADA ARE IRRELEVANT.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BIG STATES
SUPER TUESDAY AND BEYOND.
THE STATE OF THE RACE IS VERY
INTERESTING.
INTERESTING. I KNOW THIS PRESIDENT IS NOT
AFRAID OF ANY OF THESE FOLKS IN
A HEAD-TO-HEAD MATCH-UP.
JOE BIDEN HAS HAD CHALLENGES.
HE HAS BEEN IN IOWA SINCE THE
90s RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.
TO GET FOURTH IN IOWA CAUCUSES
DEMONSTRATES THAT HE IS NOT THE
PREFERENCE OF THE DEMOCRAT
PARTY AND WHERE THEY STAND
TODAY.
TODAY. WARREN AND SANDERS AND THE
LIBERAL WING, IT’S THEIR TURN.
THEIR BACKERS ARE ENTHUSIASTIC
AND I EXPECT ONE OF THOSE TWO
WILL BE THE NOMINEE.
>> Ed: WHEN YOU SAY THE
DEMOCRAT IS NOT AFRAID, WHY THE
TWEETING ABOUT MIKE BLOOMBERG
AND THE MONEY HE IS SPENDING?
IS THE CAMPAIGN CONCERNED THAT
IF BLOOMBERG DOES EMERGE AFTER
SUPER TUESDAY AS EITHER THE
FRONTRUNNER OR LEADING
CONTENDER, HIGHER UP IN THE
POLLS THAN HE IS NOW, THAT HE
COULD BE FORMIDABLE WITH THAT
WAR CHEST?
WAR CHEST? >> I JUST HEARD YESTERDAY OR
THE DAY BEFORE MIKE BLOOMBERG
SAYING THE PRESIDENT IS
FORMIDABLE AND HAS A LARGE PILE
OF CASH.
OF CASH. BLOOMBERG WHEN HE IS NOT THE
NOMINEE HE MIGHT AS WELL PUT
HIS MILLIONS IF NOT BILLIONS OF
DOLLARS IN A FIREPLACE AND
BURNED IT.
BURNED IT. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DO NOT WANT
WHAT HE IS SELLING.
MAY BE EFFECTIVE SOMETIMES AS
THE MAYOR OF NEW YORK FOLLOWING
RUDY GIULIANI’S POLICIES, I
THINK ULTIMATELY HE IS HAVING
TO STEP AWAY FROM ALL THE
THINGS THAT MADE HIM SUCCESSFUL.
MIKE BLOOMBERG, THE PRESIDENT I
WAS WITH HIM LAST THURSDAY AND
I JUST THINK HE IS EXCITED
ABOUT A GENERAL ELECTION WHERE
HE CAN DEMONSTRATE WHAT HE HAS
ACCOMPLISHED FOR THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE AND LAY OUT ANOTHER FOUR
YEARS OF WHAT HE CAN ACCOMPLISH.
>> Ed: HE HAD THAT STAGE LAST
NIGHT AND LAID OUT THE
ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS. LAST POINT ON IOWA’S FIRST IN
THE NATION STATUS.
YOU MENTIONED THIS.
ONE OF THE DEANS AMONG THE
REPORTERS THERE ON THE GROUND
IN IOWA HAD INTERESTING TWEETS.
HAD A GOOD TIME.
AS I TOLD JOHN AND AMY FROM PBS
THIS WILL PROBABLY BE THE LAST
CAUCUS WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT.
AFTER THE GOP FIASCO OF 2012
IOWA PROBABLY SHOULD NOT EVEN
TRY.
TRY. HERE YOU HAVE THE DEAN OF THE
MEDIA ESTABLISHMENT IN IOWA
ADMITTING THIS MAY BE DONE.
WHAT SAY YOU AS A PROUD IOWAN?
>> I WILL TAKE THE CONTRARY TO
THAT.
THAT. I THINK THE IOWA CAUCUSES WILL
BE BACK IN 2024.
THERE IS NO BETTER WAY TO START
THIS PROCESS.
THIS PROCESS. IOWANS ARE VERY ENGAGED AS YOU
KNOW IN KICKING THE TIRES ON
ALL THE CANDIDATES AND FINDING
OUT WHO IS PRESIDENTIAL TIMBER
AND I THINK THERE IS -- ONCE
THE PARTIES GO BACK TO THE
DRAWING BOARD AND FIGURE THIS
OUT AND THE DEMOCRAT PARTY IN
IOWA FIGURES OUT HOW TO COUNT
VOTES I REALLY THINK AT THE END
OF THE DAY THE IOWA CAUCUSES
WILL BE BACK IN 2024 AND BE
SUCCESSFUL.
SUCCESSFUL. >> Ed: ALL RIGHT.
OPTIMISTIC VIEW OF WHAT MIGHT
BE AHEAD.
BE AHEAD. MEANTIME MATT WE’RE STILL
WAITING FOR THE RESULTS FROM
THE IOWA DEMOCRATIC PARTY.