IN THE CENTER SEAT, GUIDE BENSON PAIRED HOST OF THE GUY BENSON
RADIO SHOW, AND FOX NEWS
CONTRIBUTOR.
CONTRIBUTOR. HE’S "OUTNUMBERED"."
HE’S "OUTNUMBERED"." GUY, LET ME START WITH YOU.
DID YOU THINK THEY WOULD BE IN
THE LEAD WHEN YOU GOT IN AFTER?
>> Guy: SANDERS, YES.
THE TOTAL COLLAPSE OF JOE BIDEN
HAS BEEN FASCINATING TO WATCH.
HIS CAMPAIGN ANNOUNCING EARLIER
TODAY THEY ARE PULLING UP STAKES
AND GETTING OUT OF DODGE,
HEADING TO SOUTH CAROLINA, DOING
THAT ON ELECTION DAY IS SENDING
A SIGNAL.
A SIGNAL. I SAW HE WAS QUOTED SAYING HE IS
STILL MILDLY HOPEFUL ABOUT
NEW HAMPSHIRE.
NEW HAMPSHIRE. QUITE A SOUND BITE THERE.
AND YOU JUST LOOK AT WHAT BIDEN
-- EVEN THIS MORNING HE WENT ON
ANOTHER NETWORK’S MORNING SHOW
AND SAID, SURE, ANYONE CAN BEAT
DONALD TRUMP.
DONALD TRUMP. MICKEY MOUSE COULD BE
DONALD TRUMP."
DONALD TRUMP." WHICH UNDERCUTS HIS CENTRAL
ARGUMENT, ELECTABILITY.
ARGUMENT, ELECTABILITY. WHICH SEEMS TO BE CIRCLING THE
DRAIN RIGHT NOW.
THIS VERY SEEMS NOT TO BE THAT
ANYMORE.
ANYMORE. AND BERNIE SANDERS IS LICKING
HIS CHOPS, LOOKING TOWARD
TONIGHT.
TONIGHT. HE’S LEADING IN THE POLLS.
SAYING, "IF I CAN WIN BACK,
WINNING THE MOST VOTES IN IOWA
AND NEW HAMPSHIRE, THERE IS A
PATH FOR ME, ESPECIALLY IF THE
OTHER SIDE OF THIS PRIMARY
REMAINS CROWDED AND CLOGGED UP
WITH PEOPLE."
WITH PEOPLE." >> Melissa: CAPRI, I WAS
LOOKING FOR MY NOTE ON HOW THE
POLLS HAVE SUNK.
WHILE HE WAS TALKING ABOUT
JOE BIDEN THERE.
DOWN IN THE MONMOUTH POLLS, LOST
14-POINT SINCE MID-JANUARY.
NINE MONTHS SINCE LATE JANUARY,
THE QUINNIPIAC POLL.
NBC "WALL STREET JOURNAL" POLL,
DOWN TWO POINTS SINCE
MID-DECEMBER.
MID-DECEMBER. I GUESS THAT’S THE BEST ONE.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF WHERE HE
HAS BEEN?
HAS BEEN? WHAT HAS HAPPENED WITH HIM?
>> Capri: I THINK WHAT’S
HAPPENED IS HE HAS ACTUALLY BEEN
OUT THERE AND VOTERS HAVE HAD AN
OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY ENGAGE
WITH JOE BIDEN.
WHAT WE’VE SEEN IN THE LAST,
WHATEVER, THREE TIMES HE’S RUN
FOR PRESIDENT -- I THINK THIS IS
HIS THIRD TIME, ACTUALLY,
RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT -- BUT
HE’S NOT PARTICULARLY GOOD ON
THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.
HE’S HAD LACKLUSTER DEBATE
PERFORMANCES.
PERFORMANCES. AS A RESULT, HE IS LAGGING NOT
ONLY IN THE POLLS BUT IN
FUND-RAISING.
FUND-RAISING. SO I THINK HE’S IN REALLY BIG
TROUBLE.
TROUBLE. NOW, TO BERNIE SANDERS, I WOULD
SAY THIS -- I DON’T THINK
NEW HAMPSHIRE IS GOING TO BE
THIS EARTH SHATTERING MOMENT FOR
HIM EVEN THOUGH I’M SURE HE’S
GOING TO TRY AND PITCH IT AS
MOMENTUM.
MOMENTUM. BECAUSE HE’S FROM THE
NEIGHBORING STATE OF VERMONT, HE
WON IT FOUR YEARS AGO, IT’S NOT
REALLY GOING TO MEAN A WHOLE LOT
FOR BERNIE SANDERS TO ENACT
NEW HAMPSHIRE.
NEW HAMPSHIRE. IT’S WHAT HAPPENS AFTER
NEW HAMPSHIRE.
NEW HAMPSHIRE. >> Guy: ALTHOUGH BEING CLOSE
TO NEW HAMPSHIRE DOESN’T MEAN
YOU’LL BE SUCCESSFUL.
>> Capri: A MAN, LOOK AT
ELIZABETH WARREN.
ELIZABETH WARREN. I DON’T DISAGREE WITH THAT.
>> Dagen: THAT’S WHAT I WANTED
TO TALK ABOUT, THE BIGGER
DISASTER ISN’T JOE BIDEN, WHO IS
STILL COMMANDING PRESENCE IN
SOUTH CAROLINA.
SOUTH CAROLINA. A STRONG BLACK VOTE.
IT’S ELIZABETH WARREN.
SHE FINISHED THIRD IN IOWA.
SHE COULD DO WORSE IN
NEW HAMPSHIRE, AND SHE IS STILL,
"DOO-DOO-DOO," SANG THE CHORUS.
SHE HAS A THOUSAND STAFFERS AND
31
STATES, SECOND ONLY TO MIKE BLOOMBERG.
MIKE BLOOMBERG. I FOLLOW THIS CLOSELY ON
TWITTER.
TWITTER. "HAVING WATCHED WARREN TODAY --"
THIS WAS YESTERDAY -- "THERE IS
NO ONE BETTER USING HIS OR HER
LIFE STORY FOR BUILDING THE CASE
FOR HIS OR HER CANDIDACY.
SHE DOES IT SUPERBLY WELL BUT
SHE’S ALSO SHOWN THE LEAST
WILLINGNESS AND ABILITY TO
SWITCH UP TACTICS WHEN THINGS
AREN’T GOING WELL."
HIS THEORY IS ONE THAT POLL CAME
OUT AND SHOWED HER DOING WORSE
AGAINST DONALD TRUMP THAN
JOE BIDEN AND BERNIE SANDERS,
THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE
END.
END. MY WORDS, NOT HIS.
THAT WAS WHERE SHE LOST THE
MOMENTUM.
MOMENTUM. I DON’T KNOW WHAT SHE’S DOING,
QUITE FRANKLY.
QUITE FRANKLY. >> Kennedy: I THINK DAGEN IS
ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. THE CANDIDACY WE’VE BEEN
FOCUSING ON IN TERMS OF
IMPLOSION HAS BEEN JOE BIDEN,
BUT ELIZABETH WARREN NEEDS IT
MORE THAN HE DOES BECAUSE SHE
DOES HAVE PROXIMITY.
SHE ALSO SPEAKS SHORTHAND OF
PEOPLE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, THAT
SHE HAS BEEN RELYING ON TO BOOST
HER IN THIS CRITICAL FIRST
PRIMARY STATE.
PRIMARY STATE. AMY KLOBUCHAR, SHE HAD A BIG
NIGHT FRIDAY NIGHT.
SHE GOT THE BIG MOMENTUM SWING.
YESTERDAY I CALLED HER "OLD
COFFIN NAIL KLOBUCHAR," BECAUSE
SHE COULD REALLY END THE
CANDIDACIES OF EITHER WARREN OR
BIDEN.
BIDEN. BECAUSE SHE IS AT AN INTERESTING
TIME.
TIME. I DON’T KNOW IF IT’S ENOUGH FOR
HER, BUT CERTAINLY ENOUGH TO DO
SOME REAL DAMAGE TO THEIR TWO
CAMPAIGNS.
CAMPAIGNS. >> Melissa: I’M GLAD YOU
BROUGHT HER UP, SHE’S THE ONE WE
HAVEN’T MENTIONED YET.
THE OTHER PERSON WHO HASN’T
MENTIONED HER IS
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
PRESIDENT TRUMP. SHE DOESN’T SEEM TO HAVE A
NICKNAME YET, WHICH IS PROBABLY
THE BIGGEST INSULT YOU CAN GET
FROM THEM.
FROM THEM. IF HE HASN’T GIVEN TIME TO GIVE
YOU A NICKNAME...
IT’S AN INSULT COMMITMENT
TO HER BEING IGNORED. MAYBE YOU’RE NOT A >> Dagen: I
AGREE WITH THAT, BUT YOU CAN
TAKE ON ELIZABETH WARREN BECAUSE SHE HAS LIED ABOUT SO MUCH OF
HER PAST.
HER PAST. SHE ACTUALLY CALLED HERSELF AN
AMERICAN INDIAN ON OUR BAR
APPLICATION.
APPLICATION. AMY KLOBUCHAR IS A LITTLE BIT
HARDER TO GO AFTER HER UNTIL SHE
GIVES YOU A REASON TO DO THAT.
THEN YOU DO LOOK LIKE A BULLY.
I THINK PRESIDENT TRUMP MAY MAYB
LITTLE SAVVY-DR THAN THAT.
WHY ARE PEOPLE GOING AFTER PETE BUTTIGIEG’S RECORD AS A
MATTER OF SELF BEND?
NOBODY IS GOING AFTER HIS
BLATANT FAILURES IN WHAT IS A SM
CITY.
CITY. EXTREMELY HIGH MURDER RATE FOR A
CITY OF ITS SIZE, AND BILL
McCARRON WHITESTONE MIGRATES
ABOUT THIS VERY THING.
THE NUMBER OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS
ON THE POLICE FORCE ACTUALLY
FELL TO 6% DURING HIS MENTORSHIP
, AND THE POPULATION
IS 26% BLACK. YOU CAN GO POINT BY POINT ON HOW
WE COULD EVEN RUN THE
FOURTH-LARGEST --
FOURTH-LARGEST -- CITY IN THE STATE.
>> Capri: I THINK YOUNG PEOPLE
ARE TRYING TO STRAIGHT UP THIS
MESS AND BEING A SMALL TOWN
MAYOR.
MAYOR. YOU SEEN JOE BIDEN GO AFTER HIM,
BASICALLY SAYING --
>> Dagen: HE MADE FUN OF HIS
EXCESSES.
EXCESSES. GO AFTER HIS FAILURES.
>> Capri: I AGREE WITH YOU.
IT’S DEFINITELY A ROAD MAP
THERE.
THERE. BUT I THINK PEOPLE HAVE CHOSEN
TO JUST BASICALLY PAT HIM ON THE
HEAD AND SAY, "THAT’S CUTE, YOU
ARE A SMALL TOWN MAYOR."
>> Kennedy: THEY DON’T TAKE
THEM SERIOUSLY.
THEM SERIOUSLY. >> Guy: IF HE PULLS AN UPSET
TONIGHT, THAT CHANGES.
>> Melissa: LET ME ASK YOU A
BIT ABOUT ELIZABETH WARREN.
AS SHE IS THINKING HERE, SHE
SAYS SHE ATTACKS DONALD TRUMP
BUT ALSO SAYS, "WE NEED TO
REMEMBER, A COUNTRY THAT ELECTED
A MAN LIKE DONALD TRUMP IS A
COUNTRY THAT WAS ALREADY IN
TROUBLE."
TROUBLE." THAT IS GETTING DANGEROUSLY
CLOSE TO CONDEMNING THE PEOPLE
WHO VOTED FOR HIM.
I GUESS THERE WOULDN’T BE A LOT
OF CROSSOVER BETWEEN
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S VOTERS AND
ELIZABETH WARREN’S VOTERS, BUT
WHEN YOU START GOING AFTER THE
PEOPLE, THAT IS NEVER A GOOD
TACTIC.
TACTIC. >> Guy: SHE DOESN’T REALLY
MAKE AN EFFORT TO BRING PEOPLE
TOGETHER AT ALL.
SOMETIMES SHE WILL MOUTH A FEW
WORDS ABOUT RECONCILIATION, BUT
SHE IS AN EXTREMELY DIVISIVE
CANDIDATE IN THIS RACE, AND
SHE’S REALLY HAVING A LOT OF
TROUBLE.
TROUBLE. IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO
SAY THAT, BECAUSE I THINK SHE’S
AWFUL IN TERMS OF HER POLICIES.
TO BE VERY CLEAR.
I THINK DAGEN MAKES A VERY
IMPORTANT POINT.
IMPORTANT POINT. WE ARE FOCUSING ON BIDEN.
PART OF THAT IS JUST BECAUSE OF
THE MASSIVE EPIC NATURE OF THIS
COLLAPSE, THAT WE WERE IN THE
PROCESS OF SEEING.
BECAUSE HE WAS THE NATIONAL
FRONT RUNNER FOR SO LONG.
BUT HE AT LEAST DOES HAVE --
THEORETICALLY, YOU COULD LOOK AT
THE MAP COMING UP AND SAY
THERE’S A FIREWALL IN
SOUTH CAROLINA.
SOUTH CAROLINA. HE IS STILL DOING WELL ENOUGH
AMONG BLACK VOTERS.
THERE IS A SPRINGBOARD, IN
THEORY, ON PAPER, I CAN PUT THEM
BACK INTO THIS RACE IF HE DOES
WELL IN THE PALMETTO STATE.
SHOW ME A FIREWALL OR A
SPRINGBOARD FOR ELIZABETH WARREN
COMING UP.
COMING UP. IF IT’S NOT NEW HAMPSHIRE,
THEN --
THEN -- >> Kennedy: I DON’T THINK SHE
RESONATES IN CALIFORNIA.
WE HAVEN’T BEEN FOCUSING ON
CALIFORNIA AS MUCH BECAUSE WE’VE
GOT NEVADA AND SOUTH CAROLINA IN
THE WAY.
THE WAY. BUT IT IS DELICATE-RICH, ITS
NUTRIENT-RICH, AND IT’S CRITICAL.
CRITICAL. YOU ARE GOING TO SEE --
>> Dagen: SHE DISPLAYED HER
WEAKNESS WHEN SHE WENT AFTER
BERNIE SANDERS USING HER GENDER
AS A CRUTCH.
THAT’S A FLAG TO EVERYBODY
WATCHING.
WATCHING. >> Capri: AMY KLOBUCHAR DOES
NOT USE HER GENDER AS MUCH OF A
CRUTCH.
CRUTCH. >> Kennedy: THAT’S WHO SHE
STOLE HER POLICY FROM.
>> Dagen: "IF I WROTE SMALL
TOWN MAYOR, NOBODY WOULD PAY
ATTENTION TO ME BECAUSE I’M A