>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY, WELCOME BACK.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, FOLKS, MY FIRST GUESTS TONIGHT ARE VETERAN
POLITICAL ANALYSTS WITH OVER 60 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE BETWEEN
THEM.
FROM "THE CIRCUS," PLEASE WELCOME JOHN HEILEMANN, MARK
McKINNON, AND ALEX WAGNER!
♪ ♪ ♪
>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK.
WELCOME BACK.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> MY ROGER STONE IMITATION
RIGHT HERE.
>> Stephen: EXCELLENT.
GOOD TO HAVE YOU ALL BACK.
NOW, MARSHALL, IT'S-- IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
MARK, I DON'T THINK-- I DON'T THINK I'VE INTERVIEWED OW THIS
SHOW.
BACK ON THE OLD GIG WE HAD YOU ON A COUPLE OF TIMES.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: NEVER HAD YOU ON WITH THE TWO CIRCUS CLOWNS HERE.
>> CLOWNS.
>> Stephen: LET'S TALK ABOUTUE HAD SOMETHING IN 2012, BACK IN
THE DAY, "NO LABELS" MOVEMENT.
>> TRYING TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER.
>> Stephen: LESS PARTISANSHIP.
LESS DIVISION IN AMERICA.
HOW DID THAT WORK OUT, MARK?
>> BIG ROCK, STEEP HILL.
BUT THEY ACTUALLY HAD A BIG BREAKTHROUGH RECENTLY, THE
DEMOCRATS IN THE CAUCUS HELD OUT BEFORE THEY WOULD VOTE FOR
PEEKER PELOSI BEFORE THE RULE CHANGE IN THE HOUSE, AND THE BIG
CHANGE WAS IF WE GET 290 PEOPLE FROM BOTH SIDES TO COSPONSOR A
PIECE OF LEGISLATION IT WILL NOW GET AN UP-OR-DOWN VOTE.
>> Stephen: CAN'T BLOCK IT.
>> YES.
>> HE'S A BELIEVER.
>> I'M A BELIEVER.
>> Stephen: THERE ARE SOME LABELS THAT THIS TIME AROUND YOU
WOULD NOT EXPECT TO DO WELL, BUT THEY DO WELL.
LIKE, ALEXANDER "ORDE JAMES CORD TEZ.
DO YOU THINK SOME OF THE RULES OF WHAT YOU CAN OR CANNOT SAY IN
AMERICAN POLITICS ARE CHANGING DRAMATICALLY IN THE LAST YEAR?
>> I THINK WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A HUGE, BOISTEROUS, EMOTIONAL
DEBATE ABOUT FUNDAMENTAL VALUES.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT POLITICS AS IF IT'S POLITICS AS USUAL.
THIS IS KIND OF AN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS WE ARE IN, AND WE ARE
ASKING OURSELVES AND DEMANDING FROM OUR LEADERS ANSWERS TO HUGE
QUESTIONS.
AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THAT'S A DIFFERENT VERSION OF
"NO LABELS," BUT WE'RE INCOGNITO IN TERMS OF WHAT TO EXPECT IN
TERMS OF POLITICAL BEHAVIOR YOU.
>> Stephen: DON'T KNOW WHAT TOMORROW BRINGS.
>> I THINK IT'S MORE THAN A YEAR.
YOU HAVE TO GO BACK TWO AND A HALF YEARS WHEN YOU HAD DONALD
TRUMP ON A DEBATE STAGE TALKING ABOUT THE SIZE OF HIS JUNK, AND
LATER TALKING ABOUT GRABBING WOMEN BY...
>> GENITAL S.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU.
CAN WE SAY "GENITALS" ON CBS.
>> IT'S A FAMILY WORD.
>> IF YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH THAT AND GET ELECTED PRESIDENT, WHY
COULDN'T YOU GET ELECTED PRESIDENT SAYING DEMOCRATIC
SOCIALIST.
>> Stephen: IF DONALD TRUMP A TRANSFORMATIVE FIGURE BECAUSE HE
SHOWED EVERYBODY THAT YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH ALMOST ANYTHING IF
YOU CAN FIND YOUR CONSTITUENCY FIRST?
>> I THINK THERE ARE MANY COMPLICATING AND BAD THINGS THAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS DONE TO THE AMERICAN ELECTORATE AND
DEMOCRACY.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS CENTRAL TO TO HIS
APPEAL IS THIS UNVARNISHED TRUTH, RIGHT.
LIKE "I'M GIVING IT TO YOU REAL."
>> AUTHENTICITY.
>> WE'LL CALL IT AUTHENTICITY.
>> Stephen: IT HELPS IF YOU DON'T VARNISH HIM OR HUFF THE
VARNISH.
>> WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT INDIVIDUALIA CORTEZ, I THINK
RELATED TO THE FACT THAT DONALD TRUMP IS PRESIDENT.
AND SAYS IT LIKE HE BELIEVES IT.
SO SHE'S SAYING IT AS SHE BELIEVES IT.
>> SHE HAS NO FILT EJUST LIKE DONALD TRUMP.
AND, THEREFORE, SHE'S FOUND A CONSTITUENCY OF 11 MILLION
TWITTER FOLLOWERS, WHICH IS A LOT MORE THAN "THE NEW YORK
TIMES" OR "WASHINGTON POST."
>> Stephen: LET'S TALK ABOUT SOMEBODY ELSE WHO HAS THROWN HIS
HAT INTO THE RING THIS TIME AROUND, AND THAT IS HOWARD
SCHULTZ, WHO IS RUNNING AS WHAT HE CALLS A CENTRIST INDEPENDENT.
HE HASN'T OFFICIALLY DECLARED BUT WE'RE NO FOOLS.
CENTRIST INDEPENDENT.
WHAT DO YOU THINK HE MEANS BY THAT?
BECAUSE I CAN'T TELL BECAUSE HE WON'T SAY WHAT HE WOULD DO AS
PRESIDENT, OTHER THAN STOP FRUS TAXING BILLIONAIRES.
>> AND MAKE A MEAN LATTE.
>.>> Stephen: IS THERE ROOM FOR A CENTRIST, A CENTRIST
INDEPENDENT WHEN WE HAVE BECOME SUCH A PARTISAN COUNTRY?
AND YOU'VE GOT SOME SO FAR TO THEIR OWN CORNER IN TRUMP THAT
PEOPLE WANT A RESPONSE, NOT A-- NOT A BEIGE ENVELOPE.
>> WHAT HE'S COUNTING ON OR WHAT HE THINKS COULD HAPPEN IS YOU
GET TRUMP AS THE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE, WHO IN MANY WAYS IS NOT
PARTICULARLY REPUBLICAN AT ALL OR CONSERVATIVE ON ECONOMIC
PRINCIPLES.
HE'S NOT FOR REFORMING ENTITLEMENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH
IS A SOLID REPUBLICAN POSITION.
IF IT'S DONALD TRUMP AS THE NOMINEE AND ELIZABETH WARREN AS
THE NOMINEE OR BERNIE SANDERS, THERE'S A HUGE HOLE IN THE
MIDDLE FOR SOMEBODY TO RUN AS AN INDEPENDENT.
I DON'T KNOW IF HOWARD SCHULTZ IS THE GUY OR NOT, BUT WHY NOT?
>> I WOULD RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE IN SO FAR AS --
>> Stephen: DON'T BE RESPECTFUL.
>> I'M DISRESPECTFULLY GOING TO SAY FOE EVIN WAY.
BUT I THINK PEOPLE-- EVEN IF PEOPLE SAY THEY ARE
INDEPENDENTS, THEY WANT TO FEEL AN EMOTIONAL VISCERAL PULL IN
THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT, RIGHT?
THEY BELIEVE TO BELIEVE IN THE LEADER THAT THEY ELECT.
AND HOWARD SHUTTLE RIGHT NOW IS RUNNING IN THE FOAM OF A LAW AT
A, NOT EVEN THE ACTUAL MILK OR ESPRESSO BASE.
HE HAS NOT GIVEN ANYONE ANYTHING TO HOLD ON TO.
AND I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE A MASSIVE CHALLENGE IN A FIELD
THAT IS OVERCROWDED AND FILLED WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE SPEAK
PASSIONATELY ABOUT WHERE THEY BELIEVE THE COUNTRY IS HEADED
AND WHERE THEY WANT TO TAKE IT.
>> I SAW TWO BILLIONAIRES THIS WEEK OUT ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL,
HOWARD SCHULTZ AND MIKE BLOOMBERG.
BOTH OF THEM IN THE WAKE OF ELIZABETH WARREN COMING OUT AND
SAYING PEOPLE WHO ARE MEGAMILLIONAIRES AND
BILLIONAIRES SHOULD PAY MORE TAXES.
HOW MANY PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM THINK MEGAMILLIONAIRES AND
BILLIONAIRES SHOULD PAY MORE TAXES?
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
MILITARY BILLIONAIRE-- HOWARD SCHULTZ, MAYBE ONLY A FEW
BILLION-- THEY COME OUT AND SAY ELIZABETH WARREN IS OUT OF HER
MIND.
SHE'S A SOCIALIST.
SHE'S GOING TO DESTROY THE COUNTRY.
SHE'S A COMMUNIST AND WILL MAKE US VENEZUELA.
BLOOMBERG SOUNDED LIKE TRUMP IN CLAIMING SHE WILL TURN THE
COUNTRY INTO VENEZUELA.
WHAT IS THE MARKET A BILLIONAIRE CRITICIZING SOMEONE WHO THINKS
BILLIONAIRES SHOULD BE TAXED MORE BECAUSE SHE'S SOMEHOW
OUTSIDE THE AMERICAN MAINSTREAM, WHEN THIS AUDIENCE AND AT LEAST
70% OR 75% OF THE COUNTRY BELIEVE AGREES WITH ELIZABETH
WARREN?
I DON'T SEE A POLITICAL FUTURE FOR EITHER ONE OF THOSE GUYS
THAT BASIS.
>> Stephen: HERE'S THE THING-- I UNDERSTAND THAT.
I HAVE SEEN THE POLLS THAT OVER 70% OF AMERICANS BELIEVE THE
RICHEST SHOULD PAY MORE TAXES.
THEY'RE ALL FOR DRAGGING THEM FROM THEIR TOWERS AND STRIPPING
THE JEWELRY OFF THEM TO PAY FOR OUR HEALTH CARE.
DONALD TRUMP IS A BILLIONAIRE-- OR SO HE SAYS.
WE DON'T KNOW.
AND HE SOLD HIMSELF AS SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS THE EVERY MAN,
AND A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE BELIEVED HIM.
>> AND STILL DO.
>> Stephen: RIGHT, RIGHT.
>> IF YOU'RE TURNING OUT AN INCUMBENT PRESIDENT OR PARTY
WHAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR IS A CONTRAST, PROBABLY NOT ANOTHER
BILLIONAIRE.
I WILL SAY MICHAEL BLOOMBERG SAID THIS WEEK WHEN WE LOOKED AT
THIS IN 2015 HE WAS GOING TO RUN AS AN INDEPENDENT.
HE SAID, "I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT BECAUSE I'M AFRAID OF
DIVERTING OFF VOTES AND ELECTING A REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT.
AND THAT HAPPENED.
HAD HE RUN AS IT PLAYED OUT THERE, WOULD HAVE BEEN A LOT OF
REPUBLICANS, ESTABLISHMENT TYPES WHO WOULDN'T VOTE FOR CLINTON
WHO VOTE FOR TRUMP.
SO IF HE HAD RUN, HE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE SWUNG THE VOTE TO
HILLARY CLINTON.
>> MIKE BLOOMBERG IS THE GUY WHO WANTS TO TAKE AWAY YOUR BIG
GULPS, AND DONALD TRUMP SAY HUMAN BIG GULP.
( LAUGHTER )
IN IOWA ARE GOING TO BE INTO THE WHOLE, LIKE, TAKE AWAY MY BIG
GULP THING?
IT DOESN'T SEEM THAT LIKELY TO ME.
>> Stephen: DON'T GO ANYWHERE.
WE HAVE TO TAKE A BREAK.
WE'LL BE BACK WITH JOHN HEILEMANN AND ALEX WAGNER, AND
MARK McKINNON.
LET'S TALK ABOUT ROGER STONE.