>>> THE VOTES ARE IN AND THE DELEGATES ARE ASSIGNED.
WHERE DOES THE RACE FOR 2020 GO FROM HERE?
FOR ANALYSIS, CONNECTING POINT'S RAY HERSHEL SAT DOWN
WITH POLITICAL CONSULTANT ANTHONY CIGNOLI AND AMERICAN
INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AND CHAIR
OF POLITICAL SCIENCE JULIE WALS.
>> THE BIG SURPRISE WAS AMY KLOBUCHAR COMING IN THIRD.
AND WARREN COMING IN SO FAR DOWN THE TICKET.
IT'S NOT SURPRISING SANDERS WON, HE WON IN 2016.
>> HOW MUCH TROUBLE ARE ELIZABETH WARREN AND JOE BIDEN
IN THEN.
ARE THEIR CAMPAIGNS IN SERIOUS TROUBLE AS FAR AS POSSIBLY
WINNING THEIR PARTY'S NOMINATION AT THIS POINT?
>> I THINK THAT ELIZABETH WARREN IS IN PRETTY SERIOUS
TROUBLE AT THIS POINT, JOE BIDEN HAS TO WIN SOUTH
CAROLINA TO REMAIN VIABLE.
HIS ARGUMENT TO ATTRACT SUPPORT WAS THAT HE COULD WIN
WITH THE TYPE OF VOTERS WHO VOTED FOR TRUMP.
THE WHITE WORKING CLASS.
TO DO SO POORLY IN IOWA AND NEW HAMPSHIRE DOESN'T HELP
THAT ARGUMENT.
A BIG QUESTION IS WILL AFRICAN-AMERICAN VOTERS TAKE A
SECOND LOOK AT THESE OTHER -- THESE TOP THREE CANDIDATES NOW
AND PUT THEIR SUPPORT BEHIND ONE OR ALL OF THEM.
>> AS I UNDERSTAND IT, SOME OF THE LATEST POLLS INDICATE JOE
BIDEN IS EVEN LOSING SUPPORT AMONG BLACK VOTERS, AMONG
AFRICAN-AMERICAN VOTERS.
IF THAT'S THE CASE, HOW CAN HE TURN THIS AROUND?
>> THAT'S THE THING, EXACTLY ON TARGET.
SOUTH CAROLINA IS REALLY THE LITMUS TEST FOR HIM, AS
IMPORTANT AS SUPER TUESDAY WILL BE.
WHEN YOU ADD IN ALL THE STATES, MASSACHUSETTS,
CALIFORNIA, TEXAS, ET CETERA.
HE HAS TO WIN IN SOUTH CAROLINA BECAUSE HE SAID HE
WAS GOING TO WIN SOUTH CAROLINA, BECAUSE HE SAID HE
HAD AFRICAN-AMERICAN SUPPORT.
THAT HE SAID, THAT OTHERS HAVE SAID THAT KLOBUCHAR CAN'T
ATTRACT.
THAT'S THE OTHER.
CAN KLOBUCHAR, BUTTIGIEG MOVE INTO THOSE AREAS AND GET THOSE
VOTES THIS IS FOR DO OR DIE. >> IS THE DYNAMIC OF THE RACE
CHANGING, AND WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FORES A POSSIBLE
CANDIDATE THAT CAN DEFEAT PRESIDENT TRUMP.
>> IT IS.
I THINK STATISTICS FROM THE EXIT POLLS, HALF OF THE VOTERS
MADE UP THEIR MINDS IN THE LAST FEW DAYS IS IMPORTANT.
I THINK THAT COULD HAPPEN IN NEVADA AND SOUTH CAROLINA AS
WELL.
IT'S A REALLY FLUID RACE RIGHT NOW.
>> WE HAD THREE CANDIDATES RECENTLY DROP OUT, DEVAL
PATRICK TODAY, MICHAEL BENNET AND ANDREW YANG YESTERDAY.
WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON DEVAL PATRICK, HE GOT IN LATE AFTER
SAYING HE WOULDN'T GET IN.
HE'S OUT NOW AFTER NEW HAMPSHIRE.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF HIS CANDIDACY AND HIS GETTING IN
THE RACE AS SUCH A LATE TIME?
>> IT WAS PER FLEXING THAT HE GOT IN SO LATE AND MADE IT
VERY DIFFICULT FOR HIM TO GAIN GROUND, AND GIVEN THAT HE'S
GOVERNOR OF A NEIGHBORING STATE, WASN'T ABLE TO GAIN
GROUND IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
>> DO YOU FEEL DEVAL PATRICK MIGHT BE UNDER CONSIDERATION
AS A POSSIBLE RUNNING MATE FOR ONE OF THE DEMOCRATIC RUN --
CANDIDATES DOWN THE ROAD, OR IS THAT OUT OF QUESTION?
>> I DON'T THINK ANYTHING IS OUT OF THE QUESTION.
IT DEPENDS ON THE CANDIDATE AND WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR.
IT'S REALLY HARD TO PREDICT THAT AT THIS POINT.
>> I WANTED TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON MICHAEL BLOMBERG,
HIS ENTRY INTO THE RACE.
HE'S AVOIDING THE FIRST FOUR STOPS, IOWA, NEW HAMPSHIRE,
NEVADA AND SOUTH CAROLINA.
HE'S PUTTING A LOT OF MONEY INTO SUPERTUESDAY, SOME OF THE
BIG STATES, HE HAS ORGANIZATION, HIRING PEOPLE.
HE OPENED AN OFFICE IN SPRINGFIELD.
HOW DO YOU SEE MIKE BLOMBERG IN THIS RACE, IS A WILD CARD,
A POTENTIAL CONTENDER, HE'S A POTENTIAL CONTENDSER, TOTALLY
UNCONVENTIONAL RACE, TRY TO BE THE NUMBER KNEE, IF HE CAN
BECOME THE NUMBER KNEE.
TO BEAT DONALD TRUMP, IT HAS TO BE NONCONVENTIONAL.
A STRATEGY THAT HASN'T BEEN USED BEFORE, LIKE OBAMA
IN '08, 2100 PAID STAFF ALREADY, AND GOOD POINT --
ALREADY OPENED AN OFFICE IN SPRINGFIELD.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME WE SAW A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE OPEN
AN OFFICE IN SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.
HE'S CONTESTING, AS WE LIKE TO SAY IN MY SIDE OF THE
PROFESSION, IF YOU LIVE IN OUR NECK OF THE WOODS, YOU'VE
EITHER GOTTEN TWO TO THREE PIECES OF MAIL, DEPENDING ON
WHAT LEVEL OF VOTER YOU ARE, FOR BLOMBERG, THAT'S AMAZING,
IN IT $320 MILLION SPENT TODAY.
ONE LAST THOUGHT, HOW HE IMPACTS THE RACE, SPENDING
$20 MILLION TO REGISTER VOTERS TO VOTE.
HE WANTS TO REGISTER HALF A MILLION NEW VOTERS.
NOT JUST REGISTER THEM, BUT GET THEM TO THE POLLS ON
ELECTION DAY, EVEN IF IT'S FOR SOMEONE ELSE.
>> AS DEMOCRATS LEAVE NEW HAMPSHIRE AND MOVE SOUTH, LOW
DO YOU FEEL IS BEST SUITED FOR THE LONG RUN, WHICH CANDIDATES
ORGANIZATIONS IN PLACE, HAVE THE MONEY COMING IN TO MAKE IT
THROUGH THE LONG RUN, THROUGH SUPER TUESDAY, THROUGH MARCH
AND EVEN FURTHER.
>> OBVIOUSLY BERNIE SANDERS, HE'S THE PRESUMPTIVE
FRONTRUNNER, HE'S IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL HERE.
THEN I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S SO HARD TO PREDICT THIS UNTIL
WE SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND NEVADA, IF JOE
BIDEN WERE TO WIN IN SOUTH CAROLINA, THEN THAT CHANGES
THE DYNAMIC, AND WHO WILL STAY FOR THE LONG HAUL.
I THINK IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE WITH BUTTIGIEG AND
KLOBUCHAR, THEY'RE GOING FOR A SIMILAR IDEOLOGICAL GROUP.
IF THEY BOTH STAY AND IT'S THE TWO VERSUS SANDERS, THERE'S A
POTENTIAL FOR THEM TO SPLIT THAT VOTE.
IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THAT ALL SHAKES DOWN.
>> IN THE FIRST STATES, IOWA AND NEW HAMPSHIRE, NOT A LOT
OF DIVERSITY, NEW HAMPSHIRE ALMOST 94 PERCENT WHITE.
WE HAVE A DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHIC GOING SOUTH NOW.
IS AMY KLOBUCHAR, PETE BUTTIGIEG, WHO HAVEN'T DONE
PARTICULARLY WELL, WILL THEY GET THOSE BLACK VOTES?
>> THEY HAVE TO UP THE GAME, A LOT OF IT -- IT WILL BE WHO
THEIR SURROGATES ARE, WHO THEY CAN GET TO ENDORSE THEM THAT
MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN SOUTH CAROLINA, OR NEVADA OR SOME OF
THE THE SUPER TUESDAY STATES, NOT JUST SOMEONE WHO IS AN
ELECTED OFFICE, A MINISTER, COMMUNITY LEADER, I THINK
YOU'LL SEE THAT FROM THE BUTTIGIEG, THEY'RE ON THE
GROUND, I NOTICED A LOT OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS THEY'RE
HAVING ARE WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS, ACTIVISTS WHO CAN
MOVE 2,000 OR 3,000 VOTES AND BRING CREDIBILITY WITHIN THEIR
CAMPAIGN.
>> IS THERE A DEFINITIVE FRONT-RUNNER IN THE DEMOCRATIC
RACE NOW.
I KNOW BERNIE SANDERS WON NEW HAMPSHIRE, COMING OUT OF NEW
HAMPSHIRE, IS THERE A NUMBER ONE FRONTRUNNER AT THIS POINT
IN THE RACE OR IS IT SIMPLY TOO VOLATILE AND CLOSE?
>> I WOULD SAY IT'S TOO VOLATILE AND TOO CLOSE, BERNIE
SANDER HAS BEEN DUBBED THE PRESUMPTIVE FRONTRUNNER, I
THINK A LOT WILL DEPEND ON WHAT HAPPENS WITH MINORITY
VOTERS IN NEVERAUSKAS AND SOUTH CAROLINA, IF THEY COAL
ESBEHIND ONE OF THESE THREE CANDIDATES, THERE IS THE
FRONTRUNNER, IF THEY DON'T, THEN THAT IS GOING TO CREATE A
RACE WHERE IT'S A LOT MORE MUDDLED.
>> WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR NOW AS THE RACE SHIFTS DOWN
SOUTH AND WE MOVE FORWARD?
>> CAN BERNIE SANDERS CLEAN THE SLATE ON SUPER TUESDAY,
CAN HE DO WELL ENOUGH LOOKING AT WHAT POLL PROJECTION ARE
RIGHT NOW AND CONTINUE TO RAISE MONEY FROM ALL THOSE
FOLKS OUT THERE WHO HE'S RAISED SO MUCH FOUR, THE
AVERAGE BEING $18, YOU CAN GIVE UP TO 1,000, YOUR SPOUSE
UP TO 2,000, CONTRIBUTE TO HIS PAC FOR 200.
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR NOW?
WHAT CAN AFFORD TO STAY IN THE RACE, ELIZABETH WARREN IS AN
ECONOMIST, A VERY SMART LADY, SHE'LL KNOW SHE MAY NOT HAVE
THE MONEY IF SHE DOESN'T HAVE VICTORIES VERY SOON IN THE
NEXT THREE WEEKS, WATCH IT NARROW, WATCH IT BECOME
SOMETHING ELSE TOO WHEN YOU SEE SOME OF THE SENIOR
STATESPEOPLE OF THE PARTY START TO STEP IN, NOT
NECESSARILY THE HEAD OF THE DNC, WATCH BARAK OBAMA STEP
IN, THIS ISN'T WORKING, WE HAVE TO FIGURE SOMETHING OUT
OR DONALD TRUMP WILL BE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
AGAIN.