LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY NEXT GUEST THIS EVENING IS A FORMER
MAYOR OF CHICAGO, U.S.
CONGRESSMAN AND WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF, HE'S WRITTEN A
NEW BOOK CALLED "THE NATION CITY."
PLEASE WELCOME MAYOR RAHM EMANUEL!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )
>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK.
WELCOME BACK, YOUR HONOR.
>> I HAVEN'T SEEN PEOPLE STAND LIKE THAT SINCE THE HIGH
HOLIDAYS.
THAT'S IMPRESSIVE.
>> Stephen: NICE TO HAVE YOU BACK.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: NOW, LAST TIME YOU WERE HERE, YOU SAID, YOU KNOW,
DEMOCRATS FALL IN LOVE, THEY HAVE TO FALL IN LOVE WITH A
CANDIDATE.
AFTER NEVADA, IS THAT IT?
ARE WE HITCHED?
ARE WE IN LOVE WITH BERNIE SANDERS?
ARE THE DEMOCRATS ALL IN FOR HIM?
THEY'RE SWOONING, A LOT OF ENTHUSIASTIC PEOPLE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> NO, WE'RE NOT.
WE'VE GOT A WAYS TO GO ON THIS.
>> Stephen: BUT EVERYBODY'S SAYING IT'S OVER.
CHRIS MATTHEWS HAS TO BE MEDICATED!
>> FOR CHRIS, IT'S COVERED BY BLUE CROSS/BLUE SHIELD, SO DON'T
WORRY ABOUT THAT.
>> Stephen: ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT BERNIE?
BECAUSE YOU'RE THE DEMOCRATIC ESTABLISHMENT ALL IN A BLUE SUIT
THERE, YOU ARE THE DEMOCRATIC ESTABLISHMENT, CHIEF OF STAFF,
CONGRESSMAN, DEMOCRATIC MAYOR OF CHICAGO.
COME ON!
HERE'S THE RULES I WOULD SAY, LAST HUNDRED YEARS, THREE
DEMOCRATS HAVE WON REELECTION FOR PRESIDENT -- FRANKLIN
ROOSEVELT, PRESIDENT CLINTON, BARACK OBAMA.
>> Stephen: YEAH, YEAH.
OKAY.
( CHEERING ) THAT'S GOOD.
REMEMBER, A REALLY REALLY GOOD CHIEF OF STAFF.
( LAUGHTER ) BOTH RAN WITH THE SAME STRATEGY
AS DID THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS IN 2006 AND 2018 OF AN URBAN
SUBURBAN METROPOLITAN COALITION.
BERNIE IS SAYING FORGET THAT, SCREW IT.
BASICALLY, THERE ARE ABOUT 70 MILLION SOCIALISTS READY TO
BE AWOKEN TO THEIR INNER SOCIALIST.
SAYING TO YOUR OUR ONE THROUGH SIX GOAL IS TO GET RID OF DONALD
TRUMP, IS A REALLY BIG RISK TO GO ON A POLITICAL STRATEGY THAT
HAS NEVER BEEN TRIED BEFORE.
YOU HAVE TWO RECENT MEMORIES OF BOTH PRESIDENT CLINTON AND
PRESIDENT OBAMA WHO WON THEIR ELECTION ON A SINGLE STRATEGY
AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO THROW IT AWAY AND SAY WE DON'T NEED THESE
FICKLE INDEPENDENT VOTERS, WE'RE GOING TO DO IT ON A BASE
TURNOUT.
AND WE'VE ONLY HAD THREE ELECTIONS, BUT YOU HAVEN'T HAD A
SIZABLE EXPONENTIALLY INCREASED TURNOUT IN THESE PRIMARIES,
MEANING HE IS NOT GENERATING THE TYPE OF SUPPORT HE SAID WOULD
HAPPEN.
SO MY VIEW IS IT'S TOO EARLY TO SAY IT'S OVER, HE IS THE
FRONTRUNNER, WELCOME TO THE N.B.A.
IF HE WINS BIG ON SUPER TUESDAY, HAS A DELEGATE RUN, THEN WE HAVE
A PRESUMPTIVE NOMINEE, WE'RE NOT THERE YET.
>> Stephen: WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENS TOMORROW NIGHT?
BECAUSE LAST WEEK EVERYBODY HAD THE KNIVES OUT FOR BLOOMBERG,
NOW THAT BERNIE IS OUT FRONT -- >> THIS IS NUTS.
BLOOMBERG IS NOT ON THE BALLOT, THE FRONTRUNNER IS TREE FEET
OVER THIS WAY, YOU'RE SWACKING AT THIS GUY, AND THE GUY HERE IN
VIOLATION WHERE IS ONE OF THE WORST MASS SHOOTINGS IN AMERICAN
HISTORY.
BERNIE SANDERS IS AGAINST ASSAULT WEAPON BAN AND NOBODY
BRINGS THE SUBJECT UP AND THAT'S NUTS.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO BRING THE SUBJECT UP, THAT'S POLITICAL
101.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: ARE YOU HERE
TONIGHT TO KNEE CAB BERNIE SANDERS BECAUSE YOU'RE SWEEPING
A LEG HERE, MAN.
>> NO, HERE'S THE THING.
YOU HAVE A PRESIDENTIAL CONTEST.
YOU HAVE THE U.S. SENATE WITH A GOOD CHANCE TO TAKE IT.
YOU HAVE THE HOUSE ELECTIONS WHERE WE HAVE A MAJORITY THERE.
YOU HAVE ALL THE GOVERNORSHIPS, STATE HOUSES UP.
SO IT'S NOT JUST A PRESIDENTIAL.
THIS IS A NATIONAL ELECTION OF NATIONAL IMPORT.
>> Stephen: WHY DO YOU THINK BERNIE IS LEADING THEM?
>> BECAUSE I THINK ALL THE OPPOSITION IS DIVIDED.
TEN YEARS AGO, STEVE -- >> Stephen: I DON'T KNOW WHO
THE STEVE GUY IS, BUT GO AHEAD, YEAH.
>> HE WAS MY FRIEND THE OTHER DAY.
>> Stephen: SURE.
GO AHEAD.
>> TEN YEARS AGO, IF YOU, IN 1992, 1996, IF YOU WON A
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, IN 2008, IF YOU HAD BEEN THIRD OR FOURTH
THREE TIMES IN A ROW, YOU WOULD BE OUT.
BUT BECAUSE OF THE INTERNET AND ALL THE FUNDRAISING THAT'S GOING
ON, EVERYBODY IS GOING TO STAY AROUND THE HOOP THINKING THIS IS
NOT POSSIBLE FOR BERNIE TO BE THERE AND YOU HAVE FOUR OR FIVE
PEOPLE STILL ON THE FIELD AND THEY SHOULD BE BY THIS TIME OFF
THE FIELD AND THEN IT WOULD GO ONE ON ONE.
>> Stephen: WHO SHOULD GO FIRST.
>> NOT FOR ME TO SAY.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE ALREADY SAYING IT!
( LAUGHTER ) WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA BY WHICH
SOMEONE SHOULD LEAVE.
DON'T NAME NAMES.
>> IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS, THERE'S ONLY ONE MEDDLE, THERE'S
NOT GOLD, SILVER AND BRONZE.
SO MY VIEW IS, IF YOU HAVEN'T PRETTY SOON GET A GOLD, YOU HAVE
TO GET OFF THE DANCE FLOOR.
>> Stephen: BERNIE IS ABOUT REVOLUTION.
OBAMA WAS ABOUT CHANGE.
IS THERE NOT ENOUGH CHANGE AND THAT'S WHY HE THINKS WE NEED A
REVOLUTION?
>> SO IT'S INTERESTING YOU SAY THIS.
>> Stephen: IT USUALLY IS.
( LAUGHTER ) >> YEAH.
YOU DO HAVE HOME COURT ADVANTAGE HERE.
>> Stephen: OH, YEAH.
I'LL COME ON YOUR TALK SHOW SOME DAY.
( PIANO RIFF ) >> I DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT.
IT WILL NOT BE -- IT'S NOT A FAMILY FRIENDLY TALK SHOW.
>> Stephen: I KNOW, I'VE TALKED TO YOU OFF CAMERA.
( LAUGHTER ) >> HERE'S THE WAY I LOOK AT IT,
THERE ARE ALL THESE FORCES THAT FORCE TRUMP AND HE'S TAKEN OVER
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
THE TRUTH IS -- NOW, I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THE POLITICS
OF REFORM VERSUS REVOLUTION, I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT BILL CLINTON
AND BARACK OBAMA REPRESENTED IN THE CHANGE, THAT THERE WERE
FORCES THAT, GIVEN THE IRAQ WAR IN 2008, THEY WERE BUILDING.
PRESIDENT OBAMA, IN THE PRIMARY AGAINST HILLARY CLINTON, BECAUSE
OF HIS POSITION ON THE WAR, REPRESENTED A BIG, BIG,
SIGNIFICANT CHANGE, AND IT WAS WHAT THE BASE OF THE PARTY AT
THAT TIME, THE LEFT SAID, THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH.
BARACK OBAMA AGAINST THE WAR, LET'S GO.
BY 2012, BERNIE SANDERS WANTED TO PRIMARY BARACK OBAMA, AND THE
LEFT WAS NOT HAPPY WITH HIS PRESIDENCY.
PRESIDENT OBAMA KEPT WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW, BASICALLY TEN
YEARS BACK, AND IT'S NOW COMING BACK BOTH THROUGH BARACK OBAMA
AND THROUGH HILLARY CLINTON.
>> Stephen: SO BERNIE WANTED A PRIMARY, WHO STOPPED THAT?
>> A LOT OF DEMOCRATIC LEADERS.
>> Stephen: SAID DON'T DO THAT.
>> BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF POLITICS, IF YOU HAVE
A PRIMARY, YOU'RE LIKELY TO LOSE THE GENERAL ELECTION.
SO IT WAS SCUTTLED.
BUT BACK IN 2012, BERNIE WAS TALKING ABOUT PRIMARYING THE
PRESIDENT, BECAUSE HE KEPT ALL OF THAT BACK.
>> Stephen: IS HE A DEMOCRAT, IN YOUR OPINION?
>> NO, HE'S A DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST, HE SAYS, BUT IN THE
GENERAL ELECTION, HE WILL BE A SOCIALIST BY THE TIME TRUMP AND
THE RUSSIA'S ARE DONE WITH IT.
>> Stephen: DO YOU BELIEVE THAT, BY THE WAY, THAT THE
RUSSIA'S ARE HELPING BERNIE IN ORDER TO SET HIM UP AGAINST
TRUMP?
>> I THINK THE RUSSIANS -- THE RUSSIANS ARE ALL ABOUT
CONFUSION, CHAOS.
THEY SUCCEED WHEN AMERICA IS FIGHT AGAINST ITSELF RATHER THAN
FOCUSING ON IMPROVING ITS OWN.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: YOUR FORMER WHITE
HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF WHO LOOKS LIKE A PRESIDENT TO YOU?
WHO UP THERE CAN YOU IMAGINE TO SEE?
BIDEN?
>> HERE'S WHAT I LOOK FOR -- I USED TO SAY THIS NO PRESIDENT
CLINTON -- IF WE KNEW THE FIRST YEAR FIRST TERM WHAT WE KNEW IN
THE FIRST YEAR SECOND TERM, WE WOULD ALL BE GENIUSES.
WHAT I LOOK FOR, HAVE YOU FAILED AND HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM THAT?
QUICK PIECE OF HISTORY, IN PRESIDENT KENNEDY'S TERMS, HE
HAD THE BAY OF PIGS AND A DISASTER.
HE APPLIED A LESSON IN THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS.
HAD HE NOT HAD THAT FAILURE AND UPDISASTER WHO KNOWS WHAT WOULD
HAVE HAPPENED IN THE CUBAN MISSILE DISASTER.
BUT THE QUESTION FOR THE PRESIDENT IS DO THEY HAVE THE
CHARACTER, JUDGMENT AND THE SELF-AWARENESS TO LEARN FROM
THEIR MISTAKES.
I THINK THEY'VE SHOWN THAT IN THEIR CAREER BUT NOT SHOWN THE
POLITICAL SKILL IN THIS CAMPAIGN.
>> Stephen: BACK WITH MORE FORMER CHICAGO MAYOR RAMY RAHM
EMANUEL, EVERYBODY.