Joe To Democratic Party: Do You Want To Win Or Not? | Morning Joe

WASHINGTON POST" EUGENE ROBINSON JOINS US FROM WASHINGTON.
GOOD TO HAVE YOU ON BOARD. >> DID YOU SEE THIS YESTERDAY.
WE'RE SEEING SOME DISCU DISCUSS HAPPENING COMING TO THE TABLE
SAYING DEMOCRATS ARE DOING GREAT.
OTHERS MORE SELF-AWARE. BERNIE SANDERS CONTINUES TO DRAW
BIG CROWDS, 2,000 IN TEXAS, 6,000 MORE IN OMAHA, NEBRASKA,
LAST NIGHT. OVER THE COURSE OF THE WEEK HE
DROVE HOME HIS MESSAGE OF REBUILDING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
HE SAID THAT DONALD TRUMP DIDN'T WIN, THAT DEMOCRATS LOST.
WITH HIM WAS KEITH ELLISON, THE DEPUTY CHAIR OF THE DNC.
HE'S TURNING HEADS SAYING WHILE PRESIDENT OBAMA WAS GREAT AT
GIVING HIMSELF ELECTED, HE LEFT THE PARTY IN NEED OF SERIOUS
REPAIR. >> I'M A GREAT FAN OF PRESIDENT
OBAMA.
I VOTED FOR MANY THINGS, DODD-FRANK, AFFORDABLE CARE ACT,
WONDERFUL ACHIEVEMENTS. BUT BARACK OBAMA COULD HAVE BEEN
A BETTER PARTY LEADER. I THINK THE FACT THAT HE WASN'T,
PUT HIS LEGACY IN JEOPARDY. YOUR LEGACY IS NOT A BUILDING
THAT HE'S GOING TO CONSTRUCT IN CHICAGO HOUSING HIS PRESIDENTIAL
PAPERS. HIS LEGACY IS THE WORK THAT HE
HAS DONE, WHICH I BELIEVE IS
TREMENDOUS. BUT GIVEN THAT WE LOST A LOT OF
STATEHOUSE SEATS, GOVERNORSHIPS, SECRETARIES OF STATES, HIS TRUE
LEGACY IS IN DANGER, AND I THINK HE CAN'T SAY THAT IT WASN'T --
HE WASN'T PART OF THOSE LOSSES. WHO ELSE?
>> THEN THERE'S THIS ABOUT BERNIE SANDERS AND KEITH ELLISON
AT THAT RALLY IN OMAHA. THEY WENT THERE IN SUPPORT
MAYORAL CANDIDATE HEATH MEADOW, SELF DESCRIBED FIRST MIDDLE
CLASS MAYOR ON RECORD. HIS RECORD ON ABORTION HAS
LIBERAL GROUPS ABANDONING HIM, A STATE SENATE BILL HE SPONSORED
REQUIRING WOMEN TO BE OFFERED AN ULTRASOUND BEFORE AN ABORTION.
DAILY COST WITHDREW ITS
ENDORSEMENT AS WELL. JOAN WALSH WHO SAW A A LACK OF
SUPPORT FROM ARKANSAS ELECTION TWEETED, QUOTE, BYE-BYE BERNIE.
SORRY IF YOU ENDORSED OSSOFF WITH THIS SAME ARGUMENT, TOO.
MAYBE IT'S OKAY, DISSING OSSOFF AND ENDORSING THIS?
NAH. DNC CHAIR TOM PEREZ ISSUED A
STATEMENT REITERATING THE RIGHT FOR WOMEN TO MAKE THEIR OWN
CHOICES WHILE SAYING OUR JOB AT THE DNC IS TO HELP DEMOCRATS WHO
HAVE GARNERED SUPPORT -- >> THAT'S A LOT OF READING JUST
TO GET TO THIS JON MEACHAM. DO DEMOCRATS WANT TO HAVE
SPEAKERS OF THE HOUSE, MAJORITY LEADERS, OR ARE THEY GOING TO
GET A GUY HERE, A GUY THAT HA 100% RATING WITH PLANNED
PARENTHOOD. YOU DON'T HAVE TO CALL ANYBODY
LESS THAN 50 YEARS OLD LITTLE. >> I WAS JUST SAYING --
>> WHO WAS I TALKING TO YESTERDAY ONSET WHO SAID IF YOU
WANT TO PICK THE PERFECT CANDIDATE TO WIN IN TENNESSEE,
IN NEBRNEBRASKA, IN RED STATES, GET A DEMOCRATIC MAYOR WHO IS
LIKED IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND WHO IS CULTURALLY ALIGNED
WITH THE DISTRICT WHERE HE'S RUNNING.
THIS GUY MAY NOT EVEN CULTURALLY ALIGNED.
THEY'RE GOING BACK EIGHT YEARS AGO HE AGREED TO A BILL THAT
SAID A DOCTOR COULD TELL A WOMAN SHE HAD A RIGHT TO AN
ULTRASOUND. FOR THAT THEY'RE BLOWING UP THE
PARTY? THESE ARE NOT PEOPLE THAT WANT
TO BE IN CHARGE OF THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE AGAIN.
WE'VE BEEN ASKING THIS QUESTION OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN TO
DEMOCRATIC LEADERS. IF SOMEBODY IS FROM TENNESSEE
AND THEY'RE PROGRESSIVE ON ECONOMIC ISSUES BUT THEY'RE PRO
LIFE AND PRO GUN, CAN YOU SUPPORT THEM?
OH, NO. THAT'S WHAT I'D SAY TO
REPUBLICANS WHO WOULDN'T SUPPORT A PRO CHOICE CANDIDATE WHO WAS
CONSERVATIVE FISCALLY WHO WANTED TO RUN IN NEW ENGLAND.
DO YOU WANT TO WIN OR NOT? BY ACTING LIKE THIS, WHAT
THEY'RE ACTUALLY DOING IS MAKING SURE THE NEXT FOUR JUDGES THAT
ARE APPOINTED TO THE SUPREME COURT WILL BE NEIL GORSUCH.
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEEDS TO WAKE UP.
>> WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HISTORICALLY THE SUCCESSFUL
POLITICIANS WHO, AS YOU SAY, REFLECT THE CULTURE OF THEIR
CONSTITUENCIES AND THE DRIVE THAT'S REALLY BEEN GOING ON FOR
30 YEARS OR MORE FOR ETIOLOGICAL PERIOD.
>> I'VE BEEN ON THE ROAD FOR FOUR DAYS TALKING TO PEOPLE.
ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTIONS IS, IS THERE ANY HOPE FOR
COOPERATION, FOR THINGS ACTUALLY GETTING DONE AND NOT IF BOTH
SIDES, BUT IN THIS CASE THE DEMOCRATS, ARE GOING TO ENFORCE
AN AUTOCRATIC AGENDA ON THEIR CANDIDATES.
YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT ABOUT RED STATE DEMOCRATS.
WHEN I WAS GROWING UP IN TENNESSEE IN THE '80s, WE HAD
NINE CONGRESSMEN, SEVEN DEMOCRATS, TWO REPUBLICANS, AL
GORE WAS THE SENATOR, JIM SASSER WAS THE SENATOR.
A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR, NOW IT'S ENTIRELY FLIPPED.
IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR A DEMOCRAT TO HAVE A PLAUSIBLE
CHANCE WITHOUT HAVING SOME CULTURE --
>> THE NATIONAL PARTY HAS BEEN AUTOCRATIC.
GENE ROBINSON, BIG FOOTED CANDIDATES THAT MAY NOT GO
STRAIGHT DOWN THE LINE. I ALWAYS TELL THE STORY OF GOING
TO KENTUCKY IN 1998, TRYING TO HELP A REPUBLICAN IN A DEEP RED
PART OF KENTUCKY. STEVE LARGENT, LINDSEY GRAHAM
AND I WERE THERE. WE WERE GOING AROUND TO
REPUBLICANS WHO WERE HAVING A HARD TIME.
WE GO INTO KENTUCKY. I'M LIKE, WHY ARE WE LANDING IN
THIS PART OF KENTUCKY. HE'S GOT A STRONG OPPONENT.
I PULL THE GUY ASIDE AND ASK HIM THE QUESTIONS, WHAT'S YOUR
MONEY, WHAT'S YOUR MESSAGE, WHAT MESSAGE ARE YOU DRIVING RIGHT
NOW? HOW IS YOUR KBROUND SUPPORT?
ANSWERED ALL THOSE CORRECTLY. OKAY.
LET'S LOOK AT YOUR OPINION POINT.
HOW BAD IS HE ON THE SECOND AMENDMENT?
HE'S PRO SECOND AMENDMENTMENT. I SAID HE'S PARTIAL BIRTH
ABORTION? NO, HE'S PRO LIFE.
I LOOKED AT HIM, BUDDY, YOU'RE SCREWED.
BECAUSE HE WAS ECONOMICALLY MODERATE BUT SOCIALLY
CONSERVATIVE, AND YOU GIVE A LOT OF VOTERS IN THE SOUTH THE
OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE THAT WAY, THEY'LL VOTE THAT WAY.
THEY HAVEY HAVEN'T BEEN GIVEN T OPPORTUNITY THERE OR IN NEBRASKA
FOR YEARS. >> THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY'S
PROBLEM RIGHT NOW IS IT'S TOO SMALL.
IT DOESN'T HOLD ENOUGH OFFICES, ESPECIALLY ON A STATE -- ON THE
STATE LEVEL WHERE IT JUST KIND OF GOT WIPED OUT, AND IT LOST
BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS. IF IT'S GOING TO RECOVER, IT'S
GOING TO DO IT BY GETTING BETTER AND IT'S GOING TO MAKE A BIGGER
TENT. SO THAT MEANS A 50-STATE
STRATEGY. IT'S CERTAINLY A LOT MORE THAN
THE SORT OF BICOASTAL STRATEGY THAT IT HAS NOW.
SO IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO ACCOMMODATE DIFFERENT VIEWS OR
AT LEAST NUANCES OF VIEWS. IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE THIS
CANDIDATE IS TOTALLY OFF THE RESERVATION IN TERMS OF BEING
PRO CHOICE. >> I WOULD SAY ALSO THIS
REQUIREMENT FOR 100% PURITY IS A RECIPE TO BE A COASTAL MINORITY
PARTY. IF YOU'RE NOT WILLING TO ON THIS
ONE SLIVER OF AN ISSUE ALLOW A LITTLE LEEWAY FOR SOMEBODY WHO
MIGHT BE ABLE TO WIN AND PUT A DEMOCRAT IN THAT SEAT, YOU'RE
NOT GOING TO WIN ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
I WOULD SAY THIS 2009 LEGISLATION THAT THE MAYORAL
CANDIDATE CO-SPONSORED WAS A COMPROMISE LEGISLATION.
IT DIDN'T REQUIRE WOMEN TO SEE THE ULTRASOUND, IT GAVE THE
OPTION TO SEE IT IF ONE WAS OFFERED BY A PHYSICIAN.
>> I UNDERSTAND. EVEN IF HE WERE PRO LIFE, EVEN
IF HE WERE PRO GUN, IF HE WERE PROGRESSIVE ON ECONOMIC ISSUES
AND IF HE WAS CONNECTED WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, I'M TELLING
YOU REPUBLICANS COULDN'T TOUCH THAT.
THAT WOULD BE -- MARK ONE VOTE FOR NANCY PELOSI AS SPEAKER OF
THE HOUSE, OR MARK ONE VOTE FOR CHUCK SCHUMER AND FOR THE NEXT
SUPREME COURT JUSTICE. >> AND IF YOU CAN FIND A KIND OF
CULTURAL LIBERTARIANISM AS WELL, THAT'S A FISCAL CONSERVATISM, A
KIND OF CULTURAL LIBERTARIAN VIEW IS PROBABLY A WINNING
STRATEGY THERE. THE OTHER THING TO REMEMBER IS,
WHEN PARTIES ARE DOMINANT, THEY'RE NOT SINGLE ISSUE
PARTIES. THE PARTY OF FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT
AND HAIRY TRUMAN WHO HAD THE LONGEST SUSTAINED PERIOD OF
WHITE HOUSE CONTROL IN AMERICAN HISTORY, WAS A CRAZY AMAL GUM OF
SOUTHERN SEGREGATIONALISTS, WESTERN POPULISTS.
TRADITIONALLY IN AMERICAN HISTORY PARTIES ARE NOT ONE
ISSUE. >> IN THIS CASE PEOPLE ARE
BOOING THE PARTY. BERNIE SANDERS WENT ON THE STAGE
AND SOMEBODY ON THE STAGE SAID, HEY, ARE YOU HERE TO SUPPORT THE
FUTURE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY? PEOPLE BOOED.
PEOPLE ARE NOT INTERESTED, THEY'RE INTERESTED IN FINDING A
NEW WAY OF DOING IT. YOU'RE SEEING A REAL SPLINTERING
STILL, THEY HAVE NOT HEALED THIS RIFT BETWEEN THE ESTABLISH

Joe To Democratic Party: Do You Want To Win Or Not? | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Latest Posts