The media are perspiring as a result of all the fire at Wednesday night's Democratic debate. Chief among those quaking in their anchor chairs are the leftist crew of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, who hosted one of the candidates, Senator Amy Klobuchar, on Thursday morning’s program.
Associated Press White House reporter Jonathan Lemire was visibly distressed as he pondered the very fate of the Democratic Party in an exchange with Klobuchar:
On health care, Senator Warren said she could describe your plan on a post-it note, but that was far from the only sort of vicious attack last night on the stage…Do you think that last night was well served in terms of Democrats attacking each other rather than Donald Trump? Do you think last night was a good night for the party?
It serves as a blaring warning signal to a political party when a presidential candidate of said party agrees with such a damaging sentiment. That is precisely what Klobuchar did:
No. You know, I think primaries are always about people showing differences and that's what it is. But I thought that there was too much of that and too little of showing solutions for people and there's a bunch of people tuning in now who stayed home in 2016, independents, moderate Republicans.
Former Senator and analyst Claire McCaskill put her policy beliefs of gun control on full display in her query to Klobuchar:
I noticed happily that you and Elizabeth had the most talking time last night, one and two respectively. That shows that the two of you are making sure that your voices are heard. One thing that was not talked about, especially in light of what happened in Las Vegas two years ago was a broad discussion about gun safety. Do you feel like that is an issue that we've spent enough time on?...
Klobuchar comported with McCaskill’s assessment:
It certainly will and of course, in South Carolina you have the mass shooting in Charleston at the African-American church, but I was sad, many reasons, for some of the things that were missed last night, but not talking about guns in a major way when we had the biggest mass shooting in American history in Mandalay Bay...
Analyst Elise Jordan then contributed in making the segment something of a town hall:
I want to pick up on your comments about immigration reform. You've talked about jump starting immigration reform in the first 100 days of your administration. Would you also commit to halting deportations for the first 100 days of your administration?
It's amazing how interviews with 2020 Democratic candidates always seem to become strategy sessions about how to improve the party's political standing and push left-wing policy goals.
Transcript below:
Morning Joe
2/20/20
8:49:33 AM
JONATHAN LEMIRE: On health care, Senator Warren said she could describe your plan on a post-it note, but that was far from the only sort of vicious attack last night on the stage. Of course, there was a lot of arrows pointed at Mike Bloomberg and his debut in a debate, we played just a few minutes ago some of the testy exchange between Senator Sanders and former Mayor Buttigieg. Do you think that last night was well served in terms of Democrats attacking each other rather than Donald Trump? Do you think last night was a good night for the party?
AMY KLOBUCHAR: No. You know, I think primaries are always about people showing differences and that's what it is. But I thought that there was too much of that and too little of showing solutions for people and there's a bunch of people tuning in now who stayed home in 2016, independents, moderate Republicans. And one point I did want to make because I was never given the opportunity to respond to Elizabeth's allegation about that my health care plan was a few paragraphs long, but luckily for me factcheck.org did and they said that was a lie. That I have an extensive plan, including mental health, long-term care, going after pharmaceuticals. It is not worth debating right now. It was unfortunate I wasn't given that opportunity...
CLAIRE MCCASKILL: I noticed happily that you and Elizabeth had the most talking time last night, one and two respectively. That shows that the two of you are making sure that your voices are heard. One thing that was not talked about, especially in light of what happened in Las Vegas two years ago was a broad discussion about gun safety. Do you feel like that is an issue that we've spent enough time on? It is another point of contrast on some votes along with immigration with Bernie Sanders and is that going to figure into your strategy for the debate a week from now?
KLOBUCHAR: It certainly will and of course, in South Carolina you have the mass shooting in Charleston at the African-American church, but I was sad, many reasons, for some of the things that were missed last night, but not talking about guns in a major way when we had the biggest mass shooting in American history in Mandalay Bay...
(...)
ELISE JORDAN: I want to pick up on your comments about immigration reform. You've talked about jump starting immigration reform in the first 100 days of your administration. Would you also commit to halting deportations for the first 100 days of your administration?
KLOBUCHAR: Well, you could have security deportations that you wouldn't halt, but what I would stop is first of all, practice of separating kids from parents...
