HBO’s Bill Maher and former MSNBC host Chris Matthews were greatly displeased on Friday night’s Real Time that Democrats won’t replace President Joe Biden with California Gov. Gavin Newsom after his disastrous debate performance the night before.
Maher was unconvinced of former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s claim that the reason why Biden is struggling in the polls is because of his policy record, “Are you kidding? Yes, we have problems like every country has problems, but a different candidate would make a huge difference, I think.”
He then accused Democrats of being blind partisans who are unable to see the disaster that is staring directly at them, “From last night, the flash poll afterward, Trump, they said won 67-33, 33, that number rings in my mind because you know what that number is? That's the number you always see, very close — 33, 34, 32 — of the people who are just always with their party. I mean, that's Mrs. Goebbels in the bunker number.”
After the laughter from the audience subsided, Maher continued, “You see it on the right, they used to call them Birchers, birthers, Tea Party, whatever you, MAGA Nation, whatever, they never move, and now that's a third of the Democrats who like—they're going to stick with this guy and they are going to regret it. He is going to lose. I said nine months ago, and I’m saying it again tonight, and now it seems like it's so apparent.”
Matthews agreed, “In the real world outside of the Biden world, it is clear to me that another candidate like Newsom, the governor of California, could have the dynamic to move from June, right now, to November, and build up support to match Trump's and maybe overtake him. He could change the whole situation.”
While Maher decried blind loyalty, Matthews claimed Democrats have an additional problem. Even if Biden were to step aside, Democrats would choose to replace him with Vice President Kamala Harris instead of Newsom, “The problem is, and this is the Democratic Party, and the way it is. It's a party of center-left and left. If he does that, Kamala Harris people will go, ‘Wait a minute, I'm next’ and he’ll say, ‘You’re right, you are next,’ because that's what he is saying right now, and that's the problem.’”
Maher was not persuaded that Matthews’s fears were warranted, “I’m not sure that’s even that big a problem for the Democrats. People, at the end of the day, want to win.”
Gavin Newsom may be capable of sounding alive at a debate, but voters will probably not respond well to his infamous COVID hypocrisy and Panera Bread scandals.
Here is a transcript for the June 28 show:
HBO Real Time with Bill Maher
6/28/2024
10:18 PM ET
BILL MAHER: Are you kidding? Yes, we have problems like every country has problems, but a different candidate would make a huge difference, I think. From last night, the flash poll afterward, Trump, they said won 67-33, 33, that number rings in my mind because you know what that number is? That's the number you always see, very close — 33, 34, 32 — of the people who are just always with their party.
TULSI GABBARD: Right.
MAHER: I mean, that's Mrs. Goebbels in the bunker number. I mean, you see—
CHRIS MATTHEWS: They're the woman that kills all our kids. Right.
MAHER: Rather live in a world without national socialism, exactly.
MATTHEWS: You got it right.
MAHER: You see it on the right, they used to call them Birchers, birthers, Tea Party, whatever you, MAGA Nation, whatever, they never move, and now that's a third of the Democrats who like—they're going to stick with this guy and they are going to regret it. He is going to lose. I said nine months ago, and I’m saying it again tonight, and now it seems like it's so apparent.”
MATTHEWS: In the real world outside of the Biden world, it is clear to me that another candidate like Newsom, the governor of California, could have the dynamic to move from June, right now, to November, and build up support to match Trump's and maybe overtake him. He could change the whole situation.
MAHER: Absolutely.
MATTHEWS: The problem is, and this is the Democratic Party, and the way it is. It's a party of center-left and left. If he does that, Kamala Harris people will go, “Wait a minute, I'm next” and he’ll say, “You’re right, you are next,” because that's what he is saying right now and that's the problem.
MAHER: No, but here's the great thing about Gavin Newsom as the candidate, she can't be his vice president. You can’t be from, you can't be from—
MATTHEWS: No, she’s next for president.
MAHER: Oh.
MATTHEWS: That’s the problem. The problem is the—of the team.
MAHER: I’m not sure that’s even that big a problem for the Democrats. People, at the end of the day, want to win.
