With fewer and fewer things to talk about on Monday considering the dumpster fire that was the Iowa caucuses, NBC News Now brought on Michael Bloomberg campaign manager Kevin Sheekey to hammer him from the left, including concerns that his presence alongside the far-left Democrats could create “a knock down, drag out war that simply tears the party apart.”
Weekend MSNBC host and NBC correspondent Kasie Hunt made that last point, lobbing a long, winding, opinionated question to Sheekey by first raising the possibility that Bernie Sanders could sweep Iowa and New Hampshire before Bloomberg joins the race in earnest.
That led Hunt to fret:
How is that you don’t end up in a knock down, drag out war that simply tears the party apart? I mean, we almost saw it in 2016 and I mean, the contrast between what Bernie Sanders is saying to his supporters and a billionaire coming in and blanketing the airwaves with his own money couldn’t be more stark. How is this not just ultimately ending up handing Donald Trump reelection.
Sheekey didn’t lose his cool, conceding that those who swept the opening two contests have almost always gone onto obtain the nomination, rendering Super Tuesday worthless.
He did then push back:
I think your second thing without saying it is well, does that mean Mike Bloomberg and Joe Biden are going to go head-to-head through Super Tuesday and the end of March. Hey, listen, Chuck said it this morning and I happen to agree with him. I think there are probably two tickets coming out of — of Iowa and we’ll see who has that, but I think what you’re setting up might be a false choice and not what you see by the time we get into March.
Co-host and Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd wasn’t any better. He spoke first and, right off the bat, he falsely stated that Buttigieg “has decent support across demographic groups, across age groups.” Presumably, Todd forgot about Buttigieg’s lack of support from African-Americans.
In his other question, Todd boasted that “[y]ou see the power of Bernie Sanders among young voters” while a candidate like Biden (and presumably Bloomberg) are showing “weakness.”
“How do you answer the question of how you’re going to appeal to yong voters with — with what you’re preaching because as we see, young voters in particular, they’re not hankering for a billionaire,” he added.
To see the relevant transcript from NBC News Now on February 3, click “expand.”
NBC News Now
February 3, 2020
10:31 p.m. EasternCHUCK TODD: Look, you have looked at this entrance poll. What have you taken away from the fact that Pete Buttigieg in particular is doing pretty well tonight, that he’s sort of the candidate that has decent support across demographic groups, across age groups, he’s not — he’s not pigeon-holed in any one category. Is he somebody that you should worry about coming into Super Tuesday.
(....)
10:33 p.m. Eastern
CHUCK TODD [TO KEVIN SHEEKEY]: Let me ask you this. You see the power of Bernie Sanders among young voters. You see the weakness, frankly, among — among somebody like Joe Biden who, frankly, cuts a similar profile as Michael Bloomberg. How do you answer the question of how you’re going to appeal to yong voters with — with what you’re preaching because as we see, young voters in particular, they’re not hankering for a billionaire.
(....)
10:34 p.m. Eastern
KASIE HUNT: I’m — I’m hoping, you know, as we obviously don’t have the results in yet, but we’re seeing Bernie Sanders seem to elevate or break away a little bit from Elizabeth Warren in the early polling. My question for you is I struggle, if Bernie Sanders does kind of take a clear shot at this progressive lane and roll into New Hampshire with some serious strength where, you know, the polling shows he won there big last time. How is that you don’t end up in a knock down, drag out war that simply tears the party apart? I mean, we almost saw it in 2016 and I mean, the contrast between what Bernie Sanders is saying to his supporters and a billionaire coming in and blanketing the airwaves with his own money couldn’t be more stark. How is this not just ultimately ending up handing Donald Trump reelection.
SHEEKEY: Well, listen, Kasie, I think you make two points there and let’s — let’s pull them apart, right? I think your first point is hey, if Bernie comes strong out of Iowa and perhaps comes strong out of New Hampshire, is he ultimately the nominee? That’s certainly what we’ve seen since 1976. If you can win both of those states, there really isn’t a case where you ultimately didn’t become the nominee and Super Tuesday wasn’t really a mop-up exercise. And I think that’s a good point. And it’s one of the reasons that Mike Bloomberg is building a national campaign in Super Tuesday with the strength that is. I think your second thing without saying it is well, does that mean Mike Bloomberg and Joe Biden are going to go head-to-head through Super Tuesday and the end of March. Hey, listen, Chuck said it this morning and I happen to agree with him.
HUNT: Alright.
SHEEKEY: I think there are probably two tickets coming out of — of Iowa and we’ll see who has that, but I think what you’re setting up might be a false choice and not what you see by the time we get into March.
