On Monday’s New Day, CNN co-host John Berman and guest host Erica Hill brought on Democratic Party hacks Angela Rye and Paul Begala to gush over Joe Biden’s vice presidential candidates without discussing their serious flaws. Begala in particular raved over the nominees by claiming that “all of these women on this list are just phenomenal, they're remarkable.”
Hill began the Biden campaign strategy session by asking if Biden needs “to pick a woman of color.” The extremely woke Rye responded by claiming “it’s a demand”:
So yes, I think absolutely, right. Here we are in the 11th hour, the vice presidential selection is yet to be made, and Joe Biden came in to this process on the backs of black women and what I'm hearing for -- from several colleagues from women on the street, not that I'm walking up to them, you know we're social distancing right now in quarantine, right? But I'm saying everyday women are being super clear and it’s not just coming from black women, this is an obvious choice, it is an obvious debt that must be paid. So if Joe Biden's campaign was dead, black women resurrected it and the only way to pay black women back and to ensure, right, that he can win, that he can get the number of votes he needs to beat Donald Trump, he needs to have a black woman, so it's not a suggestion. It's not a recommendation. At this point from us, it's a demand and a requirement.
So much for evaluating people based off of their character and ability, not the color of their skin. We were supposed to get rid of that with Jim Crow allegedly.
Begala salivated over the candidates:
The good news is he has terrific women on his list, any one of whom I'd be very comfortable with seeing on the ticket, seeing in the White House. So I, you know, I think he's going -- going to go with the governing choice. That may very well lead him to a -- a woman of color, as Angela suggests, because some of these -- all of these women on this list are just phenomenal, they're remarkable.
Rye then gushed over Kamala Harris while excusing Biden's record on race:
Yeah, I think the reality of where we are is that based on excitement, based on name recognition, based on leadership, based on ability to win statewide, the number one pick for him if he’s just looking at numbers is Senator Kamala Harris….I think that one of the things that Democratic Party insiders, favorites, pollsters have to be honest with the Vice President about is who he is, why this is so challenging, the record that he has, the one that he's willing to both acknowledge but not atone for, he has to ensure that he's closing some of those gaps with women who have a record, who -- who will stand on that and who can ensure that they kind of cover up those holes that he -- he has.
Begala demonstrated his wokeness by claiming that black female VP contenders were being unfairly “attacked,” all while excusing their scandals:
And -- and let me say, it is noted by this old white guy that -- that black women particularly have been attacked in this process, right? Kamala Harris was -- she was insulted, "Oh, she's ambitious." Are you kidding? Have you met Dick Cheney? Machiavelli said that Dick Cheney was too manipulative. And Kamala’s too ambitious? Or Karen Bass, Congresswoman from Los Angeles, being considered for this, oh well she went to a -- to a -- she -- she spoke at an opening of a Scientology church in her district. Oh, really? That's a problem? She went to a church and she didn't tear gas anybody, right? Or Susan Rice, who’s an old pal of mine. Susan and I go way, way back. Oh well, Benghazi, there were nine investigations, nine, nine. Every one of them said Susan -- did absolutely nothing wrong, did everything right. So it has been noted that the knives have been out, especially for the black women in this process and that has really angered me.
All politicians are “ambitious.” Unlike Kamala Harris, not all politicians have an affair with a married man to advance their political careers. Not all politicians have been accused of being an incompetent prosecutor like Harris has.
As for Basset, the main accusation towards her is that she praised Fidel Castro. Although it is concerning that Bass flirts with the support of a cult that coerces its members into confinement, has been accused of enabling sexual assault by its leaders, and whose leaders have conducted Ponzi schemes in order to take advantage of the church’s members.
And ah yes, Susan Rice, who promulgated lies about President Trump in the debunked Russia collusion scandal. Definitely a trustworthy individual.
CNN has an election to win for Joe Biden, so it will cheerlead and cover for any vice presidential nominee that he chooses.
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Read the full August 10th transcript here:
CNN's New Day
08/10/20
8:16 AM ET
ERICA HILL: We are now just 85 days away from Election Day. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden expected to announce his running mate this week. So we know it's going to be a woman, but will it be a woman of color? Joining us is CNN political commentator Angela Rye, former executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus and CNN political commentator Paul Begala, who is the author of the new book, You're Fired: The Perfect Guide to Beating Donald Trump, which obviously is something that Joe Biden would like to do. As we look at this, Angie, I think that's a really important question. You know John, you brought this up earlier this morning. We know it's a woman. Does Joe Biden need to pick a woman of color, and if he doesn't, will there be a lot of backlash?
ANGELA RYE (CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR): So yes, I think absolutely, right. Here we are in the 11th hour, the vice presidential selection is yet to be made, and Joe Biden came in to this process on the backs of black women and what I'm hearing for -- from several colleagues from women on the street, not that I'm walking up to them, you know we're social distancing right now in quarantine, right? But I'm saying everyday women are being super clear and it’s not just coming from black women, this is an obvious choice, it is an obvious debt that must be paid. So if Joe Biden's campaign was dead, black women resurrected it and the only way to pay black women back and to ensure, right, that he can win, that he can get the number of votes he needs to beat Donald Trump, he needs to have a black woman, so it's not a suggestion. It's not a recommendation. At this point from us, it's a demand and a requirement.
JOHN BERMAN: Paul?
PAUL BEGALA (CNN POLITICAL COMMENATOR): Well, it's simply a matter of fact that what Angela said is right that Joe Biden is a Democratic nominee because of African-Americans and particularly African-American women. Now having said that, the pick will matter a lot this week or the week he chooses. It will matter a lot around the -- for a couple days around the vice presidential debate. But when it will matter is 24/7/365 when Joe Biden becomes president. So he's going to have to make a governing choice. The good news is he has terrific women on his list, any one of whom I'd be very comfortable with seeing on the ticket, seeing in the White House. So I, you know, I think he's going -- going to go with the governing choice. That may very well lead him to a -- a woman of color, as Angela suggests, because some of these -- all of these women on this list are just phenomenal, they’re remarkable.
BERMAN: You didn’t really answer my question.
RYE: Paul Can I just -- I'm sorry --
BERMAN: Sorry Angela, go ahead.
RYE: I’m sorry really quick, just to clarify, I specifically said a black woman, so not even a woman of color, it's a black woman, and I just want to double down on that because I think it's super important. One mistake we could easily make is focus -- focusing on what Joe Biden needs to govern. He actually needs to win and I can't think of a time where a vice presidential selection is more consequential than in 2020. Joe Biden kinda eked across the finish line and the reality of it is he really needs someone folks are excited about
BEGALA: Well wait, Angela, he won 45 primaries and caucuses. He got 17,660,000 Democrats voting for him.
RYE: Yeah.
BEGALA: Largely you're right because of the -- the -- the power of the African-American community and African-American women but you can't say he-- he -- he limped -- limped across.
RYE: Eked across the finish line. Yeah, Paul and you know I agree with you --
BEGALA: He won in a landslide.
RYE: -- so often. And I think -- I think -- and I appreciate your landslide. It was a default landslide though, right? We got to a point where in several of the primaries there was no other contender left and I can say for me personally as a Washington state voter, I know why I voted for Joe Biden in the primary, right? So I just want to make sure that we're super clear about the fact that there weren't a lot of choices once we got to the other side of South Carolina. So for those of us who came in after that voting for Joe Biden, if we did, it was because there was no other choice, so I think that's a default.BERMAN: Paul, what message would it send if he did not pick an African-American woman as Angie -- as Angela specifically is calling for?
BEGALA: I -- I -- I want him to pick the person he's most comfortable governing with. I can't see into his soul and feel with him who will be that person, right? He went through this with Barack Obama. President Obama then Senator Obama chose Joe Biden because he wanted a governing partner. That -- that is why he made that choice, and I -- and I just I think I can't see into Biden's thinking here, no one can. That's who he's going to pick and that's who he should pick and it very well may lead to a black woman, as Angela said. And again, the folks on this list are remarkable and phenomenal. I -- I think it’s -- I think it's going to be whoever he picks, I think the party’s going to rally around her right away.
HILL: Angela, there's been a lot of talk about that gut check, right? That Joe Biden has with this choice not just because he held the job but to Paul's point because he really wants this to be someone with whom he can have a similar relationship that he had with President Obama but the reality is that relationship developed over time.
RYE: That's right.
HILL: So that can't be the only part of it. So if you're looking at this, let’s look at -- you're saying it has to be black woman. So if we’re looking at the black women who are sort of at the top of the list from what we understand at this point Angela, who is the best person?
RYE: Yeah, I think the reality of where we are is that based on excitement, based on name recognition, based on leadership, based on ability to win statewide, the number one pick for him if he’s just looking at numbers is Senator Kamala Harris. I think that is the reality of this. There are also to Paul's point, several women who are still in contention because we have no clarity in the process at this point, who are amazing, right? And I think that it is -- it’s a difficult thing for me to have to say on air, because I know many of these women, I'm close to them, I respect them, but I think that's the truth, and so this isn’t just about who makes Joe Biden feel warm and fuzzy. This is about who else can help him win. I think that that is the truth and as uncomfortable as that might be, this is not a similar scenario to 2008 in part because Joe Biden is no Barack Obama. It's not going to be the same historic win if it's just Joe Biden at the top of the ticket, and I think that one of the things that Democratic party insiders, favorites, pollsters have to be honest with the Vice President about is who he is, why this is so challenging, the record that he has, the one that he's willing to both acknowledge but not atone for, he has to ensure that he's closing some of those gaps with women who have a record, who -- who will stand on that and who can ensure that they kind of cover up those holes that he -- he has.
BERMAN: You guys are being very nice to each other but you don't agree on this.
RYE: Not at all.
BEGALA: That's okay. We -- I still love Angela, think she's brilliant.
RYE: Yeah I love Paul, but we don’t.
BEGALA: Yeah. Yeah.
BERMAN: Kamala Harris would she be a good pick, Paul Begala?
BEGALA: She’d be an outstanding pick. She’d be a phenomenal pick. And -- and let me say, it is noted by this old white guy that -- that black women particularly have been attacked in this process, right?
RYE: Yes, Paul.
BEGALA: Kamala Harris was -- she was insulted, “Oh she's ambitious.” Are you kidding? Have you met Dick Cheney? Machiavelli said that Dick Cheney was too manipulative. And Kamala’s too ambitious? Or Karen Bass, Congresswoman from Los Angeles, being considered for this, oh well she went to a -- to a -- she -- she spoke at an opening of a Scientology church in her district. Oh, really? That's a problem?RYE: I don’t think it is.
BEGALA: She went to a church and she didn't tear gas anybody, right? Or Susan Rice, who’s an old pal of mine. Susan and I go way, way back. Oh well, Benghazi, there were nine investigations, nine, nine. Every one of them said Susan --
RYE: Yeah.
BEGALA: -- did absolutely nothing wrong, did everything right. So it has been noted that the knives have been out, especially for the black women in this process and that has --
RYE: Can I --
BEGALA: -- really angered me.
BERMAN: Can I just ask one other quick question? Because I'm interested in both of your takes on this too and this is changing the subject slightly. But night one of the convention, we’ve learned that the speaker’s will be Michelle Obama, whom I think you can both agree on --BEGALA: Yeah.
BERMAN: -- but also Bernie Sanders and former Republican governor of Ohio John Kasich, our CNN colleague. Angela, I'm curious, how excited are you to hear from John Kasich on night one of the convention?
RYE: Well, first, I just want to, since we're talking Republicans, let me just acknowledge really quickly, Paul, of course I'm taking one more exception and that is to the Dick Cheney comparison to Kamala Harris. I highly doubt Dick Cheney would be a cosponsor in someone who led on the justice in policing act or anything else that she's done in the city or anything else she's done in her life --
BEGALA: I'm not comparing her. I'm just saying -- I’m just saying that every vice president is ambitious and -- and they should be.
RYE: Yeah, so is Joe Biden.BEGALA: Yeah.
RYE: He ran against Barack Obama before he was chosen.
BEGALA: 100%.RYE: So I would have probably gone with someone at least in the same party. But on the -- the night of the convention, speaking of Republicans, I don't really need to hear from John Kasich. In fact, he's on these air waves quite a bit. I can see him on CNN, I don't need to see him at the -- at the Democratic national convention. I -- I do think it is great that they're bringing so many party favorites from different wings of the party together to speak. John Kasich, I mean welcome to the party I guess? I don't know.
BEGALA: Yeah, we have to be a big tent. Can you -- can you imagine, you're going to have both Michelle Obama, who is pay your cable bill, you’re going to want to see her more than anybody. But then Bernie Sanders and John Kasich on the same stage, on the same night? That is remarkable. It's a sign, you know, this is what's hard about being a Democrat. It's what -- why Joe Biden's choice here is going to be difficult. You have to hold together a broad, diverse, multiethnic, multi-religious, multiethnic, multicultural, multigenerational, multi-gender party. Guess what? That's very good training for holding together the United States of America.RYE: Yeah.
BEGALA: Now, I -- I -- I remember when Barack Obama had Jim leach, a Republican Congressman from Iowa speak. I -- oh my gosh I was so angry, I was so angry. But you know, it turned out -- it worked out that Obama was reaching out to Republicans. I think it's wise that Biden is reaching out to Republicans so I -- I say welcome, John Kasich.RYE: His was nicer.
