During a political panel discussion on Wednesday’s NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer bemoaned Bernie Sanders not yet conceding the Democratic race to Hillary Clinton: “...Bernie Sanders didn't give her, her moment last night. He didn't urge his supporters to get behind her.”
Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd noted how Democrats wanted to “give Bernie Sanders a little bit of space, give him a little bit of respect,” but advanced potential political threats: “I think what he's going to learn is that if he carries this on too long, well, then there’ll be some public urgings. And then, you know, maybe you won't get that committee spot you really want in the Senate....they do have one piece leverage over him, he likes being a senator. So the Senate Democrats can force his hand.”
Co-host Savannah Guthrie observed: “And this is a rather ginger exercise, helping someone come to terms.” Political analyst Nicolle Wallace chimed in: “Yeah, you need to bring in some shrinks, right?”
Wallace declared: “But he's had two months to learn how to lose. I mean, he's been mathematically eliminated for months. So I am still bewildered by the tenderness with which the party poobahs are treating him. It's over.”
Here is a full transcript of the June 8 segment:
7:05 AM ET
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Let’s turn to Chuck Todd and Nicolle Wallace. Guys, good morning, I know it was a late night for you as well. There are so few moments that really break through during a campaign, Nicolle. Do you think Hillary Clinton made the most of her moment last night?
NICOLLE WALLACE: Listen, I think we string together her speech last Thursday, which was her first real coordinated takedown of Donald Trump, and her speech last night, it’s difficult to argue, even as a Republican, that she doesn't have her message and her tone and her presentation of her case together in a way that she hasn't at any other point in this cycle. And you know, just as a woman, I’m not immune to the history of the night last night. You know, a woman became the first ever to seize the nomination of a major political party.
MATT LAUER: Chuck, perhaps not surprising, Bernie Sanders didn't give her, her moment last night. He didn't urge his supporters to get behind her. There's this meeting at the White House tomorrow. I guess we'd all like to be a fly on the wall in that room, what's gonna happen and what will happen right after that meeting?
CHUCK TODD: I don't know if it’s going to happen right after, but I think that there is a feeling in the Democratic Party, give Bernie Sanders a little bit of space, give him a little bit of respect. There is one more week of the primary season and I've talked to folks close to both the White House and Clinton that there’s a feeling, “Look, if Sanders really wants to go through to the D.C. primary, give him the week.” No sweat off of their back. But I think what he's going to learn is that if he carries this on too long, well, then there’ll be some public urgings. And then, you know, maybe you won't get that committee spot you really want in the Senate. There are some – they do have one piece leverage over him, he likes being a senator. So the Senate Democrats can force his hand.
GUTHRIE: And this is a rather ginger exercise, helping someone come to terms. You've got campaign staffers are devoted, the candidate himself has poured himself into this race.
WALLACE: Yeah, you need to bring in some shrinks, right? I mean, losing is really, really, really hard business. But he's had two months to learn how to lose. I mean, he's been mathematically eliminated for months. So I am still bewildered by the tenderness with which the party poobahs are treating him. It's over. And you know, if Trump weren't, you know, such a hot mess in this current news cycle, I think there would be a lot more pressure on him to get behind her. Trump may regain strength. You know, he's sort of like a storm over the sea. He may regain strength and be capable of doing real harm to her and he'll have all Bernie's attacks to use.
TODD: That’s possible, but wow, what a difference Hillary Clinton running against Donald Trump is versus Hillary Clinton running against Bernie Sanders. The confidence she has going against Trump, the comfort she – she, in her mind, you can tell, believes more than half the country is going to agree with what she says about Trump. She had this ginger nature of the Democratic primary. She wasn't totally convinced that a majority of Democrats were really with her.
LAUER: Guys, stick around. We’re not done with you yet.
