CBS This Morning on Wednesday joined the chorus of media personalities declaring Elizabeth Warren the front-runner. Major Garrett hailed her “poise” and “passion” and offered a value neutral assessment on her refusal to give a straight answer on the cost of Medicare for all.
After co-host Anthony Mason wondered “how did she handle being the front-runner,” Garrett responded, “With poise, passion, and on Medicare for all, evasion.” With a lack of judgment not usually given to Donald Trump, Garrett said of her refusal to give a straight answer: “She’s made a tactical decision she doesn’t need to answer this question, that her supporters are going to stick with her and that she can ride this out.”
Garrett continued, “She's tactically decided this is not going to make or break her campaign.”
Regarding Joe Biden, Ukraine and his son, the journalist didn’t seem to mind Democrats dodging answering questions from reporters:
There was a simple question put to the Vice President. “You put out a statement Sunday that no one in your family, if you're elected, can be on any boards, if it's not okay with your president, why was it okay when you were vice president?” He evaded that as conspicuously to my mind as Elizabeth Warren avoided the question on taxes for Medicare for all.
Although, finally, Garrett said of Biden: “Maybe Democrats are not going to harangue him on this. I know someone who will — the president of the United States.”
A transcript of the segment is below. Click “expand” to read more:
CBS This Morning
10/16/19
7:06:56
ANTHONY MASON: Chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett is with us. Major, good morning.
MAJOR GARRETT: Good morning.
MASON: As Ed mentioned, Warren was suddenly the target and the center of everything. How did she handle being the front-runner?
GARRETT: With poise, passion, and on Medicare for all, evasion. She’s made a tactical decision she doesn’t need to answer this question, that her supporters are going to stick with her and that she can ride this out.
MASON: Is that the right decision?
GARRETT: We will find out. Voters will tell us about this, but she had every opportunity last night to just say what Bernie Sanders had said. Keep the gap between them as narrow as possible. She didn't. She's tactically decided this is not going to make or break her campaign. She's going to stick with the approach she's had historically which has been successful. She has, without a doubt, run the most disciplined and effective campaign so far. She's not only taken over the progressive lane, she's become the leading candidate. You saw last night when you're getting all the incoming, you know you're at the top of the heap.
TONY DOKOUPIL: This is Joe Biden's first debate since questions about his son’s role in Ukraine. He’s now kind of co-frontrunner, did he respond to the criticisms of his son's behavior overseas to effectively?
GARRETT: There was a simple question put to the Vice President. “You put out a statement Sunday that no one in your family, if you're elected, can be on any boards, if it's not okay with your president, why was it okay when you were vice president?” He evaded that as conspicuously to my mind as Elizabeth Warren avoided the question on taxes for Medicare for all. If he thinks this is going away, he might be right for the primary. Maybe Democrats are not going to harangue him on this. I know someone who will — the president of the United States. You better come up with an answer.
GAYLE KING: They have time to come up with an answer, for sure. Bernie Sanders didn't certainly seem to evade anything. This is the first time since his heart attack and everybody was watching. People supporting him, can they walk away saying Bernie's still got it?
GARRETT: Yes, I think so. His performance last night was solid and recognizable in every sense. No hint at all that he had had a health scare. And I think it's interesting to note that these endorsements will try to reset the campaign, put some new energy and life into it in the sense that —
KING: Got AOC's endorsement.
GARRETT: Which is interesting because in 2016 he was not the candidate who sought or thought the endorsements were important. Her name was Hillary Clinton. Now he's playing the endorsement game because he needs someone on the outside to say this campaign is still viable and has energy. That's an important Rhett set for Bernie Sanders.
DOKOUPIL: What about the lower end of the candidate spectrum? Anyone stand out —
DOKOUPIL: I said before I think geographically positioned. Amy Klobuchar can be the alternative in Iowa, if Democratic voters are looking for an alternative. She used her time well last night, effective, aggressive, and also I think you've got to look at Andrew Yang and Pete Buttigieg. Again, there were deserts last night where you were not on camera for long stretches. The debate desert when you have 12 people over three hours. Pete Buttigieg and Andrea Yang, once they got the mics, used their time very effectively.
