Moments before midnight, following their Democratic presidential debate, CNN chief political correspondent Dana Bash and political director David Chalian boasted that former Vice President Joe Biden had what Democrats called the “chicken soup appeal.” According to them, this special appeal manifested in Biden’s ability to consistently maintain frontrunner status and possibly be the cure for the illness, which was supposedly President Trump.
After replaying Biden’s closing argument and touting it as his best moment during the debate, Bash talked about why he remained consistently at the top of the field. “And a top Democrat said to me, recently, that Joe Biden has the chicken soup appeal. That he has what's going to make everybody who feels sick feel better,” she said.
“And that was the chicken soup speech right there at the end there,” she boasted. “And that is really what he is banking on. And when -- If he can do that and people listen to that and take that in, that's what he's going for. And if electability and beating Trump and feeling better about the country is what these Democrats say they want. That's it.”
Picking up where Bash left off, Chalian opined about how “one of the biggest surprises about the Biden candidacy, in the political class, is his resiliency throughout this entire process.”
Chalian went on the gush about how Biden’s campaign message had been the same throughout the race so far and how it compared historically:
You said you grew up in politics, you understand this better than most, Chris. But the most successful candidates are the ones that are closing their campaign with the same message that they opened it with. Consistently through. He just delivered a closing statement on the eve of the vote, that eight months ago he launched his campaign with. And it has been consistent all the way through. Which I think is why he's proven to be as resilient as he is in this campaign.
“Because it gets to that key core fundamental desire among Democrats: Having some assurance that the person they choose really does have the best shot at defeating Donald Trump,” he concluded.
While in the process of handing off the broadcast to co-host Anderson Cooper, Chris Cuomo rambled on about how “at the end of the day” the only thing that mattered to Democrats was “Which man or woman gives this party the best chance of getting out this President, whom they all describe as an existential threat.”
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN Debate Post Analysis
January 14, 2020
11:59:44 p.m. EasternCHRIS CUOMO: All right. Now, why play Biden’s [best moment]? He's the frontrunner most of the time. Not in Iowa right now, but overwhelmingly when you look at the polls most often. And they say this is his best moment. Does that win?
DANA BASH: Well, it’s -- Potentially because this is why Joe Biden has been steadily at the top. Nationally, I mean, you know, there are -- other people have gone in and out. But he's been there. And a top Democrat said to me, recently, that Joe Biden has the chicken soup appeal. That he has what's going to make everybody who feels sick feel better.
And that was the chicken soup speech right there at the end there. And that is really what he is banking on. And when -- If he can do that and people listen to that and take that in, that's what he's going for. And if electability and beating Trump and feeling better about the country is what these Democrats say they want. That's it.
DAVID CHALIAN: And one of the biggest surprises about the Biden candidacy, in the political class, is his resiliency throughout this entire process. This is why.
You said you grew up in politics, you understand this better than most, Chris. But the most successful candidates are the ones that are closing their campaign with the same message that they opened it with. Consistently through. He just delivered a closing statement on the eve of the vote, that eight months ago he launched his campaign with. And it has been consistent all the way through. Which I think is why he's proven to be as resilient as he is in this campaign. Because it gets to that key core fundamental desire among Democrats: Having some assurance that the person they choose really does have the best shot at defeating Donald Trump.
CUOMO: Very interesting. At the end of the day, for all the different metrics, Anderson, that's the only one that matters. Which man or woman gives this party the best chance of getting out this President, whom they all describe as an existential threat.
