Appearing on MSNBC Live With Stephanie Ruhle on Thursday, RealClearPolitics associate editor A.B. Stoddard labeled the Democratic Debate in Las Vegas an “unmitigated disaster” and warned that if socialist Senator Bernie were to win the nomination, “it would be the end of the Democratic Party.”
Earlier in the discussion, left-wing pundit and politics editor for TheRoot.com Jason Johnson argued that the Democratic race being so divided was actually good for the party: “Long campaigns give you a better fighter....I think the longer they fight, the better this goes for Democrats.” Ruhle fretted: “But then they’re dividing, dividing, dividing.” Johnson assured her: “It’ll have a stronger fighter at the end.”
Referring to Wednesday night’s debate, Stoddard chimed in: “I think it was an unmitigated disaster. And Bernie and Trump won the night.”
She then sounded the alarm that the chaotic race could hand President Trump reelection:
And I think the Democrats, no one made the case that not only would a Bernie nomination reward Trump with a second term and a huge mandate to just wreck the rule of law and everything else he’s on the path to, but it would be the end of the Democratic Party. You can’t nominate a socialist and come back within generations.
Ruhle absurdly interjected: “A democratic socialist, that is not the same thing.”
Stoddard dismissed her with, “Whatever.” Ruhle feebly tried to defend the distinction: “It’s not whatever. You can like Bernie Sanders or not, but you have to give the Senator – ” Stoddard shut her down: “But Trump will say we’re going to Venezuela and everyone will believe him.”
During MSNBC’s post-debate analysis early Thursday morning, Stoddard offered a similar dire assessment of Sanders: “...a Medicare for All nominee...and can be characterized as leading us into Venezuela, breaking the economy and taking — and ruining our health care system.”
On Wednesday morning, major Democratic donor Stephen Cloobeck told Ruhle that Sanders was an “anarchist” who “would love to burn down the United States.”
Later that afternoon, MSNBC Republican Steve Schimdt feared that the self-avowed socialist would be a “death sentence” for Democrats in 2020.
The sheer panic in the liberal media over the presidential race is palpable.
Here is a transcript of the February 20 exchange:
9:27 AM ET
(...)
JASON JOHNSON [POLITICS EDITOR, THEROOT.COM]: And I think we’re going to go past Super Tuesday, I think it’s gonna matter on March 17th, when we start getting to Florida and Ohio and Arizona. And I think it’s still going to go to places like Georgia on March 24th.
BASIL SMIKLE [DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST]: And I don't think that bodes well for us in the long run, quite frankly.
STEPHANIE RUHLE: What is us?
SMIKLE: Well, Democrats. Because what ends up happening is that we don’t have time to really get behind or embrace any particular candidate in the lead up to going against Donald Trump. And that a lot of voters want us to be able to do.
I don’t know if any of what we saw last night turns voters away or makes any voters say with more certainty that “I really loved that person that I saw on stage last night and I really think that person can go up against Donald Trump.” I don’t know if – we saw Donald Trump’s behavior in his campaign in 2016 on a debate stage, we thought he would be killed for it, he was rewarded for it. I don’t know if voters are gonna look at the same thing we saw last night and say, “You know what, I didn’t see any strength, I just saw one big mess.” And that’s the thing that worries me.
JOHNSON: Long campaigns give you a better fighter. If these guys have to compete in all 50 states, it means they’re opening up offices in places that usually get ignored, they’re going to Kansas, they’re to Illinois, they’re going to Indiana. I think the longer they fight, the better this goes for Democrats.
RUHLE: But then they’re dividing, dividing, dividing.
JOHNSON: It’ll have a stronger fighter at the end.
SMIKLE: We’ll see, I hope so.
JOHNSON: Worked for Barack.
A.B. STODDARD [ASSOCIATE EDITOR, REALCLEARPOLITICS]: I think it was an unmitigated disaster. [Laughter] And Bernie and Trump won the night. And I think the Democrats, no one made the case that not only would a Bernie nomination reward Trump with a second term, but a huge mandate to just wreck the rule of law and everything else he’s on the path to, but it would be the end of the Democratic Party. You can’t nominate a socialist and come back within generations.
RUHLE: A democratic socialist, that is not the same thing.
STODDARD: Whatever.
RUHLE: It’s not whatever. You can like Bernie Sanders or not, but you have to give the Senator –
STODDARD: But Trump will say we’re going to Venezuela and everyone will believe him.
RUHLE: Fine. Let’s leave it there.
