While discussing potential 2016 presidential contenders on Sunday's NBC Meet the Press, correspondent Andrea Mitchell argued that Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren could be "real issue" for Hillary Clinton, touting Warren being "greeted as such a celebrity" at the left-wing Netroots Nation conference. Moderator David Gregory confirmed Warren "getting a huge, huge response" at the event. [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]
Mitchell declared that Warren "was all but a candidate" and could make a move for 2016 "if there were a slip, or if there were any reason where Hillary Clinton has to take a step back, and if the foreign policy becomes an issue, which she has to own part of."
The Wall Street Journal's Jason Riley observed: "Well, I think there have been slips. I think there have been slips on the book tour, talking about her personal wealth. Those were unforced errors. And I think the Elizabeth Warren folks see an opening there."
Unlike Mitchell and Gregory, Riley pointed out how far to left Warren was: "I mean how big is the universe of people who think the problem with Obama is that he's too conservative? That's who Elizabeth Warren would be going after. I don't know how many people there are."
Gregory quickly interjected: "Well, there may be disillusioned, disappointed liberals..."
Perhaps that includes Gregory and Mitchell?
Here is a transcript of the July 20 exchange:
11:06 AM ET
(...)
ANDREA MITCHELL: But I do think that Elizabeth Warren is a real issue here. She was greeted as such a celebrity at this conference this past couple of days.
DAVID GREGORY: This Netroots Nation getting a huge, huge response.
MITCHELL: At Netroots Nation. She was all but a candidate. She can say what she wants about not running. But if there were a slip, or if there were any reason where Hillary Clinton has to take a step back, and if the foreign policy becomes an issue, which she has to own part of-
JASON RILEY [WALL STREET JOURNAL]: Well, I think there have been slips. I think there have been slips on the book tour, talking about her personal wealth. Those were unforced errors. And I think the Elizabeth Warren folks see an opening there.
Now the question is, on the left – on the left, I mean how big is the universe of people who think the problem with Obama is that he's too conservative? That's who Elizabeth Warren would be going after. I don't know how many people there are. But she could pull...
GREGORY: Well, there may be disillusioned, disappointed liberals who don't feel-
RILEY: ...she could pull Hillary to the left on a few issues.
(...)
