On Friday's NBC Nightly News, Peter Alexander hinted that the Republican Party's internal battles over conservative principles caused its losses in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections. Alexander asked former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, "How are you going to help the party overcome the ideological problems that, sort of, torpedoed it in 2008 and 2012?" [video below]
When Bush replied, "I don't think we have an ideological problem," the correspondent asserted that "Bush may dismiss any ideological problem. But conservatives on the right have serious concerns about his positions on immigration and education – both of which could give him headaches going forward."
Alexander followed many of the prospective Republican presidential candidates as they made stops across New Hampshire. After playing several clips from these visits, the NBC journalist underlined that "the party's challenge: to avoid the vicious primary fights that led them to lose the White House in the last two elections." He soon added, "But the bigger issue is the ideological fight." He then ran his soundbite of his question to former Governor Bush, and continued wit his "conservatives on the right" line.
In his coverage of the Florida politician 11 days earlier, Alexander hyped the "embarrassing situation" where Bush identified as Hispanic on a voter registration form, while also touting Hillary Clinton's new P.R. aide. In February 2015, the correspondent played up that "one of the biggest challenges" for Bush is that "his brother, former President George W. Bush, invaded [Iraq] more than a decade ago."
The full transcript of Peter Alexander's report from Friday's NBC Nightly News:
LESTER HOLT: Politics tonight – in a major event bringing together nearly every Republican running or thinking about running to be the next president of the United States, they're all converging in New Hampshire this weekend. And the pressure is on to stand out from the pack.
NBC national correspondent Peter Alexander is there.
PETER ALEXANDER (voice-over): They say politics ain't bean bag, but Chris Christie put that to the test in New Hampshire today – trying out this bean bag chair.
GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE, (R), NEW JERSEY: You want to see me getting up off of that one?
ALEXANDER: Just one of the ways these Republican presidential prospects are looking to connect with Granite State voters. Jeb Bush scarfing blueberry pie-
JEB BUSH, FORMER GOVERNOR OF FLORIDA: To hell with the diet. (onlookers laugh)
ALEXANDER: Marco Rubio trying to bond with voters at a welding shop-
SENATOR MARCO RUBIO, FLORIDA: With all these people running, you'll have to do this like twelve times!
ALEXANDER: With more than a dozen would-be candidates here this weekend, there's at least one thing they all agree on: they're against Hillary Clinton, and they each think they can beat her.
CHRISTIE: My style with Hillary's? Listen, you know, we're different people of different generations. And so, you know, we're going to approach things in different ways.
RICK PERRY, FORMER GOVERNOR OF TEXAS: We're not going to fix Washington by electing a president who is from Washington; of Washington; or, for that matter, for Washington.
ALEXANDER: The latest in a long line of candidate cattle calls, these gatherings have the potential to propel a politician – like an Iowa event did for Scott Walker earlier this year. Rand Paul, Tweeting this photo in his 'Live Free or Die' T-shirt, speaks tomorrow.
The party's challenge: to avoid the vicious primary fights that led them to lose the White House in the last two elections. Jeb Bush today tried to downplay any potential personal tension between him and the man he once mentored, Marco Rubio.
BUSH: He is a good, close friend. And it is what it is.
ALEXANDER: But the bigger issue is the ideological fight.
ALEXANDER (on-camera): How are you going to help the party overcome the ideological problems that, sort of, torpedoed it in 2008 and 2012?
BUSH: I don't think we have an ideological problem. I honestly don't. I think we need to be focused on laying out a – a compelling alternative to where we are today.
ALEXANDER (live): Bush may dismiss any ideological problem. But conservatives on the right have serious concerns about his positions on immigration and education – both of which could give him headaches going forward. By the way, Hillary Clinton arrives here in New Hampshire on Monday. Lester?
HOLT: All right. Peter, thank you.
