Lots of good points and dead-on statements were made on today's "Meet The Press" for sure, starting with Vice President Biden's critique of Bernie Sanders. The fmr. VP explained that it's one thing to have ideas, but it's another to get things done. And truth be told, Senator Sanders hasn't gotten much done during his time in the Senate. That is not to say that Senator Sanders ideas are not good or that some version of them can not be passed, but the Vermont Senator hasn't presented them that way. Ideologues in America politics rarely if ever succeed on a national scale. This is just calling as it is seen.
Additionally, Mr. Biden touched an important point that is ever present in our politics where there seems to be no remedy at this point in time and that's the fecklessness on both sides. Mr. Sanders isn't responsible for the personal attacks that his supporters levied online toward the Nevada culinary union leaders, but he has to take some accountability, which he will not do. And then there is Lindsey Graham who is only concerned with maintaining his own position in the Senate, so much so that when the president attacked John McCain, his so-called friend Mr. Graham uttered not a word in his defense. Senator Graham on a consistent basis proves he is no leader and he never will be one. Like many elected officials in his party, the come-to-Jesus moment isn't arriving anytime soon, if at all.
With all that said, this column's opinion that Mr. Biden's window for winning the presidency has passed hasn't changed. To elaborate on that, it's not the attacks from the president on Mr. Biden and his son that the Democratic electorate feel have damaged Mr. Biden's candidacy, it's his lack of a forceful, full-throated response that has disappointed. Conversely, as NBC's Peter Alexander pointed out, despite the criticism of his record and money, Democrats liked the fact that Michael Bloomberg gave it right back to Mr. Trump when the president attacked him. It's not a matter of going low or high or where ever. It's a matter of having fighting back and not letting the president bully you.
Speaking of Mr. Bloomberg, Maria Teresa Kumar asked the pertinent question of which Mr. Bloomberg will show up. Will it be the philanthropist Michael Bloomberg or will it be the Mayor Bloomberg? The philanthropist, as Ms. Kumar outlined, who has given to women's and gun-control organizations is the preference of course. However, Mr. Bloomberg's goal is to meld both into the most positive message. There certainly are difficulties that Mr. Bloomberg will face with regard to his record - 'Stop and Frisk' being at the top of the list. However, as the Washington Post's Eugene Robinson explained, this election is going to be a knife fight certainly like one we've never seen so why shouldn't it the person with the biggest knife for the Democrats? No one on either side is going to match the monetary resources that Mr. Bloomberg brings, but there is a downside that Danielle Pletka pointed out, which is that extreme wealth has an isolating effect on a person. At some point, Mr. Bloomberg is going to have to step out beyond the advertising and choreographed speech appearances. To that end, it's why senator and presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) wants Mr. Bloomberg on the debate stage.
Senator Klobuchar also said that it's necessary for Mr. Bloomberg to appear on programs like "Meet The Press" to answer the difficult questions that he may face. As for Senator Klobuchar's campaign, does she have an encore, as Chuck Todd asked her. It's yet to be seen if she can build on her momentum from the New Hampshire primary, but if you look at all the candidates in the Democratic primary at present, she would be the most formidable challenger to Donald Trump. Maybe she's not on the president's radar for attacks yet, but she is the most difficult to attack and maybe that's why he hasn't done so. She's a Midwest senator will a solid legislative record who garners support from Democrats and moderate Republicans. She has solid bona fides on foreign policy having traveled abroad extensively with John McCain who took her under his wing. She doesn't have the baggage that the president's surrogates can attack, which unfortunately we've already seen from the likes of Rush Limbaugh (The least deserving of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in American history.) who has activated the homophobic dog whistles against Mayor Pete Buttegieg. However, as Ms. Klobuchar admitted, she doesn't have the name recognition that the other candidates do and when it comes to competing in primaries in the south east and west, it's a steep hill to climb.
It's still early and it's anyone's race, but there's no doubt that with Nevada (wish it was a primary instead of a caucus) and South Carolina right around the bend, the writing on the wall will be in permanent ink.
Panel: Eugene Robinson, The Washington Post; Danielle Pletka, American Enterprise Institute; Peter Alexander, NBC; Maria Teresa Kumar, Voto Latino
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