Sunday School 2/2/20

The remaining 2020 Dem candidates - John Delaney dropped out a couple of days ago -  are busy, busy, busy, with the Iowa caucuses happening today. 

Three senators are making up for lost time, having been in DC under punishment of imprisonment for the impeachment; one candidate seems to be getting grumpier by the moment; they're taking harder shots at each other; their fans are taking shots at the past and apologizing for it, with the hope of preserving the future, and it seems everyone's taking shots at the DNC for one reason or another. And there's that polling debacle, too. 

Three candidates were in the classrooms - Andrew Yang and Amy Klobuchar each made an appearance, but Mayor Pete was in four classrooms:  Meet the Press, CNN's State of the Union, This Week, and Face the Nation. Here are some highlights from his appearances.

Two from his visit to MTP, first on impeachment:

Well, I think that the critical thing was to take the step of seeking to hold the president accountable... It looks like the Senate GOP has always viewed this as a foregone conclusion. And the most important thing that I'm sharing, especially with voters, with caucus-goers as I travel through Iowa, is I understand the sense of exhaustion that can come from watching this whole process play out. Where actually SNL's mockery of the trial almost seemed like it was a process that had more integrity than the actual trial, having no witnesses at all. And it beats you down. But, if the Senate is the jury right now, we are the jury tomorrow. And however frustrating it is to watch that process, you can't switch it off, you can't walk away, and you can't give up because this is actually the year where there is accountability for the president and for a lot of these senators because it's an election year.

And on fighting someone like Trump:

Well, for one thing, I'm not afraid of the kind of nonsense he's going to throw around. I've seen worse forms of incoming than a tweet full of typos...

But the thing about Donald Trump, he's kind of like a Chinese finger trap, where the harder you pull, the more you get stuck. He has this way of changing the subject. And so in dealing with him, it's very important if he tells a lie, you correct it. If he does something wrong, you confront it. If he attacks you, you push back. But then, you've got to very quickly return to what this election and every election is actually about, which is the voter asking the question, "How's my life going to be different if you're president instead of you?" And we've got the best answers on all of those questions. 

Two from SOTU, starting with whether or not Joe Biden can beat Donald Trump.

Here's my concern.

If you look at the lessons of history, over the last-half century, every time that we have won, every time my party has won the White House, it has been with a candidate who is new in national politics, who doesn't work in Washington or at least hadn't been there very long, and who was opening the door to a new generation of leadership...That is the best way to win.

And at a moment like this, why we -- why would we take a chance on anything else? Let's put together the best campaign to beat Donald Trump.

On choosing in a running mate:

Well, I don't want to say anything that would disqualify anybody from being considered.

 But what I will say is that a top consideration, not only for a running mate and for a vice president, but in building a Cabinet, is making sure that we have the gender, racial, professional, and regional diversity to really reflect this diverse country that we are.

Two from his conversation with George on This Week, starting with whether he knows what happened with the Des Moines Register poll.

Not completely but my understanding is that there was an issue, it was raised and they decided to respond by withdrawing the release of the poll and -- I do think at a moment like this where you got a president routinely attacking the press, it’s worth remembering the integrity and the seriousness with which reporters and press take the work that they do and wanting to make absolutely sure that it’s accurate and strong. 

And on the economy:

 Well, first of all, let's ask what it means to have a good economy. If one job is not enough, if wages, even when they go up, aren't going up as fast as the cost of long term care and prescription drugs and retirement and education and the cost of housing, something is wrong. When I'm president, we're not going to measure the performance of the economy by how the Dow Jones is doing. 

I get that if you have a building with your name on it not far from Wall Street, maybe the Dow Jones and the economy seem like one in the same. But, here in Iowa, and in South Bend, Indiana, where I live, and in most neighborhoods in big cities and small towns across this country, folks want to know when this good economy is actually going to start making their lives better. And we're going to measure the performance of the economy by the income growth of the 90 percent. 

And finally, two from Face the Nation, starting with why it's a challenge for him to grow support in the minority communities.  

Well, I'm competing against some candidates who have had years or decades to demonstrate who they are and how they can win. I recognize that I am newer on the scene and we're at a time when no one is feeling the pain of living under this administration more than Americans of color. It's one of the reasons why there is such a focus on making sure that we are the campaign that can bring an end to that and that can turn the page. But the process of proving that begins right here in Iowa. And this is our best first chance to demonstrate the kind of organizational strength that will help build credibility with folks I've talked to, especially when we're in the south who may appreciate and like our plans, but also want to know that I'll be in a position to actually deliver, to defeat Donald Trump, and to make good on those plans.

And the last word, on how he feels today compared to how he felt when he was 18 about Bernie Sanders.

Look, I still admire the qualities that I admired about him when I was in high school, but we're at a moment right now where our country is dangerously, frighteningly polarized and divided and we're at a moment where we have an amazing historic majority to do big things. I mean, even more than the majority that was available to President Obama, let's say 10 years ago. Among the American people right now, there is a strong appetite to step up and, for example, solve the health care issue. It's just that people aren't crazy about the idea of being kicked off their plans. There's a huge appetite right now to do the biggest transformation we've had on college affordability since the G.I. Bill. It's just that some Americans aren't crazy about the idea of paying even for the tuition of the children of millionaires and billionaires--

I think I'm the best candidate to bring people together now. And what we're seeing on the trail, including as I traveled to counties here in Iowa that swung in a big way from supporting President Obama to supporting President Trump, is that not only do we have Democrats dyed-in-the-wool progressives at our events, but we're seeing independents and a lot of people who self-identify as those future former Republicans I like to talk about in my speeches coming together, not pretending we agree on absolutely everything, but ready for a change. And actually, as united in what it is we're for, as what it is we're against. 

If you're eligible to caucus tonight in Iowa, please participate. Those of us not in Iowa, many of whom are envious of your unique opportunity to shape the presidential contest, await the outcome of your deliberations.

See you around campus.