- Kate Bedingfield from the Biden campaign, Corey Lewandowski from the Trump campaign (Meet The Press);
- Trump's 4th Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (State of the Union);
- National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien and former FDA Commish Dr. Scott Gottlieb (Face the Nation); and
- RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who's a Biden co-chair (Fox News Sunday).
I'll plow through all of that and see what might make it into this week's Extra Credit. For now, though, I'm doing something out of character: I'm going to spend time with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. AOC. One of the Squad. She talked with Jake Tapper, and I've got your recap.
In introducing the interview, Tapper said AOC was working to make sure young people turned out to vote, and that she was "taking a novel approach to getting it done." Before they got to that, they talked around some other topics, starting with the stimulus. Tapper asked her if she thought it was time for the Dems to get it passed now. She said it was "incredibly important" but added
...frankly, I think the thing that's important is the Republican side really needs to get their act together. When we hear one thing about an offer from the White House, you also hear Mitch McConnell saying that he doesn't have the votes for it internally. And so, while they're trying to present this united message of kind of having all their ducks in a row, the fact of the matter is, they can't even get their own senators to agree to a pack -- to their own package. And so, really, a lot of this package is going to rely on Democratic votes. It's going to require delivering every Democratic vote in the Senate and peeling off Republican votes to agree to it.
Tapper then asked about fracking, noting AOC had introduced a bill to ban all fracking nationwide within five years. That doesn't jive with Joe Biden's view, which Tapper rightfully called "confusing," and he wondered if she was bothered now, being on the other side of this issue from the party's nominee. She said no, saying Biden
has made very clear that he does not agree with a fracking ban. And I consider that -- you know, it will be a privilege to lobby him should we win the White House. But we need to focus on winning the White House first. And I'm happy to make my case.
Turning to younger voters, Tapper wondered if the fracking thing would turn them off enough to stay home. AOC said that younger voters have "a very disciplined, activist mind-set" and aren't so much voting for their "favorite person" or someone they think is "perfect."
...right now, young people are so clear on their stances on many political issues, that they believe that they want to vote for a president that is at least going to be receptive to their advocacy, activism and protest... Joe Biden is a much better person in that position to be receptive and actually listen to the voices of advocates than Donald Trump, who is intensely focused on enriching himself and his friends.
She also said that Biden's desire to get rid of subsidies for fossil fuel companies was an "important first step," even if he wouldn't get rid of fossil fuels "for a long time."
So, when you eliminate government subsidies, they -- it becomes more difficult for fossil fuels to compete in the market. And so, I think, while -- again, while the vice president wants to make sure that he's not doing it by a government mandate or regulation, I do believe that we are moving towards that future.
They talked about her role as a member of Congress under a Biden administration, and whether that included pushing him to the left. AOC said first they had to win, something the Dems have been trying to remind the pundits for the last month or so.
Frankly, I think it would be a privilege and it would be a luxury for us to be talking about what we would lobby... and how we will push the next Democratic administration... my role is consistent, in making sure that we push the Democratic Party to have a larger vision for our future, to listen to the needs of the working class, of people who are living paycheck to paycheck, young people, people of color, because I believe that is the base of the Democratic Party, and that who -- that is who we are, that it is our job to make sure that we are serving all people in the United States, and particularly our base.
Moving on, Tapper mentioned the reported interest by Bernie Sanders in being Labor Secretary in a Biden administration, should there be one. AOC said it was "critically important" that Biden appoints progressive leaders, and that "we're not just going back to how things were and rewinding the tape before the Trump administration."
The future is now, she thinks,
...and we have the unique, frankly, once-in-a-generation opportunity to have the White House, the Senate and the House majorities Democratically-controlled, then I believe we have an obligation to the American people to show what a Democratic administration can actually accomplish and that we can govern, and that we can truly have leaps in policy that people can feel in their everyday lives that makes voting Democratic worth -- not just worthwhile, but a memorable shift from just a flatline of this idea of bipartisanship, which often just becomes Republican manipulation.
The interview finally turned to AOC playing a video game on Twitch; a half a million people were engaged live, and more than 5M have watched it since. Tapper admitted he had to have his kids explain what the big deal was (maybe I should talk to them?) and he asked AOC whether it was possible to turn playing a video game into voter turnout, and wondered where she got the idea.
She said yes, and she got the idea from the time she spends on social media and seeing folks using Twitch to raise a ton of money for charities. That led to testing it as a voter mobilization strategy.
She said during the game, they were directing people to IWillVote.com, where they could register and develop a plan, something they've been pushing folks to do for some time now. The voting plan matters more than just registering, she said, because "people who make a plan to vote are statistically much more likely to vote" than if they merely register.
And we are seeing early returns in places like Florida, where youth turnout is -- in early voting is astronomically higher than it was than even in 2016. And so, we do know that young people are starting to become an extraordinarily powerful electorate that are issues-focused.
Tapper told her it was "interesting watching you drag your party into the 21st century," which wasn't the first time they laughed during the interview.
Last question: Will AOC support Nancy Pelosi, who has indicated she's going to run to continue as Speaker? Saying again that winning was the first priority, and she thinks they will, and growing the majority is also likely, here's her answer.
I believe that we have to see those races as they come, see what candidates are there. I am committed to making sure that we have the most progressive candidate there. But if Speaker Pelosi is that most progressive candidate, then I will be supporting her.
Not a full-throttled endorsement, is it? I have to agree with Tapper's comment - he called her answer "interesting" - and with AOC's apparent hesitancy, even if I disagree with her reasoning.
See you around the virtual campus. And if I see you outside somewhere, you better be wearing a mask.
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