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From realclearpolitics.com:
Memo
From: To: Date: Subject:
Larry Rasky
Interested Parties
February 8, 2020
Avoid the Train Wreck by Uniting For Biden
As I watched the debate, beyond Vice President Biden demonstrating his leadership through his tribute to Lt. Colonel Vindman, I kept thinking about how Trump’s campaign is viewing the current field and how all of this has the potential of playing out. Below are my thoughts:
1) We all like and respect Mayor Pete. He has run a tremendous campaign. However, Democrats run the risk of a realignment of the African American vote if Pete is the nominee. Pete’s lack of answers on serious African American issues during his tenure in South Bend is problematic. Trump will drive a huge wedge with criminal justice reform and economics. What is the path if Trump gets 20%+ of the African American vote? It should also be noted that while Senator Klobuchar had a nice debate performance, her history as a prosecutor has also created problems with our base. Beyond all that, Pete’s answer on decriminalization of all drugs is a nonstarter in the general election. And the stature gap on stage is terrifying.
2) The Sanders-Warren wing of the Party is ready for the Bloomberg fight. Democrats cannot afford a split Convention. Do you really think the Sanders voters wing will support Mike Bloomberg? Do you think all the camps who have busted their butts and played by the rules will happily sign on the Bloomberg’s campaign? It is not going to happen. And if Warren can’t close on Sanders with her Massachusetts army it looks like Bernie could consolidate the left quickly while moderates battle on.
3) The Sanders Socialist issue is real and dangerous. Biden is 100% correct. Democrats in swing areas in the country will have to hide from Sanders. In 2018, Sanders backed candidates went 0-40 in swing areas. We cannot risk the House, state Houses, and also have no shot of dislodging McConnell with Bernie at the top of the ticket.
4) Donors hedging their bets on Biden because of Bloomberg could be creating a doomsday scenario for Democrats everywhere. As Van Jones pointed out last night, a Bloomberg-Bernie confrontation at the Convention will be a train wreck. Especially if Bernie has more delegates, do you really think the Bros will make way for Mike? Not to mention that the legacy of the Sanders campaign (such as the Squad) will ravage any chance Center-Left Democrats have of maintaining hard won victories in states from Pennsylvania to California.
5) Obviously, I am biased but Joe Biden remains the one candidate that can beat Trump. Biden is the one candidate who can unite every corner of the Democratic coalition from hugging Bernie to African Americans, Latinos, working-class whites and suburban
women. Equally as important, as the Vice President pointed out last night, he is the only candidate who can campaign in every district -- as he did in 2018 -- and help Nancy keep the House and give Chuck a chance to win back the Senate. Really, who else can run in the Carolinas and Alabama for starters and help Cunningham, Harrison and Jones.
Biden does not like attacking fellow Democrats. And he is not a favorite among the check writers. However, he has always performed against the Republicans in key moments (see Palin and Ryan) and money will not be an issue in the general.
Friends, you need to turn off the spin and look at the polling. As we and others predicted, the Democratic electorate is lining up behind moderates at around 55%-45%. But a divided moderate wing doesn’t help. Look beyond South Carolina where Biden continues to shine. In Texas, Joe Biden is still dominating his Democratic rivals and is the one person who can beat Trump. State poll after state poll tell similar stories.
Joe Biden is the first front runner never to be fully resourced. You can change that and it needs to happen soon. Bernie could come rolling out of New Hampshire with too much steam to be stopped by anyone but Joe. And Mike offers a faulty safety valve. Think Nelson Rockefeller to Barry Goldwater. And again, it bears pointing out again that no Democrat can win without an energized base in the minority community.
Unite the Country needs you to dig deep right now. As someone we love likes to say, “This is no joke.”
Disclaimer: Unite the Country is a federal independent expenditure-only political committee and may accept contributions in unlimited amounts from U.S. individuals, corporations, labor organizations, unincorporated businesses and most other types of organizations, other than foreign nationals, federal contractors, national banks, and corporations organized by authority of Congress. Unite the Country must use its best efforts to obtain and report the name, mailing address, occupation and employer of individuals who contribute in total more than $200 in a calendar year. Contributions to Unite the Country are not deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes.
