In 2008, the MSNBC host pressed Senator Barack Obama on the opportunity to say that conservatism was bad for the country in response to attacks by Senator John McCain and the GOP, and that they were on the wrong side of the debate on key issues in our country’s history, such as the creation of Social Security and the civil rights movement. Obama famously ridiculed the notion; saying that he knew Maddow was “catching a bruise” with this narrative. He added (at the time) that he was winning, so he “must be doing something right,” not directly attacking the GOP. He also mentioned that he wanted to build a working majority for change, something that was not possible with members of his own party alone. Fast forward to today, and Obama’s agenda is a disaster.
Now, as 2016 heats up, Maddow has conducted a pair of interviews with Sens. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton, in which she asks about the future of the Republican Party — and whether the two Democratic candidates are saying “fine get rid of it,” let the GOP explode and come back as something better.
Clinton said she supports a sturdy two-party system and that there have been times when the GOP has been stronger and more unified. At the same time, there have been times when Democrats have been in a better political position. She noted that there is a lot of confusion among the Republican base, their elected officials and party leaders, but they need to sort it out.
She also said the three remaining candidates, Donald Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, are closer in ideology than the campaign has portrayed. That’s largely because the GOP race is about attitude, not policy, and Trump’s colorful personality has certainly turned that upside down.
Clinton has made it clear that she will do everything in her power to make sure we don’t go back to the trickle-down economic policies of the past, which she described as snake oil. She said the GOP has been pushing the same failed policies for the last 30-40 years, adding that whoever emerges as the Republican nominee will be on the wrong side of what this country needs to do. In the meantime, while the GOP fights with itself, she will be discussing how to fix the country.
Sanders said the state of the Republican race is a disgrace and a circus because the GOP has stooped to attacking wives when we as a country have so many problems to solve. He also said he doesn’t believe much of the GOP will defect from Trump; he feels they will unite after the convention.
He added that the GOP has moved far to the right. They are completely out of touch with where Americans are on issues, noting that if the media looked at what they represent — instead of what Trump says at a rally — you would see a party that supports cutting Social Security/Medicare, denies climate change, does not support women on equal pay, and is in communion with a corrupt campaign finance system. He called the current GOP a “fringe party” that will only get five to 10 percent of the vote. I’m not so sure about that, and the idea of Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, calling other people fringe is deliciously ironic. Nevertheless, Sanders said we should have a fiscally conservative party as well, although he added that he would not offer any ideas on how the GOP should reorganize its party.
Sanders also said it was absolutely necessary that we make sure a Republican doesn’t replace Obama this year. So in a sense, both Sanders and Clinton acknowledge that we need two different parties, but the GOP primaries are a circus of confusion. For now, the GOP is doing a great job of beating each other up without any assist from the liberal media or the Democratic Party.
