TYT’s Cenk Uygur and John Ziegler Get in Heated Clash Over Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden’s Electability
Mediaite columnist John Ziegler and The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur had a brutal sparring match this week as they debated whether it’s a good idea for Democrats to nominate Joe Biden for 2020.
Ziegler started things off by saying liberals are too obsessed with nominating an “exciting,” super-progressive candidate when Biden is “the safest, most direct route” to defeating President Donald Trump. Uygur countered that Ziegler didn’t “state any facts” regarding Biden’s electability, and he argued that nominating a moderate Democrat would be “the same mistake” as putting Hillary Clinton up against Trump in 2016.
Ziegler countered that the situation is different since Russia’s election interference and James Comey won’t impact the presidential election as they did before. He also said its “unfair” to compare Biden to Clinton since “[she] had some unique problems with regard to likability,” whereas Biden “is gonna play a helluva lot better” in key states that will be up for grabs.
When Ziegler challenged Uygur to name an alternative to Biden who stands a chance of winning the states he could, Uygur pointed to polling data that shows most Democrats toppling Trump in 2020.
“That’s in a popular vote, not the electoral college,” Ziegler countered, but Uygur continued to say Biden is tied with Bernie Sanders on electability. The Young Turks host also argued that poll data shows Democrats winning if they campaign on a number of popular progressive positions.
“You know why? Because in Pennsylvania, Florida, they’re sick of low wages, they’re sick of their kids not having healthcare, and they actually want someone to do something about it,” Uygur said. “These candidates say we’re going to bring you positive change whereas Biden says I’m not gonna bring you any change. That’s a terrible strategy.”
“You want to take a referendum on Trump…and you want to make it a referendum on socialism VS capitalism,” Ziegler shot back. “There’s no way that’s going to work…You’re taking an easy victory – a referendum on Trump – and you’re turning it into one on socialism. The liberal progressive wing is ceding to Donald Trump: patriotism, capitalism, maleness, and whiteness. That’s a recipe for winning the 2040 election, not the 2020 election.”
Uygur continued to argue that nominating Biden would be a repetition of Trump running against “the establishment” as he did in 2016, and he’s “not gonna make that mistake again.”
“Enjoy the next four years of Trump, I’m just warning you of what’s gonna happen,” Ziegler said. “You are underestimating the problems Hillary Clinton had that Joe Biden does not.”
When the conversation returned to who could replace Biden as a viable possibility to defeat Trump, Uygur noted that Sanders is polling well in each state up for grabs, but Ziegler protested that the Vermont senator has too much socialist baggage Trump can use against him. Uygur countered that “it’s just not true” that the voters never seriously considered Sanders as president, and the fight continued over whether the demand for change is enough to carry Sanders or another progressive to the White House.
Watch above, via The Young Turks.
