'The House Is On Fire': Joy Reid Tells Dems To Stop Treating 2020 Like A Normal Election

[babylonsister]

https://www.politicususa.com/2019/08/03/house-fire-trump-dems-normal-election-2020.html

Posted on Sat, Aug 3rd, 2019 by Sean Colarossi
‘The House Is On Fire’: Joy Reid Tells Dems To Stop Treating 2020 Like A Normal Election


MSNBC’s Joy Reid had some tough love for Democrats on Saturday days after 2020 hopefuls met in Detroit for a pair of debates that focused heavily on their own policy differences and not so much on the damage Donald Trump has done to the country.

“Fighting with each other about the details of your healthcare plans is not going to help you beat Donald Trump,” the MSNBC host said to Democrats. “When the house is on fire, you don’t discuss what kind of begonias you’re going to plant in the window sill, because the house is on fire!”

“This isn’t even hard,” Reid added. “He’s making it easy for you.”

Link to tweet

Reid said:

Now, Democrats, and I mean this as tough love, fighting with each other about the details of your health care plans is not going to help you beat Donald Trump. Mayor Pete is right that Trump and his party are going to call all of your health care bills socialism. They’re going to call all of you open borders communists. Keep your eyes on the job. The house is on fire. Tell us what this president has done to set the house on fire, and how you are going to put it out. When the house is on fire, you don’t discuss what kind of begonia’s you’re going to plant in the window sill because the house is on fire. Just tell us what Trump has broken and what you’re going to do to fix it. This isn’t even hard. He’s making it easy for you.

Democrats should stop treating 2020 as a normal election

Some Democrats running for president seem to be treating this election like a typical contest between two parties duking it out over opposing policy proposals.

But there is nothing normal about this election. As Joy Reid said on Saturday, the house is on fire.

Democrats are right to put forward a positive vision for the future, but they shouldn’t tear each other apart in the process. Certainly, they shouldn’t spend an entire primary debate attacking former President Barack Obama more than the current category-five disaster who occupies the White House.

There are a lot of great policies being offered up by the 20+ Democratic candidates seeking the presidency. But none of them are worth the paper they’re written on if they don’t defeat Trump in November.

If Democrats treat 2020 like just another presidential election – and If they keep tearing each other apart with counterproductive purity tests instead of explaining why this president is a clear and present danger – then Donald Trump will win.

[True Blue American]

1. Was it Barbara

Who said she did not like the name Moscow Mitch because that tried to make the situation funny?

I agree, this is serious stuff.

[Maru Kitteh]

4. I think "Moscow Mitch" has probably done a great deal to educate people

We forget how little most people pay attention. Most people will no longer sit for even a one or two short paragraph explanation of much of anything, let alone politics. "Moscow Mitch" is short, and easy to understand. How many of them didn't even know who Mitch McConnell is? How many of them don't even know what a Majority Leader in the Senate does? They still don't, but "Moscow Mitch," they can get.

[True Blue American]

7. Similar signs are showing up all over Kentucky highways.

[justhanginon]

12. I think maybe also they need to put up some signs saying.

"ASK YOURSELF WHY IS HE CALLED MOSCOW MITCH?.".
Perhaps spark some curiosity in those less politically inclined.

[elocs]

26. We do the same with Trump, giving him clever nicknames,

turning him into a caricature and a cartoon character which really cloaks his evil.

[OnDoutside]

2. Joy should heed her own advice.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

24. m$m runs the debates like game shows

The candidates don't get to create the questions.

I don't know that Joy Reid is part of the problem, but those stations running the debates are. What I've seen, they ask questions designed to get a Jerry Springer type of act going on amongst the candidates, not questions about how to fix what TrumPutin and the Russiapublicans have destroyed.

[OnDoutside]

31. The sooner they get the numbers down to 4or5, the better. I liked

that the DNC froze fox news out, they could also be more assertive on the range of questions being asked. Certainly with the numbers and lack of time for substantive answers, it did look like a game show alright.

[Beringia]

3. So they are just supposed to compare themselves to trump

and not compare to each other? I don't see how that works.

The Democratic Party is trying to become more progressive, rebirth itself and come out of the shell and can't hide that.

[Maru Kitteh]

6. The Democratic Party needs to fucking win, or this country will die.

[elocs]

27. Yes, what does becoming more Progressive mean if Trump is reelected?

A Trump second term would be a disaster for America and it would take Progressives a generation to get back to where they are today, if ever.

This election is no joke and we make a grave mistake to think anybody we put up against Trump will win easily.

[OnDoutside]

32. +1 purity politics is a curse. Moderates need to be more assertive

The reality is that most Dems believe in roughly the same stuff but often take a backseat to the far left wing purity merchants, much like what has happened in the GOP. The parallels between the US parties and the UK parties are uncanny. The Tories are so much like the GOP in having left the loony right overtake them, and are on a path to self destruction.

[customerserviceguy]

9. Yes, in Joy Reid's view

whoever disses Trump the best, with the most angry putdowns, earns the nomination.

[CrispyQ]

15. They can discuss all the things that they will fix, in their first 100 days, that the Con wrecked.

It would be a way to highlight all the damage he's done.

I haven't been following the primaries so I don't know what's being said, but I think we have too many candidates, we look disorganized & comical, & we seem desperate to appear that everything is business as usual when it's not. Why the fuck is that Williamson woman on the debate stage? Why isn't Hickenlooper challenging Cory Gardner instead of a futile run for president? Who agreed to the CNN debate forum where candidates hardly had any time to answer questions? How many sound-bites did the RNC get from that debate to use against us come the general? Do we have a ringleader or is it just everybody for themselves?

[lame54]

5. The MSM has completely changed its tune...

They have been telling us for a long time now that the voters don't care about Trump. They only care about the economy and healthcare and things that affect their daily lives

In pure Orwellian style they are talking now as if they never said any of that

[True Blue American]

8. True!

[quickesst]

29. truer words were never spoken

If you count all the people that agree with Joy Reid, and ignore the MSM previous stance, you understand it is not only the MSM that is pretending. I know a lot of people have posted similar concerns about Healthcare and the economy in the past and have dismissed the urgency to get rid of trump.

THE BOTTOM LINE!!
Nothing happens unless Trump is defeated.

[Grasswire2]

10. strategy

1. Trump is not going to submit to a debate, so stop judging candidates based on their ability to take someone else down.

2. Try calling on the righteous history of the Democratic Party as the party of FDR and unions and working people, and get rid of the frame of Dems as coastal elites. The debates themselves can be strategically important in influencing public opinion toward The Party NOW. Take every opportunity to remind America of the role of the Democratic Party in people's lives and welfare.

3. And speak of the dangers Trump is introducing by withdrawing from treaties, alienating allies, reckless governance, empty state department...

In other words, WEAPONIZE the debates not against each other, but against Trump and Republicans.

A candidate's skills and leadership will shine through in that. Or not.

[Blue_Adept]

11. Joy was ridiculous and disingenuous this morning

My elderly mother watches AM Joy on the weekend while doing some of her chores and I often end up sitting in with during her breaks.

My god this show just frustrates me.

Today's topic was that democrats need to stop running on policy/wonks and provide contrasts to Trump. She then says that while not saying to use bill clinton's campaign as something to emulate, there are things he did that they need to do now. She then showed a couple of the campaign commercials in how he talked down his opponent (bush) and talked up what he was going to do (win).

And then said dems need to do that now.

Holy fuck. My mother started agreeing and I pointed out to her that the first commercial was from September 92 - two months before the general election - and the second was November 1st, five days before the general election.

These people (and a lot of never-trumpers) want the dem primary to be running a general election campaign. And the first two guests Joy had on basically agreed, probably not realizing the context of the ads.

Thankfully, the third guest, Cornell Belcher, said that the primaries need to be policy driven because the core audience *wants* to know what the plans are, what they're going to rally behind, and what's going to motivate them. Rage can sustatin you only so much. you have to have more than that.

But my god did I want to just yell at Joy to stop being so fucking disingenuous.

[True Blue American]

14. I had quit watching Joy.

She is very biased. I think the corporation got too much flack. She has now changed tactics,

I just happened to turn the TV. Never my favorite,

[Corgigal]

25. I have too.

After the bs she said about Mayor Pete. You don't have to like a candidate, but she said some crap that she could have taken 2 mins to check.

Nope, done.

[True Blue American]

33. Joy has a History

Of bashing gays. That is why she lost her daily show. They stuck her on weekends hoping people would forget.

My memory is too long. But I quit watching her when she ignored Warren speaking, interviewed Kamala during her speech with Warren in the background. The only speech that was ignored. Her bias was clear.

[wprice2]

13. TOTALLY AGREE WITH JOY!!

I'll be saying this ad infinitum -THIS IS NOT A NORMAL ELECTION CYCLE. Trump has changed the game because of his criminal, sociopathic, lying, narcissistic ways.

You cannot think 2016, 2012, etc normal election times.

ONE JOB TO DO-DEFEAT DONALD TRUMP!

He has cult like following. He is a constant liar who will always not be honest in responses or accusations.

Democrats need to take one for the country and support one another in these debates. Don't let the media dictate the agenda and questions.

All any of them need to say is something like..." look I differ very little with my Democratic compatriots, BUT ANYBODY ON STAGE WITH ME IS INFINITELY BETTER THAN DONALD TRUMP and we need to save our country, our society, our constitution, and our world by defeating him."

They need to stop attacking each other, Obama for gods sake, because none of this left wing or progressive agenda that many of us want will not happen if we lose. PLEASE FORGET OUR SO CALLED PRINCIPALS-IT'S ABOUT DEFEATING TRUMP STUPID!

Don't worry when they are in Iowa, NH, and wherever they can talk their nuances on policy, while on the national stage they need to just support each other and remind people what a threat Trump is to our country and our norms.

the next thing I'm going to probably hear is how we need a stupid brokered convention, or support for Jill Stein-God forbid!

[gopiscrap]

36. welcome to DU

[gordianot]

16. This is not normal, this is a crisis on level with the Civil War.

Trump and all Republicans are the reason. Wonk about your policies later, get rid of Trump and his supporters first. 28 Democratic Candidates are not helpful.

[wprice2]

18. agree agree agree and

You know what would be so cool and I could see someone like Beto doing this is that if some out great Democratic candidates would bow out now instead of later. Take one for the country and say something like to help save our country and restore the dignity of the presidency and to show how important this election is I need to bow out now and work as much as possible to get a democratic president, house and senate elected in 2020!

[GeorgeGist]

17. Looks more like ...

Hair on Fire to me.

[4now]

19. If you attack Obama you lose my vote

[True Blue American]

34. 100% agree!

[Ferrets are Cool]

20. "This isn't even hard," Reid added. "He's making it easy for you."

He made it easy in 2016 also and look where we are.

Everyone of us, including the candidates, must treat this election as though our lives depend on it, because they just might.

[wprice2]

21. Great summation!

agree 10,000 times!

[Ferrets are Cool]

23. Welcome to DU

[True Blue American]

35. Welcome from me, too!:)

[Metro135]

22. Bashing Obama was probably the most ASININE thing they could have done.

BASH TRUMP!!!!!

Jesus . . .

[bigtree]

28. she's been obsessing on lecturing Democrats

...since she bought into the misleading 'blaming Obama' meme that came out of the debate.

[triron]

30. Thanks Joy for showing some fire which many of your targets seem to lack.