On Saturday’s edition of “AM Joy,” MSNBC host Joy Reid took Democrats to task for failing to see the big picture at the latest round of Democratic debates, getting bogged down in policy details that voters don’t care about — and not going after the failures of President Donald Trump.
“So let’s get back to Barack Obama for a moment,” said Reid. “Yes, We Can … was not a policy speech. It was a leadership speech. You remember the money line but I doubt you remember many of the details of Obama’s health care plan, other than it would be universal, ensure universal coverage, fulfill a hundred years of Democratic dreams and goals. Barack Obama did not get elected because of the detail of his health care plan. I worked on that campaign. Trust me, nobody in Florida who I talked to — and talking about Obama was literally my job — asked about the details.”
“Obviously speeches is where you define yourself, and at debates you’re stuck with what you get, just a few minutes to talk about much as you can are very, very different things,” said Reid. “The formula for how presidents get elected is the same. Tell us what the other party has done wrong and how you’ll fix it. That’s especially true when you’re running against an incumbent president. Americans elect people that they want to be led by.”
“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,” said Reid. “Mayor Pete [Buttigieg] 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,” she added. “Tell us what this president has done to set this 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 begonias you’re going to plant in the window sill because the house is on fire.”
Watch below: