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New Day
Sanders Escalates Feud With Democratic Establishment; New Polls: Clinton & Trump Locked In Dead Heat; Can Libertarians Tap Into Voter Dissatisfaction?; Iraq Launches Operation To Retake Falluja; President Obama Confirms Death Of Taliban Leader; CNN Documentary "Why They Hate Us" Airs Tonight; EgyptAir Crash Raises Airport Security Questions. Aired 7:30-8a ET
Aired May 23, 2016 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[07:31:00]
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SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think we need a serious discussion about the role of superdelegates. Clearly, the current situation is undemocratic. It is ill-advised and it needs to change. Let me also say this, in all due respect to the current chairperson. If elected president, she would not be reappointed to be chair of the DNC.
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ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Bernie Sanders, as you heard, not happy with the head of the DNC so he's fundraising for Debbie Wasserman Schultz's opponent in the primary race for her House seat in Florida.
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Canova.
CAMEROTA: Canova? Last name -- while two new national polls suggest a dead heat between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
There's a lot to discuss with our CNN political commentator, Michael Smerconish. He is host of CNN's "SMERCONISH" and host of "The Michael Smerconish Program" on Sirius XM. Good morning, Michael.
MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good morning.
CAMEROTA: OK, so Bernie Sanders continues to be a thorn in the side of Hillary Clinton, and now he's actively sort of campaigning against Debbie Wasserman Schultz. What is this infighting on the Democratic side doing to the race and to the party?
SMERCONISH: I think in the big picture, Alisyn, it's delaying her pivot toward focus on Donald Trump. You know the data. Donald Trump has the benefit of Republicans coalescing now around him in a way, frankly, that many of us didn't see happening, at least this soon. Why is that taking place? I think it's because he has no opponents out there shooting at him, politically speaking. To contrast that with the Democratic side of the race, Bernie Sanders continues to be a burr in her saddle and I think he is holding her negatives constant where they are.
She's not getting the benefit that Trump is getting by having Sanders drop out of the race by this point. And, by the way, the financial cost of this, I think, is also significant because he's put her in a position where she's got to spend, including in this big state like California, in just two weeks.
CUOMO: All right, the money is real, that's for sure. But, are we doing the right thing by calling Bernie Sanders a burr in the salad --
CAMEROTA: Saddle?
CUOMO: Burr in the saddle. Thank you. What'd I say, salad?
CAMEROTA: Salad.
CUOMO: I'm a little hungry. I like a nice burr in my salad -- a thorn in the side. All these different metaphors that we use for him. Is that what it is, or is there a real division within that party about what it should be about and where it should be positioned in terms of moving into the general? And Sanders is doing that in a way that is a surprise, but is also important.
SMERCONISH: I give him great credit. I never anticipated that he'd be where he is today when you go back a year and you think about --
CUOMO: Nobody did.
SMERCONISH: -- when Bernie Sanders started this race.
CUOMO: I don't even think Sanders saw himself being here.
SMERCONISH: Chris, to him -
CUOMO: I really don't.
SMERCONISH: I think he definitely -- yes, I agree with you. I think he started this as a message candidacy and is having difficulty coming to terms with the fact that that's also where it's ending, with a good message for his party, perhaps. But mathematically, you know the drill. He can't get there and he can't get there -- forget the superdelegates. He can't get there on the pledged delegates.
By the way, philosophically, I happen to disagree with the argument that says it's an undemocratic process. Who are those superdelegates? They are individuals who've been elected, perhaps not to be a delegate, but they all face constituencies. They're members of Congress, they're members of the Senate, they're governors. You know the drill.
CAMEROTA: Let's talk about some striking polls that have just come out that have Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump neck-and-neck, closer certainly than the probably Hillary Clinton campaign, maybe even the Trump campaign, thought at this point.
Forty-four to 46 percent -- that's the Washington Post/ABC News poll. Then it's just basically split where Clinton gets 46 percent and Trump gets 43 percent in the NBC News poll. Michael, what do you make of this?
SMERCONISH: So, number one, what I make of it, as I already referenced, is that Trump doesn't have any opponents so he might be getting a workout from the media, but he's not getting a workout from Ted Cruz or from John Kasich or from Marco Rubio.
[07:35:00] I find, anecdotally, from radio listeners and just from my own orbit, social circle, and so forth, people rationalizing Republicans that that which they don't like about Donald Trump is part of the message that he doesn't really believe. I find that to be fascinating.
Also, the polling data. I took a close look at the Washington Post/ABC survey which says when you ask Trump supporters why are you for him, 53 percent say well, it's not about him. I'm opposed to her, meaning Hillary, so it's all of those factors.
And also, let's give him credit. He's checking the appropriate boxes that a Republican needs to do. He came out with that list of judges, embraced the NRA, so he's falling into line in that respect.
CUOMO: He is the nation's rejection of the status quo. That's what he is and that's why people are puzzled by his personal negatives not affecting him the way it would a traditional candidate because they're looking at him, as Michael suggests, in a negative. And Alisyn has been very good at decoding that for a long time.
It's taken me a little bit longer because I can't get past the unfavorables of these two candidates. I've never done an analysis like this, Michael, where you have your two favorites are completely not favorited by people. I mean, we've never seen anything like this before.
SMERCONISH: I'm in your category. I'm in your category. I was not as prescient as Alisyn and --
CAMEROTA: It's hard to be.
SMERCONISH: -- I've been one to believe that every one of these -- I believe that every one of these faux pas would be the last, going all the way back to John McCain. And what I've slowly come to realize is that none of it matters. He is the anti-establishment, Chris, as you put it, and that's what that constituency is looking for. By the way, whether that's a majority, we're still to find out.
CAMEROTA: OK, so Michael, enter third party candidate, OK?
SMERCONISH: Yes. CAMEROTA: So, with the high unfavorables of both of the front-runners at the moment -- you know, the American public says that they are open to a third party candidate. We just had on former Massachusetts governor, Bill Weld, who is running for the vice presidential slot of the Libertarian Party, and he talked about his motivation for getting in. Listen to this.
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WILLIAM WELD (I), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The American people have woken up to the fact that neither major party has the mix of policy positions that a lot of people, between 40 and 50 percent even, entertain, and that's fiscally and economically conservative, i.e., responsible but socially inclusive intolerant. That's neither party.
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CAMEROTA: What do you think, Michael? You buy that?
SMERCONISH: Yes, I do buy that, and six in 10 Americans polled by "The Washington Post" and "ABC", Alisyn, say they are dissatisfied with both major party choices. I think there is a tremendous opportunity for Gary Johnson and for Bill Weld.
You know, Mitt Romney pulled 22 percent in that poll over the weekend. And I don't think -- with no disrespect to Gov. Romney, I don't think those are 22 percent who are hardcore for Romney. I think those are 22 percent of Americans who don't like what's at the top of either ticket.
Now, here's what Gov. Weld said to you, and this is the critical part. Can he get in the polls?
CUOMO: It has to be 50 percent.
SMERCONISH: Because if he and Johnson can get in the polls, I believe they get to 15 percent and then they get on the debate stage.
CAMEROTA: Yes.
SMERCONISH: And then, the fascinating question, the Perot question is from whom do they pull? More from Trump or more from Hillary? I don't know the answer to that question because it's fiscal prudence and it's social progression. I don't know.
CAMEROTA: Right, unknowable at this point. And this year is so different, it is unknowable to know if they would be a spoiler or, you know, a true alternative.
CUOMO: Unknowable, even by you, or just --
CAMEROTA: Well, no. I mean for you two.
CUOMO: -- for humans like me and Michael?
CAMEROTA: For you two. CUOMO: Oh, I was going to say --
CAMEROTA: I'll let you guys know the answer right after the commercial break.
CUOMO: You know, in this age where we're, you know, questioning everything, if I start questioning you I don't know what I have left.
CAMEROTA: No, please, the oracle on set knows. Michael, thank you.
SMERCONISH: Have a good day.
CAMEROTA: You can keep up with the latest political news on the new CNN politics app. It offers extensive insights, much like mine, into the statistical dead heat between Trump and Clinton, and also their historic negatives among voters. You can download the CNN politics app for free on Apple's app store.
CUOMO: For those who do not have you there is an app for them.
CAMEROTA: Yes, thank goodness. Finally.
CUOMO: Iraqi forces are mounting a major offensive to try and retake an ISIS stronghold. What are the chances of real success? Let's call that a defined term. What is success? We'll discuss it.
[07:39:25]
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[07:43:25] CUOMO: New this morning, Iraqi security forces launching an effort to reclaim the city of Fallujah from ISIS. Now, Fallujah has been under ISIS control since 2014. It is a major strategic, but also an important symbolic point within this war.
