DAN: CAN WE POSSIBLY CATCH UP
WITH A WEEKS WORTH OF POLITICS?
I DON'T THINK SO.
♪
ANNOUNCER: THE DAN YORKE "STATE
OF MIND" PROGRAM IS BROUGHT TO
YOU IN PART BY --
LOOK OUT WHAT COMFORT SOLUTIONS.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON FRIDAY, YOU
ARE TRYING TO CATCH UP ON THE
WEEK OR THE BIG ISSUES.
WE TAKE OUR FRIDAY PROGRAMS
THURSDAY AFTERNOON.
I ALWAYS WARN YOU,
BUT I TELL
YOU THAT BECAUSE THE NEWS CYCLE
MOVES SO QUICKLY, MONDAY AND
WE WILL TIP OUR SHOWS THURSDAY.
WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?
THE ELECTIONS WILL JUST KNOCK
YOU DOWN.
WE HAVE A BRIGHT MIND
FROM --
WHO TEACHES MINES.
CLASS IS PLENTY OUT -- POLITICAL
IDEOLOGIES.
LET'S TRY TO CATCH
UP.
WE HAD A GREAT SHOW TED AND
JOE.
IF YOU DID NOT SEE THAT, GO
ONLINE BECAUSE WE BROKE DOWN
ELECTIONS AND SPECIFICITY BUT
DID NOT HAVE TIME.
LET'S FLIP THAT AND REMIND
OURSELVES, EVEN
YESTERDAY, I
DON'T KNOW IF THE CNN REPORTER
STORY IS NECESSARY --
NECESSARILY -- NOT THE BULK OF
WHAT IS HAPPENING YESTERDAY.
IT IS AN INTERESTING SIDEBAR.
HERE IS THE ATTEMPTED SUMMARY A
WHEELED THE PRESS CONFERENCE AND
RESULTS FROM TUESDAY.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: I THOUGHT IT
WAS A VERY PLUS TO A COMPLETE
VICTORY.
PRESIDENT TRUMP CELEBRATED
FOCUSING ON THE REPUBLICANS
GAINED ON THE SENATE, AND HE
GAVE THE LION'S SHARE OF THE
CREDIT TO HIMSELF.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: I ONLY HAD ME,
NOT ANYONE ELSE.
HE SAID THERE IS A GOOD
CHANCE THE TWO PARTIES CAN WORK
TOGETHER.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: I WOULD LIKE TO
SEE BIPARTISANSHIP AND UNITY.
WHEN
ASKED WHAT WOULD HAPPEN
IF HOUSE DEMOCRATS USED THEIR
POWER AS A MAJORITY TO INITIATE
A FLURRY OF INVESTIGATIONS INTO
THE PRESIDENT AND HIS AND
ADMINISTRATION, HIS TONE CHANGED
DRAMATICALLY.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: IF THEY DO
THAT, THIS IS ALL A WARLIKE
POSTURE.
PRESIDENT TRUMP HIMSELF TOOK
ON A WARLIKE POSTURE.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: THAT IS ENOUGH.
THAT IS ENOUGH.
AS ENOUGH.
PARDON ME, MA'AM
P OR
PRESIDENT TRUMP: SIT-DOWN,
PLEASE.
SIT DOWN.
I DIDN'T CALL YOU.
HURLING INSULTS WHEN HE
FAIR.HT THE QUESTIONS WERE NOT-
SOME PEOPLE THOUGHT IT WAS
EMBOLDENING WHITE NATIONALISTS.
PRESIDENT TUCH A
RACIST THING TO SAY.
MIKE COFFMAN.
TOO BAD, MIKE.
PETER, DIDN'T WANT THE EMBRACE.
BARBARA COMSTOCK WAS ANOTHER
ONE.
I THINK SHE COULD HAVE WON THAT
RACE.
HE MOCKED THE INCUMBENTS BY
NAME WHO DISTANCE THEMSELVES
FROM HIM AND LOST.
TO BED.
SORRY ABOUT THAT.
PERHAPS SURPRISINGLY, HE
PRAISED DEMOCRAT NANCY PELOSI,
LIKELY TO BE THE NEXT SPEAKER OF
THE HOUSE.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: HOPEFULLY WE
CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER NEXT YEAR.
DAN: A FASCINATING GUY.
MYERS IS AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR.
I LOVE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE
TEACHING POLITICAL IDEOLOGY.
WELCOME.
WHAT WAS YOUR GUT CHECK TAKE?
ADAM:
I WOULD SAY IN GENERAL I
WAS A GOOD NIGHT FOR DEMOCRATS
IN THE SENSE THAT THEY TOOK
CONTROL OF THE HOUSE, THEY HAVE
A SEAT AT THE TABLE OF THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
THEY HAVE THE CHECK ON PRESIDENT
TRUMP THAT THEY WANTED.
ON THE OTHER HAND, REPUBLICANS
DID THAT ARE THAN EXPECTED IN
THE SENATE.
THEY KEPT GAINS TO A RELATIVELY
NOTE -- LOW NUMBER -- LOW
NUMBER.
ON THE OTHER HAND, GIVEN HOW
MUCH THE DECK WAS STACKED TO
BEGIN WITH, THE FACT THAT THEY
WERE ABLE TO GET IN CONTROL IS
IMPRESSIVE IN ITSELF.
DAN: DO WE HAVE THE NUMBERS?
THERE WE GO.
AT THE LATEST
COUNT, THAT IS A
TIGHT EDGE IT WILL BE A
LOT
BLUER THAN IT IS READ AT THIS
POINT.
IT LOOKS LIKE REPUBLICANS WILL
PICK UP THREE OR FOUR SEATS
DEPENDING ON ARIZONA IN THE
SENATE.
THEY WILL HAVE 55 SENATORS IN
THE SENATE.
DEMOCRATS WILL PROBABLY LINEUP
WITH 33 OR 34.
IT
DOES CREATE A STALEMATE SET
UP.
BUT THE SENATE, WHEN I LOOK AT A
MAP,
SENATE ELECTIONS, IT WAS
KIND OF LIKE THE RIGHT SET UP
FOR REPUBLICANS.
I AM NOT SURE IN TWO YEARS THAT
DOESN'T FLIP BASED ON INDIVIDUAL
RACES COMING UP ON THE ROTATION.
THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT IS
TRUE.
THIS IS A TERRIBLE MATH FOR
DEMOCRATS
THEY WERE DEFENDING --
10 OF THEM IN STATES THAT TRUMP
WANTS, I BELIEVE DEFENDING NINE
SEATS, ONLY ONE OF THEM --
THE CHANCES THAT THEY WOULD TAKE
CONTROL THE SENATE IS PRETTY
SMALL.
THERE WAS A SENSE IN AUGUST
AND
SEPTEMBER, GIVEN LOW APPROVAL
RATINGS AND THE NATURAL
POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT, THAT IT
WAS POSSIBLE.
I WOULD SAY A WEEK OR TWO BEFORE
ELECTION DAY, WE DECIDED IT
WASN'T.
REPUBLICANS DID LITTLE BETTER
THAN EXPECTED THAN THE RACE IN
FLORIDA.
I
THINK --
DAN: THE PRESIDENT IS REALLY HOT
THAT HE WANTED GEORGIA -- HE
SEES THIS AS BEATING OPRAH, AS
OPPOSED TO THE CANDIDATES
THEMSELVES.
IT IS SOMETHING.
HE ALSO SEES IT AS A USEFUL
ASSET WHEN IT COMES TO THE
SUPREME COURT.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SUPREME
COURT.
DOWN A COUPLE OF BROKEN RIBS.
MY GOODNESS, WHAT IS GOING ON
HERE.
I AM FINE, I AM
FINE, THAT IS
STEEL.
SHE WILL BE BACK
ADDED THAT THE
RELIEF FOR DONALD TRUMP AND THE
REPUBLICANS HAS BEEN WHAT THEY
WILL ACCOMPLISH FOR THE SUPREME
COURT SO THEY LINE UP TO DO THAT
IF THE MOMENT STRIKES.
'S FAR AS THE FEDERAL
JUDICIARY IS CONCERNED, THE
HOUSE HAS NO ROLE
CONCERNING THE
PRESIDENT PASSES JUDICIAL
APPOINTEES.
MAYBE THEY COULD TAKE CONTROL
OF
THE SENATE.
ALL THE WAY
UNTIL 2021.
KIND OF IN A MANNER SIMILAR OVER
THE COURSE OF MANY MORE YEARS.
OBVIOUSLY NOW, THEY WILL BE
CONTROLLING THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
IT WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR
DEMOCRATS TO DO THAT.
WE GOT RID OF FILIBUSTERS FOR
JUDICIAL APPOINTEES.
IF A VACANCY OPENS UP, TRUMP
WILL BE ABLE TO FILL IT.
IF THIS IS A VACANCY, RUTH BADER
GINSBURG, AND THE OTHER
LIBERALS, MEMBERS OF THE SUPREME
COURT, THEY WILL BE COMING
--
DAN: QUESTIONS LIKELY CAME ABOUT
CONGRESS, DOING A LOT OF
HEARINGS TAKING OFF THE WORK OF
THE MOLAR INVESTIGATION
THEY SAY
THEY COME AT ME WITH
INVESTIGATIONS, I HAVE GOT THE
SENATE AND I WILL INVESTIGATE
THEM
IT IS COMPLETELY
IRRESPONSIBLE.
THE DEMOCRATS
INVESTIGATE
HIM, INVESTIGATE DEMOCRATS, I DO
NOT KNOW OF AN EXAMPLE THAT IN
AMERICAN HISTORY WHERE ONE
INVESTIGATIVE --
DAN: CORE REPUBLICAN
LEADERSHIP
WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO?
FABRICATE THE NEED FOR
INVESTIGATIONS?
IS VERY LIMITED CONSTITUTIONAL
ACUMEN, IT SEEMS TO ME.
YES?
COLLECTS THE
STORIES ABOUT HIS
TOUGH ADVISORS, THINK IT WAS SAM
HAVING TO US -- EXPLAIN BASIC
HIM.CTS OF THE CONSTITUTION
THAT IS NOT SURPRISING TO ME.
WHAT IS CLEAR IS TRUMP CAN USE
THE MEDIA TO GO AFTER DEMOCRATS
IN THE HOUSE, SHOULD THEY START
INVESTIGATING HIM.
I THINK THAT IS WHAT HE WILL DO.
DAN: HE CERTAINLY STARTED IN
WITH THE MEDIA.
HIS LITTLE THAT
THE PRESIDENT
HAS IS STARTING TO SPREAD LIKE
THE DISEASE.PSTAY WITH US.
SEXUAL-HARASSMENT CLAIMS
WE
ASKED HIM FOR A LIVE INTERVIEW,
THE CAMERAS ARE STILL ROLLING.
THIS WAS HIS RESPONSE.
[INDISCERNIBLE]
[INAUDIBLE]
I FEEL OTHERWISE AND OBVIOUSLY
YOU DISAGREE WITH ME.
CLEARLY THAT COMES
FROM
THE
REPRESENTATIVE PASSES DIFFICULTY
WITH THE POTENTIAL REPORT OF
SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE AREA,
IT DID LAND A WEEK BEFORE THE
ELECTION.
THAT IS NICK ACTING
OUT.
HAVE KNOWN THIS SPEAKER FOR
QUITE SOME TIME.
HE TAKES
THIS ROUGH AND TUMBLE
BUSINESS.
YOU CAN TELL HE IS EVEN
CONFLICTED PUTTING THE HAMMER
DOWN.
HE -- DOES IT
MAKE ANY SENSE TO
YOU?
HE IS UNDER PRESSURE AND
KNOWS A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS
STATE WANT TO TAKE HIM DOWN.
DAN: HE WILL
CONTROL AS HOUSE
SPEAKER.
EVERYON'S NERVOUS
SYSTEM IS
UNRAVELING.
ADAM:
THAT IS TROOP YOU YOU WISH
EVERYONE WOULD REMEMBER HOW TO
ACT LIKE GROWN-UPS AGAIN.
HE TALK ABOUT THE MEDIA AND THE
TRUMPS BARRAGE ON THE MEDIA.
USING HIS SOCIAL MEDIA SKILLS TO
GO AFTER HOUSE DEMOCRATS AND PUT
MORE PRESSURE ON HIM HOPEFULLY
FOR THE RIGHT REASONS.
HEALTH CARE MIGHT BE A GOOD
IDEA, SOMETHING ALONG THAT LINE.
IT IS JUST HARD FOR EVERY DAY
PEOPLE HOW TO JUDGE RIGHT
AND
WRONG MESSAGES, TRUTH, ALL OF
THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
ADAM: I AGREE WITH YOU.
AND NOT RESPONDING TO
--
IGNORING THE ENTIRE CHANNEL OR
THE ENTIRE NETWORK, IT SEEMS NOT
TO BE THE RIGHT WAY TO GO ABOUT
IT.
DAN: THE CNN GUY, APRIL
RYAN,
CALLING THE PUBLIC RADIO, TO
AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN
ASKING
LEGITIMATE QUESTIONS, SUGGESTS
ONE QUESTION IS RACIST AND THAT
HE SHOUTS HER DOWN ON VOTER
SUPPRESSION I THINK THREE TIMES.
ANY IDEA WITH THE APPEARANCES
THERE?
CLUBS IT IS NOT AFFECTING THEM
IN HIS DISTRICT
YOU ARE TALKING
ABOUT THE PRESIDENT NOW.
DAN: ARE YOU WITH ME ON THAT
ONE?
MY POINT IS THE TONE AND THE USE
OF THE MEDIA IN THE RUNNING FOR
THE MEDIA
AND THE WHOLE
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MEDIA I
THINK IS OFF.
I THINK THE DISEASE IS SPREADING
OUT OF WASHINGTON.
ADAM: YES, I ABSOLUTELY AGREE.
THE PRESIDENT SETS THE TONE FOR
POLITICS AND THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
OBVIOUSLY, --
DAN: WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL
HAPPEN NOW THAT ATTORNEY GENERAL
SESSIONS HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW,
CANNED?
THE PRESS CONFERENCE YESTERDAY,
HE SAYS NOTHING ABOUT IT AND IT
HAPPENS IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER.
I DON'T KNOW.
THEY KEEP THE CYCLE MOVING AT
LIGHT SPEED.
WHO KNOWS.
TALKING ABOUT IT TOMORROW
.
THE PRESIDENT CAN GET WHAT --
AWAY WITH A LOT OF THESE THINGS.
WHAT IS HIS IDEOLOGY?
I DON'T THINK HE HAS A COHERENT
IDEOLOGY.
I ASKED HIM HOW HE WOULD
DESCRIBE HIS IDEOLOGY.
HAD A VERY HARD TIME DOING IT.
HE PICKS AND CHOOSES FROM
DIFFERENT IDEOLOGIES.
IN 2016, WE ALL SAW
THAT
REPRESENTING THE NEW IDEOLOGY
,
SOMEWHAT NATIONALIST AND
ANTI-FREE TRADE
PROGRAMS AND SO
FORTH, A MIX OF NEWS, ON TOP
OF
THROWING BONES THAT EVEN JOKE IS
AND THE EVANGELICAL RIGHT.
DAN:
A WICKED PUZZLE TO WHEN WE
HAVE MORE TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO
TALK ABOUT THE IDEOLOGIES.
GIVE ME 30 SECONDS ON IT IF YOU
CAN.
OTHER THAN DONALD TRUMP, MAY BE
EXACERBATED BY DONALD TRUMP, WE
HAVE A VERY POLARIZED
IDEOLOGICAL VIEW COMPETING IN
THE COUNTRY.
NO DOUBT.
AT LEAST MORE IDEOLOGICALLY
CONSISTENT IN THE SENSE THAT
THESE DAYS, IF YOU ARE PRO-LIFE,
YOU WILL PROBABLY BE IN FAVOR OF
TAX CUTS FOR THE RICH PAIR
PRO-CHOICE, AGAINST TAX IS FOR
THE RICH.
THEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH
EACH OTHER.
THEY STITCHED TOGETHER
THE 21ST
CENTURY POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES IN
THE U.S. IN WAYS THAT ARE
STRANGE.
DAN: THERE IS A RIGIDITY THAT
HAS DEVELOPED.
ADAM: THERE IS DEFINITELY A
RIGIDITY.
INCREASINGLY, PEOPLE ARE UNABLE
TO SEE THE OTHER SIDE POINT OF
VIEW.
DAN: IS THE COUNTRY STILL MOSTLY
IN THE MIDDLE TRYING TO SEE THE
OTHER SIDE US HIS POINT OF VIEW
OR ADD -- HAS THE POLAR
OPPOSITES INFRINGED TO THE POINT
WHERE EVERYONE IS RIGID ABOUT
SOMETHING?
ADAM: IF YOU ASK PEOPLE
QUESTI ABOUT POLICY AND DO
NOT GIVE PARTISAN CUES, YOU FIND
A LOT OF AMERICANS IN THE
MIDDLE.
IN THAT SENSE, THE COUNTRY IS
NOT PULLERS -- POLARIZED.
THERE
IS A GROWING AMOUNT OF
AMERICANS THAT VIEWS THE OTHER
SIDE IS BEING BAD AND THE ENEMY.
HOW IS IT THAT WE HAVE COME TO
HAVE A COMBATIVE PARTISANSHIP?
DAN: YOU ARE SO ON IT.
A CLOSE FRIEND OF MINE FOR YEARS
TALKED ABOUT HIS MEDICARE THE
OTHER DAY HE LOVES HIS MEDICARE.
HE WAS GOING ON ABOUT THE
CO-PAYS.
A TRUMPER THROUGH AND THROUGH.
I SAID, GEEZ, REPUBLICANS ARE
TALKING ABOUT GETTING THAT A
LITTLE BIT.
WE WERE NOT TALKING ABOUT TRUMP
PITY WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT HIS
MEDICARE.
IT STUMPED HIM.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HEALTH
INSURANCE.
ADAM:
WHEN YOU HAVE A
CONVERSATION ABOUT PUBLIC
POLICIES DIVORCED OF POLITICAL
PERSONALITIES AND THE PARTIES,
IT TURNS OUT WE CAN FIND COMMON
GROUND.
ONCE YOU BRING IN POLITICAL
PERSONALITIES AND TRUMP AND POLO
SEE AND SO FORTH, AT THAT
POINT,
EMOTIONS GET INTO THE MIX.
DAN: WE WILL TALK ABOUT HOW THE
IDEOLOGIES FORMED IN THIS STATE.
STAY WITH US.
I WILL CONTINUE TO WORK MY
ASKED -- ASS OFF EVERY DAY.
[APPLAUSE]
AND WHEREVER I NEED TO IN OUR
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, YOU WILL
NOT SHUT ME OFF.
I SEE ALL OF YOU HERE, EVERYONE
OF YOU THAT PRIVILEGED ME WITH
YOUR VOTE.
I WILL NOT SHUT UP.
I'M HERE TO FIGHT FOR ALL OF YOU
WHO CONTINUE THIS MISSION TO
MAKE OUR STATE A GREAT STATE.
DAN:
TONE, RIGHT?
ADAM: IT
IS A COMBATIVE
CONCESSION SPEECH.
POLITICIANS GIVE THEM SOMETIMES.
DAN:
PSP OR I DON'T KNOW WHO
TOLD HIM TO SHUT UP, BUT NOW
THAT HE DID I CAN SAY, OH,
SHUT UP.
YOU KNOW?
TRY TO STAY UP HERE.
BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF, I MEAN
LISTEN, THIS IS NOT NEW.
DONALD TRUMP DID
NOT INVENT
CONFRONTATION HOWEVER, EVEN IF
YOU LOOK AT RHODE ISLAND, BLUE
AND RED, IT IS BECOMING MORE AND
MORE DEFINED.
THINK IT IS FASCINATING.
THIS IS ABOUT THE GROWING
GEOGRAPHICAL DIVIDE IN THE
UNITED STATES.
I THINK MOST OF IT IS
INTRASTATE.
I THINK THE BIG DIVIDE IN
AMERICAN POLITICS IS NOT LIKE
SOUTH VERSUS MIDWEST VERSUS
NORTHEAST.
I FIGURED IS PRIMARILY
METROPOLITAN VERSUS
NONMETROPOLITAN.
EVEN IN A TINY STATE LIKE RHODE
ISLAND, YOU CAN SEE ALL THE
COASTAL LAWYERS VOTED TWO YEARS
AGO AND IT WAS THE SAME WAY.
YOU LOOK AT REPUBLICANS IN THE
GENERAL ASSEMBLY -- ASSEMBLY AND
AT THIS POINT, ALMOST ALL COME
FROM THESE PLACES.
IT IS QUITE STARK.
DAN: IT REALLY IS FASCINATING.
I HEAR IT ON THE PHONE LINES.
AND ON
THE RADIO.
THEY ARE NOT NECESSARILY
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE GREATER
POPULATION.
THE BLUE WAVE DID AFFECT THE
RACE.
I THINK -- SURVIVED IN PART AS A
DEMOCRAT AND OVER 50 IN PART
BECAUSE THE BLUE LABEL AT LEAST
CAME THROUGH.
ADAM: I WILL TELL YOU THAT
DISTRICT VOTED FOR TRUMP.
4000 LESS
ROADS FOR HIM IN 2018
THAN THERE WERE IN .14.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT 150 VOTES
SEPARATING THE CANDIDATES P
ANYWAY, THIS IS THE FUN OF
POLITICAL SCIENCE.
YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS AND HE
SAY, I THINK IT IS THIS.
WELL, IT COULD BE THIS OR DO YOU
KNOW AFTER THE ELECTION AND
NEVER BEFORE.
DAN: THESE DAYS, BEING A
POLITICAL SCIENTIST, AS I HAVE
ALWAYS SAID, POLITICAL SCIENCE
IS MORE OF A CRAFT THAN AN
ACTUAL SCIENTIST -- SCIENCE BUT
THERE IS A LOT OF RESEARCH THAT
GOES INTO THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE
OPINIONS AND SUBJECTIVITY THAT
TEACHERS BRING TO THE TABLE.
IT IS WHOLLY MORE COMPLICATED
THAN IT USED TO BE.
IT USED TO BE PRETTY MUCH
TEXTBOOK.
NOW, YOU HAVE GOT TO
THROW OUT
THE TEXTBOOK WHICH IS MAY BE.
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.
THANK YOU TO OUR VETERANS AT A
REPEAT PROGRAM MONDAY AND WE
WILL BE BACK WITH A NEW SHOW ON
TUESDAY.
GOOD NIGHT.
