Trump, Air Force One & the Democratic Party’s Socialist Future

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
The Colonel's cooked up a new $10 Bucket of the Day just for you. Monday, 24 nuggets for $10. Tuesday, 8-piece fried chicken for $10. Wednesday, 10 wings for $10. Thursday, 8 tenders for $10. Friday, 24 nuggets for... Oh, you guessed it, didn't you?
$10.
The $10 Bucket of the Day Deal every weekday, only at KFC. It's finger lickin good.

**SPEAKER_2** (0:26)
Prices and participation variable supplies last. Not available on third-party ordering platforms. Tax extra.

**SPEAKER_4** (0:31)
Nothing beats tradition, like weekly game nights at Mom's House, and Tostitos, crafted with masa made the traditional way, starting with whole corn kernels, with flavors worth gathering around, like a hint of lime and Mexican street corn, and no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. That's the Tostitos way. Bring Tostitos to your next game night, and you'll be winning either way.
Tostitos, tradition matters.

**SPEAKER_2** (1:07)
This is The Smerconish Podcast for Independent Minds.

**Michael Smerconish** (1:11)
Hey gang, yesterday on Next Up with Mark Halpern, there was a very bold prediction that was offered that may have to be retracted in view of last night's election returns from Wisconsin. First, let's listen and watch as to what was said.
By the way, Mark, if you're curious, I do believe that Democratic Socialism ultimately engulfs the Democratic Party.

**Mark Halperin** (1:35)
Well, it's the subject of my monologue, and it's a huge topic, and I agree with you. It's interesting. Tell me why you think we'll go there. Why do you think it will engulf the Democratic Party?

**Michael Smerconish** (1:43)
In a word, attrition. Because when you study the numbers, you see that it's a young person's brand, and that capitalism has fallen out of favor more with young people than with old people, frankly, among all Democrats, but particularly among the young. And they're going to vote for the next 60 years.
The only way that the Democratic socialists blow it is by not cutting loose the real craziness, the defund the police, let's open the prisons, open the borders, et cetera, et cetera. If they stuck to a core message of Medicare for all, talked about wealth and income disparity, and the cost of college tuition, I think they'd have a winning hand sooner than they otherwise would. Okay, Mark Halperin joins me now. Mark, do I have anything that I need to retract from my conversation in NextUp with you?

**Mark Halperin** (2:35)
I don't think you do.
This Minnesota, I mean, this Wisconsin race is being treated as like the litmus test of the health of the rise of the socialist movement. I don't think it is. First of all, last night in Minnesota, we saw the much more progressive candidate win. Remember, Bernie Sanders, AOC, and Elizabeth Warren did not endorse, did not support Francesca Hung. I don't know why. I'm sorry. You know, they made up an excuse. They said, well, they focused on federal races. Tell that to Mayor Mondami and Andrew Cuomo. So for whatever reason, either because they thought she would, she wasn't worthy of their endorsement because she was so flaky, whether they thought she'd lose the general election, and that would do their movement a disservice. They did not support her. I suspect if they had, she would have won the nomination.
So mostly they support the residents.

**Michael Smerconish** (3:22)
You pointed out in the wide world of news today, get ready to participate in or watch a big debate within the Democratic Socialist Movement about whether the failure of their biggest stars, Sanders, AOC, Warren, to back Hong was either A, a brilliant move, or B, a tragic error. It sounds like you're in the B, tragic error category.

**Mark Halperin** (3:41)
Well, not necessarily because if they didn't endorse her because they thought she'd lose the general, there's a good chance she would have. So I actually, if I had to choose, I would choose A. I do think people will debate it, but I just don't quite understand why that race is being litmus test. Look at Maine, look at Michigan, look at Minnesota, three Senate races in marquee places.
And in all those cases, the more progressive candidate, aligned with Bernie Sanders, won the nomination. And in all those cases, the energy that allowed them to win is something. The issue positions that allowed them to win is something that is still rising in the party, as Michael Smerconish himself pointed out.

**Michael Smerconish** (4:21)
What's the problem with polling vis-à-vis Democratic socialists? Because Abdul El-Sayed won but by a whisker. He was projected to win by 12 or 14 Michael Crowley, this is a big upset. Francesca Hong was supposed to win with a commanding lead in Wisconsin.

**Mark Halperin** (4:37)