During an MSNBC panel previewing the second 2020 Democratic debate, Chris Hayes did a literal double take and then thoroughly dismantled fellow network host Nicolle Wallace’s argument that the “Republican Party is dead” and that Democrats should strongly consider the electability of a candidate: “We don’t know what voters want…Donald Trump won the presidency!”

In a segment that began by talking about former Vice President Joe Biden and his general election appeal against Trump versus more progressive Democrats like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) or Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Hayes interrupted to give a brief, not-so-recent history lesson.

“Can I just say something about this, because I think this is important. I watched in 2012 when everyone said the Republican Party is rushing off a cliff, and all of this sort of wise people left and right, some on this network, some other places said ‘Obviously, they’ve got to do something. What they’re doing with Hispanic voters is suicide.’ In fact, the RNC commissioned a report and said you’ve got to get right with Hispanic voters. You’re out of your minds. Everyone said this. This was obviously the consensus, otherwise they were going to lose. What did they do? Donald Trump came along and went in exactly the opposite direction. He leaned way in to white ethno-nationalist backlash. He came down an escalator and said they’re sending rapists to come kill you. And what happened to Donald Trump who today is the president of the United States? We don’t know what will work. We don’t know what the voters want.”

Wallace’s response: “I’m sure the Democrats don’t want to follow the Republican Party to the cemetery. The Republican Party is dead.”

At this, Hayes literally did a double take and stole a sideways look at the other panelists, clearly stunned. He then patiently stated the reality of American politics in 2019, which contradicted Wallace at every turn. “Donald Trump won the presidency. Republicans had unified government for two years. They have a Supreme Court majority of 5-4.”

Wallace, clearly caught out, tried to backpedal: “Well, I think if you’re making an argument about what wins, I think you’re making the same argument. I think maybe your disagreement is on how.”

“I’m saying we don’t know,” Hayes reiterated. “We don’t know. We don’t know what the voters want. We just don’t know.”

“This is dire,” Wallace said, later on in the exchange. “I think there are a lot of people who think there is a racist, misogynist in the Oval Office and we’d like to see Democrats nominate someone who can win.”

“Totally,” Hayes said, “but my point is there is not some skeleton key that is locked in a box that ‘This is how you win.’ If there were, someone would have cracked it open. It doesn’t exist.”

Watch the video above, via MSNBC.

from Mediaite https://ift.tt/2NiVBtR