everywhere. we're not just looking in africa. we're not just looking in asia. we're not just looking in other contents. we're looking everywhere. >> a really interesting conversation, you can watch the whole thing at cnn.com/fullcircle and watch live weekdays at 5:00 p.m. eastern. let's hand it over to chris for "cuomo prime time." welcome to "prime time." former new york city mayor and billionaire michael bloomberg taking steps to enter the race. is this playing like a distress call? it certainly has to be a gut check. is this the suggestion that the democratic field is too weak? is bloomberg saying out loud what many wonder about? we're going to show you why bloomberg thinks he can get in, what it could mean for the race as we hear from another democrat who's definitely on the rise, pete buttigieg. he says i'm the man for the job and the fight. what do you say? let's get after it.

look, impeachment matters. it's somewhat of an x factor in the election. what just happened tonight is not. it matters more. why? bloomberg being expected to file for the alabama presidential primary. why alabama? alabama has an unusually early filing deadline, so this is a sign bloomberg's for real. he wants to get on as many ballots as he can. he's just a couple months out from the first voting. so cnn has learned that bloomberg has been making calls to a handful of connected democrats in the last 36 hours including some in iowa and in south carolina, at least one mayor, where iowa, remember, first casts -- first votes are cast in february. now is he really getting in? here is this for more proof. follow me to the wall because we'll spell this out for you. from cnn more color from just tonight. mr. bloomberg went to a restaurant in new york city tonight. he was met by big applause. no real surprise. one of the people there reached

out, shook his hand. said you've got my vote. you know what he said reportedly? i'm going to need it. not we'll see. nod not maybe, fellas. i'm going to need it. all right. what's it about? what does it reveal? what does it really mean now and going forward? let's bring in former new orleans mayor mitch landrieu and the wizard of oz harry. everyone is giving the headline. let's get to why this is happening. let's start counterintuitive. bloomberg, what did we know about him early on when he was thinking of getting in? >> yeah. you mean, look if he was thinking about getting in, this was a poll just before he said initially he wasn't getting in. remember that? this is a national poll, top choices. mike bloomberg was only at 2%. joe biden was leading the field at 28%. what we saw bloomberg was polling weakly nationally and not just weakly nationally, in the state of iowa.

so basically they asked do you have a favorable or unfavorable rating of michael bloomberg among likely iowa caucus goers, only 27% had a favorable view of him. 38% had an unfavorable view and this is among the electorate. these are not good numbers. >> mitch, you're shaking your head. early on there was this back story. bloomberg hates trump. he's a real billionaire. he's not going to run against him if he can't beat him. his pride can't take it. he's out of the race. good-bye. what do you think changed? what does this mean to you? >> if he ran and was elected, he would be a good president. this is a big foot move. a lot of people think this is a horse race. it's really a roller derby. one of the questions is not is he going to do well -- although that's important, but who is he going to hurt if he means what he says and he's willing to lay down the kind of money that he has and campaign based on a record that was fairly good from new york, and he's got to hurt the centrist candidates.

>> it's hard what he means in the race because he has not been measured in a very long time and he's getting in very late. i asked harry earlier what can we compare him to. you said nobody except one republican. >> fred thompson entered the race very late in 2008 and entered with much higher poll numbers and then fell apart. getting in the race late is very, very difficult because you have to build on organization which mike bloomberg hasn't yet. obviously he has a ton of money but he has to build out the organization. it's not clear he has supporters on the ground. i am, to put it mildly, suspect. we'll see. >> what's different about him from senator thompson is he has a national network he's worked with for a long period of time and he has the resources to do it. having said that you're still working late. it's a high climb. the question is who else are you hurting by getting in? he doesn't hurt elizabeth warren. he doesn't hurt bernie sanders. he hurts klobuchar and everybody else. >> he hurts all of them because he winds up being a shout of

what landrieu, enten i and so many reporters have been hearing. they're not crazy about this field. nice people, smart people. kind of this dissertation fight about health care. but we don't know we have a gra gone slayer. he's saying it out loud. i don't think it's as much what he thinks about himself. it's what he thinks of the rest of the field. let's put some meat on the bones of weakness. what is he saying that yield the idea, ooh this field, i don't know. >> this is the likely iowa caucus goers. everybody is between the top tier between 15% and 20%. this is a complete mess. he's thinking, wait a minute, joe biden the guy who perhaps has the best chance of beating donald trump is running at the top and elizabeth warren and bernie sanders combine 37%. i can get up to 21%, win the iowa caucus given i have a ton of money and no one is

particularly high at this point. >> i was yapping about all these different metrics and you said can you beat donald trump. why are you getting into the issues? that's going to be the question for democrats. we know that from the polls. >> we absolutely know that from the polls. first off i think this is rather important talking about the swing states and what do we tea? we see that in the swing states these are "new york times" polls, we see basically all these candidates against donald trump in the key swing states that trump won in 2016 they're running very, very close. it's a very tight race. biden running the strongest but elizabeth warren is either losing or basically even with him. >> this is what mitch was saying, wait until the state by states come out. >> joe biden has shown again and again that he is the best person best positioned to be donald trump if you take national polls. if you start showing iowa and new hampshire and he's starting to fade, people get nervous.

when we roll into the south we'll do great and super tuesday we'll be fine. what i worry about is when he goes south, what is actually going to happen in such a short period of time? but he will take away and herd from other people. he will ascend. >> let's leave bloomberg out for a moment as proof of a problem. we don't know his viability. he has a lot of money but he's made a decision not to put his money where his mouth is. but to put his mouth where his money is. let's talk about why. when you say biden's theory is, do you believe it in light of these states and these razor thin margins? even here you're going to be within moe basically. it's a dead heat. >> but it's blue. it's not red. >> within the margin of error. >> no question. >> within the margin of error. i think this is concerning and is more than that. it's concerning when you look at the iowa polls. what do we basically see in iowa

which is obviously the first contest among democrats. joe biden was at 32%, then 27%, then 23% then 20% then 17%. his support dropped in half within a year and voters are paying much more attention to the iowa caucuses. i think these are very concerning. you feel they can't beat back bernie sanders or elizabeth warren. >> i have not spoken to mike blook berg but my guess is he's looking at those numbers and his guess is those numbers rudy giuliani go to keep getting worse. >> he's doing something. this back story the one thing bloomberg didn't want to do is lose to trump. we don't know what's changed in his calculus about himself but obviously he has a sense of desperation about the field. the national picture, and, again, because so many of you are saying i'll vote for any of these people because they all beat this president, why do they believe that? >> i think they essentially believe it because if you were to look -- there we go. if you were to look at the national polls, what do you see? you see that biden, sanders and warren in the averages are all beating donald trump but, again,

we learned last time around, we learned in 2000 it's the swing states that matter and the six closest swing states that trump won in 2016, arizona, florida, michigan, north carolina, pennsylvania, wisconsin, much closer races and the average, even biden is just ahead by a point. this is very worrisome for the democrats and someone like michael bloomberg saying, hey, biden can't -- >> i'm not saying panic. panic panic. but this has to be a gut check. bloomberg is not going to waste his time nor his ego. do you believe this is a gut check for the democrats? and if so where should their heads go now? >> this is a skunk in the punch bowl at the party. >> skunk in the punch bowl. is that what happens? >> that's what we have if you want to mess up a party. you throw a skunk in the punch bowl. mike bloomberg said my best guess is that senator biden, vice president biden is in trouble and if he falls, he doesn't think sanders or warren

can win and given his credentials he can step into it and actually beat donald trump. that's the only thing that can explain why he would put his money and experience on the line to do this. i think it will scramble the field in awe pretty significant way the in the next couple of weeks. how is anybody's guess. i don't think we know that. but i think that's his calculation. >> i think what it means is secondary to what it means he's even thinking about it. this is a great table setter because it takes us beyond the headline. everybody's -- you're seeing it's blowing up your phone. bloomberg is thinking of getting in. we just showed you he would even be thinking about it. the question now, what does this tell us about the expectation for what this race will be like against this president and what arguably democrats have been ignoring all this time? mitch landrieu will stick around. we'll talk one of the mayors contacted by bloomberg to feel out where he might be in his state. stay with us.

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try new pepto liquicaps for fast relief and ultra-coating. nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea. get powerful relief with new pepto bismol liquicaps. let's go deeper now. we put some meat on the bones of why former new york city mayor michael bloomberg, billionaire, famous, but decided not to run would change his mind suddenly. we showed you the numbers of where there is cause for concern about the strength of the democratic field. now we have more proof about this. in the last month we had been getting reports of bloomberg making phone calls. now let's set the stage. remember what michael bloomberg was saying not too long ago about his political future. >> but the truth of the matter is when you look at the layout of who is going to vote and

where the country is, i would be very unlikely to get re-elected -- to get elected, but in the private sector i can make a difference. >> september 25th. i'm no mathematician, but i'm figuring that's only about a month and a little bit ago. what changed. mayor mitch landrieu is here. we want to talk to steve benjamin of columbia, south carolina. he's on the phone. mr. mayor, can you hear us. >> i can hear you, chris. how are you? >> i have your friend, mayor landrieu, to keep you on the straight and narrow. is it true that mayor bloomberg called you to get a feeler for south carolina? >> we actually had dinner in the past, about a week and a half ago, had an opportunity to have a face-to-face and it wasn't necessarily -- he was not fishing but just speaking frankly about the state of the race, asked for some perspective on south carolina and what was

happening here and what we were seeing across the country. i shared my opinions. >> let's hear them. what were you two talking about? >> a little bit of everything. the field, although a few folks dropped out it's still fairly crowded. there's still an opportunity as we saw in 2016 on the republican side of the aisle for one to knock 15, 16, 18, 20% of the vote and still be win, place or show, first, second, or third. my opinion i shared with the mayor were the same as i shared with every single candidate in the race

back on some of the macro trends we're seeing, difficulty for folks to really achieve the american dream, do better than their parents did. we talked about some challenges in the race, candidates who talk about climate but i don't think there's anyone in the country who has done more than mike bloomberg. his leadership and the mayor against legal guns. new york city is one of the largest cities in the country and at the center of the tenth largest gdp in the world. 1.86 trillion dollar. his business experience is close to unparalleled. those are all strengths. you know, we obviously, mitch and i both have been through many elections. you bring your strengths and you speak to them and in south carolina i can only profess to be a semiexpert in south carolina. i can't speak to nevada, new hampshire or iowa. you have to meet the people, speak about their hopes and

dreams and challenges and really offer what we need to do. i worked for mitch landrieu. we went all around the country, all around the world just talking about how mayors have to lead pragmatically and solve problems. we don't have the ability to run hide in d.c. or even to hide in the governor's mansion in the state capitol. our constituents see us on the ground, the church, synagogue, mosque, at the traffic lights. we have to be responsive. i think the mayor has a legit shot at showing how he solved problems in new york city. that being said we also as a party are suffering from an embarrassment of riches. we have an incredibly strong field. i think it's just going to push everyone to really step up their game and put their best foot forward. >> steven, we have the greatest respect for mayor bloomberg and think if he were elected

president he would be a great president, but from a purely political manner, how do you think he will do in south carolina getting in as a late entry with the crowded field we have? >> all these candidates have really strong teams. some peoples are being disbanded disbanded as we speak, but it's amazing how many folks are still undecided, mitch. there's still a whole lot of folks undecided. i think the mayor has a real appeal to people who are left of center, at center and right who might still be looking for a home. he has a pretty serious story of building wealth and then as you and i both know having benefitted from bloomberg philanthropies over the years he's never hesitated to give back. he committed he's going to die broke just by helping improve the world. i think there's room there.

nothing in politics anymore is handed to you. you have to get out and grind for it. that means yes being in the big cities but also means being on the jobs. >> he's been spectacular in that way. you're a smart politician. when you looked into his eyes did you think that he was really serious and was going to lean forward on this and make the jump today? >> i wasn't surprised. i could tell the sense of gravity that the trump presidency represents was weighing on him. it was real. i wonder and this is pure speculation. please don't assign this to mayor bloomberg. i do wonder if the former withdrawal from paris also represented some sort of tipping point for him. seeing climate as a truly existential threat to human

life -- all life for that matter -- i wonder if that played a role in the timing. i don't know that, but i wouldn't be surprised just based on context. >> this kind of decision, you know it because you've lived it, i've lived around it my whole life, you don't get in just on the strength of an issue. it's got to be part of a strength of a calculus of how you'll do in the field. i don't believe the mayor feels you have an embarrassment of riches but you don't have a dragon slayer. otherwise he wouldn't do it. mr. mayor, thank you very much. appreciate it. >> take care. >> i think that -- i know mike bloomberg well. i've known him for a long time. i've worked with him and for him from time to time. i understand he's a real patriot. he loves this country. he committed himself to being the mayor of the biggest city and he operates on a world stage. i think he believes donald trump is an existential threat. he saw weakness in the democratic field. he made a calculated guess that it was getting worse for the center rather than better. and i think he decided given

everything he saw, given the direction with impeachment and all the other things that he had to do it. that's the only thing that explains what he did today. >> he could come out and shock us. >> i doubt it. mike bloomberg is in it to win it. >> he has one already trump doesn't have, loyalty. no one spoke about this and shocked everybody. mr. mayor, thank you for helping us understand it. michael blook berg seems like he's going to run judging from everything we hear. next you're going to hear from someone who is in the race right now and says don't need him. i am the dragon slayer. mayor pete buttigieg making huge gains in iowa, the first state to vote. frequent heartburn? not anymore. the prilosec otc two-week challenge

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the same night we get this breaking news on bloomberg, earlier i had a chance to sit down with pete buttigieg. we talked about his giant leap in the polls in iowa and why he is the best in the party. mr. mayor, thank you very much for taking the opportunity. >> good to be with you. >> let's talk about the good news. the good news you in iowa polls are moving up. you are in the thick of what could be a four-person race in the latest polls ahead of the former vp. why do you think you are resonating more in a poll like this and from whom do you think you are drawing support? >> i think it's resonating because we have the winning message. what i'm offering is a way to unify the american people and still get the job done. the day the sun comes up on this country for the first time

donald trump is no longer president, one, we're going to be dangerously divided, even more than we are right now if you just think about everything we've been through and everything we're about to go through. the other thing that's also true is all of these big issues, climate, an economy that's not working for everybody, the need to do something about health care, they will not take a vacation for impeachment. they haven't taken a vacation for donald trump. they're going to need urgent action. the question is how do we get urgent action done and do it in a way that unifies not polarizes the american people? the more i talk about that, the more i see heads nodding. the people of iowa and the people of america across the democratic party are ready for that vision and why we're catching on and gaining ground. a long way to go and a lot of people who haven't heard our message yet. >> are you taking support? >> what i do believe is this is

a message that can connect with progressives, moderates, and some republicans. they're showing up at my events, saying they're going to support us. part of me wants to say did you see the speech? they're not looking for somebody who agrees with them on every issue, they're just furious with what's being done and looking for another way, somebody who will welcome everybody into a bigger coalition. >> you have to play the game of better me than dot, dot, dot. why better you than sanders or warren who are much more pleasing to the progressive progressives in your party? you're too safe, mr. mayor. >> what i'm offering is the most progressive presidency of our lifetime. it's true. i'm not going to go to the extremes some of the others will but i'm also offering something that we can actually get done. if we achieve this, medicare, it would be huge. if we're right that this is -- >> warren says it's a half

measure in a campaign run by consultants for safe ideas. she didn't say you. sounds like you. >> it's a great idea. it's the right thing to do. and it's the boldest thing we will have done to health care in more than 50 years. this is what it takes to get something done. >> she goes farther, more ambitious, more left than you. why is that not better? >> it's not better to abandon private plans. most americans want to figure this out themselves. i trust you to figure out whether you want to come on this public plan that i'm proposed we create or stick with what you've got. >> if people have private insurance, that's what bernie sanders, elizabeth warren and others on that perspective will say. >> it's just not true. we know how to have risk management protocols. other countries have done it. for a tiny fraction of the cost we can get every single american health care and do it in a way that respects your ability to

make your decision. >> you have the former vp, joe biden, who says i like the way this guy sounds. sounds like me. i'm the former vp. i have the pedigree and the experience. i've been through this war many times. i know what it takes to beat trump. so next time, mr. mayor. what do you say to them? >> i say it can't wait. here's the difference. i've got enormous respect for all my competitors. i just don't agree that we can go back to normal. i don't believe that donald trump is a blip. it is a symptom of some serious, deep problems that need attention in this country. this is about building a new normal. this is about deciding what the next chapter in american history is going to be like, not going back to the last one. >> so you believe you, not biden, is a function of looking forward not looking back? >> in a way. the most important thing now is to make sure we create a vision of the future that can bring americans together and doesn't have the weaknesses of the last 30, 40-year period we've been

living in. if things were going along just fine before donald trump, then a guy like donald trump would never have been able to get within cheating distance to the oval office to begin with. >> now that you are establishing yourself in the top four your negatives will be drawn into sharper focus. what are they? ostensibly two. the first one is you respect all your competitors. that's your problem. you're about to get into a fight where respect may be a weakness against maybe the best campaigner in the bunch. you can argue with his tactics and what is guiding this president but, boy, can he push a message and he's looking at you on the left and as you said in one of the debates you're all a bunch of socialists. you're all trying to take things from people, you're always trying to make everything okay. and you respect an other. and he'sing go to come at you. you're too nice. >> so i believe in kindness. no one should mistake my kindness for weakness. when it comes to dealing with this president, of course he will try the same playbook. it's not going to work on me.

he's going to talk about socialism, but in my case he'll be saying that about a mayor who worked with the private sector to deliver opportunities in our city. talk a big game about caring for working americans. i drive a chevy. i don't helicopter around to golf courses with my name on them. >> too young. not a gray hair on his head. >> every time i open twitter i get a new hair. look, the reality is that we're living in a moment where around the world we're seeing a new generation of leaders. some of the most interesting and promising are the same age i would be taking office. i'll put my experience guiding a city up against a whole lot in terms of what we're dealing with in south bend, guiding that city to a better future. not to mention my military experience. i'll put that up against any experience. i'm young. i represent a new generation. every winning democratic candidate in the last 50 years has been somebody who came from outside of washington, new on

the national scene, talked about values, and represented leadership. >> accepting president obama, vision good, the vision thing as they say in politics can resonate. but you're young and that becomes a coefficient of experience. small town mayor, two term. doesn't have the experience. if this were a written test you would get an a. but it's not. it's a practical. you haven't dealt with these pressures that can kill the average man and even in that little town you have a problem with african-americans. this without this, nothing for democrats and they don't like you. >> that's not true. the black voters who know me best in the city of south bend are largely responsible for how i got re-elected with 80% of the vote because of the good work we were doing at home. >> and polls suggest they have issues with you. >> there are a lot of -- there's a lot of work that we've got to do to make sure that we earn every vote. but i reject the idea that i'm not going to be able to win

black voters. first of all, we've got to stop talking about the black vote p like it's one person. we're talking about a diverse constituency. and a lot of americans who frankly have felt not only abused by the republican party but taken advantage of by the democratic party or taken for granted. we've got to make sure we're showing we're taking nothing for granted and we're going to earn those votes. i think that when black voters know what is on my agenda but also my heart i'm going to earn that support and we're working hard to do that. >> when you say we still have work to do, we can accept that in the micro, in south bend, whatever the particular constituency issues are there, you have to deal with them. when you look at the polls in house and see what you lag with african-americans, specifically the all-important demographic of african-american women middle aged, why? >> i think when you are new on

the scene as i am, it takes extra work. i think that's part of why you see the vp has a big advantage there now. that's nothing that i can't earn my way into. the important thing is to keep up that engagement. when people hear our message, they love it. i have to get out and sell it. that's true of someone who doesn't have years or decades of familiarity on the national scene. that doesn't deter me because i think the message that i have, one that is about ensuring that we deal with not only issues like criminal justice reform which we've got to do but also entrepreneurship. a lot of the solutions have to do with economic empowerment and women owned business that is will be a huge part of the solution and we ought to support that with policy, the federal government is doing more business with businesses owned by people who have been historically excluded. even coinvesting to help businesses get on their feet. that's going to create so many opportunities in this country. and that and other elements of the douglas plan, the agenda that i have to support black

americans and tear down this systemic inequality. i think it's the right answer. >> all right. there is more to talk about with mayor pete. where does his campaign stand on this bloomberg development? what are his thoughts on impeachment being worth the pain? and hear for the first time what he really thinks about this president next. let's be honest, every insurance company says they can save you these. in fact, if you had a dollar for every time they said it, you'd have a lot of dollars. which makes it hard to believe, especially coming from a talking lizard. pip, pip, cheerio! look, all i, dennis quaid, know is that esurance is built to save you dollars without skimping on service. and when they save, you save. the only way to know how much is to get a quote. chances are you'll save time, paperwork, and yes, dollars. when insurance is affordable, it's surprisingly painless.

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all right. we really got a lot out of mayor pete buttigieg. and here are some things you have not heard before. do you believe that impeachment, forget about principle, from a pragmatic perspective, is it worth the time and energy? does it leave us in a better place? >> i think as a country it's worth it because the constitution calls for it. it's one of those moments you have to set aside the politics. i don't know what the political effects will be. i don't think we should pay attention to that. as a candidate for office, i'm going to deal with the environment that we're in. as an issue that's on voters' minds. the biggest thing i'm being asked about, the question i think every voter asks, how is my life going to be different? >> you saw that a guy like lieutenant colonel vindman, he has the pedigree you almost can't make up in terms of duty

to service and he got attacked. bill taylor, the diplomat who has so many years in, who was asked to come in and do this job. he gets attacked. in the back of your mind, do you think, i don't even know what i'm getting into yet? this game is about bleeding and who bleeds out first. i know that sounds completely dramatic, but it's the reality as well. how do you handle that? >> i was a 22-year-old campaign staffer my very first job working on the kerry campaign out in arizona when an envelope came in to our campaign office with a purple heart, cut out of a purple heart, and a band aid stuck to it. this is nothing new although they've taken it to new depths. we've seen it for some time denigrating the service of war heroes, scraping the absolute bottom of the bottom of the barrel when it comes to the way that those in power treat anybody who gets in their way, even a decorated veteran like

colonel vindman. i think it's all the more evidence of why things need to change. there comes a point this is just unsustainable. just like that moment in the mccarthy hearings where someone said have you no sense of decency? and because, i believe, deep down there are republican senators and congress members just as there are so many millions of republican voters who know that this is dead wrong, that sooner or later as long as we're doing the right thing, this will -- we will get to the other side of this. in the meantime my job is to make sure that this isn't even close. in other words as candidate for president, the best thing that could happen to defeat not just trump but trumpism is to make sure that we build such a strong coalition, such a big majority, that there is such a thumping in november of 2020 against trumpism and everything associated with it that it creates the shockwaves required to reunite republicans in elected office with their conscious or lead to the dissolution of that party.

>> when they show national polls, all of you beat the president. when they did the state by state polls he is strong and long in every state that matters. michigan alone, the democrats keep talking about turning that back blue, they have a lot of work to do. what was the message for you in that? >> we have to go out and do the work. michigan -- i'm not saying i can see it from my porch but it's ten minutes from my house. this is my part of the country, a lot of these states. we have to make the case. i spent the last few days in iowa in largely kfb communities, rural areas that are ready for a different message. but you have to show up. you have to bring that message to people where they are. >> you talk a lot about respect. respect these competitors even if they come at you and say things. do you respect president trump? >> i mean, i respect the office of the presidency. as a person? >> the man. >> he has done nothing to command my respect, i'll say that. >> why? >> because he doesn't respect

his own presidency and, frankly, at a deeper level, i don't think he respects himself. i think he has created a sort of cartoon character, which is fine if you're a reality tv star where you're playing a part even when the part is yourself. when you're the president of the united states, lives depend on your integrity, on your wisdom, on your judgment and i just don't see it in this white house. >> and in the man, you don't see it? >> i don't see any integrity there. you look at him and there's just a sense that he would do anything. this is a guy who has shown no evidence of any principle other than that of advancing himself. and that is so costly right now especially now that he's actually got this level of power and we're seeing the consequences at home where, by the way, he's not been able to deliver on any of the things he's set out to do or promised. the only promise he's manage to keep is a tax cut for the enormously wealthy, that and some conservative judicial

appointments. manufacturing workers are finding themselves worse off. he's not building a wall. he's never going to build a wall. none of the things he said he would do are happening. moreover i don't think any of the things he said he wouldo are things he cares about. >> mayor pete, thank you very much. i appreciate it. good luck going forward. we'll talk to you again. >> good to be with you. >> it was good to have him on such an important night. mayor pete's campaign says mayor mike getting in the race would change nothing. they say they have a game plan and it is working so far. my argument is that this news about bloomberg matters, but not for the reason that people seem to think. let me know what you think of the argument next. pets. ♪ [ gasps ] they see everything we do. whoo! [ screaming ] and they never say a thing. [ sighs ] well, i feel better. that's why progressive covers them in your auto policy

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do we have a dragon slayer in this group? democrats may be looking at the wrong polls as they did in 2016. look, nationwide, the matchups look good, i get it, i've reported it. but what did we just see? same thing we saw in 2016 in key states. trump is tough and he can win the same way as last time, potentially. so this news raises questions democrats must address. number one, is the dragon slayer in this field? no one should want a dirty fight, of course. but if you're getting into the ring with this champ, that's what you'll be facing. and the dense and hyperambitious m4a, medicare for all talk, seems to miss the state of play. it's like working on your pretty footwork and style when your opponent is standing there with a shotgun. remember, this is a big part of why trump won in 2016.

>> hillary rotten clinton. rotten clinton. lil' marco. lil' marco. lying ted cruz. low energy jeb bush. crooked hillary clinton. crazy bernie. >> insults. not insights. simple, not sophisticated. look, bloomberg getting in suggests not so much that he thinks he can win. i don't know where he's getting that from. but that this field can't. his top adviser said mike is increasingly concerned that the current field of candidates is not well-positioned to defeat trump. the democratic nominee has to be properly armed for the onslaught that's coming. what does that mean? you've got to answer. question number two. are you speaking the language that america wants to hear right now? no offense, but again, this dense talk and sophisticated policy plans of a trillion there

and a trillion there and three years versus five and i'm going to take your health care. this is about not being the rabid right. do you do that if you are seen as an equal opposite of radical left? single payer or not. medicare for all versus medicare for all who want it. this is dense in times of determined simplicity. the democratic governor-elect, okay, promised to protect obamacare and the medicaid expansion. kentucky kept it simple, okay? he spoke the language of the local people, targeted. many of the democratic candidates are talking about blowing up the entire system. to many it sounds equally as crazy as what they're getting from trump. remember, he kept it simple. build the wall. lock her up. i'm not endorsing the ideas, but you're gng to be up against them, and you're going to have

to convince people that you have something better in a way that they can understand. if you're not going to take a page from the president, and i'm not saying that they should, you have to take one from that next governor of kentucky. simplify. speak their language. speak to their specific needs as they live them, not the potential of the future. now. question number three. how do you translate voter turnout into reality at the polls? virginia and kentucky benefitted from people coming out. we don't know the exact numbers yet but we know they were up. answer those questions and figure out how to be better. because that's why bloomberg is getting in. and you may see more. all right. that's the argument. when we come back, i have a bolo for you. you've got to be on the lookout of exactly why this president is to be feared, even among those who he gives a beatdown. next. ♪ born to be wild... born to be wild...♪

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garlique helps maintain healthy cholesterol naturally, and it's odor-free, and pharmacist recommended. garlique bolo means be on the lookout. former ag jeff sessions was fired a year ago. remember what he was called by potus, idiot, weak, disgraceful. yet he said, when president trump took on washington, only one senator out of a hundred had the courage to stand with him, me. i was the first to support president trump. i was his strongest advocate. thanks for watching. "cnn tonight," d. lemon, right now. >> we have his campaign ad. we're going to play it. he's still -- i won't say it. i was going to say, he's still doing something. but he's still standing behind this president, the one that threw him under air force one a million times.