and socialist and what impact will that have and the general election frank luntz one of the most influential pollsters in this country tells us what he's learned from talking with focus groups across the nation all on this edition of follow. the politicking on larry king he's one of america's most influential post. terming the words used in the political arena for decades frank luntz is here for an in-depth one on one conversation about the 2020 alexion cycle his for spec given the impact of trump's messaging and whether socialism may be a make or break label for democrats thanks for coming frank i would never say no to you it's obvious they're whatever the opponents are going to take advantage of the word socialist right why is that

a bad word since half this country is socialist well it didn't used to be that way and in fact more young people and then find themselves as socialist then capitalist we found that about 56 years ago. the word socialism and the idea of socialism as becoming more and more popular over the last 10 years of the obama administration and now with bernie sanders promoting it directly but still if you're over age 50 it's scares you it reminds you of eastern europe it reminds you of venezuela and reminds you of government control which nobody wants the problem the challenge for those on the right is at capitalism is a dirty word when they hear the word capitalism they think wall street profits. things that aren't good for hard working men and women and so it's not that socialism is becoming more popular it's that capitalism is becoming less popular

because lyndon johnson said that will have to be half socialist half capitalism social security is socialism well the 1st thing is that no one knows who lyndon johnson is anymore 2nd is that we can't define these terms ask an 18 year old what socialism is and they really don't know other than free stuff and if they're going to get free health care free strip job training free education and that's socialism and that they like and they see it in other countries they see in other countries and they don't think of venezuela they don't think of north korea they don't think of china and they think socialism they think europe they think norway sweden i was in no way it's amazing how it works there but it's a smaller country and it doesn't have the diversity that we have doesn't have the land mass that we have doesn't have the population explosion or the immigration that we have i think what i've learned over the last 10 years is that each country is different each election is different and what works for one country and one

election doesn't work for others explain bernie sanders success thus far is amazing the oldest candidate is loved by the youngest voters and in fact in iowa new hampshire and now nevada he has. dominated the 18 and 29 year old vote it's like they think he's their grandfather but they do seek free stuff they do not necessarily understand what it is to pay for something that health care isn't free somebody asked to pay for it education isn't free that someone is paying for it and they really don't like millionaires and billionaires so they respond to bernie's message and he's authentic you know that he says what he means and means what he says and for the youngest voters that's important to them. is also a hell of a campaign or either you guys got more interest in the 2 candidates with the most energy or bernie sanders and donald trump and they're also the oldest candidate

sanders goes to more events he's more excited he's energetic he pumps up the crowd and i watch some of these other candidates are simply quieter and they're not as engaged bernie sanders reads his own material he rarely if ever uses a teleprompter the guy's a great communicator i like to say that it takes bernie sanders an hour and a half to watch 60 minutes or the other one that i use bernie sanders is so old the only time he doesn't have to be is when he's being that said i talked to him during the campaign he's really committed he's genuine he's authentic i may disagree with everything he says but the american people are desperately looking for someone who looks you straightly i says what they mean and means what they say how come no one as soon as you're going to get all this stuff through congress that's the senate is most rouser going to get it passed you know you can want to know how you're going

to get it passed that's what the republicans will ask him but he's counting on democrats winning control the senate he's hoping that chuck schumer becomes the majority leader and of schumer does they could change the senate rules from 60 votes filibuster back down to 51 and if they do that the democrats have the majority. stranger things have happened could they take the senate yes they could and could it's can i right now it's 5050 i can now and i don't want to name the seats now i do want to name the seats arizona is very close. colorado is very close. maine is very close and that takes you down from 53 to 50 if the democrats were to win the senate that's the make or break now republicans can pick up alabama and there are a couple other seats right now you cannot determine who is going to hold the u.s. senate when this all started joe biden will prohibitive favorite form of vice president excellent guy could get nobody dislikes joe biden wants what's happened

well he likes to call themselves a constitutional specialist it's because he was there in the room when they wrote the document. biden. has not had the passion he's not as ideological as sanders or warned he's not as much of a fresh face as mary pete and. i don't think it's debate performance have been effective i think he's been too quiet he's too willing to follow the rules he doesn't show that passion that he had 10 or 15 years ago a boy billy and the debates really do matter they are watched by millions and millions of people what does elizabeth warren strobel see is a brilliant a better she's very smart to begin with she's the best debater and there are a significant percentage of women voters who really want to vote for a female candidate felt robbed when hillary clinton not win in 2016 and they see

either warner clubbish are carrying their mantle in 2020 assuming he doesn't get the nomination what's the future people reject. i think he has and i think he ends up in the cabinet is an amazing future in terms of pure debating he is the best debater by far the matter what question you ask him he's got a brilliant mike bloomberg could learn a lot from there pete might bloomberg should ask me or pete to debate prep him because he's kind of the answer for everything and he's calm and he's collected and if he were to get the nomination which i don't think he will but if he were he would drive trump nuts who will be the challenger to trump i think sanders has a tremendous advantage i really do. what i i have my jokes i hope he actually is the candidate i wanted to be secretary of agriculture under sanders a ministration that i can plant those magic trees for all that is from i hoping i

can say that on your air. i met him on the trail and i was surprised and impressed with his humanity that those on the right want to dismiss him as just being an angry old man. you don't get the votes of millions of young people if you are just an angry old man you don't change the mindset of americans on issues such as health care if you're just an angry old man there's something there and i've been to a half dozen of his rallies and i say to every viewer you have to go you have to see it because if you go you'll realize that these people are passionate they're dedicated their votes will not change there is a trump like feeling among sanders voters could trumbo avoid a debate we wouldn't know there's no law that they have to debate no and and i don't think he would want to it bernie sanders i think i'll challenge him directly and i think it will be the most watched debates in modern times i actually think

this will be the highest turnout in modern times because everyone loves trump will vote for him everyone hates him or vote against them everyone's going to participate even chicago voters dead people will be voting 3 or 4 times the impeachment hurts the democrats yes unless alosi thinks that but they that they chose to do it and they chose to do it in their way the public felt. the public feels that there is something there in our polling they question what was done and why it was done but. they don't think the democrats acted in good faith one of the things i learned since i 1st seizure show decades ago is that intent matters are you doing it for the american people or are you doing it for political gain and the public believes the democrats did it for political gain and they resent that donald trump is stronger today his numbers are higher today than they were before

impeachment and one more thing the single greatest indication. of reelection is a simple question are you better off today than you were 4 years ago reagan carter exactly and by the way you don't know this but i was on your show your radio show you're coast to coast show i was one of your callers after that debate in 1980 i've wanted to tell you this wherever we were you in college i was in college i was a freshman at the university of pennsylvania i called you from my dorm for 40 azure for 40 ronnie i got on your show everyone on the floor is going nuts because i'm on your national show and now it's 40 years later and i get a chance to do this with you now so thank you for taking my comments i really appreciate that reagan line was one of the best one of the best ever and it's the same line that donald trump should be asking right now but the challenge for trump is that in some ways he's own worst enemy. that he can be brilliant and the public

supports his policies and they all think the economy is better off but there is a language that they don't like tweeting that they don't like that they like what he's done but they have issues with how he does it and i wonder if he has enough self-control to promote the positive in him and reduce the negative you wouldn't. you can't call the selection with everybody voting and the most important state i want to say things that are helpful here so the state i want you to watch in the state as you should do a show from if you can is michigan because not detroit grand rapids because michigan has the union vote michigan has an urban vote michigan has a world farm vote grandmammy fashion city on its way forward and it has been a bellwether for decades the candidate who wins michigan wins america. frank

luntz is our guest he knows the business. we'll be back with more politicking right after this. better if long russian headlights. i'm a journalist it's all i know being a truth teller people say i make among comfortable good news is like a jackhammer good drill down and to find the true news with rick sanchez because it's time to do news again and question more and.

better of long russian airlines. nuclear become a battleground in the us in vermont people have demanding the shut down of a local plant for my yankee is right now my focus because it's a very dangerous oh no claire power plant the owner is attempting to run the reactor beyond its operational limits this case just sort of puts a magnifying glass on where's the power in this country where's it going is it moving more towards corporate interests or is it more in the idea of a traditional the just

a very dramatic or caesar power lie with the people this case demonstrates that struggle in the very real ways. the struggle. in london julian assange standing trial on whether he will be extradited to the u.s. to face espionage charges the stakes could not be higher songes libya even life is on the line freedom of speech is also on trial though you wouldn't know the stream media. welcome back to politicking we're talking with frank luntz the poll still republican party strategist political and communications. week here in studio ok donald trump once called you a low class. and as been ok you back in good terms with the i actually bought a very expensive jacket i was hoping he would notice this was beautiful and the

shirts expensive too so maybe i'm now i have high class now you know like me there is a period you know i'm the one who asked him the question about john mccain i'm the one who said to him but john mccain war hero and trump's response is no he's not a war hero is captured like the ones who weren't captured and that did not do his campaign well he was pissed at me for doing that and we've had our differences he does not like the fact that i try to tell the truth i read the polling data informed him and that well i read the polling data as it is and there's good and bad i read the speeches as they are and there's good and bad my job. and you're the only one who's still calls me a republican all the appearances i have now on national television i'm now considered an analyst rather than a partisan and the republican party doesn't pay you know it up and pay by the republicans in many many years and i've wanted to be independent which is why i like this show because i'm better when i get a chance to tell the truth when i get

a chance to look as it really is bernie sanders really does have an advantage right now donald trump is lucky and lucky his policies helped give us such a great economy if the election is about the economy that's a referendum down trump is reelected no matter what bernie sanders says the referendum is about donald trump and you probably loses because right now his favor ability to unfavorably is not high enough to get him reelected if it is a referendum about where we are globally it's too close to tell. so i want to be able to say that i want to be able to look you straight in and look the audience straight in. and tell them the truth and that's why i hate the labels and i accept term for what he said you know he bothered me at the time i got used to it who you think he wants to face he wanted to i think he wanted to face joe biden but i

cannot imagine that happening anymore to buy does not perform well enough in the debates i think since it's not biden i think you'd rather face sanders because he cannot imagine a socialist and a valid socialist getting elected president does bloomberg get biden's votes yes he does but my bloomberg can get up to 35 percent of the democrats my plumer could win some of these super tuesday states coming up but he can knock at the democratic nomination democrats will not vote for billionaires no way no how and no i'm being declared of right now he cannot win the nomination because there are too many democrats who will not allow someone buying the election to do that well and only put this out to you. the viewers need to know the rules of the democratic party as long as you get over 15 percent of a state vote you get tele gets bloomberg is going to get over 15 percent bernie

will get over 15 percent in every state. the 2nd aspect you need to know is that superdelegates do not vote on the 1st ballot so bernie could easily walk into the convention with a majority of delegates but those superdelegates are going to back bernie. and he will raise holy hell if they come in and back anyone who got less votes during the primaries and caucuses than he did will it come from the super bowls they come from elected officials that come from party officials they were 7 side almost like the electoral college to ensure that no one who is too extreme could possibly get the nomination perny is mainstream in the democratic party i know plenty of of house members plenty of senators who support him for president they didn't 4 years ago but they do now but imagine what happens if by 5 percent the democrats and state

after state have voted for bernie over everybody else and the superdelegates come in and try to support someone else to be an explosion we'll have chicago 68 right there no walking in a jew be elected. and i. always say this and not have people email into you he's not that jewish d d holding strong vermont ok so he's over module which media the day he was eloquent talking about how judaism is in the soul he had relatives that. he doesn't tap from on trees for maple syrup on the shabat i'm told. it's not a big issue for him and he is one of the most pro palestinian of the democratic candidates has said that he will play an even role and honest broker i think the jewish community when you look at what donald trump has done. back to the moving of

the embassy from tel aviv to jerusalem back to israel and i'm not sure i agree with some of this but backed israel's annexation of some territory and been a very strong supporter of bibi netanyahu the elections coming shortly. it's hard to find another president who's been more pro israel but a taste something larry the number one issue for jews is not israel you know it is abortion. really they are more concerned about maintaining america as pro-choice that if you asked which is a more important issue to you by a small parabola the jews would choose abortion over israel it's remarkable the right to abortion rights abortion yes. in all your experience have you ever seen this country more divided know and it it it's and part of it is the shows on the cable networks and the radio programs and encourages division you've

not asked me a single question that either pushes me to the left of pushes me to the right that doesn't happen anymore we are so divided and so angry and the problem is it's not just that we're not tolerant it's that we say things to trigger others we want to say that our opponents are destroying the country or are even worse a threat to us the language that's being used in american politics has not been this divisive since 1900 race at since 1960 and we all know what happened in 1960 ira i remember when i recently don't remember 806 no i remember when i could name many every 2nd of every senate i remember when republican senators had dinner with democratic senators and i would go home. and they don't talk to each other and that translates to the senate floor and we have bitterness right so how do we solve it you're older than i am you're wise how do we solve i think you need

a night golden shining on me you need someone. who brings it all together and i don't see that so when you we have someone he was the mayor of the e.c.m. democrat you have to i'm going to give you a democrat a republican mitch landrieu. a remarkable politician mayor of new orleans loves people works on both sides of the aisle brilliant communicator but he chose not to run we have someone on the republican side and sas brilliant knows policy as well as anyone doesn't engage in this negative campaign he has been willing to challenge the president on occasion he chooses not to run if good people do not engage in the process how can we be upset when bad people when right now who's the next president can't have never touched you in the times he done these in

the news i've never touched you it's a crapshoot donald trump has the advantage of the economy right now that was his carville said it's the economy stupid and if it holds ice as it is right now he wins but there's every reason to expect it will not hold because of this chinese virus on the other hand bernie sanders should not win but he's going to get the highest turnout in some of these midwestern industrial states that trump won which helped him win centers is going to turn up people in pounds of they aren't there really only 5 states 6 states that count michigan. wisconsin pennsylvania florida florida north carolina new hampshire there are they all account they all account and at this point trump is doing better in those swing states nationwide he's losing to bernie sanders in the polling by 5 or 6 points in the swing states he's dead even or even up a couple of points he's winning in michigan he's winning big time in wisconsin the

electoral map benefits trump but again there's a big kavya if the economy comes apart and we've got more than 6 months because of this virus and all bets are off a virus in china that is shutting down production in china that's going to affect the american automotive industry the american cell phone industry so much of our manufacturing moved to china and now we could have a real problem come summer fall so that has an it be economy correct but it will but it will and it will before election day but make no mistake more people at work today than ever before the black unemployment rate is at an all time low the latino unemployment rate at an all time low the 18 to 29 year old unemployment rate at a 30 year low the democrats want to say this is a time of economic anxiety this is actually a time of economic confidence and that's why at this point trump has advantages.

but the election will be too close to call it will know well tomorrow way i.e. he can call me a low class slob again. mr president i can i call it now is twitter is twittering a laugh a bit make fun of it but don't americans like it kind of was going to say today they like it they read it i don't think it's constructive i know they has an impact he is correct. he can speak over the new york times and the l.a. times and the wall street journal he can say what he wants and there are about 3000000 people he's got more followers but they're about 3000000 people who read him every day and it doesn't matter. what he says they love it but it's not constructive it's a lot helpful because there's too much anger on twitter there's too much this is this is too much a negative tweet is 3 times more likely to be. light and forwarded

than a positive tweet a negative tweet is so much more likely to be remembered than a positive tweet and that's a problem for each for our political system franklin's or john many times is a great guest thank you larry and and you look great of so they'll see you thank you to franklin's we thank him for his time today and thank you for joining me on this edition of politicking remember you can join the conversation on my facebook page or tweet me at kings things and don't forget to use the politicking ash tag and that's all for this edition of politicking.

better it's long russian headlights. i'm a journalist it's all i know being a truth teller people say i make a monk come from good uses like a jackhammer to drill down to find the true. church because it's time to do news again and question more and. better of flaunting russian headlights. people who have money in pension accounts people who have money in savings are actually digging into their pockets because their savings rate their pension accounts are now yielding close to 0 or

negative they're taking money out of their pockets banks to the central bankers and they're giving it to a billionaire so he can buy jeopardy so he can sell trinkets the more billionaires this is louis the $65.00 only living off the the labor of the peasant. is later still must. actually i know a. time when i will not or. there's a number on she now you not. can if you could say it was more greek if that. was not going to match the area it would be about today i believe that with the other

garage i don't know that i'd be. the one that having. given for people. to give the new neither you. or you need. to go before. well none of your was. true for. the. december good year if you got.

a sudden flare up in the syrian conflict taki carries out attacks against government targets in italy province according to reports as afghan chorus base 33 turkish troops were killed in northwest syria. a.b.c. news suspends one of its veteran reporters. after he appeared on i secretly recorded video slamming his network and out of himself with the socialist. rivals to bernie sanders in the race for the democratic us presidential nomination result with 26 dean playbook suggesting he's backed by russia. jacqueline berger is here with your next news updates in just about 60 minutes right now on r.t. it's the kinds of reform.