Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar
Episode: 11/7/24: Biden World Blame Game, Bernie Shreds Dems For Abandoning Working Class
Release Date: November 7, 2024
Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

In this episode of Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar, hosts Kimberly Guilfoyle and David Sirota delve deep into the aftermath of the recent Democratic Party turmoil following President Joe Biden's exit from the presidential race. The discussion centers around internal conflicts within the Democratic Party, critiques of Biden's administration, and Bernie Sanders' vehement criticism of the party's abandonment of the working class. The episode provides a comprehensive analysis of the structural challenges facing the Democrats, the influence of party elites, and the prospects for the party's future.

1. Internal Democratic Party Conflicts

George Clooney's Role in Biden's Exit

Kimberly Guilfoyle opens the discussion by addressing the backlash against George Clooney for his perceived role in pressuring Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race.

• Guilfoyle (02:16): "Apparently George Clooney is facing a backlash from demoralized Democrats for demanding that Joe Biden quit the presidential race."

Impact on the Election Outcome

David Sirota challenges the notion that Biden's withdrawal was beneficial for the Democrats, arguing that it may have exacerbated their electoral defeat.

• Sirota (02:36): "If they stuck with Joe Biden, they would've lost New Mexico and the popular vote by like 10 million votes, not the current 5 million votes."

Alternative Scenarios Without Biden's Exit

Guilfoyle explores a hypothetical scenario where Biden remains in the race, suggesting that it might have provided clarity on the party's deeper issues rather than masking them.

• Guilfoyle (02:53): "In an alternative universe where Joe Biden just stays in, it would not have been evident that there's a deeper fundamental underlying issue here."

2. Critique of Biden’s Administration

Biden's Leadership and Policy Selling

Both hosts criticize Biden's effectiveness in communicating and selling his administration's policies, attributing part of the electoral loss to his inability to connect with voters.

• Sirota (04:50): "Joe Biden is an unambiguous failure. Jimmy Carter was more of a successful president than you were, dude."

Comparison with Past Presidents

Sirota draws unfavorable comparisons between Biden and former presidents like Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush, highlighting perceived deficiencies in Biden's leadership and policy execution.

• Sirota (06:03): "Not since George W. Bush have we suffered so deeply as a country because of one man's narcissism."

3. Bernie Sanders’ Criticism of the Democratic Party

Abandonment of the Working Class

A significant portion of the episode focuses on Bernie Sanders' open letter criticizing the Democratic Party for forsaking the working class, leading to their own political downfall.

• Sirota (19:55): "Bernie Sanders writes, 'It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people should find that the working class has abandoned them.'"

Structural Alignment with Elites

Krystal Ball elaborates on Sanders' critique, emphasizing the Democratic Party's entanglement with the donor and corporate classes, which undermines their ability to address working-class grievances effectively.

• Ball (22:59): "If you're trying to both speak to working class voters and appease and enrich the donor class, you're going to either sound incoherent or you're only going to talk about a narrow set of issues."

4. The Democratic Party’s Future and Potential Candidates

Missed Opportunities for Leadership

The hosts discuss missed opportunities by potential Democratic leaders like Dean Phillips and Gavin Newsom, suggesting that their reluctance to challenge the party status quo contributed to the current predicament.

• Guilfoyle (12:43): "Gavin Newsom really missed his shot as well. So there's lessons in this."

Challenges for Female Candidates

Guilfoyle highlights the Democratic Party's struggles with nominating strong female candidates, predicting that future female presidents are more likely to emerge from the Republican side due to perceived cultural barriers within the Democrats.

• Guilfoyle (13:36): "I think the first female president will be a Republican. Like a conservative, someone like Sarah Sanders."

5. Reactions to External Commentary and Media Perspectives

Ezra Klein and David Brooks on Sanders' Legacy

The episode touches on recent articles by influential commentators like Ezra Klein and David Brooks, who acknowledge Bernie Sanders' insights into the party's failings—an acknowledgment that the hosts find belated and inadequate.

• Ball (34:03): "It's better late than never. If everyone's realizing this now, there's still a future here that we have to fight for."

Media’s Late Recognition of Party Issues

Ball expresses frustration with major media outlets like The New York Times for only recently validating Sanders' criticisms, arguing that such realizations come too late to effect meaningful change.

• Ball (34:03): "How did you arrive at this brilliant revelation that all of us for the last 30 years have been saying? I'm so glad this is such a wonderful realization for you."

6. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Enduring Structural Problems

The hosts conclude with a somber outlook on the Democratic Party's ability to reform, citing entrenched interests and the influence of the party's donor class as significant barriers.

• Ball (32:44): "There is a financial iron triangle inside the Democratic Party that is structurally aligned against Bernie Sanders and class-based politics."

Hope for Change Amid Defeat

Despite the bleak assessment, there remains a glimmer of hope that the recent electoral defeat might catalyze necessary introspection and change within the party.

• Krystal Ball (33:29): "We're about to see whether that iron triangle can withstand even a shellacking like that happened in an electoral shellacking that so obviously proves the Democrats have a massive political problem."

Notable Quotes

• Kimberly Guilfoyle (02:16): "George Clooney is facing a backlash from demoralized Democrats for demanding that Joe Biden quit the presidential race."

• David Sirota (02:36): "If they stuck with Joe Biden, they would've lost New Mexico and the popular vote by like 10 million votes, not the current 5 million votes."

• David Sirota (04:50): "Joe Biden is an unambiguous failure. Jimmy Carter was more of a successful president than you were, dude."

• David Sirota (19:55): "Bernie Sanders writes, 'It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people should find that the working class has abandoned them.'"

• Krystal Ball (22:59): "If you're trying to both speak to working class voters and appease and enrich the donor class, you're going to either sound incoherent or you're only going to talk about a narrow set of issues."

• Kimberly Guilfoyle (13:36): "I think the first female president will be a Republican. Like a conservative, someone like Sarah Sanders."

Conclusion

This episode of Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar offers a critical examination of the Democratic Party's internal struggles, the impact of leadership decisions, and the broader implications for the party's alignment with the working class. Through incisive analysis and sharp commentary, Guilfoyle and Sirota highlight the systemic issues that have led to the party's electoral setbacks and question the feasibility of meaningful reform in the near future. Bernie Sanders' outspoken critique serves as a pivotal point in the conversation, underscoring the urgent need for the party to realign with its foundational base to regain political momentum.