Primary. Im Michael Smerconish in philadelphia. Voting is underway now in South Carolina unless all the polls are wrong, donald trump will score a big victory over nikki haley and move one step closer to securing the gop nomination. This despite facing four criminal indictments and personal financial peril on friday in new york state, judge finalized a 355 million judgment against trump and triggered a countdown for when trump must put up cash or post bond to cover that amount. Plus the roughly 100 million in interest that he was ordered to pay. Thats a huge sum No Matter What trumps net worth might be. And it doesnt include the combined the 88 million that he owes e. Jean carroll after twice losing civil trials to her. You would think the combination of potential jail and financial collapse for the republican candidate would build confidence among his democratic detractors. And independent never trumpers and instead the opposite is true the political question on the minds of many is about his opponent, president joe biden. Is biden the only democrat who can beat trump . Or as biden, the only democrat trump can be one thing is for sure theres no way bidens minimalist mode of campaigning that which might have been appropriate amidst the pandemic in 2020 is going to escape scrutiny in 2024 an incumbent trailing in the national and battleground polls with an Approval Rating that on friday, gallup reported is only 38 needs to pursue every opportunity to turn the tide instead, this president turned down Television Time in an Election Year preceding the super bowl, the most watched event ever. And many noticed. Among them, democratic strategist james carville, who told me here that it was a sign and carville has Company Veteran political analyst, jeff greenfield, recently advised in politico that quote, biden will have to take the path he has avoided so far and engage with voters and with the press fully embracing the risks of further slips the New York Times recently ran an editorial saying, biden must do better adding quote. He has had less substantive, unscripted interaction with the public and the press than any other president in recent memory in fact, since becoming president , biden has done just 86 interviews at this point in his predecessors presidencies, trump had given 300 barack obama 422 although hell deliver the state of the Union Address on march 7, thats going to be with the teleprompter. Democratic congressman bennie thompson, who chaired the select committee on january 6, quoted in rollcall as saying those of us who helped joe biden get elected president are not real comfortable at this point with what were seeing democratic former House Majority leader steny hoyer, quote, we all have concerns. We want to make sure its a victorious campaign ezra klein, New York Times columnist, political analyst, recently asserted this on his podcast i think biden as painful as this is, should find his way to stepping down as a hero that the party should help him find his way to that to being the thing that he said he would be in 2020. The bridge to the next generation of democrats and then i think democrats should meet in august at the convention to do a Political Parties have done a convention so many times before organize victory that nate silver or 538 posted this on his blog personally, i crossed the Rubicon In November Concluding that biden should stand down if he wasnt going to be able to run a normal reelection campaign, meaning things like conduct a super bowl interview yes. Its a huge risk and yes, biden can still win. Silver proposed biden do for lengthy sitdown interviews with non friendly sources and make public a complete recording of those interviews. He says that biden and his inner circle have to make sure hes really up for a second term. And is the best option for democrats, quote . If biden was willing to take five hours to speak with special counsel, robert hur he ought to take five hours for this. And if he cant, its awfully audacious to ask americans to make him president for another four years. Instead, this week we got a report from axios that in closeddoor fundraisers, the president has been calling on prescreen donors and then relying on note cards with Bullet Points to provide answers as axios puts it, the system is in place, quote, to help explain his own positions on questions he knows are coming and instead of availing himself of longform interviews to put forth his second term agenda or holding long press conferences. The president has been communicating via brief tiktoks choppy twitter videos and brief press scrums. The Campaign Says its just keeping up with the times, but many wonder if hes going to avoid debates down the road. Biden supporters have also been quick to counter with trumps many gaffes and relatively Light Campaign schedule but according to a Quinnipiac University poll that was released on wednesday, more than twothirds of voters think that biden is too old to effectively serve another term what asked whether trump is too old 41 said yes needless to say, the administration is not happy with this stuff being said out loud and often, the New York Times published her ag salzburg or recently said biden is quote, a historically unpopular incumbent. And the oldest man to ever hold this office. Weve reported on both of those realities extensively and the white house has been extremely upset about it. My next guest, emmywinning legend bob costas, was an early adopter of this point of view, as he recently were counted with bill maher and it comes to biden, this is like the truth that no one until very recently wants to say out loud, but my friends will tell you ive been saying it for four years. This is emperors new clothes stuff. Joe biden should have run on a firm promise that he would be a one term president. The only reason he is president is that hes not donald trump. Then the dams could have gotten a lot of people up. And they could have sorted through those people if bidens hubris is such that he doesnt understand the best interests of his party. And more important his country then he has to be shown the door so is President Biden the democrats best chance at beating donald trump . I want to know what you think. Go to my website at smerconish. Com. Answer todays Poll Question. It reads like a puzzle. Which is more accurate, only biden can be trump or trump can only be biden. Bob costas joins me now, 29 time emmywinner bob, thank you for being here like the others that ive quoted from you, come at this from a position of not wanting to see trump get elected . You should state that at the outset, true yes absolutely. He is by far the most disgraceful figure in modern president ial history. Hes only become more disgraceful since 2016 and since 2020 he has a bubbling cauldron of loathsome traits. And its only those who are actually suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome, which is the way they and fox news and all the rest of maga media try to brush aside all the legitimate criticisms of trump. You have to be in the throes of some sort of Toxic Delusion in an a toxic colt to believe that donald trump has ever been, in any sense emotionally, psychologically, intellectually, or ethically fit to be president of the United States. But his supporters are locked in on that there is no color okay, of joe biden. Even theres only finish this thought michael, even if he had not run explicitly with a pledge that he would be a oneterm president even if halfway through this term, he had said, look, ive done my job. I have some policy successes. Ill continue to do my job. And now the democrats can get, as i said before, some people up in the bullpen and sort through it, he had a chance to be seen as a statesman and a patriot. Now his legacy is likely to be that of a man whos hubris, prevented him from seizing the moment and appropriate way. And at best, he can squeak by trump. Thats at best well, we could lose to trump and subject the nation to four more years of this kind of ongoing insanity. Or if he squeaked by, its very likely that he cannot complete his second term, hed be 86 at the end of it is, it possible that youre not giving the incumbent his just do im going to put up on the screen and ill read aloud so that you know what im talking about. Stuart stevens is a former republican political consultant now with the lincoln project, quote, the stock market is hitting right . Heard highs, unemployment is at a record low with 14 million new jobs. Talk to Small Business owners. The biggest problem theyre facing is finding workers. He goes on to talk about infrastructure a prescription drugs, gas prices, and says, joe biden has assembled a hell of a record. No ones giving him credit for that i think hes getting some credit for it, but heres the key. He cannot make that case for himself. He cannot make a clear, cogent, vigorous case for himself, nor can he prosecute the obvious case against trump in the court of Public Opinion . Gavin newsome frequently goes on these programs like yours and makes a very articulate and detailed case for President Biden but all it makes me and millions of others think is biden is in capable of uttering even two consecutive sentences of the five perfect paragraphs that newsome just put together. And i think nate silver, you quoted earlier saying that hes got to get out there and do for interviews with unfriendly or at least a downthemiddle, not softball interviews. But the problem with that is his own staff knows that he has to be bubblewrapped. That he cant do a super bowl interview. Its sad to say biden is obviously on balance a decent man. He served his country and No Matter What, sane people will vote for him over trump but its a hell of a risk to send this guy out there. Trump is a monster. He shouldnt send this guy out there at this point in his life to try and slay the dragon. Bob. I know the reaction that you will receive. Im sure that youve already received from it can away with candor expressing yourselves expression yourself, you obviously believe that its something you have to do, right . I mean, speak to the reaction that youve heard and your willingness to endure the criticism and say these things you know, look most of my career has been in sports. I think fair people who are familiar with it . No, however, that im reasonably conversant with other topics. But as i said at the top with bill maher, this is emperors new clothes stuff if people arent familiar with the fairy tale, the emperor was naked. No one wanted to say it. A little child was able to say it. This is common sense stuff. And as a concerned citizen, i feel as if i was on bill maher, i didnt know for sure what hed asked. He asked me the question. I told them what ive been thinking about for years. I think that resonates with many people of course, there are people who say, and this is the card theyve been playing for a long time yeah, we kinda know its true, but dont say that that will only help donald trump. Well, how feckless or the democrats, if they realized that this guy could possibly lose to trump then get somebody else out there. You dont go into the super bowl with a quarterback who has a dead arm or the seventh game with the world series of people are more comfortable with me talking in sports terms, you dont do it. This is just so obvious i know that i received criticism by having this type of the conversation and people will say, youre electing donald trump. And my response is to say no, youre electing donald trump. If you have a candidate whos not up to the task and you dont think anyone else is noticing . You get the final word, but youve only got 30 seconds well, a final word, ill remind people what they shouldnt have to be reminded of concerning trump, what his former Chief Of Staff said, john kelly the depth of his dishonesty is astonishing. He is a person who has no idea what america is all about. A person who has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our constitution, and the rule of law. God help us all. The Trump Delusion is not going away on the right butt saying democrats have to offer a compelling alternative biden for all he has accomplished and for all his basic decency is not a compelling figure any longer thank you. Bob costas, appreciate it thank you. Michael what do you thinking hit me up on social media. Ill read some responses throughout the course of the program. What do we have catherine . Are you a trump . Right. I mean, there we go. I didnt know that was coming because i never know any of the social media that are coming, but thats exactly what im talking about. Cathy baron doesnt want to hear it and i guess thinks that the ostrich approach is the way to go because hey, dont say it no one will notice everyones noticed. Kathy. And i think that bob is courageous for his willingness to offer the opinion that he just did in an effort in his view to say, hey, wait a minute, you know, ignoring ignoring the emperor with no clothes is going to get donald trump elected. Is that really what we want to do . Or does this require a rethinking before the Convention Comes . I want to know what you think. Go to my website at smerconish. Com. Answer. Todays Poll Question. Yeah, i said it reads like a bit of a puzzle only biden can be trump only by, hes the only guy he did it before is the only one who can do it again or trump can only be biden. Meaning if it werent biden, trump couldnt win go vote up ahead. Donald trump is arguing that the 355 million verdict for fraud was improper because there werent any victor is that accurate and while President Biden considers an Executive Action to restrict migrants ability to seek asylum, donald trump is pledging that if reelected, he will quote launch the largest domestic deportation operation in american history. We will either approach work night, its states of scandal with jake tapper tomorrow at nine on cnn, rsv is out there for those 60 years and older protect against rsv with a wreck sv, a rx is a vaccine used to prevent lower Respiratory Disease from rsv in people 60 years and older, wreck speed is not protect everyone and is not for those with severe allergic reactions to its an agreement those with weakened Immune Systems may have a low response to the vaccine. The most common side effects or injection site pain, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and joint pain. 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