"HERE AND NOW," I'M STEVEN
POTTER.
>> FOR THEIR TAKE ON THE
REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY
DEBATE, TWO VETERAN POLITICOS.
OUR POLITICAL PANELIST
REPUBLICAN BILL McCOSHEN AND
DEMOCRAT SCOTT ROSS.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US,
GUYS.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
>> FIRST, WHAT WAS YOUR TAKE OF
THE DEBATE?
>> I LIKED IT.
AS A FORMER HOCKEY COACH, I LIKE
THE FACT THAT THEY COMPETED FOR
THE NOMINATION.
YOU CAN'T TEACH KIDS TO COMPETE
AND SIX OF THEM I THINK BROUGHT
THEIR "A" GAME.
I DIDN'T THINK HUTCHINSON OR TIM
SCOTT DID, BUT THE OTHERS
COMPETED TO GET THIS NOMINATION.
MY RANKING OF THE DEBATE THE
OTHER NIGHT WOULD BE DONALD
TRUMP NUMBER ONE.
HE DIDN'T GET HIT AT ALL THE
WHOLE NIGHT.
RON DeSANTIS, NUMBER TWO.
I WOULD HAVE HAD VIVEK RAMASWAMY
NUMBER THREE AND NIKKI HALEY
NUMBER FOUR AND MIKE PENCE
NUMBER 5.
THERE'S A COUPLE PROBLEMS WITH A
FEW OF THEM.
ONE WAS TRUMP.
HE WASN'T THERE.
WE'LL SEE OVER TIME WHETHER OR
NOT THIS HURTS HIS BIG LEAD
NATIONALLY AND IN THE KEY
STATES.
I THINK IT WILL.
NUMBER TWO, VIVEK VFNLT HE TRIED
TO FILL THE OUTSIDER LANE WHICH
TRUMP HAS FULLY FILLED.
THE ONE THING THE MODERATORS
DIDN'T ASK HIM, THE FOLLOW-UP
QUESTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN HE'S
IN THIS RACE, WHY ARE YOU IN
THIS RACE?
NOBODY ASKED HIM THAT.
THE FINAL ONE IS MIKE PENCE.
SCOTT ROSS HAS MORE CHANCE OF
GETTING THE REPUBLICAN
NOMINATION THAN MIKE PENCE DOES.
VOTERS WILL NEVER ALLOW HIM TO
BE THE NOMINEE, SO I THINK IT'S
TIME FOR THE FORMER VP TO EXIT
STAGE LEFT.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> IF THIS IS JUST AN EXCUSE TO
TRY TO GET ME TO GO TO MILWAUKEE
NEXT YEAR, THAT'S NOT THE WAY TO
DO IT.
[LAUGHTER]
>> WHAT I SAW WITH THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE SAW, WHICH IS AGREEING
WITH BILL ON THE FACT THAT
DONALD TRUMP, YOU KNOW, CAME IN
SECOND.
JOE BIDEN CAME IN FIRST IN THAT
DEBATE BECAUSE WHAT YOU SAW WAS
A GROUP OF PEOPLE TRYING TO
CLAMOR FOR DONALD TRUMP'S
APPROVAL WHILE ISSUING OPINIONS
THAT ARE JUST SO BEYOND WHAT THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE SUPPORTING
RIGHT NOW.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DO SUPPORT
ABORTION RIGHTS.
THE REPUBLICANS WILL HAVE A
NATIONWIDE ABORTION BAN.
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OPPOSES
CLIMATE CHANGE AND DOESN'T
BELIEVE IT EXISTS.
WE SAW THAT IN THE JUST TERRIBLE
LACK OF RAISING HANDS AND THAT
SORT OF THING.
OVERALL, I THINK THE BIG NEWS
THERE WAS THAT RON DeSANTIS
TURNED OUT TO BE EXACTLY THE
PAPER TIGER THAT DONALD TRUMP
SAID HE WAS BECAUSE HE HAD
ABSOLUTELY NO IMPACT IN THAT
DEBATE OTHER THAN LETTING US
KNOW THAT ANY SINGLE TIME HE'S
ASKED A QUESTION, HE'S GOING TO
ANSWER IT IN A VERY SURLY,
SWARMY WAY.
IF YOU'RE BEING IRRITATING LIKE
VIVEK, I THINK THAT'S A FEAT
WELL DONE.
>> MORDECAI LEE JUST SAID IN THE
REPORT THAT WE HAVE ON THE
DEBATE THAT REPUBLICANS HAVE A
DEEP BENCH OF IMPRESSIVE
PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS TO THE
EXTENT HE SAID THAT DEMOCRATS
SHOULD BE VERY, VERY AFRAID.
WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT?
>> THE DEMOCRATS HAVE JOE BIDEN
TO RUN THIS TIME.
HE IS THE INCUMBENT PRESIDENT.
HE HAS CREATED 13 MILLION JOBS.
HE HAS HELPED BUILD AN COMEEP
ECONOMY FROM THE GROUND UP AND
THE MIDDLE OUT THAT IS HELPING
ALL OF AMERICANS TO TRY AND
THRIVE IN THESE TRYING TIMES.
THE DEMOCRATS DON'T NEED A GOOD
BENCH RIGHT NOW IN 2024 BECAUSE
THEY'LL BE RUNNING IN 2028 WITH
A WHOLE NEW CANDIDATE.
>> JOE BIDEN IS 106 YEARS OLD.
I MEAN, YOU HAVE NO BENCH AT
THIS POINT IN TIME.
I AGREE WITH MORDECAI ON THIS.
THE ONE ACTUALLY WHO IMPRESSED
ME THE MOST BUT PROBABLY WON'T
LAST MUCH LONGER WITH NORTH
DAKOTA DOUG BURGUM.
I THOUGHT HE WAS AUTHENTIC WITH
SMOOTH ANSWERS.
THE REALITY IS, HE PROBABLY
WON'T MEET THE THRESHOLD FOR
DEBATE IN SEPTEMBER.
>> SO SOMEHOW DOES DONALD TRUMP
MAINTAIN SUCH A COMMANDING LEAD
EVEN AS HE TURNS HIMSELF IN FOR
ARREST ON HIS LATEST INDICTMENT?
>> THERE'S TOO MANY CANDIDATES
IN THIS FIELD.
THE REALITY IS, THOSE THAT DID
NOT QUALIFY FOR THE MILWAUKEE
DEBATE SHOULD ALREADY BE OUT OF
THIS RACE.
THOSE WHO DO NOT QUALIFY FOR
CALIFORNIA WHEN THE STANDARDS
GET RAISED SHOULD ALSO DROP OUT.
THE NOTION THAT THIS WILL GET
DECIDED IN NEW HAMPSHIRE OR
SOUTH CAROLINA OR ON SUPER
TUESDAY IS NONSENSE IN THIS
CYCLE.
THIS CYCLE IS MOVING FASTER THAN
ANY IN OUR LIFETIME.
IF THOSE WHO WANT ANOTHER
ALTERNATIVE OTHER THAN DONALD
TRUMP TO BE THE NOMINATOR OF THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY, IF YOU ARE
SUPPORTING SOMEONE OTHER THAN
RON DeSANTIS OR NIKKI HALEY AT
THIS POINT, YOU ARE WASTING YOUR
TIME AND YOUR MONEY.
THE OTHERS NEED TO GET OUT SO
THAT WE CAN SCHAI CONSOLIDATE TS
RACE.
>> WHAT DO YOU SAY ABOUT DONALD
TRUMP HAVING THIS COMMANDING
LEAD?
>> IT SHOWS THAT THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY HAS LOST ITS MIND BECAUSE
THIS GUY JUAN FIT IN 2016, HE
WAS UNFIT IN 2020 AND HE REMAINS
UNFIT AND INDICTED IN 2024.
THE THING ABOUT THE DEBATE THE
OTHER NIGHT THAT YOU NOTICED IS
WHENEVER, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE,
ANY OF THOSE CANDIDATES TRIED TO
ARTICULATE A POSITION THAT
SEEMED EVEN REASONABLE, THEY
DISQUALIFIED THEMSELVES FROM
WING THE ACTUAL PRIMARY.
THE THING THAT NIKKI HALEY SAID
ABOUT HOW SHE WAS TRYING TO TALK
ABOUT ABORTION AND TALK PROCESS
ON IT AND WHY IT MIGHT NOT BE
ABLE TO BE POSSIBLE AND CHRIS.
>> NIKKI MOVED MY WIFE.
SHE HAD THE RIGHT ANSWERING ON
ABORTION ON THE STAGE AND THE
OTHER SEVEN BOYS OUTING TO PAY
ATTENTION TO WHAT SHE SAID IF
THEY WANT TO WIN.
>> SHE HAD AN ABSOLUTELY NORMAL
OPINION.
70% OF AMERICANS SUPPORT
ABORTION RIGHTS.
SHE MAY HAVE HAD AN EFFECT ON
SOME WOMEN IN THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY, BUT THE FACT IS THE VAST
MAJORITY OF AMERICANS WHO ARE
VOTERS SUPPORT ABORTION RIGHTS.
>> I WANT TO ASK YOU THIS, BILL.
SPEAKING OF INDICTMENTS, AS WE
JUST WERE, WISCONSIN'S FALSE
ELECTORS AND THE ARCHITECTS OF
THAT EFFORT FIGURED PROMINENTLY
IN THE GEORGIA INDICTMENT.
CAN WISCONSIN RETREAT FROM THE
MADNESS OF ALL OF THIS THIS TIME
AROUND?
>> WELL, WE'RE STILL SCHEDULED
TO BE ONE OF THE FIVE KEY SWING
STATES NEXT YEAR, BUT THAT COULD
CHANGE.
I'M NOT TOTALLY CONVINCED DONALD
TRUMP COULD BE COMPETITIVE HERE.
THERE'S NO EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST
THAT HE'S GROWN HIS COALITION,
IF HE IS, IN FACT THE NOMINEE
FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
MOREOVER, HIS STYLE, THE
SLEDGEHAMMER STYLE OF LITERALLY
SMASHING HIS OPPONENTS WITHIN
THE REPUBLICAN POTTER IS SO
AGAINST RONALD REAGAN'S ELEVENTH
COMMANDMENT, IT DOES NOT PLAY
WELL HERE.
WE MAY NOT BE NICE, BUT WE'RE
FAIR.
REPUBLICANS WILL NOT FAREWELL IF
HE DESTROYS DeSANTIS OR NIKKI
HALEY.
>> DEMOCRATS ARE HELL BENT ON
GAINING POWER.
WE'VE SEEN THAT ACROSS THE
BOARD.
I DON'T SEE HOW, WITH THE WAY
THE REPUBLICAN MEDIA MACHINE
WORKS IN TERMS OF ARTICULATING
THESE THINGS THAT SEEM -- THE
DEMOCRATS AREN'T JUST WRONG ON
ISSUES; THEY'RE EVIL.
THAT'S A PROBLEM AND THEY'RE NOT
GOING TO START.
DONALD TRUMP AT THE TOP OF THE
TICKET IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE IN
A, UNFORTUNATELY, FOR ALL OF US,
FOR DEMOCRACY.
>> IT IS KIND OF TRUE, PEOPLE
AREN'T JUST WRONG, THEY'RE EVIL.
RIGHT?
>> REPUBLICANS HAVE TO GET AWAY
FROM THE NOTION OF OWNING THE
LIPS.
LET'S SELL AN AGENDA.
I MEAN, YOU WANT TO BRING PEOPLE
TO YOUR SIDE.
ULTIMATELY CAMPAIGNS, WINNING
CAMPAIGNS ARE ALL ABOUT
ADDITION, NOT SUBTRACTION.
>> WE NEED TO LEAVE IT THERE.