Welcome to The Lid, your afternoon dose of the 2016 ethos… In these bitterly partisan times, we can assure you that no political argument will ever be as vitriolic and irresolvable as a New Englander and a DC native arguing about whether people in Washington are being “wimps” about the blizzard.
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‘16 from 30,000
Would Bernie Sanders be a “nightmare” for red state Democrats? That’s the headline in a piece published by our colleagues Alex Seitz-Wald and Leigh Ann Caldwell. The argument the Sanders camp has been making, is, well, Democrats win when turnout is high and the Vermont senator can drive liberals to the voting booth. But as one campaign manager for a red state Democrat said, “I don't know how you run a campaign in a southern or red state with a democratic socialist at the top of the ticket."
BUT -- what if voters are choosing between Sanders or Trump? An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released this month found Sanders with a 15 point lead over Trump in head-to-head general election matchup. (By comparison, Hillary Clinton led Trump by 10.) So should red state Dems be concerned about a potential (and longshot, as we noted yesterday) Sanders nomination? Possibly. But a lot will depend upon who the GOP nominee is, and - as we’ve been reminded again this week - many Republicans are just as worried about the impact Trump - or Cruz! - could have on down ballot races.
** PROGRAMMING NOTE ** Both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders will be on Meet The Press this Sunday.
POPPING ON NBC POLITICS
- Alex Seitz-Wald and Leigh Ann Caldwell examine the question: Would Bernie Sanders be a 'nightmare' for red state Democrats?
- Chris Christie announced he will head back to the Garden State to deal with the forthcoming storm.
- Donald Trump on Friday retweeted what appears to be a neo-Nazi Twitter account that posted a photoshopped picture mocking rival Jeb Bush, MSNBC’s Benjy Sarlin writes.
- Ben Carson's former campaign manager who left campaign earlier last month, Barry Bennett, said he is helping the Trump campaign, NBC’s Shaq Brewster and Ali Vitali report.
- Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are now warring on the airwaves, one(!) of us writes.
- Former First Lady Barbara Bush has filmed a television ad that will begin airing soon in New Hampshire, NBC’s Jordan Frasier reports.
- And from First Read: The GOP race has turned into a Tarantino flick.
FOR THE RECORD…
“I'm sorry, NH but I gotta go home - we got snow coming. #Jonas”
Christie Christie tweet announcing he would head back to New Jersey for the storm.
WEEKEND’S SKED
ON SATURDAY: Hillary Clinton makes three stops in Iowa. Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley also make multiple stops in the state. On the GOP side, Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, and Mike Huckabee are in the Hawkeye State.
Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio and Rick Santorum participate in the First in the Nation Town Hall in New Hampshire.
ON SUNDAY: Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Martin O’Malley, Bernie Sanders are in Iowa.
John Kasich is in New Hampshire.
