Full panel: Culture war issues ‘unite Republicans … but it divides everyone else’

welcome back the first presidential primary ballots of course won't be cast for months but we've already got a pretty good idea of what candidates think most potential Republican voters want to hear culture War posturing check out this new ad from Republican presidential candidate Vivek ramaswamy we're in the middle of a national identity crisis Faith patriotism and hard work have disappeared wokeness gender ideology and the climate cult have taken their place we spend so much time celebrating our diversity that we forget the values that bind us together and I believe deep in my bones those values still exist the Republican base may be divided on America's role in the world and domestic priorities like entitlement spending but at this moment sure looks like the culture war is the last unifying link inside the GOP and quick programming note we're going to have Vivek ramaswamy here on the show on the set tomorrow joining me now is Tia Mitchell Washington correspondent for the Atlanta Journal Constitution former New York Democratic Congressman Joe Crawley an American Enterprise Institute senior fellow Danielle plutka uh since we're dealing with the right side of the aisle Danny I will give you the first shot at this and that is the famous three legs of the stool that Ronald Reagan talked about the Republicans had to sort of balance two legs are gone right fiscal conservatism and and sort of a unifying National Security view we don't have it right now there's only one leg and that's quite a balancing act that they have to do it is a balancing icon that's why you're seeing a lot of disagreement even among nominal 2024 candidates and actual 2024 candidates about things like Ukraine and defense spending and so culture wars are the things that you're not a lot of Republicans because actually when you look at not just the Republican base but also a lot of suburban women and others they're concerned about education they're concerned about schools they are concerned about these gender gender Wars about sports and who's playing against their kids so those things are truly bread and butter issues for a lot of Americans in the way that unfortunately from my perspective Ukraine is not Joe you you buy that have you you've seen your Sheriff's suburb the Suburban Urban split do you think um you think these that the Democrats ought to be wary here of just assuming these cultures issues won't won't play with the metal I think that was right that it does unite Republicans at least certain sectors within the Republican party but it divides everyone else unfortunately is the problem and it just exacerbates I think what many believe is wrong in America these days um and it's tiring it's exhausting at some point in time you have the shooting yesterday you know or the other day in in Nashville and again what Republicans are focusing on is gender or transgender as opposed to it's really really what's killing our children our guns you know and the uh the the the the all ever access to them here this woman had uh seven guns legally purchased and what we're focusing on which he was mentally there's no questions we have purchased them no right and that's a and that is I agree on that 100 but that's not being really that someone talked about it's you know there's more to it than just the mental health issue Tia I I it it does feel as if if the Republicans spend the entire time on this in the same way when Democrats were talking about open borders talking about defund the police right it it put the worst version of the left to in front of mainstream voters how does the GOP avoid having the worst version of their right get put in front of mainstream voters well I think that in ways that are a little bit more um practical and for example on guns when you pull even Republicans there are gun control measures that have widespread support Banning assault weapons has widespread support even among the right but it's how you frame the conversation and if you frame it that Democrats want to take away all your guns because they hate the Constitution then you're not going to be able to have you know any type of conversation that could really result in anything good happening and that's where Republicans run a risk because they are framing it as a very Us Versus Them combative Politics on virtually every issue that does get people enraged and might help you raise a lot of money but it's terrible for governing and it might not be great during a general election Danny do you fear a moment on the right because look I do think the Democratic party is still paying a price for that for that for those early debates with the 20 candidates where they were all trying to outprogress of one another right except for when Joe Biden was like standing alone on some of these questions and everybody's beating him up and it turned out oh he might have been closer to where Democrats were everybody else why do I have a feeling we could see that on a debate stage with Republicans so you know look I think that to a large extent the Republican party is still playing Donald Trump's game yeah and that really is the risk and and of course there is a vast group of other people who are delighted to see them playing Donald Trump's game not just Donald Trump but the Democratic party that backed all those Maga candidates in the midterms and the media which enjoys very much this Donald Trump conversation because everybody loves to hate Donald Trump be included so you know I think that's part of the problem for the GOP and if they are not able to walk that tightrope as as I would say Governor juncken did very well as Brian Kemp in Georgia has managed to do if they can't figure that out then guess what 2024 is going to look like 2022 and 2020 and 2018. and you can now Trump trump and the attempt to do that though only strengthens him but I do think it opens up a lane for someone who's completely different from out you know out trumping Trump and and being less likely it's why I'm that's why I think don't ignore people like Vivek ramaswamy I sit here and it's like go ahead I mean I do think people are hungry for they don't like the current crop of people see I want to Pivot because Danny is guilting me a little bit but I also think Joe and Danny together actually can tackle some Israel Israel Politics as it impacts domestic America a little bit the white house uh how nervous are they that that they're gonna lose leverage over Netanyahu on this I think the White House is trying to tow the line of sending a message that they don't want Israel to you know run into decreasing its democracy diminishing its democracy and becoming more authoritarian um but I think the White House also has the risk of going too far and angering an ally you know an old friend you know and I think that's the line that Biden is trying to kind of tow sending a strong message but not you know Burning Bridges with an allies are you surprised Danny that meant that the American right hasn't taken up BB's cause no this is really an Israeli domestic issue this is this is an outgrowth not simply of the need for judicial reform in Israel not to be too nerdy about this there is a need for reform the question is is there a need to throw out the baby in the bath water and you know every single Justice they have or is there a need for you know debate inside the country but I think honestly this is an Israeli domestic issue and as you see when there are tens of thousands even hundreds of thousands of Israelis lining the highway as they have been this is something that Israelis themselves are working through I I could see I could see a republican taking up the mantle for not interfering with the decision-making of Israel's Sovereign Government after all remember Barack Obama sent his own campaign advisor to try to defeat Bibi in elections who got involved in the Republican president exactly and that that whole game was really was really ugly so I think that was a mistake by Bibi although that has had long-term consequences but but but the truth is that babies problems right now have nothing to do with America they are of his own making yeah a majority of Democrats decided with the Palestinians had more sympathy for Palestinians than Israel for the first time in a Gallup poll what do you make of that that's be bad politics for any Democrat in New York City well I do think though the barrage of media and what's coming out of the Middle East right now especially when it comes to Israel is you know there's a lot of killing going on over there and people I think are generally concerned about that but I do think that Daniel's right Daniel's right and that um I think this is an internal issue within Israel but I do think that Netanyahu chose sides in American politics a number of years ago well and I think this is what's Driven this Democratic number this despite his his relationship the spider's relationship with President Biden which is different than it was Obama yeah um I do think he chose his side of the number go ahead why do you think that because the the Democratic party has been drifting away from support for Israel for many many years just by the way as the Republican party has been drifting towards support that's true when I first started politics it was the Republicans wanted nothing view was not an isolated view right yeah right and I also think it's stupid I'm relatively new to National politics but I would say it steeped a lot in not wanting to be anti-semitic wanting those long-term ties the Democratic party but also I think younger Americans in particular have heard about the plight of the Palestinian people and are I guess concerned about what they see the violence the human rights uh violations and again the the sensitivity of of course wanting to keep those ties to Israel aren't as strong but also there's still the sensitivities of anti-Semitism as well yeah I think that there is a little bit of that generational divide there's still a strong vein of pro-israel politics within the elected Democratic party right and that used to be how you used to say it and the Republicans the elected Republicans versus the record you guys are terrific thank you for pivoting with me on the panel you're welcome Danny thank you thanks for watching our YouTube channel follow today's top stories and breaking news by downloading the NBC News app

Channel: NBC News

Views: 36,421

Keywords: Meet the Press NOW, NBC News NOW

Id: i3Af-kHrB6c

Length: 10min 32sec (632 seconds)

Published: Wed Mar 29 2023