The New Hampshire Democratic Party held its annual McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club fundraiser Saturday night and ABC News chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl was not impressed.
In commenting on the event, Karl may have inadvertently explained why Democrats were desperately clinging to a far-fetched impeachment scheme — they realize that with the current field of candidates, there’s little enthusiasm for defeating President Donald Trump.
“Last night, the Democratic candidates — they were all just down the road here — had an event at the very same arena where Donald Trump will be Monday, where he was four years ago, and there were empty seats there,” Karl said.
He then noted that there was “energy certainly in the Elizabeth Warren section, energy with the Bernie Sanders section, but not — I mean, this does not look like an energized party.”
Trump’s 2020 campaign was quick to take advantage of the observation, sharing the clip online, along with the caption: “Democrats have an ENTHUSIASM problem!”
Democrats have an ENTHUSIASM problem!
“There were empty seats there…this does not look like an energized party.” #FITN pic.twitter.com/UcKGwNMSkS
— Trump War Room – Text WOKE to 88022 (@TrumpWarRoom) February 9, 2020
All the candidates were on hand at the fundraiser, and a sampling of their speeches and the crowd reaction is seen below from WMUR — a reaction that is a far cry from an average Trump rally.
The empty seats Karl referenced can also be seen, even when the top draws were on stage.
With voting underway and the New Hampshire primary less than 24 hours away, the Democratic Party is very fractured at the moment.
This was seen Saturday evening when Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, was leaving the stage. A person identified as a Warren supporter reached out to shake the candidate’s hand, only to retract it when Gabbard tried to reciprocate in hopes of embarrassing her.
Petty, childish Warren supporter fakes a handshake from Tulsi as she leaves the stage tonight, classy stuff as usual pic.twitter.com/wV6qoMys2q
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) February 9, 2020
But that was tame compared to the treatment former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg received from supporters of Bernie Sanders.
The openly gay candidate was roundly booed during his speech at the fundraiser, and as he tried to talk about unity, Buttigieg was subjected to a jeering chant, “Wall Street Pete!”
Interestingly, former Vice President Joe Biden followed up on his dismal fourth-place finish in Iowa by talking about losing … while calling Democrat voters losers.
“You know, I’ve lost a lot in my lifetime, like a lot of you have,” Biden said, according to the Washington Examiner. “I lost my wife and daughter in an automobile accident. I lost my son to a long bout with brain cancer when he came home from Iraq. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to stand by and lose this election to this man.”
This being a reference to Trump, of course. And Biden may be right in that if he’s not the party’s nominee he will not be losing to Trump, because he won’t be on the ballot.
The Examiner noted an important MIA at Saturday night’s fundraiser: Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez.
“Though he was included in the night’s program,” the paper reported, “he didn’t speak amid criticism of the party’s handling of Iowa’s disastrous delay and inconsistencies in reported caucus results.”
Here’s a quick sampling of responses online that offer different theories as to what’s really at play here:
The dem party’s on its death bed. Time for last rites!
— Trixie ❤️??? (@2Js1T) February 9, 2020
Setting the stage for Hillary.
— Cindy Grimes (@CindyGrimes2010) February 9, 2020
The democrats say their number one concern is electability. If that’s true, they should nominate @realDonaldTrump.
— pro dreamer (@prodreamer1) February 9, 2020
With the clown car of candidates the left has put forth, I’m not surprised they are all unelectable
— Rodney Jones (@Rodneyjones1967) February 9, 2020
don’t forget the open borders with free healthcare paid by us to all illegals and of course the nonbinary bathrooms and the politically correct allowance of transgenders in women’s sports–democrats have nothing to feel good about
— Kimba (@Kimba266225) February 10, 2020
I think this is the liberal media network attempting to motivate its base.
— Lisa ⭐⭐⭐ Text Trump to 88022 (@ljcljf) February 9, 2020
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The longest-tenured writer at BizPac Review, Tom grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills.
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