It was Republican bashing all around on CBS This Morning, Tuesday. Bloomberg journalist and author John Heilemann appeared on the show and knocked the “xenophobic” Donald Trump and the “roundly mocked” Jeb Bush. Heilemann allowed that “There are people who really like the way he [Trump] talks about China, the way he talks about immigration, the kind of nationalist, some would say xenophobic” rhetoric.
Co-host Charlie Rose condescendingly wondered, “Do most of the people who are saying they would vote for him know what he stands for?”
Regarding Bush, O’Donnell noted, “And what about Jeb's, you know, ‘I can fix it’ sort of campaign? He was roundly mocked on social media.”
Heilemann insisted that Trump is “going after Rubio for sweating too much and for being inexperienced and for being a lightweight.”
The networks were thrilled by Barack Obama “mocking” the GOP’s debate complaints. See NewsBusters for more.
A transcript of the segment is below:
CBS TM
11/3/15
8:05NORAH O’DONNELL: What's with the attacks on Marco Rubio?
JOHN HEILEMANN: Look, Trump attacks people who he thinks could get in his way. He lays off the people he doesn’t think ultimately are threats for the nomination, I think that includes Ben Carson. But, you know, for a long time ago, he thought Jeb Bush was his main enemy and he systematically attacked Bush, took him to pieces, needling over and over again about his mommy and daddy issues, about being low energy, sort of his way of saying low testosterone, I always thought low-T candidate. Now he's going after Rubio for sweating too much and for being inexperienced and for being a lightweight. And these are all the ways, Gayle and I were just talking about this, he hones in on his enemy's weak spot and just goes after them again and again and again until they get unnerved. And it's also usually a weak spot that Republican elites and voters have some questions about maybe and maybe Marco Rubio's is a question of experience.
CHARLIE ROSE: You interviewed him. What are his weak spots?
HEILEMANN: Well, you know, look at Donald Trump has so far not shown very many weak spots at all. There are lots of questions whether he is a serious person with respect to policy. There are lots of questions about whether some of the policies he espouses would be all salable in a general election. But in terms of the way in which he’s withstood an extraordinary amount of criticism from all sides and still is by most reckonings the front-runner in the sense that, although Carson is ahead in a couple of national polls, they're neck and neck in Iowa, in every other state, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida, throughout the south, Trump is ahead by a lot in most of those places. So it would be hard to say Trump is not the leader right now.
ROSE: And do most of the people who are saying they would vote for him know what he stands for?
HEILEMANN: Oh, I think in Trump's case, you have various people, he’s a personality candidate to some extent. A lot of people like his swagger. Then there are people who really like the way he talk about China, the way he talks about immigration, the kind of nationalist, some would say xenophobic, but that kind of “I'm going to make America great, building a wall, by getting tough with the Chinese, there is an appetite in the Republican Party, for sure.
KING: I know. But I want to talk about his attacks, back to that point for a second. Because some people describe them as sophomoric. Listening to you, it sounds like they're strategic. Do they work?
HEILEMANN: Well, look, if you judge by the way that his months-long assault on Jeb Bush worked, that's not the only reason why Jeb Bush is in to is up trouble right now. But there is no doubt watching the way Bush reacted, that Trump got under Bush's skin. And if part a of cy-ops in a campaign is to try and get your opponent off his game, I don’t think that there’s anybody, even people who work for Jeb Bush who would not acknowledge that Donald Trump’s constant attacks and needling of Jeb Bush did not have that affect at times over the last couple months.
O’DONNELL: And what about Jeb's, you know, "I can fix it" sort of campaign? He was roundly mocked on social media, not that that's an indication of anything, being mocked on social media.
HEILEMANN: No one in Jeb Bush's world doesn't acknowledge he is now having to have a comeback. Republican elite versus decided he is pretty close to dead. His debate performance has influenced people like Paul Singer, the big donor who decided to side with Rubio on the basis of looking at Jeb in Colorado saying this guy can’t be our nominee. Can't beat Hillary Clinton.
O’DONNELL: Is it the candidate or the campaign?
HEILEMANN: Endorsements are now going towards Rubio and away from Bush. So, look the campaign is always a reflection of the candidate and Jeb Bush has been, his candidate skills have been very poor. His name is a huge problem and if you go around the country and talk to Republican voters, you don't find very many of them who are buying what he's selling.
ROSE: Thank you, John. Great to have you.
