‘The House Is On Fire’: Joy Reid Tells Dems To Stop Treating 2020 Like A Normal Election

MSNBC’s Joy Reid had some tough love for Democrats on Saturday days after 2020 hopefuls met in Detroit for a pair of debates that focused heavily on their own policy differences and not so much on the damage Donald Trump has done to the country.

“Fighting with each other about the details of your healthcare plans is not going to help you beat Donald Trump,” the MSNBC host said to Democrats. “When the house is on fire, you don’t discuss what kind of begonias you’re going to plant in the window sill, because the house is on fire!”

“This isn’t even hard,” Reid added. “He’s making it easy for you.”

Video:

To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.

Reid said:

Now, Democrats, and I mean this as tough love, fighting with each other about the details of your health care plans is not going to help you beat Donald Trump. Mayor Pete is right that Trump and his party are going to call all of your health care bills socialism. They’re going to call all of you open borders communists. Keep your eyes on the job. The house is on fire. Tell us what this president has done to set the house on fire, and how you are going to put it out. When the house is on fire, you don’t discuss what kind of begonia’s you’re going to plant in the window sill because the house is on fire. Just tell us what Trump has broken and what you’re going to do to fix it. This isn’t even hard. He’s making it easy for you.

Democrats should stop treating 2020 as a normal election

Some Democrats running for president seem to be treating this election like a typical contest between two parties duking it out over opposing policy proposals.

But there is nothing normal about this election. As Joy Reid said on Saturday, the house is on fire.

Democrats are right to put forward a positive vision for the future, but they shouldn’t tear each other apart in the process. Certainly, they shouldn’t spend an entire primary debate attacking former President Barack Obama more than the current category-five disaster who occupies the White House.

There are a lot of great policies being offered up by the 20+ Democratic candidates seeking the presidency. But none of them are worth the paper they’re written on if they don’t defeat Trump in November.

If Democrats treat 2020 like just another presidential election – and If they keep tearing each other apart with counterproductive purity tests instead of explaining why this president is a clear and present danger – then Donald Trump will win.

Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook and Twitter

Sean Colarossi

Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.