We're hitting fast-foward on Election 2016, and looking at the challenges our next president will face. Former Democratic Candidate for Governor Shannon O'Brien ( @shannonpobrien) and Former Republican Senate Candidate Gabriel Gomez ( @GomezForMA) joined Jim to discuss.
What can the winning candidate do to unite the country? O'Brien said that if Hillary Clinton wins the presidency, she will need to do something populist, to reach out to Sanders and Trump voters. She needs to show that she is going to do things that contradict what people say about her, said O'Brien. Gomez said that one thing the winner can do is pick a 50/50 cabinet. O'Brien noted that Clinton has a track record of reaching across the aisle.
They discussed the possibility of violence due to the outcome of this election. Gomez said he has faith in the people of the United States and pray to God that there is no violence. He said the winner should make a pledge to not say anything negative about the other candidate during their four to eight years in office. O'Brien said that there is a culture of "other," and that many threats were made against Obama. She said that the rhetoric used against Clinton dehumanizes her, and makes her a more likely target. She said that the GOP has a lot of work to do to heal itself.
So what is the media's role in all of this? O'Brien said that the media bares some responsibility. She said that they did not cover the candidates equally during the primaries, and Trump was made to be such a circus sideshow. Trump bragged about his billions of dollars of free television air time. Gomez said that the media has a big problem, and there is a reason that they're the most despised. He said that reporters should be objective when covering stories. O'Brien argued that if someone tells a lie, you have to call them on it.
