Begala: Democrats Setting Themselves Up To Lose To Trump By Running Far To The Left In Primary

Democratic operative, Clintonworld insider and CNN political contributor Paul Begala said Thursday that Joe Biden should have defended the Obama administration's record on deportations and Sen. Kamala Harris shouldn't have been afraid to defend her record as a prosecutor and an attorney general at the Democratic presidential primary debate on Wednesday. "When Bill de Blasio said this about deportations, the vice president should have said, 'some people need to be deported,'" Begala advised. "In the Obama administration, the president targeted people who were violent, people who committed felonies while they're here and, yes, some people who lied on their applications but that's a crime too." Begala warned that Democrats are moving to the left to win the primary only to set themselves up for a general election loss against President Donald Trump. "I believe many of these candidates seeking to win the nomination are setting themselves up to lose the presidency to Donald Trump," Begala told CNN host Jake Tapper. <blockquote>PAUL BEGALA, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I think Biden had a perfectly good night, JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Really? BEGALA: Perfectly good. By standards that he's like 30 points ahead, and they didn't really lay a glove on him, but opportunity cost was very high. When Bill de Blasio said this about deportations, the vice president should have said, 'some people need to be deported.' In the Obama administration, the president targeted people who were violent, people who committed felonies while they're here and, yes, some people who lied on their applications but that's a crime too. TAPPER: And also people who had been in the country just recently -- had just arrived who had been there for weeks and months instead of years. BEGALA: Yes. By the way, Kamala Harris should have said some people need to be incarcerated. She should have turned to Tulsi Gabbard and said, 'Yes, I raised bail on people who commit gun violence because gun violence is an epidemic. This is my problem with the whole two-day debate. I believe many of these candidates seeking to win the nomination are setting themselves up to lose the presidency to Donald Trump. TAPPER: By running so far to the left? BEGALA: Yes.</blockquote>