Doug Jones discusses the bleak prospects of Democrats in midterm elections - "The Takeout."

Former Senator Doug Jones, Democrat from Alabama, warns of bleak prospects of Democrats on the November ballot and claims that the leader of his party doesn't do enough to promote the economic record of the administration.

Doug Jones discusses the bleak prospects of Democrats in midterm elections - "The Takeout."

"Democrats will struggle, I believe, in the midterms," Jones said. Jones said that they are struggling to find messaging. Jones spoke on "The Takeout", hosted by Major Garrett, chief Washington correspondent.

He stated that Democrats should boast about their economic management and record job creation. "I don't think the president is getting that message across as strongly as he should," he said.

Jones was a senator for three years and lost his bid to be reelected in 2020. Jones was most recently the White House's choice to guide Supreme Court nominee Ketanji brown Jackson through Senate confirmation.

Jackson was confirmed by the Republican Party, 53 to 47, in April. However, she will not be sworn into office until the end her current term on the Supreme Court, when Justice Stephen Breyer is retiring.

During her confirmation hearings GOP senators probed the sentencing records of child pornography-related defendants. Senators such as Missouri Republican Josh Hawley, Tom Cotton, Arkansas, and Ted Cruz, Texas all believed to be contemplating presidential bids for 2024. They alleged that Jackson had imposed too harsh sentences on these offenders.

Jones stated that Jackson's sentencing record was comparable to her peers and suggested that the attacks she received were meant to cater for a "fringe" base.

"I believe it was playing to Qanon bases because the entire Qanon is based in large part on this worldwide conspiracy pedophiles. He said that they were just playing to a base, as they could have done more research and seen that it was within the norm.

Jones claimed that the line of questioning was intended to "raise money" and feed social media.

Jones declined to comment on whether he had any plans to serve the Biden administration more, but he said that he has known President Biden for over 40 years. Jones will continue to support the administration at his law office, while he is still working.

Jones is concerned that Russia will escalate the conflict in Ukraine. The U.S. cannot afford to stand by. He said, "I fear that this's going to draw America in a military conflict" that will be more severe than the wars of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Highlights

Democrats' prospects for the 2022 Midterms. "Democrats will struggle, I believe, in this midterms. We are having trouble finding messaging. It's a problem for America, I believe. They are getting information. They are getting information, not what they need. Dems are definitely struggling, so yeah. It's still a long road. Politics is all local. At least for the Senate, I am optimistic. Democrats have some very strong incumbents. There are also very strong candidates for open seats. While I believe all is well for Democrats, we are looking to climb up because we have clearly dug ourselves into a hole. A lot of this is not our fault. If people can see the positives in the world, and look at the economic situation, I believe they will be able to see how the economy has improved, how many jobs have been created, and how the global standing of the United States right now. The president may not be getting the message across as strongly as he should, I think.

Breyer retires / Jackson's confirmation hearings. "I felt that he would be retiring this spring, given the political dynamic in the world. I was unaware of the potential role for someone like myself, who has been out of government for a while. As I wait for my annual physical, I am sitting in my doctor's office. Then I receive an email from a reporter stating that my name has been used for this. I didn’t reply, but I did send Ron Klain a message to the chief of staff. He said that although I wasn’t going to respond, he was willing to help. The job is more than simply escorting... She can navigate the offices between the White House staff members and the judge. What I gave her was an insight into each senator. I was able to serve with most of the senators, although not all, and I kept up with those I did so I had a good idea of where they would be. I had a good idea of where they would go politically So it was giving a little background and comfort to the judge going into this. Although so much of this was political and not personal, I believed they would treat her well. So it was not just counseling, but also trying to help her understand the questions she would be asking about her 570 opinions, her judicial philosophy, and all that stuff.

Republican senators question Jackson's child pornography sentencing record. "I think it had to do with a Qanon base, because the entire Qanon is based on this worldwide conspiracy pedophiles. It was playing to a base, I believe. If they had done their research they would have known that this was not out of the norm. She sentenced exactly as Congress intended. What they didn't realize was that she also gave talks to each defendant about the damage they caused to society. They have to consolidate that base.

Questions relating to Jackson’s child pornography sentencing - "I don’t think anyone who watched those hearings could claim that those questions were meant to get an in-depth response. Those questions were meant to raise funds. These questions were meant to be tweeted out and to shore up my fringe base.

The ramifications of Russia's invasion in Ukraine: "I believe the world we know and have known since World War Two is now drastically different. It's unlikely to return to what we experienced in the past, at least not for the rest of our lives. From my perspective, they should increase their efforts to get any sanctions they can. This will include finding a way for Europe to get away from its dependence on Russian energy. This means that the U.S. will have to do more. Right now, we are energy independent. Many people overlook this fact right now, given the high gas prices and rising inflation. The truth is that we are energy independent. We should do those kinds of things to help our European allies and friends get their energy independence for their friends and neighbors, rather than relying on Russia.

How Russia-Ukraine conflict ends: "I believe the more we see with- with Putin's backing in a corner now, I don't think there's any way out except to fight. He sees no other way to get out of this situation than to escalate, escalate, and escalate. At some point, I fear this will lead to America being drawn into a military conflict. It is far from the conflict in Afghanistan or Iraq. This will be a major, large-scale, major part of war, conflict or whatever you want to label it. It's quite frightening to see what's happening right now. I believe the United States and its allies must say enough is enough about war crimes, crimes against humanity, and atrocities committed against innocent Ukrainian citizens.

The consequences for Vladimir Putin's war crimes: "The truth is that you will not be able get Putin into a Courtroom."

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