Ex-Clinton Strategist Warns Progressive Primary Campaigns Against Moderate Democrats are ‘Destructive’

Appearing Tuesday on the Fox News Channel, former Bill Clinton strategist Mark Penn warned that progressive primary campaign challenges against moderate Democrats are “destructive to the party.”

A transcript is as follows:

BILL HEMMER: I don’t know who wins [between Rep. Henry Cuellar and Jessica Cisneros], but I do know that Republicans think that if Cisneros beats Cuellar, they stand a really good chance of flipping that seat. How do you see it?

MARK PENN: 175 votes is still 175 votes. It’s a very hard number to overcome. The entire presidency of a decade ago was decided on maybe 500 to 1500 votes. I think it’ll stand. We’ll see what happens. Obviously, there will be some legal work. I think the important point is, and Lincoln said it best, “a house divided cannot stand.” A series of primaries against moderate Democrats by the left is destructive to the party. Ultimately, it shrinks the party. Only 27 percent of this country is liberal, and consequently, a smaller percentage is purely progressive. It’s an unfortunate trend because it divides the party.