Reacting to former President Jimmy Carter advising Democrats to appeal to independents and “middle of the road” voters in the midterm elections, pundits on Thursday’s Morning Joe tried to think of moderate Democrats who could run for president in 2020. Co-host Mika Brzezinski didn’t quite grasp the term “moderate” as she suggested left-wing California Senator Kamala Harris as an option, promoting laughter from the MSNBC panel.

“Well, speaking in Atlanta yesterday, former President Jimmy Carter warned Democrats not to veer too far left and lose moderates,” Brzezinski noted as she teed up the former president warning his party: “But I think that for the Democrats this time is to appeal to the independents....I think a lot of independents need to know that they can invest their vote in the Democratic Party in 2020, if we appeal to the middle of the road.”

Minutes later, co-host Joe Scarborough posed this question:

So let me just open up a question to the table. Who is the Democrat on the national stage that’s thinking about running in 2020 that occupies the space that Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton occupied, Bill Clinton in 1992, when he ran? Which was a fairly moderate, almost conservative, moderate to conservative viewpoint. Is there a Democrat on the national stage that occupies that space?

Putting aside his laughable assertion that Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter were “fairly moderate” and “almost conservative,” Scarborough was pointing to the fact that many prominent Democrats have moved far to the left.

Former Obama administration Treasury Department official Steve Rattner tried to compile a list:

There’s a bunch of Democrats who embody that who would like to be in the mix. So you take, for example, Steve Bullock from Montana, who’s done a great job as a Democrat in a red state, both getting elected and governing. Is he on the national stage? John Hickenlooper, the former governor of Colorado. Michael Bennett, the senator from Colorado.

Brzezinski then chimed in by mentioning the liberal mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti. Rattner trailed off as he expressed skepticism: “Eric Garcetti of L.A. Although, people have – ” He then thought of other names: “Mitch Landrieu, former mayor of New Orleans. Deval Patrick, the former governor of Massachusetts.”

Trying again, Brzezinski remarked: “Kamala Harris.” Rattner was taken aback: “She’s not, she’s not on that – ” As the rest of the panel began laughing at the idea of Harris being moderate, Brzezinski argued: “I’d like her to be.” Rattner replied: “I like her a lot, but she’s not quite in that category.”

Moments later, liberal political analyst Mike Barnicle tackled the question, observing: “You’ve got to be able to put someone out there for the Democrats who actually knows how real people live. It can’t be a senator, I don’t think, unless it’s a combination of – you know, someone like Sherrod Brown, he sort of figures it out.” Rattner interrupted: “But he’s – ” Barnicle cut him off: “I understand, I understand that he’s way left, I get that.” Barnicle ultimately settled on Rattner’s suggestion of Landrieu, and told Democrats: “...they’ve got to stop this. I mean, we all admire, to a certain extent, Kamala Harris.”

Brzezinski eagerly declared: “I do.” Barnicle continued: “She’s way out there.” Rattner agreed: “She’s way out there.” Brzezinski rushed to defend Harris: “I wouldn’t rule it out guys....Wouldn’t rule her out.”

Near the end of the three-hour show, Brzezinski got some backup from another round of guests. PBS NewsHour White House Correspondent Yamiche Alcindor pushed back on Carter’s advice: “I think when you talk to Democrats that I talk to, the sources that I talk to, they say there’s really no line here, ‘We want to be Democrats. We need to tell people this is what the left believes’....that they can win on that very left message.”

Co-host Willie Geist asked left-wing radio host Bill Press: “Do you worry about the party going too far left, maybe not hurting them as much in 2018, where they can speak to a district that is very progressive, but as they look to challenge Donald Trump in 2020?” In part, Press proclaimed: “What I care most about is winning. And progressives are winning today....So that, I believe, is a winning message. And I feel – it makes me feel very hopeful about this resurgence, if you will, of the Democratic Party.”

Geist followed up: “You don’t share President Carter’s concerns about darting too far left?” Press replied: “No, I don’t. God bless them, I love him, but I don’t.”

New York Times National Politics Reporter Lisa Lerer joined Press and Alcindor in calling for Democrats to appeal to their hard-left base rather than independents:

Can I say something about this appeal to independents. I think when I talk to sources who are these progressive candidates or women or people of color, they argue that this appeal to independents comes at a cost. That, that part is the base of the party. And midterms are base elections, and you wanna, if you’re a Democrat, turn those people out. So if you do go the independent route, you can risk depressing turnout among the base. And that is a real risk for Democrats. I’m not sure why that’s taken for granted sometimes.

Brzezinski voiced her support: “I agree.”

When Republicans appeal to conservatives, the liberal media are quick to predict electoral doom for the GOP. When Democrats think about moving to the center, the same media warn them not to abandon their left-wing supporters.

Here is are excerpts of the two September 13 panel discussions: