Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe jabs at Democrats for pursuing 'shiny objects'

The first night of the second Democratic presidential debate on Tuesday uncovered more divisions within the party between the left-wing, pushing for proposals like “Medicare-for-all” and the “Green New Deal,” and more moderate Democrats who believe policies that are “too far left” will hand the general election to Donald Trump once again.

Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, author of the new book "Beyond Charlottesville: Taking a Stand Against White Nationalism," expressed worry about the topics discussed during the presidential primary debates, and the stances of some candidates on the left.

“I have been concerned in the debates,” McAuliffe said during the "Powerhouse Politics" podcast on Wednesday with ABC News’s Political Director Rick Klein and Deputy Political Director MaryAlice Parks. “You know, I don't hear any discussion of K-12 education, no real discussion of workforce development, no discussion of infrastructure, no discussion of cybersecurity.”

McAuliffe said he comes from “pragmatic realism” and wants to “talk about things we actually can get done that will help people’s lives.”

One of the biggest issues where clear battle lines are being drawn within the Democratic party is health care as candidates continue to spar about whether to back a full government-run plan and eliminate private health insurance.

From McAuliffe’s perspective, the issue surrounding healthcare is not about ensuring coverage for all Americans -- which he says is almost a reality -- but reducing extreme costs.

“We've got 96% of Americans actually covered with health coverage. The issue on health care is not that remaining 4%,” McAuliffe told Parks. “The issue with it is people are being stressed at home by the cost of health care.”

Similar to other more moderate candidates in the Democratic field, McAuliffe expressed discomfort in removing private insurers.

“There is a huge challenge -- 450 million people have insurance, private insurers. They would lose that. And I think that needs to be fleshed out in fairness,” McAuliffe said.

Whether proposals put forth by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren are “practical” and “can happen,” McAuliffe said that's up for debate. But he shot down progressives for pursuing “shiny objects.”

“So while we're over here talking about these shiny objects and all laudable goals, we are not addressing the issue," he said.

McAuliffe, who considered running for president himself, said that governors in general are well-suited to serve as president.

“I think governors would be great presidents. Only because you're CEOs. You balance the budget, you create jobs, you build roads, you clean them,” he said, while making a jab at members of Congress saying they “get to do a lot of talking.”

“I love members of the House and Senate but they get to do a lot of talking. As governor you don't talk," he said.

He noted some barriers for governors to run successfully, saying they cannot directly “transfer their money over” from previous campaigns, unlike their federal office-holder counterparts, and also lack the “name ID” that can come from high-profile congressional hearings. Governors, he said, tackle issues that are not always viewed as “sexy.”

Turning to the Democratic front-runner, former Vice President Joe Biden, who will take the debate stage Wednesday night, McAuliffe warned “he needs to be very careful” and “can't necessarily go attack other programs,” citing Tuesday’s debate where moderate candidates went after the proposals of Sanders and Warren to no avail.

“I think he needs to say, ‘I understand where you're coming from on Medicare for All and the new Green Deal and other issues. But here's how I think the best way to get there. And here's the best way to do it for America that will benefit Americans the most.’”

McAuliffe added that “toughness is a big piece of this business,” and that Biden has “got to be tough” in order to redeem himself from the last debate and secure the nomination.

“To be president of the United States you deal with a lot of challenges,” McAuliffe said. “Joe Biden has to go out there and show he's tough enough and he has experience to handle these calamities that are going to come. They're going to affect every president.”

Powerhouse Politics podcast is a weekly program that posts every Wednesday, and includes headliner interviews and in-depth looks at the people and events shaping U.S. politics. Powerhouse Politics podcast is hosted by ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl and ABC News Political Director Rick Klein.