In the first minutes after the first 2016 Democratic presidential debate on Tuesday night, CNN’s chief political analyst Gloria Borger sang the praises of Hillary Clinton for having performed “extraordinarily well” who proved herself “so adept at making herself the candidate of both experience and change.”
When Situation Room host Wolf Blitzer asked Borger for how she thought socialist Bernie Sanders did, Borger remarked that “he spoke to his supporters” but wasn’t “sure he made the case as to why he's electable as a candidate” with situations like the “rough moment when Hillary Clinton surprisingly, to me, took him on gun control, an issue on which she's been consistent and he has been inconsistent.”
Pivoting to Clinton, Borger had nothing but positive feedback for the former secretary of state: “I don't think he was kind of ready for that attack from her and I think she did extraordinarily well. I agree with David [Axelrod]. She was so adept at making herself the candidate of both experience and change. It's kind of hard to do that.”
Blitzer immediately expressed his agreement with Borger by declaring that Clinton “clearly...was prepared” because “[s]he had gone through rehearsal after rehearsal getting ready for this” and “anticipated, clearly, these questions that were said to her and the criticisms she would get from some of the candidates.”
Also chiming in, CNN host/political commentator and Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Michael Smerconish broadened the liberal lovefest to patting the entire field on the back for holding “an adult debate”:
Well, let's give Anderson credit cause I thought the questions were focused. I thought that they appropriate. Most importantly, I thought this was an adult debate. No name calling, plenty of substance and yet, Wolf, thoroughly entertaining. Two hours of really great substance for American voters, a credit.
The relevant portions of the transcript from CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 Special - Post Debate Special on October 13 can be found below.
Anderson Cooper 360 Special - Post Debate Special
October 13, 2015
11:11 p.m. EasternWOLF BLITZER: Gloria Borger, what about Bernie Sanders? Did he achieve what he hoped to achieve?
GLORIA BORGER: He did in a way. He spoke to – he spoke to his supporters. He spoke to the – to the base of the Democratic Party. I'm not sure he made the case as to why he's electable as a candidate. I think he had a rough moment when Hillary Clinton surprisingly, to me, took him on gun control, an issue on which she's been consistent and he has been inconsistent. I don't think he was kind of ready for that attack from her and I think she did extraordinarily well. I agree with David. She was so adept at making herself the candidate of both experience and change. It's kind of hard to do that.
BLITZER: She clearly, Michael Smerconish, was prepared. She had gone through rehearsal after rehearsal getting ready for this. She anticipated, clearly, these questions that were said to her and the criticisms she would get from some of the candidates.
MICHAEL SMERCONISH: Well, let's give Anderson credit cause I thought the questions were focused. I thought that they appropriate. Most importantly, I thought this was an adult debate. No name calling, plenty of substance and yet, Wolf, thoroughly entertaining. Two hours of really great substance for American voters, a credit.
