Former Clinton official and CNN senior political analyst David Gergen received the first nod during the AC360 Post Debate Special to comment on Thursday’s PBS NewHour Democratic Debate and exalted how he couldn’t recall a presidential candidate “who was more experienced and more competent than Hillary Clinton was tonight.”
Host Anderson Cooper turned to Gergen upon the ending of CNN’s simulcast of the debate and wondered: “David Gergen, you’ve seen a lot of debates. What do you make of this one?”
Always seeking to praise the Clintons at every turn, Gergen replied that he wasn’t able to “remember a candidate for the presidency who was more experienced and more competent than Hillary Clinton was tonight” as “[s]he was on top of the issues” and “very factual.”
“I thought she won the arguments. I thought he did a better job at capturing the anger and the frustration and the country and I’m not sure which played out,” he added.
Before CNN political commentator Michael Smerconish entered the conversation to note the proverbial needle moved very little in the first half, Gergen concluded that he was doubtful that this sixth debate “changed a lot of minds, but I think there was a real difference in debating style.”
The relevant portion of the transcript from CNN’s AC360 Post Debate Special on February 11 can be found below.
CNN’s AC360 Post Debate Special
February 11, 2016
10:54 p.m. Eastern
ANDERSON COOPER: David Gergen, you’ve seen a lot of debates. What do you make of this one?
DAVID GERGEN: I don’t — I can’t remember a candidate for the presidency who was more experienced and more competent than Hillary Clinton was tonight. She was on top of the issues. She was very factual. I thought – I thought she won the arguments. I thought he did a better job at capturing the anger and the frustration and the country and I’m not sure which played out. I’m not sure it changed a lot of minds, but I think there was a real difference in debating style.
