Commenting on the Nevada Democratic caucuses during Saturday’s World News Tonight, ABC chief anchor and former Clinton administration official George Stephanopoulos gushed that her win over Bernie Sanders placed her “back on a solid path to the nomination” prior to the socialist Senator’s rise up through the primary states thus far.
Saturday anchor and Democratic campaign correspondent Cecilia Vega turned to the This Week co-host and remarked that he’s been “following them all” today and over the years, so she was curious to know “what are you seeing.”
“She's back on a solid path to the nomination. It's hers to lose right now. Nevada did what it had to do for her. It was the firewall after that big loss to Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire,” the Clinton Foundation donor proclaimed.
Stephanopoulos highlighted how Clinton won in entrance polls on “experience and electability” over Sanders so she’ll go “into South Carolina, big lead there, next Saturday, and has a huge lead in a lot of those big Super Tuesday states in March.”
Offering a quick thought on the South Carolina Republican primary as the polls were set to close in less than 30 minutes (when the newscasts aired), Stephanopoulos opined:
Well, the polls are open until 7:00. One of the striking numbers were seeing from those exit polls, a full 53 percent of voters in that South Carolina primary feel betrayed by Republican politicians. That's one of the things we have seen all year long. It's helping the outsiders.
Moments after Clinton was projected to win the Silver State’s caucuses, pundits on CNN and NBC ran to the cameras to trumpet the “pivotal” victory for Hillary Clinton that will come across as a “body blow” to the “rebellion” Sanders had been leading.
The relevant portion of the transcript from ABC’s World News Tonight on February 20 can be found below.
ABC’s World News Tonight
February 20, 2016
6:32 p.m. EasternCECILIA VEGA: And we begin with ABC’s chief anchor George Stephanopoulos here with me. Now, George, those Democratic caucuses, you're following them all, what are you seeing?
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: She's back on a solid path to the nomination. It's hers to lose right now. Nevada did what it had to do for her. It was the firewall after that big loss to Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire. We have some clues as to why from those entrance polls of the voters as well. The voters valued experience and electability. Of those who wanted that, she won 92 percent of the votes of those who wanted experience. 80 percent valuing electability. Look at this number as well. Those who made up their minds in the last three days, head over hearts, Hillary Clinton 51 percent to 37 percent. She now heads into South Carolina, big lead there, next Saturday, and has a huge lead in a lot of those big Super Tuesday states in March.
VEGA: Her firewall right there and you're also following early Republican numbers. The exit polls telling you what so far?
STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, the polls are open until 7:00. One of the striking numbers were seeing from those exit polls, a full 53 percent of voters in that South Carolina primary feel betrayed by Republican politicians. That's one of the things we have seen all year long. It's helping the outsiders.
VEGA: George, thanks and of course, you'll have all the latest tomorrow on This Week.
