Maybe it’s Bernie Sanders’s fault that Hillary Clinton lost? That’s the latest blame game theory brought up on Monday’s CBS This Morning. Co-host Norah O’Donnell talked to Clinton’s primary opponent and wondered if he had “guilt” and “responsibility” for bringing up trust issues during the early part of the campaign.
Rather than ask if Clinton’s ethics meant she should have never been the nominee to begin with, O’Donnell demanded, “We saw voters that voters in the last week broke for Donald Trump. Again, back to this original question of trust. Whether they trust Hillary Clinton, whether they trust her as a change agent.”
She added, “Do you bear some responsibility in raising some of those concerns? Do you feel any guilt about her loss?” Sanders laughed at the question and sarcastically retorted, “Well, I guess if we believe somebody who the establishment brings forward has a right to be anointed and nobody should run against, I guess yes.”
Charlie Rose continued the search for blame: “Secretary Clinton doesn't say that. She said they had momentum going into the last week and in fact, what happened with James Comey is the reason they lost.”
The best Rose could do is to neutrally speculate, “Do you believe that if you had been the candidate, you would have won?” But rather than discuss Clinton’s ethics problems, the hosts focused on Sanders having the temerity to run against the establishment favorite.
Twice, the co-hosts pushed Sanders on abolishing the electoral college. Rose quizzed, “There are some people talking about the way we take care of elections, the way we count elections. Should the electoral college be abolished?”
A transcript of the CBS This Morning segments can be found below:
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CBS This Morning
11/14/16
8:03:09
GAYLE KING: Senator Bernie Sanders is laying out his agenda for the next four years. His presidential campaign won 22 states before losing the nomination to Hillary Clinton. More than 13 million people voted for him. He writes about the campaign and what comes next in his new book. It’s called Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In. Senator Sanders is back at the table and we’re , glad to have you here, Senator.
...
KING: We were talking to your lovely wife Jane in the green room and said you two stayed up, like a lot of people, late to watch the returns. And it started as, you know, coronation for her. We heard words, “It’s a lock. “It’s a rout. It’s going to be her night.” By the end of the night, we know it turned south very, very quickly. We could say, by the end of the day.
...
KING: She did win the popular vote. But, ultimately, what do you think went wrong? Today, she is blaming James Comey and the letters.
...
KING: But are you surprised that a billionaire could connect so well when the Democrats could not to the working class?
...
SANDERS: I come from the white working class and I am deeply humiliated that the Democratic Party cannot talk to the people from where I came from.
CHARLIE ROSE: Therefore, do you believe that if you had been the candidate, you would have won?
...
ROSE: Secretary Clinton doesn't say that. She said they had momentum going into the last week and in fact, what happened with James Comey is the reason they lost.
SANDERS: But that’s a minor look. Why should you have to worry
ROSE: That is their analysis.
SANDERS: It’s not question of what happens in the last week. The question is that she should have won this election by ten percentage points.
...
O’DONNELL: I mean, this is the memo from Hillary Clinton's team, which they do blame James Comey. Because we saw voters that voters in the last week broke for Donald Trump. Again, back to this original question of trust. Whether they trust Hillary Clinton, whether they trust her as a change agent. How long was the primary between the two of you? Did it last ---
SANDERS: A long time.
O’DONNELL: A long time. Do you bear some responsibility in raising some of those concerns? Do you feel any guilt about her loss?
SANDERS [Laughs at the question]: Well, I guess if we believe somebody who the establishment brings forward has a right to be anointed and nobody should run against, I guess yes. If we believe in democracy where we have a vigorous debate on the aisle ideals— In fact, I think by the end of the day, by talking about income and wealth inequality, by taking about the need to make college tuition free, by talking about we are the only major country not to guarantee health care, we ended up making her a stronger candidate.
O’DONNELL: She adopted your proposal.
SANDERS: That’s right.
O’DONNELL: She adopted your proposal on colleges. Millennials supported you in droves in your campaign. They were part of the Obama coalition. They didn't turn out for Hillary Clinton. Why is that?
...KING: Are you encouraged that he seems to be open to other ideas after meeting with the president and he said, “I will maybe reconsider some of my positions on ObamaCare”?
...
ROSE: There are some people talking about the way we take care of elections, the way we count elections. Should the electoral college be abolished?
...
ROSE: We should think about changing the electoral college?
