On Wednesday's New Day, CNN political analyst Carl Bernstein made excuses for Hillary Clinton's "difficult relationship to the truth," as he implicated "attacks" from the GOP as well as having to defend her husband's womanizing, which have led her to become a "specialist" at "fudging" in a profession where such behavior is "endemic" anyway.
At about 7:08 a.m., co-host Alisyn Camerota brought up a part of Clinton's interview with CNN in which she blamed Republicans for polls showing that 57 percent of voters do not trust her. After Camerota asked if Clinton's blaming of the GOP was "fair," Bernstein responded:
I think she's half right. I think Hillary Clinton, as I say in A Woman in Charge, and I think aptly at this point is the definitive biography, and it's because it reflects the complexity of the woman or her situation. And her situation is that she has had a difficult relationship to the truth, as the book says in its closing pages, since the Arkansas years.
The CNN analyst asserted that Clinton is "on the right side" of the culture war as he added:
But there are reasons for this, quote, "difficult relationship to the truth," which have to do partly with these attacks. She is at the heart of the cultural warfare in this country over the last 30 years. The demographics today reflect that she is on the right side of this cultural warfare, and on the issues that she keeps going back to, she has an awful lot of support, as do the Democrats.
Camerota jumped back in and posed:
But what you're saying is, because she has been under attack for a long time, she has learned to fudge her answers?
Bernstein expanded on his blaming Republicans for inspiring Clinton's dishonesty:
First of all, I think we've got to look at what politicians do generally in terms of fudging. It's endemic in the profession. But she has become a kind of specialist at it. How -- why has she become a kind of specialist? It has to do, I think, partly with the peculiarity of the Clintons' situations. It has partly to do with the history of Bill Clinton and women, in which she's had to defend him. And it's been difficult to do with the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. She's been in a difficult position.
He added:
I think if you read the book, if you really understand her life, her great strengths and her weaknesses, you begin to understand the complexity -- look, she's the most famous woman in the world, she's sui generis, as it were. We have never had a candidate in our history. All over the world this morning, people are having the discussion we are having at their breakfast tables. It's remarkable, this phenomenon. So we have to look at this election in a little bit different terms and her in a little bit different terms than anybody else, and her situation.
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Wednesday, July 8, New Day on CNN from 7:08 a.m.:
ALISYN CAMEROTA: Let me remind our viewers of her upside down numbers on trustworthiness since that's what Brianna talked to her about. The recent CNN poll, it asked respondents: "Is Hillary Clinton honest and trustworthy?" Only 42 percent said yes; 57 percent said no. Carl, did you think it was fair in that interview that she blames the GOP for those numbers?
CARL BERNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I think she's half right. I think Hillary Clinton, as I say in A Woman in Charge, and I think aptly at this point is the definitive biography, and it's because it reflects the complexity of the woman or her situation. And her situation is that she has had a difficult relationship to the truth, as the book says in its closing pages, since the Arkansas years.
But there are reasons for this, quote, "difficult relationship to the truth," which have to do partly with these attacks. She is at the heart of the cultural warfare in this country over the last 30 years. The demographics today reflect that she is on the right side of this cultural warfare, and on the issues that she keeps going back to, she has an awful lot of support, as do the Democrats.
CAMEROTA: But what you're saying is, because she has been under attack for a long time, she has learned to fudge her answers?
BERNSTEIN: First of all, I think we've got to look at what politicians do generally in terms of fudging. It's endemic in the profession. But she has become a kind of specialist at it. How -- why has she become a kind of specialist? It has to do, I think, partly with the peculiarity of the Clintons' situations. It has partly to do with the history of Bill Clinton and women, in which she's had to defend him. And it's been difficult to do with the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. She's been in a difficult position.
I think if you read the book, if you really understand her life, her great strengths and her weaknesses, you begin to understand the complexity -- look, she's the most famous woman in the world, she's sui generis, as it were. We have never had a candidate in our history. All over the world this morning, people are having the discussion we are having at their breakfast tables. It's remarkable, this phenomenon. So we have to look at this election in a little bit different terms and her in a little bit different terms than anybody else, and her situation.
CHRIS CUOMO: They're googling sui generis and finding out that in Latin it means "unique."
BERNSTEIN: I know, I really blew that one.
CUOMO: No, no, no, you're smart. That's why we have you here.
BERNSTEIN: I never took Latin. I'm a dropout.
