Former Secretary of State swung by Thursday’s CNN This Morning for a wide-ranging, but still softball interview that included co-host Don Lemon asking her to “Speak to us about” the threat to democracy around the world, including in America.
At the end of the interview, Lemon asked Clinton to instill the viewers with her wisdom, “But if you look at what's happening in Iran, if you look at what's happening in, you know, all over the world, Bolsonaro, whatever, democracy is in danger all over the world, here in the United States as well, but it's all over the world, Secretary Clinton. This is a global thing that is happening if. What do we do? Speak to us about that, please.”
Speaking of the state of the world, Clinton sensed a pattern:
We have seen Xi in China consolidate his power. So, even what used to be a collective base of power is now all in one person. We're watching Putin abuse and misuse that power to literally rewrite history, we saw a very close election in Brazil, we’re seeing the uprising in Iran. This is a time of great ferment and it is a time when the United States should be standing strongly on behalf of our values, of democracy and freedom, of opportunity and equality instead of being engaged in this culture war driven by the political opportunism of people on the Republican side of the ledger.
Responsible politicians can also tackle both domestic and foreign concerns, but whatever Lemon and Clinton think of Bolsonaro, his replacement will be a corrupt socialist who spent time in prison and who makes excuses for Putin. Still, Clinton concluded, “So the best thing we can do to lead the world in this struggle between democracy and autocracy is to get our own house in order and I hope that we'll do that starting Tuesday.”
Earlier in the interview and also on the foreign policy front, co-host Kaitlan Collins alluded to the infamous “reset,” but didn’t think to ask the next logical question of why she and former President Obama followed that path. Instead, she did the opposite and praised Clinton’s tenure:
Well, Secretary Clinton, you know Putin very well, I mean, back from when you were secretary of State, the reset relations with Russia. And then, you know, I think, a lot of people don't realize you wrote this confidential memo at the end of your time as secretary of State, telling the White House, don't flatter him with high-level attention, decline his invitation for a presidential summit, don’t appear too eager to work together, you seem to have a really good sense of his mindset.
Collins then asked if she believed Putin will use nuclear weapons, which Clinton responded by saying that she doesn’t “believe that at this point” and suggested without evidence that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine would’ve been more successful if Donald Trump was re-elected.
Also earlier, after Clinton gave a list of alleged Democratic accomplishments, Lemon suggested it wasn’t that Democrats have actually failed, but that it is just a messaging problem, “I wonder why voters aren't getting that … And that is a signal that something is amiss here, that Democrats are nervous in a blue state like New York. So why isn't that message getting across?”
Somehow, Clinton managed to swing and miss at even that softball as she repeated the “it’s more of a turnout issue” cliché and predicting that Democrats will win in New York while saying nothing of the rest of the country.
These segments were sponsored by Humana.
Here is a transcript for the November 3 show:
CNN This Morning
11/3/2022
8:06 AM ET
DON LEMON: I wonder why voters aren't getting that. I mean, and listen, here's an example because you're going to be campaigning with New York Governor Kathy Hochul along with the vice president, you’re going to be campaigning for her and Letitia James, meaning Hochul and, you know we're talking about a state where you were elected. It is a blue state. And that is a signal that something is amiss here, that Democrats are nervous in a blue state like New York. So why isn't that message getting across? Why is Kathy Hochul, you know, neck-and-neck with the former -- or the Republican congressman, Lee Zeldin, who is also running for governor?
HILLARY CLINTON: Well, I think it's more of a turnout issue, Don. Every poll that I've seen shows Kathy Hochul still ahead and I expect her to win on Tuesday. But a midterm election is always difficult for the party in power. Whoever is the president in the White House, we have seen that over and over again in recent history. So our job is to convince our voters to turn out. Because if they turn out, then there's no doubt that we will win.
…
KAITLAN COLLINS: Well, Secretary Clinton, you know Putin very well, I mean, back from when you were secretary of State, the reset relations with Russia. And then, you know, I think, a lot of people don't realize you wrote this confidential memo at the end of your time as secretary of State, telling the White House, don't flatter him with high-level attention, decline his invitation for a presidential summit, don’t appear too eager to work together, you seem to have a really good sense of his mindset. Do you have a concern that officials seem more concerned about now than they were months ago, that he would use nuclear weapons?
CLINTON: I don't believe that at this point. I think you always have to be assessing the risks and trying to determine what messages should be sent to Putin. He understands, you know, force, he understands push back. He will go as far as he is permitted to go. I think he, frankly, I believe if Trump had been re-elected, he expected Trump to pull us out of NATO so that his invasion of Ukraine would have proceeded much more smoothly. So you have to stand up to him. He is-- he's a classic bully. Clearly you have to continue to be assessing what he might do, but at this point I am, you know, not yet convinced that he will do that.
…
LEMON: But if you look at what's happening in Iran, if you look at what's happening in, you know, all over the world, Bolsonaro, whatever, democracy is in danger all over the world, here in the United States as well, but it's all over the world, Secretary Clinton. This is a global thing that is happening if. What do we do? Speak to us about that, please.
CLINTON: Well, Don, you're right. I mean, we are in a struggle between democracy and autocracy. We have seen Xi in China consolidate his power. So, even what used to be a collective base of power is now all in one person.
We're watching Putin abuse and misuse that power to literally rewrite history, we saw a very close election in Brazil, we’re seeing the uprising in Iran. This is a time of great ferment and it is a time when the United States should be standing strongly on behalf of our values, of democracy and freedom, of opportunity and equality instead of being engaged in this culture war driven by the political opportunism of people on the Republican side of the ledger.
You know, there is no country in the world better positioned for the future than we are. The only thing that can stop us is if we get in our own way, which we seem to be doing a pretty good job of right now.
You know, listening to the, you know, crazy stuff coming out from election deniers, from people who laugh at Paul Pelosi being attacked, from people who want to keep you scared, who don't have answers to anything, you know, I think it's time that every American say you know what, we've got a lot at stake in pulling ourselves together.
We've got some terrific opportunities because finally the Congress has passed infrastructure legislation, the CHIPS act, doing something about health care and drug pricing, helping us compete in the clean energy economy. Wow, we have so much good stuff that is right on the brink of happening if we don't, you know, just confuse ourselves and listen to people who don't have our best interests at heart. So the best thing we can do to lead the world in this struggle between democracy and autocracy is to get our own house in order and I hope that we'll do that starting Tuesday.
