Commenting on Hillary Clinton’s concession speech to Bernie Sanders Tuesday night as the New Hampshire primary results came in, CNN panelists Van Jones and former Democratic Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter ruled that Clinton was “learning,” “listening” and putting out a “very important” “message” despite her loss and narrow Iowa win.
Host Anderson Cooper went right to Jones at the conclusion of Clinton’s speech and he ruled that “[s]he’s learning” and “listening” to voters by “not lecturing the young people.”
He mentioned that while she repeatedly uses the word “I” while Bernie Sanders refers to everything as “we,” Jones maintained that “she is listening and she is trying to connect with this youth face that’s very important tonight.”
The recently departed Philly mayor jumped in immediately to declare that he “agree[d] with much of what Van said” in that “message is very, very important in this election.” The Clinton supporter continued:
It’s not only what you can do while you’re in office, but you know, a campaign is a campaign. It’s a campaign of ideas. The things that Secretary Clinton just talked about are the things that are on people’s minds and so, how she communicates her view and the inclusiveness of that vision for governing, I think, is the key for her going forward[.]
Nutter further hinted before the victory speech from the socialist senator that his chances of success following the Granite State are much slimmer than in the first two states:
[Y]ou know, to see other parts of the country that are more representative of the entire United States of America, but people are angry. We see that on both sides. This reaction to the outsider environment and communicating this message to African-Americans and Latinos.
The relevant portion of the transcript from CNN’s America’s Choice 2016: The New Hampshire Primary on January 9 can be found below.
CNN’s America’s Choice 2016: The New Hampshire Primary
February 9, 2016
9:23 p.m. Eastern
VAN JONES: She’s learning. She’s not — she is, she’s listening. She’s listening. You know, Kayne West said, listen to the kids, y’all and so, you can tell she’s listening. She’s not lecturing the young people, she’s trying to — but I’m telling you, the difference and you’re going to see it very shortly, she says I, I, I. It’s like she’s applying for a job that I am going to this for you. I’m going to do that for you. Bernie talks about we. His theory of change is you have to have a whole movement. You have to involve millions of people and she still seems like her belief is she’s a great technocrat, let me tell you what I can do for you and I just don’t think it works. And I think you’re going to see the difference very soon, but I’ll tell you what. You can tell she is listening and she is trying to connect with this youth face that’s very important tonight.
MICHAEL NUTTER: I agree with much of what Van said. I mean, message is very, very important in this election. It’s not only what you can do while you’re in office, but you know, a campaign is a campaign. It’s a campaign of ideas. The things that Secretary Clinton just talked about are the things that are on people’s minds and so, how she communicates her view and the inclusiveness of that vision for governing, I think, is the key for her going forward and you know, to see other parts of the country that are more representative of the entire United States of America, but people are angry. We see that on both sides. This reaction to the outsider environment and communicating this message to African-Americans and Latinos.
