Meet the Press moderator and MSNBC’s MTP Daily host Chuck Todd offered some intriguing thoughts early Monday evening on the Democratic National Convention (DNC) thus far that ranged from admitting that the first day of the DNC is both “messier” and “worse” than the start of the Republican National Convention (RNC) but later wondered if Hillary Clinton is held to a different standard when it comes to big speeches then men.
Taking the first statement, Todd had brought on Democratic Congressman and U.S. Senate candidate Chris Van Hollen (Md.) to spend much of the interview hammering away at the Wikileaks DNC scandal and Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s ouster as Chairwoman.
Todd then fired away with this hardball about the DNC being "a mess" and "worse" the the start of the RNC:
Congressman Van Hollen, you've been in party leadership as well, you were DCCC chair. You’ve — this is — I'm sorry, I’m telling you from an outside, this is a mess. This is messier — I was in Cleveland first day. As messy as that looked, this is worse right now. I'm just telling you, it looks worse.
Going forward, it'll be interesting to see if Todd still has these thoughts at around 11:00 p.m. Eastern after heavyweights Michelle Obama, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren have all spoken in primetime to the DNC.
Before pinning Van Hollen down on whether or not more DNC officials should be fired for their embarrassing shots at media members and scheming against Bernie Sanders, Todd brought up the concerns among Sanders supporters:
Do you think the party still hasn't done a good enough job reaching out to these folks? Is that — I mean, look, it took — it took a lot for them to get rid of Debbie Wasserman Schultz, which frankly was something the Sanders people were asking for three months ago.
Later in the hour, however, the tune changed when Todd brought up the lack of enthusiasm for Clinton’s candidacy and if expectations are different for her acceptance speech because of her gender: “Although, I wonder how much of that is we are as a public, conditioned to hear more male candidates give the big speech and if she's being held to an unfair — a different bar. Some would say it's unfair, it's just a different bar.”
Democratic strategist and panelist Doug Thornell obviously agreed, lamenting that it’s what’s “sometimes missed about this convention is the historic moment that we're about to have” and so Todd responded by opining that “this historic moment has never glommed onto her and I don't know why.”
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Somehow, former NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw provided the balance in the discussion by reminding fellow panelists and viewers: “Most of the country is very accustomed to her. They’ve been seeing her, hearing her, dealing with her for a long, long time.”
The relevant portions of the transcript from the 5:00 p.m. Eastern hour of MSNBC’s Democratic National Convention coverage on July 25 can be found below.
MSNBC: Democratic National Convention
July 25, 2016
5:06 p.m. Eastern
CHUCK TODD: I'm joined now by Democratic Congressman Chris Van Hollen or Maryland who, of course, is currently running for the U.S. Senate — is the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate. Congressman Van Hollen, you've been in party leadership as well, you were DCCC chair. You’ve — this is — I'm sorry, I’m telling you from an outside, this is a mess. This is messier — I was in Cleveland first day. As messy as that looked, this is worse right now. I'm just telling you, it looks worse.
(....)
TODD: Do you think the party still hasn't done a good enough job reaching out to these folks? Is that — I mean, look, it took — it took a lot for them to get rid of Debbie Wasserman Schultz, which frankly was something the Sanders people were asking for three months ago.
(....)
TODD: By the way, why is only Debbie Wasserman Schultz out? Shouldn't there be more? Terry McAuliffe said he'd fire more people.
(....)
5:25 p.m. Eastern
TODD: Although, I wonder how much of that is we are as a public, conditioned to hear more male candidates give the big speech and if she's being held to an unfair — a different bar. Some would say it's unfair, it's just a different bar.
DOUG THORNELL: What I think is sometimes missed about this convention is the historic moment that we're about to have.
TODD: Although, let me — it's never — it's funny you say this. For some reason, this historic moment has never glommed onto her and I don't know why.
THORNELL: Because, to me, you know, my mom cried when she got the nomination. You know, the fact that we're nominating the first woman to be a major party candidate, that's huge and I think when she goes out there, I think part of this connection that she's going to have to make is about that challenge that she had to get there and to Carol's point, the fact is, there weren't a lot of people that wanted to validate Donald Trump during the convention, you know. There weren't a lot of people — a lot of people didn't want to show up for him.
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL’s CAROL LEE: I would say on the question about her being a woman, one, there's a generational division. Older women are really excited.
TODD: Absolutely they are.
LEE: And younger women, whatever, you get us where we are so we can decide whether we want you, not just because you’re a woman.
TOM BROKAW: Most of the country is very accustomed to her. They’ve been seeing her, hearing her, dealing with her for a long, long time.
