In an otherwise critical piece about Hillary Clinton’s continued high public profile being a problem for Democrats ahead of the midterms and 2020, Politico’s Annie Karni touted the former Democratic nominee having learned at least one lesson from 2016: she should have been nicer to reporters. Appearing on MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports Friday afternoon, Karni emphasized how Clinton “understands that now she screwed up her relationship with the press.”
“The 2016 Democratic nominee has been rethinking her relationship with the press, among the many things she has been turning over — and over — in her head, acknowledging that her grouchy relationship with journalists was a problem,” Karni announced at the top of her article. The item then went on to detail all ways in which Clinton was making things awkward for Democrats.
Talking to Karni during Friday’s 12:00 p.m. ET hour on MSNBC, substitute host Kristen Welker enthused over Clinton “reaching out to some reporters behind the scenes.” Karni proclaimed:
Yeah, that’s what’s been really one thing in my reporting that was interesting to me is that one of the things she’s been going over and over her mind is the end. One of the things that she actually accepts blame for – she sees a lot of the election as, “it was robbed from me” – but she understands now that she screwed up her relationship with the press. She should have done a better job of having a better relationship with them.
Welker excitedly followed up: “And of course, all of this is leads to the bigger question, 2020?!” Karni observed: “And the question is, why do you want a better relationship with the press? To what end?”
The notion that one of Hillary Clinton’s biggest problems in 2016 was a bad relationship with the press is absurd. While the liberal media may not have adored her the way they did Barack Obama, there was never any doubt that most journalists were rooting for her in the campaign.
Here is a transcript of the October 19 exchange between Welker and Karni:
12:31 PM ET
(...)
KRISTEN WELKER: She’s been reaching out to some reporters behind the scenes, which is fascinating.
ANNIE KARNI [POLITICO]: Yeah, that’s what’s been really one thing in my reporting that was interesting to me is that one of the things she’s been going over and over her mind is the end. One of the things that she actually accepts blame for – she sees a lot of the election as, “it was robbed from me” – but she understands now that she screwed up her relationship with the press. She should have done a better job of having a better relationship with them. And she started to put out feelers and she’s curious about the reporters who cover Trump.
So for instance, he went after one of our colleagues, Cecilia Vega from ABC News, at a press conference in the Rose Garden and she called her afterwards and left a voicemail. I don’t know what the contents of the voicemail were, but she reached out after seeing that exchange. And I am told that wasn’t a one-off, she’s been putting out feelers here and there to the press
WELKER: Pretty stunning.
KARNI: Yeah.
WELKER: And of course, all of this is leads to the bigger question, 2020?!
KARNI: Right.
WELKER: Yeah!
KARNI: And the question is, why do you want a better relationship with the press?
WELKER: Right.
KARNI: To what end?
WELKER: Could she run again?
(...)
