In a follow-up to their idea from the previous evening when CNN host Erin Burnett floated the idea that Vice President Kamala Harris shouldn’t do interviews, a panel of CNN “journalists” led into the final night of the Democratic National Convention on Thursday by arguing that she should not even publish her policy positions for the public to scrutinize. And according to another host, the policy proposals weren’t important because it was a “vibes election” anyway.
They even teamed up with Democrats to warn that doing such could help former President Donald Trump.
“And then you hear the criticism, ‘Oh, she has to do more interviews. She has to talk about policy,” griped Burnett, much like she did on Wednesday. Looking to chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju, she teed him up to talk about the argument Democratic Party “insiders” were telling him. “[T]here's sort of like, ‘No. Absolutely not. Haven’t needed, to do it so far. Why start now?’”
Explaining the rationale, Raju warned: “They're concerned about her doing that could potentially trip her up and give Trump some ammunition. In fact, a lot of those Democrats I spoke to today said, avoid those policy prescriptions.”
"It's a vibes election!" proclaims Kasie Hunt.
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) August 22, 2024
CNN doubles down on encouraging Kamala to NOT do interviews and NOT talk about her "policy prescriptions."
CNN joined with Dems in scoffing at the idea that Americans care to learn about policy. pic.twitter.com/BHT7urKZQJ
They then played a montage of Democratic members of Congress desperately trying to make the case for why they shouldn’t be honest with the American people about what their vision for American included:
REP. NIKEMA WILLIAMS (D-GA): I haven't heard from many voters looking for white papers and policy papers, what they wanted here is what her vision is for this country.
REP. GERRY CONNOLLY: (D-VA): The American people don't vote on policy prescriptions.
REP. DAN KILDEE (D-MI): I actually think the way the American people think about this choice is less about the minutia of policy and more about the direction of the country, number one. And secondly, about the person, the character. It does matter.
Raju, further quoting Connolly, tried to warn that Harris could befall the same fate as Senator Elizabeth Warren (MA): “He said, Remember what Elizabeth Warren did when she ran back in 2020. She had a white paper for every policy position the sun, and what happened? She collapsed in the primary.’ So, there’s belief that perhaps if you put more ideas on paper, that's a bad idea.”
Host Kasie Hunt put a bow on the conversation but dismissing the calls for Harris to transparent on policy because “it’s a vibes election!”
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
CNN’s The Lead
August 22, 2024
4:34:14 p.m. Eastern(…)
ERIN BURNETT: And then you hear the criticism, “Oh, she has to do more interviews. She has to talk about policy.” Interesting from insiders, you're speaking to, there's sort of like, “No.”
MANU RAJU: Yeah.
BURNETT: “Absolutely not. Haven’t needed, to do it so far. Why start now?”
RAJU: And that's exactly it. They're concerned about her doing that could potentially trip her up and give Trump some ammunition. In fact, a lot of those Democrats I spoke to today said, avoid those policy prescriptions.
[Cuts to video]
REP. NIKEMA WILLIAMS (D-GA): I haven't heard from many voters looking for white papers and policy papers, what they wanted here is what her vision is for this country.
REP. GERRY CONNOLLY: (D-VA): The American people don't vote on policy prescriptions.
REP. DAN KILDEE (D-MI): I actually think the way the American people think about this choice is less about the minutia of policy and more about the direction of the country, number one. And secondly, about the person, the character. It does matter.
[Cuts back to live]
RAJU: And Gerry Connolly, the congressman for Virginia there. I asked him more about this. He said, “Remember what Elizabeth Warren did when she ran back in 2020. She had a white paper for every policy position the sun, and what happened? She collapsed in the primary.”
So, there’s belief that perhaps if you put more ideas on paper, that's a bad idea. But the question is, voters want to see some of those ideas?
KASIE HUNT: Maybe. If you go with the vibes, it’s a vibes election!
BURNETT: That’s right!
(…)
