One of the Democrats’ greatest assets this November may be turning into a liability. Yesterday, during a segment on MSNBC’s The 11th Hour with Brian Williams, host Williams and Associated Press White House News Editor Nancy Benac discussed the ramifications of Bill Clinton’s recent NBC interview on the Democrats’ chances at the polls.
While being pressed about his past, “He was defensive. He was combative. He was really out of step with the Me Too movement” said Benac of Clinton. She described his performance as a far cry from the politician usually “known for his spot-on political instincts and his ability to talk his way out of trouble.”
Williams observed that going on air to promote his new book, a fictional political novel he co-wrote with famed author James Patterson, was an odd choice for Clinton, saying that, “the questions, if anything, are going to increase about this." That whispers of "me too" have shrouded Clinton’s recent appearances “doesn’t bode well for his future in the midterms, I'm guessing -- correct me if I'm wrong -- as a kind of a surrogate campaigner for the Democrats,” Williams continued.
Berac agreed, noting that “Democrats already were keeping their distance” because of these lingering issues. She went on, bemoaning Clinton’s fall from grace as “a shame because when you have a popular former president, he can be a huge asset for Democrats. And in this case, that's just not going to, not going to work for them."
While Bill Clinton has been a fixture on the Left and a prolific campaigner, he may no longer be welcome in the house he helped build.
A full transcript can be found below:
BRIAN WILLIAMS: Anyway, Nancy, it's great to see you, great to have you on. Bill Clinton tonight had an evening book event. He tried to clean up his language and made some, made some points a little more artfully. But, what about this, Nancy, was a kind of a trigger for you? What about it could you see vintage Bill Clinton in?
NANCY BENAC: Well, you know, it's funny. Bill Clinton was always known for his spot-on political instincts and his ability to talk his way out of trouble, and those gifts just failed him in this interview. He was defensive. He was combative. He was really out of step with the Me Too movement and was lacking in contrition, which was a problem back in 1998 when this first happened. It took him a while to come around to contrition then too.
WILLIAMS: Nancy, it is a curious decision. First of all, the fact that he's co-authored this book. Second, that in keeping with what other authors do, they're sending him out on the road to do these interviews knowing that now the questions, if anything, are going to increase about this. It doesn't bode well for his future in the midterms, I'm guessing -- correct me if I'm wrong -- as a kind of a surrogate campaigner for the Democrats.
BENAC: Exactly. You know, Democrats already were keeping their distance to some extent just because of the issues that could come up with him and an interview like this is just going to reinforce those instincts and cause them to keep him at even greater distance than they already would have otherwise, which is a shame because when you have a popular former president, he can be a huge asset for Democrats. And in this case, that's just not going to, not going to work for them.
