CBS This Morning co-hosts brought on the liberal Alex Wagner, Tuesday, to explain the general “feeling” of mistrust people have for Hillary Clinton. Apparently, it’s due to the “centrism” of her husband Bill and worry about a lack of progressive commitment from the current Democratic candidate. Atlantic magazine editor Wagner and the others eventually got around to scandal, but a lot of time was spent questioning Mrs. Clinton’s liberalism.
After Gayle King asked why people distrust the Democrat, Wagner, who previously hosted a show on the very liberal MSNBC, offered this incredible spin: “It's just that in this day and age when we have such a fracturing of the news and information and media landscape, it's almost impossible for a candidate or a leader to find some sort of universal platform on which they can regain or gain public trust”
In other words, how could anyone be trusted?
After a baffled Charlie Rose queried “where the lack of” trust comes from with regard to Mrs. Clinton, Wagner’s first answer was not the e-mail scandal, Benghazi or other controversies. It was progressive unrest: “I think when you talk about Hillary Clinton, certainly, her husband's record for the progressive base of the Democratic Party I think is an area of great skepticism.”
Warning of liberal anger, the Atlantic writer added:
ALEX WAGNER: [You have heard] discontent about the progressive base about who she's actually going to appoint in key positions in the Treasury Department. What is she really going to do on TPP. That is a new thing. Up until now, I feel like Democrats have basically sort of held their fire and said let's deal with it on November 9th if she's elected. Now you’re starting to see beginning of the see green chutes of dissension in the party.
Wagner eventually got around to actual wrongdoing as a reason some might distrust Mrs. Clinton, though gently: “I think the there's just an accretion of years of mistrust on the right, and to some degree, in the center, about the various scandals that have plagued the Clintons and their time in public life.”
In an online version of this topic, Wagner spoke more bluntly of Clinton’s ethical issues, highlighting even the Democrat's own worries: “It is an understatement to say this reflects poorly on Clinton: It’s not the questionable judgment involved in setting up her own server, but her own staff’s feelings of betrayal (and outright disgust) that matter here.”
A transcript of the segment is below:
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CBS This Morning
11/1/16
8:03GAYLE KING: The e-mail server explanation and its potential impact on Hillary Clinton if she's elected president is a focus of a new article in the Atlantic. Contributing editor Alex Wagner writes this: “The problem for Clinton is that as we have seen so far in 2016, public trust is a set of feelings more than a set of facts.” Alex Wagner joins us at the table to discuss. Good morning to you.
ALEX WAGNER: Good morning to you, guys. Isn't November 9th yet?
GAYLE KING: I know. Aren’t we all counting the days? One week from day.
WAGNER: Red x marks on the calendar
KING: We’ve got that too. So, the feeling, Alex, after all this time, is still very strong against Hillary Clinton?
WAGNER: They are. And you know, trust has always been a feeling, right?
KING: Yes.
WAGNER: It's just that in this day and age when we have such a fracturing of the news and information and media landscape, it's almost impossible for a candidate or a leader to find some sort of universal platform on which they can regain or gain public trust.
CHARLIE ROSE: So, where does it come from?
WAGNER: Where does the lack of —
ROSE: Distrust?
WAGNER: You know, I think there are a number of sources, probably, Charlie. I think when you talk about Hillary Clinton, certainly, her husband's record for the progressive base of the Democratic Party I think is an area of great skepticism.
ROSE: He was a centrist.
WAGNER: What will she actually --- Sure. Of course. And, the third way, sort of triangulation of Democratic politics that was a hallmark of Bill Clinton is really not where the Democratic Party is anymore. I mean, it has shifted dramatically and pretty precipitously to the left. So, I think there is skepticism on the left about what kind of leader Hillary Clinton will actually be if she’s in the White House. And then I think the there’s just an accretion of years of mistrust on the right, and to some degree, in the center, about the various scandals that have plagued the Clintons and their time in public life.
KING: You're hearing whisperings even in her own party?
WAGNER: Yeah, I mean, I think what happened last week, we were treated to another batch of WikiLeaks stolen e-mails from John Podesta’s account, which reflect a serious amount of consternation insider her own campaign about how she handled the e-mail scandal when it first broke. That is not good if you are thinking about “what does a Clinton administration look like and how does it function?” But you also heard some, I'm not going to say saber rattling, but discontent about progressive base about who she's actually going to appoint in key positions in the Treasury Department. What is she really going to do on TPP. That is a new thing. Up until now, I feel like Democrats have basically sort of held their fire and said let's deal with it on November 9th if she's elected. Now you’re starting to see beginning of the see green chutes of dissension in the party.
NORAH O’DONNELL: But does this disclosure by the FBI director almost guarantee that if Hillary Clinton were to be elected, that her administration, even in its beginning days would be plagued by investigations?
WAGNER: Norah, if we’re still saying the words Vince Foster, if we are still saying the words Whitewater, if we are still talking about Kenneth Starr who is in the New York Times today, this scandal, controversy, whatever you call it, is going to almost certainly plague the beginning days.
ROSE: Whitewater which was during the election continued after the election.
WAGNER: Decades ago, right? I mean this, even if it's not a matter of actual investigation, the public interest in this, I would say certain folks on the right-wing, they're interested in stoking this as a continuing story is certainly not done.
KING: The fact this close to the election we're even talking about Anthony Weiner and Hillary Clinton in the same campaign. It's one of those things where you first heard it, you went what?
WAGNER: Literally, I mean, it was sort of a mic drop moment but not in a good way, Gayle.
KING: Yes.
WAGNER: I will give you this, election of 2016, you are not boring. It has been a constantly changing weather pattern. The fact that Democrats are forced to say the words Anthony Weiner ten days, nine days before the election is not where the party thought it was going to be.
O’DONNELL: And allegations of men behaving badly in both parties dominating much of it?
WAGNER: Absolutely. I think for a reminder of women in positions of power, allegations and swirl of sexual assault definitely are not as frequent, are they, Norah?
O’DONNELL: I know. It’s true.
WAGNER: They are not.
