Liberal pundits on CNN Tonight early on Thursday morning touted how Bernie Sanders spoke about his religious/spiritual views. Van Jones emphasized how Sanders, during the network's Democratic presidential town hall earlier in the evening, "did something tonight that I thought was good...He talked about his own spirituality, and he talked about...how religion and his religious views inform his public views." When Jones wondered if the Vermont Democrat helped his cause, Gloria Borger replied emphatically, "Of course, he helped himself." [video below]
The former Obama administration official introduced the topic of Sanders's town hall remarks about faith by underlining, "I have never heard him [Sanders] do that. Does that help him?" Host Don Lemon played the clip of the presidential contender disclosing, in part, that "my spirituality is that we are all in this together; and that when children go hungry; when veterans sleep out on the street, it impacts me. That's my very strong spiritual feeling."
Lemon then turned to Borger and forwarded Jones's question: "The question is, did he [Sanders] help himself, Gloria?" The CNN political analyst replied, "Sure," and added a snarky remark about a recent Donald Trump gaffe: "You know, he's not quoting 'Two Corinthians,' right?" Liberal talking head Donna Brazile interjected that "he was Old and New Testament with that argument, right?" Fellow Democrat Bakari Sellers, a former member of the South Carolina state legislature, agreed with Brazile's remark: "He was Old and New in that one — he was."
Borger, who also trumpeted how the town hall "lifted the veil" on Hillary Clinton's "humility," then gave her analysis of Senator Sanders's answer:
GLORIA BORGER: He's a secular candidate. He's a — he's a secular candidate. And what he is saying is, whatever I do is informed by my spirituality — because I care about the human race; and I care about people; and I don't want to see people die, and I don't want to see veterans that are homeless; and on and on and on.
So, of course! Of course, he helped himself. It's not his natural turf, just like foreign policy is not his natural turf. I think we saw that tonight in his answer on ISIS. His natural turf is income inequality.
The CNN panel seems to be following the example of New York Times with regard to Hillary Clinton. On Saturday, correspondent Amy Chozick played up how Clinton's "evident ease at discussing her faith and Scripture — and how they help explain why she is running for president — might well help her connect not just to the faithful but to nonreligious voters as well."
The transcript of the relevant portion of the panel discussion segment from CNN Tonight, which aired early on the morning of February 4, 2016:
VAN JONES: He [Sanders] did something tonight that I thought was good; and I want you to tell me if you think it will help him. He talked about his own spirituality—
DONNA BRAZILE: Yeah—
JONES: And he talked about his — how religion and his religious views inform his public views—
GLORIA BORGER: His politics—
JONES: I have never heard him do that. Does that help him?
BORGER: He's not—
DON LEMON: Let's listen. Before you answer, let's listen. Let's listen to that; and then, Gloria will answer. Go ahead.
[CNN Graphic: "Sanders' Spirituality"]
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (from CNN Democratic presidential town hall): I would not be here tonight — I would not be running for president of the United States if I did not have very strong religious and spiritual feelings.
I believe that, as a human being, the pain that one person feels — if we have children who are hungry in America; if we have elderly people who can't afford their prescription drugs — you know what? That impacts you; that impacts me. And I worry very much about a society where some people spiritually say, it doesn't matter to me. I got it — I don't care about other people.
So, my spirituality is that we are all in this together; and that when children go hungry; when veterans sleep out on the street, it impacts me. That's my very strong spiritual feeling. (audience cheers and applauds)
LEMON: The question is, did he help himself, Gloria?
BORGER: Sure-—
BRAZILE: Yes—
BORGER: You know, he's not quoting 'Two Corinthians,' right? (Borger and panel laugh)
BRAZILE: He was Old and New Testament with that argument, right? Old and new — that's right—
BAKARI SELLERS, FORMER MEMBER, SOUTH CAROLINA STATE HOUSE: He was Old and New in that one — he was—
BORGER: He's a secular candidate. He's a — he's a secular candidate. And what he is saying is, whatever I do is informed by my spirituality — because I care about the human race; and I care about people; and I don't want to see people die, and I don't want to see veterans that are homeless; and on and on and on.
So, of course! Of course, he helped himself. It's not a natural—
BRAZILE: His values — yeah—
BORGER: It's not his natural turf—
BRAZILE: Right—
BORGER: Just like foreign policy is not his natural turf. I think we saw that tonight in his answer on ISIS—
LEMON: But also—
BORGER: His natural turf is income inequality.
