Discussing rumors of a possible Hillary Clinton campaign shakeup in an attempt to right the ship after a close race in Iowa and what looks to be like a Sanders blowout in New Hampshire, CNN’s Anderson Cooper on his eponymous program tonight made a humorous comparison to how struggling cable TV executives handle programs that just aren’t cutting it in the ratings.
“You know, in the real TV news, they change the set and then they fire their producer and then finally they realize that maybe the anchor is the problem,” Cooper quipped to laughter from his panel, which ranged the ideological spectrum.
“Just for those who are watching at home, that’s how it works in the world of TV,” he added. To that former Obama advisor David Axelrod joked, “This has suddenly turned into group therapy,” prompting more laughter from the panel.
“My question is, I mean, at a certain point, is it the candidate, or is it the campaign?” Cooper asked seriously.
Watch the video and read the transcript below:
AUDIO (mp3):
CNN
Anderson Cooper 360
February 8, 2016; 8:43 p.m. Eastern
onscreen graphic: Clinton on Shakeup Rumors: “We’re Going to Take Stock”ANDERSON COOPER, host: First of all, Gloria, I understand that you have new reporting based on conversations about a possible shakeups or trouble in the Clinton camp?
GLORIA BORGER, CNN chief political analyst: Well, I do. There are, I was talking to a Clinton source who said to me, look, what they are looking for in the Clinton campaign is what this source called a more disciplined process, which they haven't had.
And that they believe there's a couple mistakes the campaign has made, first of which is not taking Bernie Sanders more seriously this past summer, because I was told, you know, it's hard -- his supporters now are so passionate, that it's hard to change their minds and it's hard to change to fight passion with reason, is what I was told.
And secondly, they believe that she is not connecting, obviously, her heart with the voters and they need to do something to fix that. You can't fire the candidate in these kinds of situations. So you have to fix the campaign.
COOPER: You know, in the world of TV news, they change the set and then they fire their producer –
[laughter from panel]
COOPER: – and then finally they realize that maybe the anchor is the problem.
BORGER: But you can’t fire –
COOPER: Just for those who are watching at home, that’s how it works in the world of TV
DAVID AXELROD, former Obama advisor: This has suddenly turned into group therapy.
[more laughter from panel]
COOPER: My question is, I mean, at a certain point, is it the candidate, or is it the campaign?
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