As Super Tuesday election results started to roll in, CNN’s Van Jones rejected any enthusiasm comparison between 2016 Hillary Clinton and then-candidate Barack Obama eight years ago. After Michael Smerconish noted that Clinton has a problem firing up voters, Van Jones shot back, “I just think with regard to Sanders, I don't think he's saying he has more enthusiasm than Barack Obama in 2008.”
Jones gushed, “There was more enthusiasm for Barack Obama in 2008 than for any human ever born except maybe Elvis and Michael Jackson.” He added, "I don't think [Sanders] is comparing himself to that." This isn’t a new assessment for the CNN analyst. On February 1, he fawned, “ Barack Obama is probably the coolest person ever born."
Yet, in October of 2015, Jones compared Mrs. Clinton to Beynoce.
A transcript of the exchange is below:
America’s Choice 2016
3/1/16
7:06MICHAEL SMERCONISH: There are two gaps, two e-gaps I refer to them as. One is the enthusiasm gap that seems to benefit the Rs thus far in terms of turnout. The other is the experience gap. And simply stated, Democrats favor it and Republicans are repulsed by it.
ANDERSON COOPER: Right, which is really interesting. And we’re seeing that on the exit polls.
VAN JONES: I just think with regard to Sanders, I don't think he's saying he has more enthusiasm than Barack Obama did in 2008. There was more enthusiasm for Barack Obama in 2008 than for any human ever born except maybe Elvis and Michael Jackson. I don’t think he's comparing himself to that. I think he’s comparing himself to Hillary Clinton. And I think there’s no argument that when you have 10,000 people coming out for Bernie Sanders, I haven't seen that happen yet for Senator Clinton. He has a case to make, that where there is energy in this party, it's with him.
