In previewing Hillary Clinton’s expected presidential announcement on Sunday, ABC’s Good Morning America turned to George Stephanopoulos, former White House Communications Director for Bill Clinton, to supposedly provide objective analysis of her soon-to-be candidacy.
Co-host Dan Harris never bothered to ask Stephanopoulos about the ongoing scandals surrounding Hillary’s use of personal e-mail while at the State Department or her foundation's questionable practice of accepting donations from foreign countries.
Instead, Dan Harris asked the former Clinton advisor was asked open-ended questions such as “what is Hillary’s biggest asset and her biggest liability” and “Last time she ran, she specifically did not make a gender appeal. That’s going to change this time, we hear. Why? And is it likely to work?”
During his analysis, Stephanopoulos channeled his Democratic background and fretted about the challenges of running for a third Obama time:
It's so hard for any party to win a third term as president. The first President Bush is really the first one to do it in modern times. I think that the Hillary campaign is going to try to -- is not going to try to separate themselves too much from President Obama. But they’re going to have to strike out in a new direction as well. It goes back to -- how do you make that campaign about the future?
In a full report earlier in the broadcast, ABC’s Cecilia Vega provided several soundbites of Republicans criticizing Clinton’s candidacy, but downplayed the sharpest condemnation of her. Vega did play a clip of NRA President Wayne LaPierre declaring that the next president “will not be Hillary Rodham Clinton” but failed to mention that he said her presidency would “bring a permanent darkness of deceit and despair.”
Over on NBC, Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd argued that Hillary’s ongoing e-mail scandal was mainly a Republican argument against her candidacy and not a reflection of the larger Democratic Party:
More people in Iowa, Colorado and Virginia said she wasn't honest and trustworthy. The e-mail story gives Republicans an entree into that issue. I think it’s something she's got to fix. This is a long-term problem for her if she's not careful.
Prior to Todd’s comments, NBC’s Kristen Welker provided a Democratic-heavy segment to preview Hillary’s candidacy. The NBC reporter touted how “Clinton's campaign aides worked late into the night here at her campaign headquarters putting the final touches on her highly anticipated second bid for the White House.”
The NBC reporter went on to promote how Hillary plans to revamp her strategy following her failed 2008 bid and "will tweet out a video announcing her candidacy. Unlike 2008, she'll start off by getting up close and personal with voters in key states, like Iowa and New Hampshire."
After turning to political analyst Stu Rothenberg to cheerlead for Bill’s “magnetic personality and style” that will make it difficult for him to assume a backstage role in Hillary’s campaign, Welker downplayed the significance of Hillary’s e-mail controversy:
And the Republican National Committee is already out with its counter message today, slamming Clinton for using her personal e-mails while serving as Secretary of State. And they'll be passing out these thumb drives which read "Stop Hillary." Just one of the hot button issues as the 2016 race gets under way.
Welker failed to mention that it wasn’t merely Hillary “using her personal e-mails” that is at issue but rather her unprecedented decision to conduct all State Department business from a personal e-mail account tied to a private server at her home.
See relevant transcripts below.
ABC’s Good Morning America
April 12, 2015
DAN HARRIS: For more on this, let's bring in ABC’s Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos who will be hosting This Week later this morning. As we go into this campaign, what is Hillary's biggest asset and her biggest liability?
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: I think it's exactly the same thing. I think it’s experience. More than a generation on the national stage. What that brings her she enters the race in the most commanding position of any candidate who’s not a sitting president going into this. She has contacts. She deep support across the Democratic Party. The ability to raise a boat load of money. At the same time, how does someone who has been around as long as Hillary Clinton make this campaign about the future? That's the challenge for any presidential candidate. It's a big challenge for her.
HARRIS: Last time she ran, she specifically did not
STEPHANOPOULOS: No question that her team thinks
HARRIS: That baby is going to get a lot ofSTEPHANOPOULOS: You know, it's so hard for any party to win a third term as president. The first President Bush is really the first one to do it in modern times. I think that the Hillary campaign is going to try to -- is not going to try to separate themselves too much from President Obama. But they’re going to have to strike out in a new direction as well. It goes back to -- how do you make that campaign about the future?
HARRIS: And how the economy is doing a couple months out.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Biggest factor.
NBC’s Today
April 12, 2015
PETER ALEXANDER: Coming up right now is our top story and that’s Hillary Clinton's announcement that she is running for president. It is expected in just a few short hours. NBC's Kristin Welker is once again outside of Clinton's new campaign headquarters in Brooklyn, New York for us this morning. Kristin, good morning.
KRISTEN WELKER: Peter, good morning to you. That's right, we expect that announcement to come down late this afternoon on social media. Meanwhile, Clinton's campaign aides worked late into the night here at her campaign headquarters putting the final touches on her highly anticipated second bid for the White House.
HILLARY CLINTON: Don't you someday want to see a woman president of the United States of America?
WELKER: In just a few hours, Hillary Clinton will make it official. Aides say her campaign message will focus on ways to help the middle class. Late Saturday she earned an endorsement of sorts, from the current commander in chief speaking in Panama.
BARACK OBAMA: I think she would be an excellent president.
WELKER: Clinton will tweet out a video announcing her candidacy. Unlike 2008, she'll start off by getting up close and personal with voters in key states, like Iowa and New Hampshire.
JOHN HARWOOD: What she has to find a way to do is to project in small group settings some of the warmth that her friends say she displays in private.
WELKER: And while some of her strongest supporters rallied in Manhattan Saturday not far from her Brooklyn headquarters –
JACKIE SPEIER: Who are we ready for?
UNKNOWN WOMAN: I am over the moon. We’ve been waiting for Hillary for a long time.
WELKER: Others say they’re undecided about another Clinton in the White House. Why are you not excited?
UNKNOWN WOMAN 2: Because I'm not sure about her veracity.
WELKER: And Republicans are gearing up, too, releasing this video of their so-called stop Hillary command center and rallying in Iowa.
JEFF KAUFMANN: We don't coronate our nominee in the Republican Party.
WELKER: And then there's former President Bill Clinton who at times made the wrong kind of headlines in 2008. He says this time he'll take a backstage role, at least initially
STU ROTHENBERG: But Bill Clinton is Bill Clinton and he attracts people. He has a magnetic personality and style and I think he will get coverage whether he wants it or not.
WELKER: And Saturday Night Live wasted no time taking him on.
DARRELL HAMMOND [As Bill Clinton] Okay, I get it. This election is about you. I don't want to hog your limelight. I am leaving. Look at me go. Bye. I'm gone.
WELKER: And the Republican National Committee is already out with its counter message today, slamming Clinton for using her personal e-mails while serving as Secretary of State. And they'll be passing out these thumb drives which read "Stop Hillary." Just one of the hot button issues as the 2016 race gets under way.
ALEXANDER: And so it begins, Kristin Welker outside the new Clinton headquarters. Kristen thank you.
