While even MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell worried on Thursday about the “headwinds facing Hillary Clinton” amid the ongoing e-mail and Clinton Foundation scandals, USA Today Washington bureau chief Susan Page reassured her liberal journalist colleague: “You know, it's certainly true she has had a load of trouble in the national press, but you look at her appearance yesterday in South Carolina and she seemed pretty relaxed.”
Page gushed: “So what matters, I guess, to the Clinton people is not whether she’s doing well with people – reporters like you and me – but whether she's doing well with voters....And I think they have to be pretty pleased with the kind of authentic, relaxed, engaging, humorous Hillary Clinton that they saw yesterday.”
Mitchell chimed in: “Indeed, I was there. And she could not be more relaxed.”
In another attempt to actually discuss substantive problems for Clinton, Mitchell observed: “So she’s certainly embracing the gender issue and trying to also erase the bad taste of, you know, the race card accusations against her husband which certainly soured a lot of people, including Jim Clyburn, the very powerful leader, congressional leader from South Carolina.”
The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza brushed such concerns aside:
I'm with Susan on this. I think the argument you played in the clip leading into the segment, Andrea, is the best possible argument for her to talk about. Which is, “I know what this job entails. This is a difficult time for this country, both domestically and internationally. I know I have the resume. I've spent the time. I’m ready to do this job on day one. I don't need to worry about any of the preparation stuff, I can focus on doing the job I know how to do.” That argument is a great argument for her, probably her best argument. And I would say she needs more of that and less of sort of all these other things. Obviously she doesn't ask for the Clinton e-mail stories and all these sorts of other things. But that's the – I think, the message that is most appealing if you are sort of on the fence, potentially, about her.
In an odd twist, Mitchell was trying to actually do her job as a journalist and ask tough questions about the Clinton campaign. However, her liberal guests refused to allow any examination of the topic.
Here is a full transcript of the May 28 segment on Andrea Mitchell Reports:
12:42 PM ET
HILLARY CLINTON: And I do know how hard this job I'm seeking is. I have seen it up close and personal. You're not going to catch me wondering what it's like. Instead I'm spending my time planning for what I will do for you when I get there.
ANDREA MITCHELL: Hillary Clinton speaking Wednesday with South Carolina Democratic women who do seeming willing to give her a second chance. Of course that was the primary she lost so badly to Barack Obama. Joining me now for our Daily Fix, Chris Cillizza, MSNBC contributor and founder of The Washington Post’s Fix blog, and USA Today’s Washington bureau chief Susan Page. Welcome both.
Well, she’s heading to Florida today, she was raising money in Atlanta this morning, now Florida for two days. No public events. South Carolina was her first visit back since that devastating loss by almost 30 points to Obama. A really bad loss, obviously, which set Barack Obama on the trajectory towards winning the nomination.
Susan, what about the headwinds facing Hillary Clinton with all these questions about the e-mails and the judge telling the State Department to turn them over more rapidly? And money, money, money. Clinton Foundation payments, $10,000 a month now, according to Politico, to Sidney Blumenthal.
SUSAN PAGE: You know, it's certainly true she has had a load of trouble in the national press, but you look at her appearance yesterday in South Carolina and she seemed pretty relaxed. She seemed to embrace being a female candidate in a way she never did eight years ago in the 2008 contest. And she was getting a good reaction from that crowd.
So what matters, I guess, to the Clinton people is not whether she’s doing well with people – reporters like you and me – but whether she's doing well with voters who are going to determine her fate in the 2016 race. And I think they have to be pretty pleased with the kind of authentic, relaxed, engaging, humorous Hillary Clinton that they saw yesterday.
MITCHELL: Indeed, I was there. And she could not be more relaxed. Of course she’s meeting with – these were Democratic state legislators. She had a stop in a bakery and also met at a waffle and chicken shop with some small business folks and some other women. So she’s certainly embracing the gender issue and trying to also erase the bad taste of, you know, the race card accusations against her husband which certainly soured a lot of people, including Jim Clyburn, the very powerful leader, congressional leader from South Carolina.
Chris Cillizza, this is an uphill battle, though. This is a red state, it’s not gonna be an easy state for any Democrat...
CHRIS CILLIZZA: Yeah, no, she’s not going to win South-
MITCHELL: ...in the general, if she wins the nomination.
CILLIZZA: Yeah, she's not going to win South Carolina in the general election. Although I'm sure Bill Clinton probably has some plan in which South Carolina, as well as Arkansas, Kentucky, West Virginia are competitive. But the truth of the matter is she doesn't need those states.
I actually – I'm with Susan on this. I think the argument you played in the clip leading into the segment, Andrea, is the best possible argument for her to talk about. Which is, “I know what this job entails. This is a difficult time for this country, both domestically and internationally. I know I have the resume. I've spent the time. I’m ready to do this job on day one. I don't need to worry about any of the preparation stuff, I can focus on doing the job I know how to do.” That argument is a great argument for her, probably her best argument. And I would say she needs more of that and less of sort of all these other things. Obviously she doesn't ask for the Clinton e-mail stories and all these sorts of other things. But that's the – I think, the message that is most appealing if you are sort of on the fence, potentially, about her.
MITCHELL: Chris Cillizza and Susan Page, thanks so much.
