On MSNBC’s The Rundown on Tuesday, fill-in host Frances Rivera touted Hillary Clinton slamming Florida Senator Marco Rubio for having “offensive and troubling” views on abortion and asked The Washington Post’s Anne Gearan: “So when you hear Hillary Clinton talk about that...how is this new war on women narrative, if that's what it's going to be called, play into Hillary Clinton's hands?”
Gearan proclaimed: “Well, I mean, certainly the Republican debate played into her hands in terms of being able to say that Democrats are more on the side of women than Republicans are. That is the argument that they started making heavily during the debate and have continued since.”
She observed that Clinton “kept saying in different ways, ‘Look at what the rest of them were saying. It is as troubling and as offensive as what Donald Trump said [about Megyn Kelly].’ And she seemed to take particular aim and perhaps have particular concerns about Rubio.”
Earlier in the segment, Rivera saw damage for Rubio: “Let's also talk about now Marco Rubio and how he comes into play, wants no exceptions for abortions....how big of a problem is that going to be when it comes to a general election candidate and knowing the block of female voters that are so crucial in this race?”
BuzzFeed’s Adrian Carrasquillo replied: “...the abortion question – seemed to trip him up a little bit and he seemed to be taking the position that only 22 percent of Americans support. And so that could be a problem for him in the general election against Hillary Clinton, who wants to make this something on men and women issues.”
Here is a transcript of the August 11 exchange:
10:40 AM ET
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FRANCES RIVERA: Let's also talk about now Marco Rubio and how he comes into play, wants no exceptions for abortions. So Adrian to you now, how big of a problem is that going to be when it comes to a general election candidate and knowing the block of female voters that are so crucial in this race?
ADRIAN CARRASQUILLO [BUZZFEED]: You know, I think you saw the other day Marco Rubio, a lot of people think – I think he won the debate the other night. And he was making a clear argument that, you know, if it’s a resume competition, you know, he’s sort of an implicit jab at Jeb Bush, Jeb can't beat Hillary. But he believes he can beat Hillary.
Now the other problem was that while there were tough questions, he seemed to be okay with that, but that question – the abortion question – seemed to trip him up a little bit and he seemed to be taking the position that only 22 percent of Americans support. And so that could be a problem for him in the general election against Hillary Clinton, who wants to make this something on men and women issues.
RIVERA: Without a doubt, and you consider Hillary Clinton’s – you know, what she had to say about it. When she says, you know, “When there are major candidates, a much younger man, a senator from Florida says there should be no exceptions for rape and incest. That is as offensive and troubling as a comment you can hear from a major candidate running against the presidency [sic]. So Trump's language may be colorful and offensive but thinking and attitude toward women is much the same, it’s just delivered in a different package.”
So when you hear Hillary Clinton talk about that, Ann, as you're expecting her there in New Hampshire some time soon – so how is this new war on women narrative, if that's what it's going to be called, play into Hillary Clinton's hands?
ANNE GEARAN [WASHINGTON POST]: Well, I mean, certainly the Republican debate played into her hands in terms of being able to say that Democrats are more on the side of women than Republicans are. That is the argument that they started making heavily during the debate and have continued since.
The Donald Trump factor can be a bit of a distraction. And you saw Hillary yesterday trying to change the subject. She was asked repeatedly at an event in New Hampshire about Donald Trump to the exclusion of the college affordability issue she was trying to talk about and also to the exclusion of the other Democratic candidates. And she kept trying to turn the conversation away from Trump and on to the full spectrum of the Republican candidates. She kept saying in different ways, “Look at what the rest of them were saying. It is as troubling and as offensive as what Donald Trump said.” And she seemed to take particular aim and perhaps have particular concerns about Rubio.
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