CNN Panel Laughs at Clinton's Changing Claims

Jeffdunetz | September 13, 2015
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"Does she or doesn't she....?" No, it wasn't a replay of one of those decades-old Clairol commercials; it was the panel of CNN's "State of the Union" this Sunday trying to figure out if presumptive Democratic Party nominee was a progressive or a moderate - because, at various times in recent weeks, Ms. Clinton has claimed to be one, then the other. The panel had some fun at the former Secretary of State's expense as they tried to figure her out.

Host Jake Tapper played asked Republican Strategist Ana Navarro to comment on two clips:

Ana, I want to play sound here. Hillary Clinton trying to shore up her leftward flank, facing the challenge from Bernie Sanders and contrasting that with something she just said a couple days ago.

The first clip was from a July campaign appearance in New Hampshire where Ms. Clinton said, "I take a back seat to no one when you look at my record in standing up and fighting for progressive values." The second was from the past week in Ohio, where she declared: "I get accused of being kind of moderate and center. I plead guilty."

Tapper: So, kind of a mixed message?

Navarro: You think?

With that, the entire panel laughed. 

Navarro then contrasted Clinton's comments to Joe Biden's appearance on the Late Show earlier in the week

The contrast with Biden this week was lethal. You had a guy showing raw emotion and opening up his heart and his sorrow to the country. As somebody who lost a brother and saw my parents go through this, I have to tell you this was not partisan. I was, you know, sobbing into a pillow. 

And on the other hand you've got a Hillary Clinton making a really forced attempt at learning how to name it and show humor on national T.V.

With that, the conversation turned to the much more important issue: evaluating Ms. Clinton's "nae nae" dance on the Ellen Show earlier in the week.

There was laughter by the panel, but no mention whether, based on the earlier quotes, the panel felt Clinton was going to switch from "nae, nae" dancing to "yea, yea."

Finally, former Obama staffer Van Jones got serious "That said, if she is a moderate, be a moderate. Tell Bernie Sanders where he's wrong. Stick up for what she believes in and I think that will work better for her. I think she just needs to become who she truly is."

That sentiment was echoed in a tweet sent out by former Obama campaign guru David Axelrod earlier in the week:

A video of the entire segment is below.

 

 

 

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