On Monday's New Day, CNN's David Gregory barely acknowledged the criticism of Hillary Clinton for not holding press conferences before trying to offer excuses for the former first lady: "I think she would much rather give the spotlight of negative publicity to Donald Trump, who's doing an excellent job occupying that spotlight....I don't think she wants to face a series of questions and follow-up questions on the I.G. report; on Clinton Foundation donations, and the, kind of, unscripted nature of a press conference." [video below]
Moments earlier, anchor Chris Cuomo asked The Daily Beast's Jackie Kucinich, "What are you seeing with Hillary Clinton, in terms of how she is working with the media? Do you believe that something is seen as needing to shift within that campaign? If so, do you believe you are seeing any shift or being told about a potential shift?" Kucinich answered, in part, that "it's a great contrast; and when you look at Donald Trump, who...will have a press conference. Whether or not what he says in them are true, he's at least having them."
The Daily Beast Washington, D.C. bureau chief also hyped Mrs. Clinton's impending victory in the Democratic delegate count at the beginning of the panel discussion segment:
CHRIS CUOMO: Jackie, history — what does it mean here, in terms of the fortunes for Hillary Clinton and what does it mean in general?
JACKIE KUCINICH, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, THE DAILY BEAST: Well, I mean, yeah, this is a huge moment for Hillary Clinton. Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like Bernie Sanders is really going to let her celebrate it tomorrow night, or Wednesday morning, as — you know, maybe, she should. That said, this is a really big moment for Hillary Clinton.
Substitute anchor Brooke Baldwin followed up by touting the "potentially historic week" to CNN political commentator Errol Louis. She added that "at the same time, [Bernie] Sanders is not ready to leave the stage." Louis included a self-criticism of the media in his reply:
ERROL LOUIS, POLITICAL ANCHOR, TIME WARNER CABLE NEWS: ...[W]e haven't heard the Clinton campaign say that — you know, this is big. This is big for our daughters. This is big for our mothers and grandmothers—
CUOMO: Why not?
LOUIS: I don't know if that — that's really what they're focused on. Right now, they're trying to get through this mud fight that they're in with — with Bernie Sanders. They've got—
CUOMO: But history loomed larger in 2008 than now.
LOUIS: It did; it did; it did. I mean, look, some of that, probably, you could, sort of, lay at the — the feet of the media. That's not the way this has been covered. It's not, frankly, the way campaign has wanted it. And frankly — I mean, look, we know that politically speaking — you know, sort of, emphasizing the first woman president, potentially, has not been a big winner — you know? I mean, she tried that in 2008, frankly, and it didn't work. So, you know, understandably, they may want to step away from it.
Gregory later seconded Louis's take: "I agree with Errol. I think there's less of an emphasis on the historic nature of the Clinton candidacy than now on trying to get the Democrats united to go against Trump."
The full transcript of the panel discussion segment from CNN's New Day on June 6, 2016:
CHRIS CUOMO: Let's discuss with the panel. We have The Daily Beast's Washington bureau chief, Jackie Kucinich; CNN political commentator and political anchor for Time Warner Cable News, Mr. Errol Louis; and CNN political analyst and host of the David Gregory podcast, David Gregory his self. Jackie, history — what does it mean here, in terms of the fortunes for Hillary Clinton and what does it mean in general?
[CNN Graphic: "Clinton Poised To Clinch Democratic Nomination; Clinton 29 Delegates Away From Nomination"]
JACKIE KUCINICH, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, THE DAILY BEAST: Well, I mean, yeah, this is a huge moment for Hillary Clinton. Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like Bernie Sanders is really going to let her celebrate it tomorrow night, or Wednesday morning, as — you know, maybe, she should. That said, this is a really big moment for Hillary Clinton. It wasn't too long ago — it might be a year from today; I couldn't even tell you what day it is, actually — that she had — four years — I'm sorry, eight years ago, she had to concede to Barack Obama. So this is, really — I mean, we're very close to exactly eight years to that moment. It's a very big one for Hillary Clinton.
BROOKE BALDWIN: June 8, 2008, when she said—
KUCINICH: Thank you, Brooke—
BALDWIN: Hey, you're welcome. I got you, Jackie—
KUCINICH: (laughs) Appreciate it—
BALDWIN: You know — and Errol, I'm looking at you because you're nodding, too, that this — we're looking at a potentially historic week — right? But at the same time, Sanders is not ready to leave the stage.
ERROL LOUIS, POLITICAL ANCHOR, TIME WARNER CABLE NEWS: Well, that's right. And, in fact, up 'til now, it hasn't had the same look and feel as it did eight years ago, when it would have been seen as — not just graceless and not just, sort of, politically difficult — but really, sort of, stepping in an important way on top of a piece of history in the making — you know? I mean, we haven't heard the Clinton campaign say that — you know, this is big. This is big for our daughters. This is big for our mothers and grandmothers—
[CNN Graphic: "Bernie Sanders Not Ready To Give Up Primary Fight"]
CUOMO: Why not?
LOUIS: I don't — I don't know if that — that's really what they're focused on. Right now, they're trying to get through this mud fight that they're in with — with Bernie Sanders. They've got—
CUOMO: But history loomed larger in 2008 than now.
LOUIS: It did; it did; it did. I mean, look, some of that, probably, you could, sort of, lay at the — the feet of the media. That's not the way this has been covered. It's not, frankly, the way campaign has wanted it. And frankly — I mean, look, we know that politically speaking — you know, sort of, emphasizing the first woman president, potentially, has not been a big winner — you know? I mean, she tried that in 2008, frankly, and it didn't work. So, you know, understandably, they may want to step away from it, but it does, sort of — you know, it has some meaning — that it's just, kind of, slipping past us. And — and Bernie Sanders, as far as I can tell, under no particular pressure to say, look, don't do this, because this is history in the making; and you're pushing a relatively narrow point trying to delay a vote whose outcome, I think, is really not very much in question.
BALDWIN: Let's listen to him quickly. This was Senator Sanders just this weekend.
[CNN Graphic: "Sanders Vows Fight To Convention In July; Sanders Says He'll Fight For Clinton Superdelegates"]
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: At the end of the nominating process, no candidate will have enough pledged delegates to call the campaign a victory. They will be dependant upon super-delegates. In other words, the Democratic National Convention will be a contested convention.
BALDWIN: David Gregory, on the super-delegate point — the overall, you know, vote tallies — does he have any point in making that distinction whatsoever, or is he just grasping?
DAVID GREGORY: Well, it doesn't appear that that's going to be accurate. It appears that she's going to capture the pledged delegates, even before you capture the super-delegates; and even if she were not to do that, the super-delegates, according to the math, matter. And these are people within the party — elected officials and other bigwigs in the party who have publicly come out and pledged their support. In theory, they could change their minds, but there's little reason to see them doing so.
I think Bernie Sanders is obviously having a difficult time relinquishing what has been an incredible successful presidential campaign; and I think, at this point, he wants to see if he can win California and create the momentum and the lift that that victory could give him and his campaign before he pulls out. He knows there's mounting pressure by elected officials and others for him to get out of the way to give her a clear shot. I think — I agree with Errol. I think there's less of an emphasis on the historic nature of the Clinton candidacy than now on trying to get the Democrats united to go against Trump.
[CNN Graphic: "Delegates To Date: Needed To Win, 2,383; Democrats: Hillary Clinton, 2,354; Bernie Sanders, 1,561; CNN Estimate"]
CUOMO: Jackie, what are you seeing with Hillary Clinton, in terms of how she is working with the media? Do you believe that something is seen as needing to shift within that campaign? If so, do you believe you are seeing any shift or being told about a potential shift?
KUCINICH: Well, it would be nice to have a press conference once in a while. (laughs) And she does — she hasn't done that. And it's — it's a great contrast; and when you look at Donald Trump, who — you know, will have a press conference. Whether or not what he says in them are true, he's at least having them.
But you have seen her shift in some way. She's calling into shows. She never really did that before. She's doing — she's doing more television interviews, it seems like. But in terms of that — you know, face-to-face interfacing with the press on a regular basis, that hasn't happened yet.
[CNN Graphic: "Clinton's Availability To Media Under Scrutiny; Clinton's Last Press Conference Was 6 Months Ago"]
GREGORY: Can I just say: I think she would much rather give the spotlight of negative publicity to Donald Trump, who's doing an excellent job occupying that spotlight. She'll take the hit. I mean, I agree with Jackie. I think it's always better to have more press conferences. But I don't think she wants to face a series of questions and follow-up questions on the I.G. Report; on Clinton Foundation donations, and — and the, kind of, unscripted nature of a — of a press conference. She'll face those questions in the interviews that she's doing; but I think it, for her, feels like a more controlled environment.
BALDWIN: Just finally: if history is made, Errol, this week, what — what will that look like for the Clinton campaign moving forward when they can truly, fully shift towards November, and face Donald Trump a hundred percent?
LOUIS: Well, I think every news cycle is precious at this point. And that is where, I think, a lot of the pressure on Bernie Sanders is going to come from, because — I mean, look: technically he's right. Until they actually raise their hands and cast the ballots at the convention, sure — but they — they don't have time in the Clinton camp, I think, is their thinking. They don't have time to wait for that stuff. They've already started to pivot. They've already gotten into this dogfight with — with Donald Trump—
BALDWIN: Do they need a peace broker? Do they need a summit?
LOUIS: I doubt that's going to happen. You know, we keep talking about party elders. The reality is, there are no party elders—
CUOMO: They're the elders— (Cuomo and Baldwin laughs)
LOUIS: And frankly — yeah; yeah. Bernie Sanders, I think, qualifies on multiple levels — including the fact that he's a sitting senator. I mean, there's nothing you can really threaten the guy with — you know? If he wants to stay in, he's going to stay in.
BALDWIN: Okay. Errol, David, Jackie, thank you.
