Even Fox News had to admit that Hillary Clinton’s South Carolina primary win (73.5%-26%) was resounding. So of course they went to work painting her as a loser.
The booking of Hillary-hater Ron Fournier as a panelist pretty much guaranteed a good dose of Hillary bashing no matter who won. And Fournier surely didn't disappoint the Fox producer who booked him. “This race is now hers to lose,” Fournier said of Clinton, and then immediately followed up by “just wondering” if she’ll be indicted. “Her biggest impediment really is the FBI primary, whatever comes out of the investigation, if anything.”
While he was at it, Fournier got in a dig about Obama. He noted there were fewer white voters in this South Carolina primary than in 2008, “maybe because how the party’s changed under Barack Obama.” But, he acknowledged, “Unless something really big changes, she’s going to be the nominee.”
Panelist Charles Krauthammer agreed. “The only thing that’s gonna stop her is gonna be the Comey primary, he’s head of the FBI. If there’s a criminal referral, that’s the lightning strike that would elevate somebody like a Sanders.”
Krauthammer went on to give Bernie Sanders some props (which would surely disappear should Sanders start looking like the nominee): “He’s got the money, he doesn’t have to go out and campaign from fat cats. He’s got the biggest and most successful internet fundraising machine ever which means he’ll be able to go everywhere and he will stay in it until the end. Even if he only ends up as the number two and will speak for a movement.”
Host Bret Baier brought up some elements “that are troubling” for Clinton. He cited the young vote going to Sanders 65/35. “White men, almost 70/30, there against Hillary Clinton.”
Panelist Stephen Hayes agreed that was “potentially troubling for Hillary Cinton in a general election.”
Hayes said Clinton “cleaned up” except with voters who said “honest and trustworthy” were the most important qualities where she won by 52/48.
Hayes also noted that Clinton beat Sanders on the issue of income inequality.
So Baier made a point of swiping at Clinton over her “Wall Street speeches.” They didn’t “seem to show up in these results, anyplace, yet,” Baier said, “but there are other states it could factor into.”
Panelist A.B. Stoddard got in her own dig. “What we’re gonna watch is how hard he [Sanders] pushes on the Wall Street speeches… As he slides down the tunnel walls, is he going to actually come out and really swing hard at her?”
Fournier apparently hoped so. “We have Sanders who really hasn’t come as hard on Hillary as he could and as he should if he really wanted to win,” he said, before adding, “and we have the entire Republican party hasn’t come as hard on Trump until these last few minutes, last few races. So we’re very likely to have a general election fight between Trump and Hillary Clinton, two of the most untrustworthy, disliked, most polarizing candidates in our lifetimes.”
Before long, Baier stepped in to defend Trump. “Obviously, there’s a groundswell of support for Donald Trump who do believe that he’s trustworthy and that showed up in entrance and exit polls in past contests,” Baier assured viewers.
But, hey, the gang must be slipping. Not one of them brought up Benghazi.
Watch it above, from Fox News’ coverage of the February 27 South Carolina Democratic primary.
Crossposted at News Hounds.
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