“Cringe-worthy” – that’s how a front-page story in the Sunday edition of the Concord Monitor described Maggie Hassan’s inability to answer whether she thinks Hillary Clinton is trustworthy.
The article notes that Hassan “dodged a question three separate times” which “created a story that went viral,” and “made national headlines…but not for the reasons a candidate for U.S. Senate might want.”
Hassan was also criticized for incessant reliance on talking points and general discomfort on the campaign trail.
Hassan’s awkward moment lingers
Concord Monitor
Allie Morris
Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan made national headlines last week, but not for the reasons a candidate for U.S. Senate might want.
In a cringe-worthy exchange on CNN, Hassan dodged a question three separate times on whether she thinks her party’s presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, is honest and trustworthy.
Only after the interview – and off the air – did Hassan’s campaign clarify for CNN that yes, she does indeed find Clinton honest and trustworthy.
But by not answering the question head on, Hassan created a story that went viral. The clip revives questions about the Democrat’s ability to perform on a national scale.
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But that tactic has backfired at times for Hassan, who has been dinged for repeating talking points and coming off as stiff in interviews.
Besides the widely publicized CNN exchange last week, Politico wrote in January that during a 30-minute interview Hassan “stuck painstakingly to her script.”
As the weeks tick down until November, Hassan will have to get more comfortable talking about Clinton.
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Hassan too must contend with Clinton, who has drawn disdain from Republicans over her handling of classified material while U.S. secretary of state.
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Hassan has been a Clinton supporter, and backed her first presidential run in 2008. Hassan was a superdelegate at the Democratic National Convention this year, where despite pressure from the state’s Bernie Sanders supporters, she cast a ballot for Clinton.
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