With reactions to George Stephanopoulos’ Clinton Foundation donations continuing to pour in, CNN’s Michael Smerconish wondered if 2016 Democrats should be the real ones worried in the 2016 cycle if the ABC News host plays a role.
Appearing on CNN’s “Newsroom” Friday, Smerconish argued that Democrats should be concerned about Stephanopoulos’ potential 2016 presence, saying that while he was “a very direct questioner” of Hillary Clinton in 2008, he may “feel the need” to “overcompensate” given the recent revelations.
Host Brooke Baldwin also asked wondered if that was the case, asking the Philadelphia-based radio host if the ABC host will “go out of [his] way to prove [he’s] not in camp Clinton.”
BROOKE BALDWIN: A lot of Republicans have taken this and run with it. But my question is actually also on the Dems side, because, looking ahead — if George Stephanopoulos, and he covers politics extremely well, but if he gets an interview with a high-level democrat, not Hillary Clinton — if you’re George Stephanopoulos, are you going to go out of your way to prove you’re not in camp Clinton?
MICHAEL SMERCONISH: You and I are on the same wavelength. As you well know, he has said, I’m opting out of the Republican debates. He hasn’t said anything relative to the fall. There are Republicans who are calling for him to ‘sit this one out.’ That’s what one lawmaker said. As I was reading the stories, Brooke, like you, I said to myself, maybe it’s the Democrats who should be hoping that he sits this one out because George Stephanopoulos, if you remember in the ’08 cycle, he was a very direct questioner of Hillary Clinton. And so, you know, I don’t know if you want to be the Democratic candidate with him as the moderator, given that he’ll feel the need perhaps to overcompensate for this.
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