Monday, September 26, 2016

ELECTION 2016 - Standards of Judgment

"Are Clinton and Trump judged by different standards?" PBS NewsHour 9/19/2016

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Mirroring their dissimilar campaigns, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump responded very differently to Saturday's bombings, with Clinton emphasizing her experience and Trump focusing on immigration.  But even when they're discussing the same issues, are the candidates evaluated according to separate standards? Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report and NPR's Tamara Keith join Gwen Ifill to discuss.

GWEN IFILL (NewsHour):  And with 50 days left until Election Day, we turn to Politics Monday with Amy Walter of The Cook Political Report and Tamara Keith of NPR.

Tam, let's talk about what the candidates had to say on the attacks.  First, we hear Hillary Clinton trying to sound knowledgeable and Donald Trump trying to sound strong.  Which of them wins the day on days like today?

TAMARA KEITH, NPR:  And this is really a microcosm of the campaign.

Donald Trump comes out, and he says things that are big and bold and in some ways controversial, saying maybe we need to bring back profiling and profiling at mosques possibly, and says that ISIS wants Hillary Clinton to win.

Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton comes out and says, I was in the Situation Room, I have all these plans, I've got a plan for ISIS.

And this is the way the campaign goes, you know, day after day after day.

GWEN IFILL:  And yet, Amy, you write this week that when Hillary Clinton trips and falls, stumbles, it's because she's encountering headwinds of her own making.

AMY WALTER, The Cook Political Report:  Yes, I think that this race right now is coming down to the structural advantages that Hillary Clinton has, but she has some enthusiasm problems.

Donald Trump is trying to face off the structural disadvantages.  And unpacking that, what I mean, is, yes, she's had a very tough week, and — or actually maybe a week-and-a-half.

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