Stigall: Let Me Explain
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - I'm tired of hearing how tough it will be to beat Hillary Clinton. She's a terrible candidate. She's easily beaten. I'm still not even sure she's even the nominee when all is said and done.
Bernie Sanders just won Michigan. Mrs. Clinton is in trouble even if she's the Democrats' nominee. Still, there are a whole lot of people that seem to think Republicans are in worse shape.
Based on what evidence? Let's focus on what we know, not what we feel.
Starting with an ongoing FBI investigation. Never in the history of our Republic have we seen the nominee of a major political party run for President while under investigation by the FBI. Director James Comey has repeatedly shot down claims from the Obama administration that there's "no there, there." Leaks are coming from career investigators that some very shady stuff has happened with Clinton, and if not properly prosecuted, they'll quit and start talking.
She's even been forced to acknowledge her troubles out loud - to herself - on stage - in front of a live audience and thousands watching around the country. She's a fraud. She's a fraud at being a fraud.
Wednesday night's broadcast of the Democrats' debate was as uncomfortable as I've ever been for Mrs. Clinton. She was taking incoming from the usually friendliest of moderators.
First, Univision's Jorge Ramos nails Clinton with the question, "If you're indicted, will you drop out of the race?" Think of that question – from one liberal to another liberal, no less. "IF YOU'RE INDICTED…?!"
Then, Washington Post columnist Karen Tumulty reminded all of us of something worse. We simply don't trust this woman. Tumulty asked Clinton about her trust problem, citing a recent Washington Post poll that only 37 percent of Americans found her "honest and trustworthy." Clinton answered:
"It's painful for me to hear that. And I do take responsibility. When you're in public life, even if you believe that it's not an opinion that you think is fair or founded, you do have to take responsibility and I do," Clinton said. "I am not a natural politician, in case you haven't noticed, like my husband or President Obama."
It's not about being a natural politician, Mrs. Clinton. It's about being natural at all. You're not. As I've repeatedly said on the air, Hillary Clinton can't act natural in a bathroom. Kate McKinnon's spot-on characterization of Clinton on SNL is all you need to see to understand what's obvious to us all.
Listen, I don't know what's going to happen with the Republicans. Trump, Cruz, contested convention – whatever. That's ultimately a healthy fight for the soul of a party.
Here's what I do know. The Democrats are trying to coronate a deeply flawed candidate who's spending prime national TV time defending her character and protesting a lack of trustworthiness.
It's said, "In politics, if you're explaining, you're losing." If that's true, Mrs. Clinton is losing because she still has a lot of explaining to do.
