Sources close to Hillary Clinton are “worried” that the Democratic debate schedule and her tendency to avoid the press will do real damage to her White House bid, Fox News’ Ed Henry claimed Friday.
“I hear from Democrats, actually, they’re worried about Hillary Clinton,” he said. “Not taking a lot of questions from the media, although she’s started doing more, we should note. But also not doing debates until later because she’s not going to get into fighting shape. One reason Barack Obama was so tough in 2008: he had a brutal primary against Hillary Clinton.”
“A lot of debates. They were tough. They mixed it up, but that made Barack Obama a better candidate,” Henry added.
The first Democratic primary debate, which will be held in Las Vegas, isn’t scheduled until Oct. 13. Only four debates will take place before the Iowa caucuses, which has prompted loud objections from Clinton’s Democratic competitors, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley.
The concerns allegedly voided by sources close to Clinton come soon after top MSNBC personalities wondered Thursday evening whether the former secretary of state will be able to take on Republican contenders like Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.
“Put [Rubio] next to Hillary Clinton,” Chris Matthews said Thursday after the debate had ended. “He has a zest … It’s confidence that he knows exactly what he wants to say.”
“I think if Hillary Clinton had to face the Marco Rubio that we saw tonight,” he added, addressing Todd, “she’d be thinking, ‘How do I handle that guy?'”
MSNBC’s Chuck Todd said, “Look, you talk to Democrats and they all are concerned about it, because Rubio presents that generational contrast. Just look particularly in the television era, just look at the last 50 years. More times than not, the younger candidate, the next generation when presented has won that race.”
(h/t WFB)
