Clinton and Sanders clash days before Iowa caucuses
Karen Finney, strategic communications adviser and senior spokesperson for Hillary for America, joined Yahoo News and Finance Anchor Bianna Golodryga on “Yahoo News Live” to discuss the state of the race ahead of the Iowa caucuses. She discussed the Democratic National Committee debate schedule, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Donald Trump’s decision to sit out Thursday’s Fox News debate.
On the debate schedule and the possibility of an additional Democratic debate next week before New Hampshire and the fact that Sanders has not yet signed on to the unsanctioned debate, Finney said, “The DNC has got to decide if they’re going to sanction, and that’s really for the Sanders campaign to decide — although it is quite interesting that he kind of went from wanting more debates to now being more reluctant to weigh in … As [Secretary Clinton] said this morning, ‘Happy to be there. I hope we can do that, and I hope we can work it out.’”
On whether or not the Clinton campaign is frustrated that President Obama has not officially endorsed her, despite his implied endorsement in an interview earlier this week, Finney said that the campaign was not frustrated. She continued, “The president made it very clear from the beginning that he was not going to endorse during a contested primary. So we’ve known that for quite some time.” On those comments earlier this week, “I think it is a testament to both Secretary Clinton that they went from a very hard-fought campaign in Iowa, in particular, and then throughout that primary season, and then he asked her to serve in his administration, and they’ve now really become friends and confidants. I think that’s a real testament to their commitment to this country. So I think we appreciate what the president had to say, and he knows something about what it takes to get the job done.”
On whether or not the Clinton campaign is having flashbacks to the 2008 campaign in Iowa, Finney responded, “2008 is not 2016.” She continued, “Bernie Sanders is not Barack Obama. The campaign we’re running this time in Iowa is different than the way they ran in 2008. I can tell you that we have a stellar ground game, really excellent folks on the ground, knocking on doors, making phone calls, precinct captains, volunteers, grassroots.”
On the back-and-forth between Clinton and Sanders in these last few days before the Iowa caucuses, Finney said, “I have to tell you, we’ve been a little bit disappointed in the Sanders campaign in these closing days. We’re certainly trying to talk about that and make sure people know that obviously there are real differences between where Hillary stands on issues like gun control, and certainly there are some issues to our approach to health care. But we’re seeing on the Sanders campaign a little bit of a negative tone and taking it a little bit personal, is what we’ve been seeing.”
Finally, on Donald Trump’s decision not to participate in the Fox News debate: Finney had not yet spoken to Clinton about it. On the GOP field in general, Finney said, “I think she got to a point where she first thought it was maybe a little bit funny, and then it got to a point where it’s not funny anymore, some of the language we’re hearing on the Republican side.”
