CNN’s Scott Jennings has suggested Michelle Obama ‘might not be the answer’ Democrats are looking for – spawning pushback from his fellow panelists.
The Republican commentator made the remarks on Monday’s edition of NewsNight, as Democrats struggle to find a clear post-election messaging strategy.
A new podcast from Obama and her brother Craig Robinson bills itself as said solution – something CNN’s so-called ‘black sheep’ immediately cast doubt upon.
The conversation started after The View‘s Ana Navarro claimed the planned podcast constituted Obama ‘living her best life’ – while Former Biden Deputy White House Cabinet Secretary Dan Koh praised the former first lady as ‘authentic’ and real.
Host Abby Phillip went as far to proclaim ‘Who are better at being the messenger than Michelle Obama?’ – leading Jennings to weigh in.
The pundit who served as strategist to George W. Bush said the former first lady’s influence ‘is overrated’ – quickly pitting himself against a panel that included Navarro, Koh, and former TMZ presenter Van Lathan Jr.
‘Michelle Obama is the most trusted voice on the left, by far,’ Lathan Jr first declared, paving the way for Jennings to offer his opinion.
First, the conservative expressed hesitance ‘that any politician is the answer’ – before reminding Phillip, Navarro, Lathan Jr, and Long Island Republican Bruce Blakeman that both Obamas ‘helped engineer [Joe] Biden’s ouster’ in the first place.
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CNN’s Scott Jennings has suggested Michelle Obama ‘might not be the answer’ Democrats are looking for – spawning pushback from his fellow panelists. Jennings made the remarks on Monday’s Newsnight, as Democrats struggle to find a clear post-election messaging strategy
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A new podcast from Obama and her brother Craig Robinson bills itself as said solution – something CNN’s so-called ‘black sheep’ immediately cast doubt upon
‘They put in Harris, they ran the campaign, she campaigned for him, and it was a total failure,’ Jennings – reportedly poised to accept a plum pay-raise as one of CNN’s rare Republican’s voices – said. ‘I’m just wondering how good they really are.’
He added separately: ‘We all are, sort of, programmed to talk about how great she is and how smart she is.
‘I mean, she campaigned a lot for Kamala Harris. She was a key speaker of the Democratic National Convention.
‘Barack Obama was a key strategist for this whole thing that happened last year,’ he went on, before offering another hard truth.
‘And yet somehow Donald Trump still won.
‘So, I’m rethinking the premise of that, “She’s the answer to the future, or that any politician is the answer to the Democratic party.”‘
Lathan Jr – currently the cohost of the Ringer’s Higher Learning podcast – could be seen staring intently at the commentator as he spoke.
‘You like Michelle Obama?’ he asked, seemingly daring Jennings to give a certain answer.
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The pundit who served as strategist to George W. Bush said the former first lady’s influence ‘is overrated’ – quickly pitting himself against a panel that included Ana Navarro, Former Biden Deputy White House Cabinet Secretary Dan Koh, and former TMZ presenter Van Lathan Jr.
‘Yeah, I think she’s fine,’ Jennings shot back, with a hint of exasperation. ‘I’m just looking at what happened last fall.
‘I think people like her because she is staying out [of the finger-pointing being seen within the Democratic Party]’.
‘I think people like her. Because she’s conducted herself with great dignity since she has left the White House.
‘And I think people on both sides of the aisle appreciate that, even though she’s partisan.’
The fair assessment drew a series of looks from his fellow panelists, before the episode went on to end.
‘Thank you everyone, and thank you for watching Newsnight,’ Phillip finished,
Jennings’ made his assertion a day after his liberal co-panelist Van Jones – a former Obama advisor – declared on air that he was rapidly losing faith in the Democratic Party.
The pundit said so on the set of ‘CNN Newsroom’ – and couldn’t help but let out a laugh as he ran through his party’s recent struggles.
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‘Michelle Obama is the most trusted voice on the left, by far,’ Lathan Jr first declared, paving the way for Jennings to offer his opinion. The podcaster appeared the most perturbed by Jennings’ comments, as did Navarro and Phillip
He first conceded ‘Democrats don’t know what to do’ with the discord within the party.
‘Look, man, we’re screwed,’ he said, presenting the situation as almost a point-of-no-return, while offering a pessimistic prognosis for the future of the more progressive party.
‘You know, somebody like Donald Trump, we thought we’d at least have Hakeem Jeffries in the Speaker’s chair to hold him back,’ he went on.
‘Listen, the Democratic Party is going through a massive set of internal crises. You have a party that got trapped two ways,’ Jones explained.
‘One, defending a broken status quo that nobody likes because they thought that Donald Trump was going to make it worse.
‘And then, [the other faction] offending most people in the country, calling everybody sexist and racist and transphobic and every other name, and then saying, ‘please follow us,”‘ he said, seemingly singling out figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
‘That’s not a good strategy, folks,’ continued. ‘Defending a broken status quo and offending most of the country, turns out, is not as popular as my party thought it was going to be.’
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Divisions are currently being seen in the more progressive party, as indicated by the unsanctioned display from several reps and rank-and-file democrats against Trump this past Tuesday
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Jennings, meanwhile, is said to be in the final stages of talks that will see him handed a ‘hefty’ pay raise. He’s seen clashing with fellow analyst Ashley Allison on Sunday
WATCH: Scott Jennings battle it out on CNN panels over the past year
Jennings, who’ likely have agreed with Jones’ assessment had he been on air with him, is said to be in the final stages of talks that will see him handed a ‘hefty’ pay raise.
News of the contract negotiations was laid bare by former CNN reporter Oliver Darcy, now the founder of media-centered Status.
In a Thursday report, Darcy shed light on some of the terms of the contract – revealing how Jennings asked for his own show but saw the request denied.
The same night it was published, the pundit again surfaced in what’s become his usual seat on NewsNight, to once again clash with progressive-minded panelists.
The dynamic has become a theme as of late for the network – as it moves toward a more ‘both-sides’ commentary.
Obama, meanwhile, announced her podcast Monday. It is titled IMO – short for In My Opinion – and will premiere Wednesday.
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