ABC on Thursday morning highlighted more of Robin Roberts’ fawning interview with Hillary Clinton. On the issue of Benghazi and the revelation that the White House had a direct hand in creating false talking points about the 2012 terrorist attack, Roberts could only manage this lame effort: “Benghazi. The new investigation. Are you satisfied with the answers and are you content with what you know what [sic] happened?” [MP3 audio here [1].]
That was it. No follow-up. No interrogation about Clinton’s handling of the incident that left four Americans dead, including a U.S. ambassador. Instead, Roberts moved right on to this 2016 gossip: “And the question I took straight from the audience, were you to run for president in 2016, would you consider Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren or San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro as a running mate?” Continuing the softball questions, the Good Morning America host wondered, “You're going to be a grandma?”
Roberts ignored another obvious question, any mention of Monica Lewinsky’s new interview in Vanity Fair. In that story, Lewinsky labeled Mrs. Clinton’s “tendency” to blame the “other woman” “troubling.”
Instead, as noted by the MRC’s Matt Hadro [2], the host praised:
ROBERTS: When I look at your Twitter page, you, the last thing you list, is saying you're a glass ceiling cracker. And no one feels it would be better to crack that glass ceiling than to have a woman as president. And many believe that should be you.
The crowd in the Philanthropy New York audience loved the easy question and non-answer. After, Roberts joked, “Hey. We tried, right?”
If the 2008 campaign is any guide, Roberts will provide a safe haven for easy questions. On March 26, 2007 [3], Roberts gave the then-candidate 26 minutes from the two hour show. The “town hall” style program allowed Clinton to talk uninterrupted for 18 of those 26 minutes.
A transcript of the May 8 segment:
ROBIN ROBERTS: Now, to my one-on-one with Hillary Clinton. I had a chance to sit down with the former Secretary of State at the Philanthropy New York's35th anniversary meeting where we talked about the global progress of women and girls. But first, I had a chance to ask her about the recent developments in the Benghazi investigation. Benghazi. The new investigation. Are you satisfied with the answers and are you content with what you know what [sic] happened?
HILLARY CLINTON: Absolutely. I mean, of course, there are a lot of reasons why, despite all of the hearings, all of the information that's been provided, some choose not to be satisfied and choose to continue to move forward. That's their choice. And I do not believe there's any reason for it to continue in this way. But they get to call the shots in the Congress.
ROBERTS: And the question I took straight from the audience, were you to run for president in 2016, would you consider Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren or San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro as a running mate?
CLINTON: I've been asked this question many different ways. This is one of the cleverest. I would expect no less. I can only say that, you know, they're both extraordinary leaders and great political advocates for a lot of what needs to be done in our country and I admire both of them greatly.
ROBERTS: When I look at your Twitter page, you, the last thing you list, is saying you're a glass ceiling cracker. And no one feels it would be better to crack that glass ceiling than to have a woman as president. And many believe that should be you.
CLINTON: Well, I think we should crack it also. I am 100 percent in favor of that. But I have nothing further to say about --
ROBERTS: Hey, we tried. Right? While she remained coy about her run for the White House, there was one thing she was eager to talk about. You're going to be a grandma?
CLINTON: I am. Let’s talk about that.
ROBERTS: Chelsea is going -- congratulations.
CLINTON: For my future grandchild, it's not only what I want for him or her. It's what kind of society I want for that child to grow up in to be a citizen in, to contribute to. And that's part of why I do the work that I do.
ROBERTS: And that was held there at the Ford foundation.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: You found a good way to ask the question.
ROBERTS: Someone from the audience did, as well. That was a hot topic..
STEPHANOPOULOS: It’s not going to be the last time she’ll be asked it. Her book is about to come out, her memoir about her time as Secretary of State. Big tour.
ROBERTS: Hard Choices is the name of her book. She's going to go around the country. So, she's going to be asked that question quite a bit. And you really have a sense that, you know, it’s something, of course, that she is considering. But she will let everybody know when she wants to let everybody know. Not a moment sooner. No matter how clever you are in trying to ask.
STEPHANOULOS: Absolutely.
— Scott Whitlock is Senior News Analyst at the Media Research Center. Follow Scott Whitlock on Twitter. [4]