In the immediate aftermath of Hillary Clinton’s win over Bernie Sanders in Saturday’s Nevada Democratic Caucuses, numerous members of the liberal media rushed to proclaim the day as “the start of a long run of victories” for Clinton that will cause Bernie Sanders to “go back to the drawing board” to keep his “rebellion” moving.
NBC News offered a short Special Report just before the 5:30 p.m. Eastern mark and featured Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd describing it as “a big, important win for Hillary Clinton because now the pressure is on where can Sanders win next?”
With Nevada serving as “[h]is first test outside of a all-white state in Iowa, New Hampshire,” the Vermont Senator “couldn't pull it off here” so Todd concluded: “Now, the question is, where can he win next? This could be the start of a long run of victories for Hillary Clinton.”
Just after the 6:00 p.m. Eastern mark on CNN’s post-Nevada coverage, chief political analyst Gloria Borger declared that “today, when we look back, will be a pivotal moment for Hillary Clinton” because of South Carolina coming next Saturday and what had already transpired in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Examining the results, Borger opined that it “means that her message is getting through” because “she fought for this” and “worked really hard.”
Former Obama administration official and CNN political commentator Van Jones followed moments later to trumpet the belief that by losing to Clinton in the Silver State, he “now has to go back to the drawing board” because “Clinton delivered a body blow to the rebellion.”
“Bernie Sanders needs to either beat her or tie for the rebellion to grow. Hillary Clinton delivered a body blow to the rebellionist party. He has to go back now to the drawing board and figure out what can he do about African-Americans,” Jones proclaimed.
Despite influential African-Americans like Harry Belafonte and Keith Allison having endorsed Sanders, Jones hyped that it’s Clinton who “has figured out a formula” and thus “Bernie Sanders has to go back to the drawing board now.”
The relevant portion of the transcript from the NBC News Special Report in the 5:00 p.m. Eastern hour on February 20 can be found below.
NBC News Special Report
February 20, 2016
5:28 p.m. Eastern
LESTER HOLT: Good afternoon. We have results from Nevada Democratic Caucuses and NBC News can now project Hillary Clinton will defeat Bernie Sanders in Nevada. With, 66 percent of the vote in Clinton, leads Sanders now by four points. But again, she'll hold on for the win. The momentum Sanders rode out of New Hampshire will not carry the day. Chuck Todd is here. Chuck, what's it mean?
CHUCK TODD: It's a big, important win for Hillary Clinton because now the pressure is on where can Sanders win next? This was a diverse state. His first test outside of a all-white state in Iowa, New Hampshire. He couldn't pull it off here. He came close, but now the question is, where can win next? This could be the start of a long run of victories for Hillary Clinton, Lester.
The relevant portion of the transcript from CNN’s America’s Choice 2016 on February 20 can be found below.
CNN’s America’s Choice 2016
February 20, 2016
6:02 p.m. Eastern
GLORIA BORGER: I think today, when we look back, will be a pivotal moment for Hillary Clinton. If you look at how she won here with African-American support, we're all talking about heading into South Carolina, how important it is, her message has been about her experience and about her electability. Those are two areas in which she won tonight. So that means that her message is getting through. She fought for this. She worked really hard. She knew that she didn't have the momentum heading into this, given what happened to her in New Hampshire. So we see as a candidate that she performed and that she worked for this and I think that matters to people, and I think it matters when you take the long view. This is not to say, as David and Dana were just talking about, that Bernie Sanders is going to pack it in, that he doesn't take a long view of these things because he won't because this will be a fight down the line, but I think it was hugely important for her to win this today.
(....)
6:05 p.m. Eastern
VAN JONES: Bernie Sanders now has to go back to the drawing board. Hillary Clinton delivered a body blow to the rebellion. She did. Bernie Sanders needs to either beat her or tie for the rebellion to grow. Hillary Clinton delivered a body blow to the rebellionist party. He has to go back now to the drawing board and figure out what can he do about African-Americans? Hillary Clinton has figured out a formula to associate herself so closely with President Obama that it almost becomes a racial badge of honor to stand with Hillary Clinton. Now, there is a black left. You do have a Ben Jealous. You do have Michelle Alexander. You do have Harry Belafonte who have broken with that. Keith Ellison and others who have broken with that, but she has figured out a formula. Bernie Sanders has to go back to the drawing board now.
