During an appearance on Fox News’ O’Reilly Factor Monday night, veteran journalist Bob Woodward had a bleak assessment of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign which he said was clearly in trouble.
Woodward explained that “there are lots of unanswered questions, particularly on the e-mail but as I read your book about Reagan, which is a full excavation of his biography and everything in his life, every stage, we need to do that with Hillary Clinton.”
When asked by O’Reilly what question Woodward would ask Hillary, the Washington Post said he would want to know “what really happened?” with her e-mails:
But she keeps saying it was permitted and, you know, that’s quite debatable. I think she seems agitated and not really happy campaigning and all of this stuff of, you know, I am happy campaigning. I know her a little bit and have seen her in a number of incarnations. And she is more, you know, she’s more intense, she’s more engaged. At the same time, I think the lesson for all of us, be empirical. Get the facts, do not politicize it.
As the discussion continued, O’Reilly observed that Hillary was very similar to Richard Nixon because “[t]hey’re both so awkward with people...But you wonder why about Hillary Clinton’s in politics. You know, she doesn’t really connect with the folks.”
Woodward agreed and acknowledged that in her more than 20 years in politics Hillary has yet to connect with the American public:
Not yet and you are absolutely right. But we are going to find out. We talked about this months ago. We’re going to find out at my newspaper, your network, all the news organizations and everyone is going to do a 20,000 word, 30,000 word biography of every stage of her life.
See relevant transcript below.
Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor
October 12, 2015
BILL O'REILLY: Thanks for staying with us. I'm Bill O’Reilly in the second “Personal Story” segment tonight. A new book called "The Last of the President’s Men" written by legendary Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward. It’s about Richard Nixon White House as seen through his eyes of one of his aides Alexander Butterfield. Mr. Woodward joins us now. Before we get to the book.,. you’ve been watching the Hillary Clinton campaign. She is debating of course tomorrow night. Is her campaign in trouble?
BOB WOODWARD: Sure. Because there are lots of unanswered questions, particularly on the e-mail but as I read your book about Reagan, which is a full excavation of his biography and everything in his life, every stage, we need to do that with Hillary Clinton.
O’REILLY: If I were sitting -- if Hillary Clinton were sitting here instead of me, a lot of people would be disappointed but what would you ask her? What’s your first question?
WOODWARD: What really happened? Go through
O’REILLY: You got that down though.
WOODWARD: I know, I mean --
O’REILLY: I didn’t know, and it was convenience and --
WOODWARD: No. But she keeps saying it was permitted and, you know, that’s quite debatable. I think she seems agitated and not really happy campaigning and all of this stuff of, you know, I am happy campaigning. I know her a little bit and have seen her in a number of incarnations. And she is more, you know, she’s more intense, she’s more engaged. At the same time, I think the lesson for all of us, be empirical. Get the facts, do not politicize it.
O’REILLY: Right. Do you think she is an imperious woman that she has a sense of entitlement that the presidency should be hers?
WOODWARD: No. I mean, she can’t now.
O’REILLY: You don’t think in her mind though she said, you know, I deserve this? You know, Sanders and Biden getting in and all of that, you don’t think she is empirical?
WOODWARD: Independently you can look at her background and all that she has done and seen and argue that she is qualified to be president. And I’m sure that’s why she is running. The question is, does she have, you know, and Reagan I was struck by this notion that Reagan can be cool. He can kind of say, hey look, you have to have perspective on things. That’s not Hillary’s style.
O’REILLY: No. But the reason I’m asking you is because Hillary Clinton and Richard Nixon. And your book is really about Nixon.
WOODWARD: Yes, true.
O’REILLY: It’s about Nixon.
WOODWARD: Yes.
O’REILLY: They’re both so awkward with people. When you say they have that in common.
WOODWARD: Yes.
O’REILLY: Nixon was so awkward he didn’t know what to say. And, you know, and she just --
WOODWARD: And you wonder why Nixon was in politics. Because he didn’t like people.
O’REILLY: But you wonder why about Hillary Clinton’s in politics. You know, she doesn’t really connect with the folks.
WOODWARD: Not yet and you are absolutely right. But we are going to find out. We talked about this months ago. We’re going to find out at my newspaper, your network, all the news organizations and everyone is going to do a 20,000 word, 30,000 word biography of every stage of her life.
