Dem. Strategist Richard Socarides: The Press Doesn’t Treat Hillary Clinton ‘Fairly’

CUOMO: “But trending. The trending. I think here is your legitimate issue that you have to deal with if you're in the Hillary campaign. I want your take on it. She does not have the passion behind her right now among Democrats. Many thought she was the presumptive favorite and that she was going to be their only choice. Bernie Sanders has that mantle of the heart of the party right now in this current state of play. How does she take that from him without going at Bernie Sanders, because you know you lose if you go right at Bernie?” 
SOCARIDES: “Yes. I mean, I would dispute the premise a little bit. I mean, I think there are a lot of people, including myself, who are very excited and passionate about Hillary Clinton. I think there are a lot of women voters.” 
CUOMO: “The big crowds feeling the Bern.” 
SOCARIDES: “Listen, I think Bernie Sanders raises a lot of important issues. And I think that he -- the issues here he is raising are exciting for his party. They play particularly well in New Hampshire and in Iowa. I think once we get out of New Hampshire and Iowa, what other states could he possibly win other than New Hampshire? Now let's also remember, he's from Vermont, which is a neighboring state. So people know him there. But he has not been subjected to any kind of the press scrutiny. I mean, listen, I'm on this show a lot, and I like being here. But every time I'm here, we talk about Hillary's emails. We have never once talked about the challenges that he has.” 
CUOMO: “What does he have that's like the e-mail situation? What does he have like that?” 
SOCARIDES: “I don't know. I don't know what he has, because he hasn't been subjected to the press scrutiny. But listen, he's taken some tough votes. His -- once his record becomes more widely known, he will have -- he will have some questions asked.” 
CAMEROTA: “But Richard, isn't part of the problem that, when Hillary Clinton announced her candidacy, the people around her said this time is going to be different. She learned her mistake from last time. And this time, she's going to be accessible. She's going to be relatable, and then we haven't been able to interview her for these months. I mean, in other words –“
CUOMO: “And we blame you, by the way, Socarides.”
SOCARIDES: “Thank you. Thank you.” (Laughter) 
CAMEROTA: “There is something to that. When you can't have access to the candidate, it's hard to get past the, sort of, controversy of the day.” 
SOCARIDES: “I do think that we have seen a much more authentic Hillary Clinton. I mean, I think in the clips you've been showing this morning, she is definitely speaking from the heart. I think her relationship with the press has always been a central problem for her. And you've got to understand, she has a very long and unique relationship with the press. The press go at her in a way that they do not go at anybody else. There's been some false reporting already about the e-mail situation. The New York Times reported that there was a criminal inquiry when there was never a criminal inquiry. I think that, both on the press side and on the Hillary Clinton side, there are issues that they have to overcome. So I do think that you will see her doing more interviews. But I think she -- you have to -- from her perspective, the press don't treat her fairly.” 
CAMEROTA: “Well –“
SOCARIDES: “So she's going to have to get over that.”