TNR's Zimmerman claimed young voters "are really turned off by" Clinton's "naked ambition"

During the October 30 edition of MSNBC's Tucker, while discussing a recent University of Iowa poll on the Democratic presidential candidates, host Tucker Carlson asserted that "it's women ... who are making this [Sen. Hillary Rodham] Clinton [D-NY] surge possible" and asked his guests -- A.B. Stoddard, associate editor of The Hill, and The New Republic's Sacha Zimmerman -- "[W]hat is it about Mrs. Clinton ... that appeals to them [women over the age of 45]?" Zimmerman replied: "I think she's broken a lot of glass ceilings and that their generation, particularly baby boomers, appreciate that, see what she's went through. And I think that they're a little less cynical about her kind of naked ambition and that young people are really turned off by that."

In response to Zimmerman's claim about baby boomers' view of Clinton, Carlson stated: "It is baby boomers. I mean, and let's be totally honest -- this country will be a much better place when the last baby boomer has gone to the great beyond, do you agree?" Carlson continued: "It will be. No more lectures about Woodstock and RFK and JFK and your stupid elections from the late '60s, early '70s. We're not interested. This will be a better country, won't it be?" Following Stoddard's comment that "the baby boomer-bashing thing" is "too predictable," Carlson stated: "I can't help it. It just comes out."

Later, Carlson asked: "Why do men like Barack Obama? That's -- I think this is maybe the most interesting of all. You ask Democratic men in Iowa who do you like -- Obama, Edwards, Hillary. You can kind of understand Hillary because of the castrating quality to her rhetoric, but why Obama?" As Media Matters for America documented, Carlson previously attributed a "castrating" quality to Clinton, stating: "[T]here's just something about her that feels castrating, overbearing, and scary." Further, Carlson has repeatedly said of Clinton: "I cross my legs involuntarily every time she comes on the air."

From the October 30 edition of MSNBC's Tucker:

CARLSON: Here's where it gets interesting. Let's break down that poll along lines of sex. The same poll among women -- Hillary, 33; Obama, 27; Edwards, 17.

And here's the most interesting, when you break it down among men -- Obama, 27; John Edwards, 25; Hillary Clinton, 23.

It's women -- it's women -- there's just no doubt about it, Sacha, who are making this Clinton surge possible and sustaining it.

ZIMMERMAN: Yeah, it looks like they are. But they're the over-45 women, which I think Hillary ought to really like because they vote. And if you'll remember, you know, [2004 Democratic presidential nominee John] Kerry and years past, there's always been a promise that young Democrats are going to come out.

And in this case, I don't think they will again.

CARLSON: It's the old ladies.

ZIMMERMAN: Yeah.

CARLSON: That's the old-lady vote that --

ZIMMERMAN: And they vote. Why not? Hey --

CARLSON: Well, why, I guess, is the question. I mean, why not? Sure. Of course, they vote and they know a lot about the process, and it's probably good for our democracy they do vote because they're informed.

But what is it about Mrs. Clinton -- Hillary Clinton -- that appeals to them?

ZIMMERMAN: I think she's broken a lot of glass ceilings and that their generation, particularly baby boomers, appreciate that, see what she's went through. And I think that they're a little less cynical about her kind of naked ambition and that young people are really turned off by that.

CARLSON: It is baby boomers. I mean, and let's be totally honest -- this country will be a much better place when the last baby boomer has gone to the great beyond, do you agree?

STODDARD: Oh.

[laughter]

CARLSON: It will be. No more lectures about Woodstock and RFK and JFK and your stupid elections from the late '60s, early '70s. We're not interested. This will be a better country, won't it be?

STODDARD: That's just too predictable for me --

CARLSON [laughing]: Too -- I'm sorry.

STODDARD: -- that baby boomer-bashing thing. I don't know. I'm sorry.

CARLSON: I can't help it. It just comes out. But the appeal -- look, if you're to boil down why Hillary Clinton went from this kind of objective fascination -- someone about whom we said, "Can she really win?" -- to someone about whom we are now saying, "How does she blow it?" -- you would boil it down to one word: women. Women support her. That's the key.

[...]

CARLSON: Yeah, but there's a gender --

STODDARD: It's really --

CARLSON: -- there's a gender split here. I mean, do you -- what do you think this is about? Women look at John Edwards and they think what?

ZIMMERMAN: I think that they think he can be a little bit slick.

CARLSON: Yes.

ZIMMERMAN: And that he's not as sincere, maybe, as an Obama, who has this kind of "true believer" status. And I think that when you have, like, you know, this lawyer who comes up talking about unions and he's wealthy, that it's hard for people to imagine that he is sincere.

CARLSON: Women have an insight into his personality.

Why do men like Barack Obama? That's -- I think this is maybe the most interesting of all. You ask Democratic men in Iowa who do you like -- Obama, Edwards, Hillary. You can kind of understand Hillary because of the castrating quality to her rhetoric, but why Obama? Why is Obama more popular than John Edwards?

STODDARD: Maybe she's -- maybe he's just the anti-Hillary. Maybe they're choosing the person they think is the most viable because they don't want her -- a lot of Democrats still have a big problem with Hillary Clinton.

—A.I.