MSNBC's Bernard on Clinton: "She ran as a man"

On the June 9 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, MSNBC political analyst Michelle Bernard said of Sen. Hillary Clinton: "[H]ere's the interesting point. In voting for the Iraq war policy, Mrs. Clinton almost ran -- she ran almost like a Republican, and she really ran like a man. And in the end, it could be said that that's what really did damage to this historic campaign by a woman." Host Chris Matthews asked, "She ran almost like a man?" Bernard replied, "She ran as a man. You would -- most people would expect a male candidate to be the person who was going to vote pro-war -- Iraq war policy and for a female candidate to vote against it. It was absolutely the reverse here, and that's what hurt her in this campaign." Matthews later stated, "I'm not touching this," and asked the San Francisco Chronicle's Phil Bronstein, "[Y]ou want to get in here? He can have a piece of this discussion about what's the appropriate gender role --" Bronstein echoed, "I'm not -- I don't think I'm touching this."

From the June 9 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:

BERNARD: Well, here's what -- here's the interesting point. In voting for the Iraq war policy, Mrs. Clinton almost ran -- she ran almost like a Republican, and she really ran like a man. And in the end, it could be said that that's what really did damage to this historic campaign by a woman.

MATTHEWS: She ran almost like a man?

BERNARD: She ran as a man. You would -- most people would expect a male candidate to be the person who was going to vote pro-war -- Iraq war policy and for a female candidate to vote against it. It was absolutely the reverse here, and that's what hurt her in this campaign.

MARGARET CARLSON (Bloomberg News columnist): And any woman thinks she has to prove that she's as tough as a man --

BERNARD: Yes.

CARLSON: -- and she did that early, and then it turned out to be to her detriment.

MATTHEWS: I'm not touching this. Phil Griffin [sic], you want to get in here? He can have a piece of this discussion about what's the appropriate gender role --

BRONSTEIN: I'm not -- I don't think I'm touching this.

—R.C.