On CNN, Jeffrey said “it looked like, if someone had splashed water on Hillary, she would have melted like the Wicked Witch of the West”

Written by Brian Levy

Published

On the January 22 edition of CNN's The Situation Room, discussing the January 21 CNN/Congressional Black Caucus Institute debate, Cybercast News Service editor-in-chief Terry Jeffrey said: “I think it was bad for [Sen.] Hillary [Clinton (D-NY)], even though I think she's probably going to get the nomination. There was a moment there in the debate ... where it looked like, if someone had splashed water on Hillary, she would have melted like the Wicked Witch of the West.” Democratic strategist Donna Brazile responded: “Oh, that's awful.”

From the January 22 edition of CNN's The Situation Room:

WOLF BLITZER (host): A lot of our viewers, Donna, want to get your analysis of what happened last night among these three Democrats.

BRAZILE: Well, it was a very bare-knuckle fight. And I think for Republicans who are wishing for a Hillary or Obama should be scared, because both candidates showed that they will not be Swift Boated.

Look, I know people don't like bloodsports. I tend to like it. I'm from Louisiana. But I believe that what they did last night was, they brought in their research books and said, you know what, I'm going to fight back. And that's what they did.

JEFFREY: You know, I think it was good for Republicans, but I think it was bad for Hillary, even though I think she's probably going to get the nomination.

There was a moment there in the debate, Wolf, where it looked like, if someone had splashed water on Hillary, she would have melted like the Wicked Witch of the West.

BRAZILE: Oh, that's awful.

JEFFREY: There's two characteristics about Hillary Clinton that I think came out in the debate that would play against her in a general election. One was her demeanor. She did very well in the New Hampshire debate, when she was charming and deflected tough questions with a smile and a laugh. She didn't do that last night. The second is the question Obama was hitting hard last night, hitting hard today, is the truthfulness of the Clintons.

BRAZILE: You know, if that was Margaret Thatcher, you would be here salivating. You would be the one with the water.