Conservative CNN pundit S.E. Cupp explained to host Carol Costello on Monday that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was wrong to focus on women voters because Democrats had a "man problem."
"If you watched that Hillary Clinton roll-out video, you noticed there were lots and lots of women featured," Costello said on Monday of Clinton's campaign announcement video that was released over the weekend. "You could say that women took center stage. A man speaking Spanish shows up 25 seconds in. The next guy to appear is not your traditional man. He's gay. He shows up at 50 seconds in."
"In 2008, Clinton stressed competence and toughness," she continued. "This time around, she's definitely playing up the gender card. Thing is, she kind of is the gender card. Does she really need to do that?"
Cupp argued that Clinton was making a mistake because Democrats had a "greater deficiency with men."
"Democrats have a much bigger man problem than Republicans have a woman problem," she insisted, adding that Democrats had sustained losses in the 2014 midterms while using on a "war on women campaign" strategy.
"I pray that we don't hear that term this time around because I'm sick of that," Costello agreed, turning to Democratic strategist Donna Brazile. "If she's already got women then -- I'll ask you the question the other way -- why not focus on men?"
"She will go after every vote," Brazile replied. "What Secretary Clinton will do this time around is make sure she captures the votes of younger women who she lost in 2008 to Barack Obama. Look, there's a 10 percent gender gap in the last presidential election, meaning that President Obama outperformed Mitt Romney with women voters. And we all know that women's issues are family issues. And yes, our reproductive health matters as well."
S.E. Cupp remarked that she must be living in a "different reality" than younger women voters who she suggested did not truly understand what feminism meant.
"Hillary's challenge is going to have to be not looking like she's ignoring the other half of the country," Cupp observed. "If you divide up the country between Republicans and Democrats, and then divide up those categories between men and women -- if you're talking about her pitching to 25 percent of the country, I don't think anyone would say that that's a good election strategy."
Brazile reminded Costello and Cupp that issues that women cared about were important to all voters.
"We're not segregating or separating anybody, we're trying to make sure that every American, every eligible American hears those words, 'I need your support.' That's the challenge that Secretary Clinton will have," Brazile said. "On the other hand, let me just say, I am a feminist. I am an unabashed feminist."
"And I'm a feminist because I'm a womanist and I respect the dignity of all human beings, all human lives, including women. So, I am a feminist. I just want you know, it could be sully, it could be dirty, I am a proud feminist. I've been one since I was probably 2 years old."
Watch the video below from CNN, broadcast April 13, 2015.
