WHDH Political Editor: Shaheen Lost Debate with Defensive Stance on Obama

WHDH Political Editor: Shaheen Lost Debate with Defensive Stance on Obama

Wednesday on NBC Boston’s WHDH, political editor Andy Hiller explained that Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) lost her debate with Republican challenger Scott Brown because President Obama and his policies, deeply unpopular in New Hampshire, were injected into almost every question the moderators asked.

“If anyone thought there were two people in this debate then I think they’re wrong because I thought there were three,” Hiller said on The Hiller Instinct. “President Obama wasn’t on the stage but he was in virtually every question and answer. And given the President’s unpopularity in New Hampshire, that was a boost for Scott Brown and a barricade for Jeanne Shaheen.”

“Shaheen lost the debate because she had to spend so much time on the defensive, explaining the President’s policies on Ebola, Obamacare, ISIS, and immigration,” Hiller continued. “She was much more effective in the second half when she directly challenged Brown.”

“But Brown won, he never looked uncomfortable, he has cable network-level communication skills, and in this debate the issues were on his side. He wasn’t perfect, but best for him, he’s not President Obama.”

“This is the kind of debate that can change votes, because these two candidates haven’t been seen together before. I don’t know how many votes it will change, but if I’m right, and Scott Brown was the winner, then this very close race will get even closer.”

(h/t RNC Research)

Follow Daniel Nussbaum on Twitter @NussBB

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