Ed Rendell, the former governor of Pennsylvania and former Democratic National Committee chairman, said in a radio interview on Tuesday that Hillary Clinton “absolutely” has a tendency to come off as smug, which she should fight in Wednesday’s debate.
Responding to a remark by host Rich Zeoli on 1210 WPHT Philadelphia radio that Clinton has a tendency “to come across smug and over-confident,” Rendell said, “Absolutely, and she should fight that.”
Rendell also served as the chair of the Philadelphia host committee for the Democratic National Convention this year.
Prior to the comment, the former governor had been giving his advice for Clinton for the third and final presidential debate. Rendell said that, despite her lead in the polls, which has widened since the release of a 2005 audiotape of Donald Trump describing how sexually aggressive behavior toward women, Clinton should take care not to appear too sure of her chances of victory.
“I think it’s also important for Hillary Clinton to be presidential, to hang in there, even if he does get personal, but not to be smug or self-confident or over-confident because elections can turn,” he said. “I don’t think that the lead is big enough that there’s any reason for us to be over-confident and she should not portray any idea that she thinks this is in the bag and that she thinks she doesn’t have to contend.”
Later in the interview, Rendell said that the election was not over and that one potential cause for concern for the Clinton campaign could be a “hidden vote” for Trump.
“Some people may not have been telling the truth to the pollsters. How big a hidden vote that is, I don’t know.” Rendell said, noting that growing enthusiasm among Clinton’s supporters and that Clinton’s campaign organization were reasons for optimism.