41 Action News had the chance to ask Senator Claire McCaskill about a range of topics from Sunday night's debate -- from what she thought about Bill Clinton's accusers sitting front and center to the rhetoric of this election cycle.
How was Sunday night's debate for each of the presidential candidates?
I think Secretary Clinton wanted to stay above the fray, I think she did not let him draw her into his web of falsehoods and twisted positions particularly about her and her record. It's frustrating for those of us who know that most of the things he said about her are not true. I thought she did a great job, she is ready to be the commander in chief and I thought the stunt he pulled before the debate started kind of told the tale. This is someone who is desperate and tried something that was tacky and inappropriate before the debate. I think they thought he was going to rattle her and I was proud that they didn't rattle her.
We hear that the Clinton's asked for you to sit in the box, but you were not able to. Is there any truth to that?
I read about it just as you did. I had no idea that they had asked for me to sit in the box and so it was news to me just as it was for anyone who read the paper this morning. It was the first me or my team had heard of that. If they were trying to invite me to sit with the family, I am obviously honored that they thought of that if it is in fact true.
Some people are now concerned about kids tuning into the debates given the rhetoric. What do you think about that notion?
I feel pretty strongly that this is a very stark comparison between these two candidates and I think if you have to turn down the television in a presidential campaign so your children don't hear what has been said, that's an indication we are on the wrong path. I think we need to think about the face we present to the rest of the world.
Tapes involving Donald Trump came out on Friday. What's your take on the way he talks about women?
It was the language of a predator. He has not said that he never did the things he bragged about doing. I think it will be interesting if people come forward in the next few weeks. And by the way, this tape cannot be taken in an isolation. You have to add it into what he has done in this campaign. Fat shaming women, saying that Megan Kelley has blood coming out of wherever. People forget this is not an isolated incident - you know, trying to grade Carly Fiorella's appearance - saying she has a horse face. This is a man who has objectified women his entire life so this notion that this was -- first of all, I don't know about locker room banter when you are 59 years old and second of all, I don't think anyone talks like that once in their life. I just don't think any woman in America believes that.
Donald Trump could become president elect. What's your take on that?
It would be problematic if Donald Trump won because for the first time in history we have a presidential candidate saying 'if I win, I will put you in jail.' That's what happens in countries that don't have a respectful change of power in a democracy. That is what happens in banana republics. That's what happens when there are dictators and demagogues, not what happens in the United States of America, so I think it would be problematic to bring everyone together based on what he promised to do last night. On the other hand, if Hillary Clinton wins, she will work really hard at doing that. She emphasized it many times last night. She knows she would be president of the entire country -- even those who did not support her. Even those who don't trust her. Even those who don't like her. I have seen her work across the aisle with republicans and get things done. People think Donald Trump represents change - you can't change anything in Washington if you can't compromise with the other side.
As a side note, many people are confused about both McCaskill's use, and other use of the term Banana Republic. This does not refer to the chain of clothing stores.
According to Wikipedia, banana republic or banana state is a political science term for politically unstable countries in Latin America whose economies are largely dependent on exporting a limited-resource product, e.g. bananas.
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Terra Hall can be reached at terra.hall@kshb.com.
