In an interview set to air Monday on SiriusXM’s The Bill Carter Interview, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper reflects on his role as moderator of Tuesday’s Democratic presidential debate, saying he thanked the candidates, but didn’t chat. “I don’t want to talk with these people…I don’t want to be friends with these people. It’s not my job.”
Cooper tells Carter it’s not a judgment on the candidates as people, but rather his desire not to confuse his role as a journalist:
No, I don’t want to talk with these people. Honestly, I’m not friends with these people. I don’t want to be friends with these people. It’s not my job. I’m friends with some people I went to high school with and some people I work with, that’s about it. I went up beforehand and shook each of their hands. I would have gone up after them and to each say “It was an honor to be on the stage with you. Thank you.” But you know, their families come up, and I didn’t want to squeeze in on their family time.
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In the interview, Cooper also responds to the complaints from Jim Webb that he didn’t get equal time to speak. “I totally understand,” Cooper said. “But also wasting time talking about time, doesn’t make you look good.”