[Cuomo:] Clinton news. The State Department says it will not review previous undisclosed donations to the Clinton Foundation despite an earlier agreement that the charity would make its backers public. How much could this hurt Hillary on the campaign trail, or help? Let's bring in the host of CNN's "SMERCONISH" and CNN political commentator, Michael Smerconish. It's good to have you with us, my friend. Even the way that was written makes everything about this seem like it was a negative. And yet, where is the proof? I know the perception is so tantalizing to us and certainly to the right. You read the book. Do you believe the case can be made that there were bribes involved?
[Michael Smerconish, Cnn Host, "smerconish":] I don't think that the book is a hit job. I think the book is pretty well researched. And I think that it raises legitimate questions. But to your point, Chris, there are no smoking guns in this book of any quid pro quo. So, unless there's more information, more evidence forthcoming of a deal having been part and parcel of these financial transactions, the donations to the Clinton Foundation, the engagement of former President Clinton to speak, unless there's more that is coming forward, then I don't think it will move the needle. I think the Clinton partisans, those who respect, admire and want to vote for Hillary Clinton, like David Brock, will continue to say it's a put-up job. And those like Mitt Romney will continue to refer to it as something that looks like bribery.
[Cuomo:] Right.
[Smerconish:] There's something in it for everybody. One last thought. You know, it requires an attention span to get involved in this book and try to sort it out. The Tom Brady issue, we all get it. Did they underinflate the balls or not? The Clinton issue you're going to have to pay attention.
[Cuomo:] Here's the thing, you have to pay attention. But both things are not equal propositions. It's not equal that they're tough questions and they're going to have to find some there-there. Or there is no proof and you can't draw the connections, or you may have the proof that the opposite is true, that there was no connection. So, they're not equal propositions. It's what point you make the case or it goes away?
[Smerconish:] Hey, at a minimum I think that the book raises questions about pretty amazing coincidences of foreign investors, men, trying to put together a variety of business transactions who are prohibited from making donations to American domestic political candidates suddenly making contributions to the Clinton Foundation and suddenly engaging former President Clinton to speak at fee levels that he had not previously seen. It's pretty interesting.
[Pereira:] But, you know, it's interesting, you talk about this both of you but perception matters. I'm curious. Even if there's no there-there, is there damage that is done? Is this going to cast Hillary as untrustworthy? Is the perception out there to voters that she isn't?
[Cuomo:] The polls have gone down.
[Smerconish:] Well, to those who are predisposed not to like her, you know, they're getting out of this story exactly what they want to get out of this story.
[Pereira:] But how about those undecided?
[Smerconish:] The early polling that's a great question. The early polling data suggests thus far it hasn't harmed her. And even though the book only came out on Tuesday, discussion of the book has been ongoing for about ten days. And the early signs are that at this stage it has not harmed her. It's not going to help her obviously but that it hasn't harmed her.
[Camerota:] What about the undecideds?
[Smerconish:] We don't know. Here's the question
[Cuomo:] They're undecided. That's the problem with them.
[Smerconish:] Here's the question, this is what I would ask about the undecideds relative to Secretary Clinton. How many are there really? You know, we are about to spend millions, potentially in excess of $1 billion on this election. I happen to believe that we could run this race tomorrow, Saturday morning. And if her name is on the ballot, we could probably get the same result that we will get in November of 2016.
[Pereira:] Without spending all that money.
[Camerota:] That's incredible, Michael. I mean, that's radical, right? Because they say this is going to be the most expensive one ever. But also to his point if she's already the nominee, why do we need to spend a billion dollars?
[Pereira:] I hear you.
[Camerota:] So, Michael, is anybody listening to your questions?
[Smerconish:] There's a lot to be learned from what the Brits just did.
[Camerota:] All right.
[Pereira:] Got a bit of a delay there.
[Camerota:] We do have a delay. I want to move onto another question. You said Chris Christie's toast.
[Pereira:] Oh, did we lose him
[Smerconish:] If you look at the internals of that "New York Times"CBS survey released this week, 42 percent of a certain category of voters say they will not consider voting for Chris Christie. Do you know what that category is? Republican voters, 42 percent of the GOP are saying, we won't even take seriously his candidacy. I don't know how he overcomes that, particularly given the problems that he's having in New Jersey from a fiscal standpoint and, of course, the bridge situation.
[Cuomo:] Who will they vote for? You have more and more people getting in this race.
[Pereira:] It's crowded.
[Cuomo:] You could wind up with like eight at some point. Do you really look at any of them and say, oh, this guy could actually be president. I see him winning over a majority of the country.
[Pereira:] If that's the case, if they don't believe they can, why are they doing it again? Seems like a lesson in futility.
[Smerconish:] Well, there's no such thing as a loser. If you get into this scrum and you put on a respectable face, at the end of the rainbow even if you don't win the nomination, what's waiting for you? A gig at FOX, a talk radio program, a book deal and speaking fees. So, you know, it's all good if you get out there and can get on that stage.
[Pereira:] I love that we discuss it's almost like we look at Uncle Smerconish and say fix this for us. I love these conversations with you.
[Cuomo:] And you disappoint us every time.
[Pereira:] Oh, he does not.
[Cuomo:] By dangling these things that could be solutions and making us think they may happen.
[Camerota:] And yanking them away.
[Cuomo:] All right. So, we'll be watching as always. Smerconish Saturdays at 9:00 a.m. Eastern on CNN. And, of course, you can hear him weekdays on Sirius XM, also at 9:00 a.m. Eastern. Thank you, Mr. Smerconish.
[Pereira:] Teeing up Tom Brady, he talked about it right there. Tom Brady speaks. In a matter of speaking, what the Patriots quarterback did or didn't say about that report implicating him in Deflategate. Could the way he's handling this report, or not handling this report, backfire?