Two years after he compared President Trump’s victory to the defeat of Civil War Reconstruction, CBS News contributor and Slate columnist Jamelle Bouie was back on the eyeball network to offer takes on the 2018 midterms, most notably insinuating that the victories of Republicans in states like Florida and Georgia weren’t exactly legit because of — wait for it — “voter suppression.”
Just before 1:00 a.m. Eastern, Sunday CBS Weekend News anchor Elaine Quijano told Bouie that “you write a lot about race in America,” so she wanted to know “what is the story emerging about the role minority voters players — minority voters played in this election.”
Bouie first stated that “it’s a complicated story” because while “there was wide turnover across the board and it’s very likely that candidates like Andrew Gillum, Beto O’Rourke, Stacey Abrams wouldn't have gotten as far as they did without high turnout and support from voters of color and on the sort congressional level,” plenty of minority House candidates won.
But with the positivity aside, Bouie came right out and cast doubt on victories in the Florida and Georgia governor races by Ron DeSantis and Brian Kemp, respectively (click “expand”):
I think that the other part of the story and the less savory part of the story is the extent to which voters of color faced systemic barriers, voter suppression, sort of labyrinth-themed rules that kind of kept the turnout from being higher than it could have been, especially in states like Georgia and Florida and so I don't think you can understand the results in those states without thinking about and reckoning with the degree to which those voters faced suppression and — and moves to keep them out of the electorate.
Yikes. This writer is old enough to remember when questioning election results was a dangerous thing to do. And, once again, the left portrays trying to ensure that you are who you say you are when you vote is racist.
Quijano quickly followed up by admitting “there was a lot of ugliness” in the Georgia race and Bouie agreed that there was “ugliness” as he could spot “plenty of improper procedure” on the part of Kemp “running an election” as Georgia Secretary of State “while also standing in the election.”
Meanwhile, on the peacock network, NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt again played up how the Georgia governor’s race has “the star power” with Oprah among numerous celebrities who came out for Abrams while Kemp had the President.
Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd took note that celebrities didn’t pan out for Democrats:
I think a lot of people will look at Florida and Georgia. Brian Kemp and Ron DeSantis. President Trump weighed in in both primaries. He got involved in both and pulled them across the finish line and they’re both going to eek out against proud, progressive African-American Democrats in Gillum and Stacey Abrams.
Eight minutes after midnight on the East Coast, The Washington Post’s Eugene Robinson suggested that it will be Republicans who must do soul-searching because they lost the House (click “expand”):
You know, I think that tomorrow, the next day, Democrats are going to look at these results and say, this was a great night for them and I think Republicans are going to have to ask themselves some questions about what happened. I mean, it — you know, when you get 35 seats maybe, they might end up with, could be north of 35 seats, you might not call that a wave but that's flipping the House. That's taking control of the House of Representatives. So Democrats, for the first time in this presidency, actually have some power. They actually can do things. They actually can hold this administration accountable. They can start to work toward an agenda, the agenda that they promised on health care, on infrastructure, on things like that.
Following the tune of colleagues over on ABC and CBS, former NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw took note of how what’s “worked so well” for President Trump is “get[ting] on his airplane and go from one rally to another rally after another rally, pick out something like a group of people trying to come to America who are still, what, 800 miles away and activating the United States army with concertina wire because it played and “went to people's sense of fear.”
To see the relevant transcript from CBS’s midterm coverage in the early hours of November 7, click “expand.”
CBS News Election Night
November 7, 2018
12:57 a.m. EasternELAINE QUIJANO: You write a lot about race in America. Obviously, the night is not over, what is the story emerging about the role minority voters players — minority voters played in this election.
JAMELLE BOUIE: I think it's a complicated story. It's obviously true that there was wide turnover across the board and it’s very likely that candidates like Andrew Gillum, Beto O’Rourke, Stacey Abrams wouldn't have gotten as far as they did without high turnout and support from voters of color and on the sort congressional level, there were candidates of color in New York, Illinois and Kansas who have won their races and won them pretty decisively and so that — that's one part of the story. I think that the other part of the story and the less savory part of the story is the extent to which voters of color faced systemic barriers, voter suppression, sort of labyrinth-themed rules that kind of kept the turnout from being higher than it could have been, especially in states like Georgia and Florida and so I don't think you can understand the results in those states without thinking about and reckoning with the degree to which those voters faced suppression and — and moves to keep them out of the electorate.
QUIJANO: You know, very quickly on Georgia for a moment, there was a lot of ugliness surrounding that contest. What do you see when you look at the race?
BOUIE: I mean, I see the ugliness. I see Brian Kemp who is likely to become the next governor. First, running an election while also standing in the election. I see plenty of evidence of improper procedure.
To see the relevant transcript from NBC’s midterm coverage on November 6 and 7, click “expand.”
NBC’s The Vote: America’s Future
November 6, 2018
10:31 p.m. EasternLESTER HOLT: I think the star power put into that race, Oprah, you know, coming out in favor of Abrams. Other celebrities, you had President Trump went down there. Is this a — in many ways a referendum on — celebrity support?
CHUCK TODD: No, I don't, but I think a lot of people will look at Florida and Georgia. Brian Kemp and Ron DeSantis. President Trump weighed in in both primaries. He got involved in both and pulled them across the finish line and they’re both going to eek out against proud, progressive African-American Democrats in Gillum and Stacey Abrams
HOLT: I was reminded that Obama also went down on behalf of Abrams.
TODD: It is interesting that this, they were very much sort of Trump-like Republicans. Not necessarily suburban Republicans, Chamber of Commerce Republicans, more Trump-like Republicans and Stacy Abrams and Andrew Gillum come up short.
(....)
November 7, 2018
12:08 a.m. EasternEUGENE ROBINSON: You know, I think that tomorrow, the next day, Democrats are going to look at these results and say, this was a great night for them and I think Republicans are going to have to ask themselves some questions about what happened. I mean, it — you know, when you get 35 seats maybe, they might end up with, could be north of 35 seats, you might not call that a wave but that's flipping the House. That's taking control of the House of Representatives. So Democrats, for the first time in this presidency, actually have some power. They actually can do things. They actually can hold this administration accountable. They can start to work toward an agenda, the agenda that they promised on health care, on infrastructure, on things like that.
(....)
12:20 a.m. Eastern
BROKAW [ON ROMNEY]: I think the other thing that — I think you raised the important point, that he is a cultural warrior and he's going to fit in, in an odd way into a Senate surrounded by Trump people, who got there because of Donald Trump. I mean 99 percent they're responsible for it, and then the question is what does Donald Trump have in mind for the next couple of years? How often will we see him out there? I mean, he made the courtesy call tonight, but I don't think that's what he will be about. This has worked so well for him, to get on his airplane and go from one rally to another rally after another rally, pick out something like a group of people trying to come to America who are still, what, 800 miles away and activating the United States army with concertina wire because it played. It went to people's sense of fear and —
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Now he has Nancy Pelosi to run against as well in a Democrat House.
LESTER HOLT: And it is not one of the lessons of the night here, don't separate yourself, if you're a Republican don't separate yourself from President Trump?
