As CBS and NBC were pulling out all their respective stops on Thursday to boost their preferred presidential candidate Joe Biden following his DNC speech, ABC engaged in the same, partisan campaign heralding the “sincere” Biden’s “finest hour” that “met this moment” in the form of a “compelling” and “stark speech” of “hope.”
Chief anchor and former Clinton flack George Stephanopoulos continued to play the party publicist, stating seconds after Biden wrapped that he gave “a forceful end…to what is certainly the most intimate acceptance speech in American history,” adding “it was a stark speech for a very stark time. He called this one of the most difficult moments in American history.”
Fellow Clinton alum Rahm Emanuel was also predictably pleased, giving nods to Biden’s use of “religious language” with “[t]he sense of hope and promise” in what “felt more like an Oval address than it did an acceptance speech.”
Right before Emanuel chimed in, national correspondent Linsey Davis noted Biden’s mentions of the late George Floyd and John Lewis before stating: “[P]olitics aside, whether you like him or not, I think he came across as sincere and — and genuine. He said I will be an ally of the light, not the darkness.”
After dismissing a “totally predictable” tweet from President Trump reacting to Biden’s address, chief White House correspondent Jonathan Karl came off as the most enthralled, calling it “his finest hour” in “the speech of his life” that “met this moment.”
“I thought it was well crafted, well delivered, and the key message — I will be a Democratic candidate, but I will be an American president. He took it to Donald Trump, took the fight to Donald Trump, but this was ultimately a message of unity to the country, and I thought, again, the best speech I have ever seen Joe Biden deliver,” he added.
Senior congressional correspondent Mary Bruce represented the team in Wilmington, Delaware at the site of Biden’s speech and said the “intimate speech” was “passionate” in arguing he’ll “help turn the page after what he argued has been the very tumultuous Trump tenure.”
The final Biden take of ABC’s coverage went to Nightline co-host Byron Pitts, who opined that Biden’s making “a compelling argument” to “a nation that’s hurting” for “decency” and “hope”:
Well, I agree with Jonathan Karl that this was the best speech I’ve ever heard Joe Biden give. He made the promise to stamp out racism. That — that’s a bold promise. And he said this: this is our chance “to make hope and history rhyme.” Hope is a powerful thing in America. We are a nation that’s hurting and if Joe Biden can keep his word and make this a race about decency, whether he's a more decent man than our current President, I think that's a compelling argument that America will consider in November.
Giving credit where it’s due, ABC was the only “big three” network to offer any conservative or Republican reaction with not one but two in former Bush aide Sara Fagen and then former Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ) (click “expand”):
STEPHANOPOULOS: Sara Fagen, it also seemed, at least, in parts of the speech, that Joe Biden did what he thought he should do, reaching out in a bipartisan way.
FAGEN: He did. You know, when he was talking about taxes he said, I'm not looking to punish anyone. I agree with Rahm. He leaned on his faith. His tone didn't always match the optimism of what he was trying to say. He smiled twice, only when he was speaking about his wife, Dr. Jill Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris. So while I thought the substance of the speech was very, very strong, I give him credit for it, I thought he came across a little angry, to be honest with you.
STEPHANOPOULOS: It was a stark speech, as I said at the top.
(….)
STEPHANOPOULOS: Chris Christie, he did seem to answer the charge from the Trump campaign just in this week, spending a lot of money on — on advertising to suggest that he's not up to the job mentally.
CHRISTIE: Well, listen, George, I think that's not — the proof isn't in a speech like this. He read the teleprompter well. That was fine. He didn't stumble. I thought his energy was good. The best thing, I thought, of the whole thing was the introductory video. His introductory video was very good. In the speech, I thought that his energy was high. That was good. But there's things he said that don't match. So, he says he's going to raise taxes on — on the wealthy, on corporations, yet he's going to bring five million factory jobs back to the United States. I don't know how he's going to square that circle. You're not going to be raising taxes on business and then business come back here and create manufacturing jobs here. So, this is what I have been saying all week. It's now the President's job to draw those contrasts on the issues. There were not a lot of specifics in the speech and if the President wants to run the election he better be specific next Thursday, say what needs to be said.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Yeah, he only laid out — those big he laid out, the COVID crisis and his economic plan, build back better.
ABC’s unabashed effort to support Biden was brought to you by advertisers such as ABC’s parent company Disney, Liberty Mutual, and Toyota. Follow the links to the MRC’s Conservatives Fight Back page.
To see the relevant ABC transcript from August 20, click “expand.”
ABC’s The Democratic National Convention – Your Voice/Your Vote 2020
August 20, 2020
11:13 p.m. EasternGEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: A forceful end there from Joe Biden to what is certainly the most intimate acceptance speech in American history. 20 minutes — more than 20 minutes straight to the camera, flanked by flags at hill — hug there from his wife, Dr. Jill Biden. He's smiling now, but it was a stark speech for a very stark time. He called this one of the most difficult moments in American history. We’re seeing a little bit of applause there now, but remember he walked out to the podium in silence. When he formally accepted the nomination it was also in silence. No applause there. Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff, creating the celebration now. Also deeply personal at times he talked to the Americans he now feel that deep black hole with grief that he's spent — that he’s had for so much of his own life, losing two children, a wife. He's been working up to this speech for a lifetime. As we said, first ran for president more than 30 years ago. He promised America that we would overcome this season of darkness that he was only trying to draw at the best of Americans, not the worst, drawing what he said was a sharp contrast with President Trump and David, he also made another big promise. He said his number one policy would be to get control of this virus.
DAVID MUIR: He said on day one he’ll implement the plan he's talking about. He said, this President continues to wait for this “to disappear.” He’s “waiting for a miracle,” he said, “no miracle is coming.” And George, I was struck by this line. He said: “No generation has known what history will ask of them.” He said, “this election will determine who are for so many years to come.” “Character is on the ballot. Compassion is on the ballot,” and “decency” is on the ballot, and Joe Biden tried to make the case he is that person.
STEPHANOPOULOS: And — and Linsey Davis he talked about the four crises facing America. The pandemic one of them, economic crisis, the other one. He talked about the crisis of race and that moment he had with Gianna Floyd.
LINSEY DAVIS; That was a significant time, talking about how “daddy changed the world,” talking about six year old and he said those communities who have known the injustice of the knee on the neck — he mentioned both George Floyd and John Lewis by name, two men who, in recent months, we have remembered nor different reasons. One for the way he lived his life, the other for the way he died. I think, you know, Chris Christie said in the beginning, that if we were to talk to him ahead of time, you’d tell him to be himself and politics aside, whether you like him or not, I think he came across as sincere and — and genuine. He said I will be an ally of the light, not the darkness.
STEPHANOPOULOS: I want to bring that point to Rahm Emanuel as well. You worked with Joe Biden in the white house. He was vice president for eight years. This speech was Joe Biden.
RAHM EMANUEL: Totally. I said earlier, he has to be authentic. I would say a couple of things. One, he was very — you know, he’s very proud of being an Cath — Irish Catholic family. Very comfortable with religion. The theme of light versus darkness comes all the way through. The sense of hope and promise, which is also in the religious language and familiar and it had, given everything else, that created intimacy in the time of Zoom, which is very hard to do and they pulled this off and it felt more like an Oval address than it did an acceptance speech.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Little less intimate right now. They're walking out now to the parking lot where people have been gathered. Kind of like a drive-in movie theater in Wilmington, Delaware right now. The masks prevalent. The Biden campaign has not been shy at all about this calling for every state to issue a national man — to issue a mandate on masks. He wears it constantly. Sara Fagen, it also seemed, at least, in parts of the speech, that Joe Biden did what he thought he should do, reaching out in a bipartisan way.
SARA FAGEN: He did. You know, when he was talking about taxes he said, I'm not looking to punish anyone. I agree with Rahm. He leaned on his faith. His tone didn't always match the optimism of what he was trying to say. He smiled twice, only when he was speaking about his wife, Dr. Jill Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris. So while I thought the substance of the speech was very, very strong, I give him credit for it, I thought he came across a little angry, to be honest with you.
STEPHANOPOULOS: It was a stark speech, as I said at the top. Yvette, has he unified the Democratic Party?
YVETTE SIMPSON: I think he did today. You know, we got some specifics that we need to hear. He certainly brought people into the room that, I think, needed to be heard. I think the Gianna Floyd reference was something — certainly something we're going to be talking about. He was strong when he needed to be strong. He was empathetic when he needed to be and I think, you know, that's hard to do in a very short period of time. It's the strongest he's been in a very, very long time.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Chris Christie, he did seem to answer the charge from the Trump campaign just in this week, spending a lot of money on — on advertising to suggest that he's not up to the job mentally.
CHRIS CHRISTIE: Well, listen, George, I think that's not — the proof isn't in a speech like this. He read the teleprompter well. That was fine. He didn't stumble. I thought his energy was good. The best thing, I thought, of the whole thing was the introductory video. His introductory video was very good. In the speech, I thought that his energy was high. That was good. But there's things he said that don't match. So, he says he's going to raise taxes on — on the wealthy, on corporations, yet he's going to bring five million factory jobs back to the United States. I don't know how he's going to square that circle. You're not going to be raising taxes on business and then business come back here and create manufacturing jobs here. So, this is what I have been saying all week. It's now the President's job to draw those contrasts on the issues. There were not a lot of specifics in the speech and if the President wants to run the election he better be specific next Thursday, say what needs to be said.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Yeah, he only laid out — those big he laid out, the COVID crisis and his economic plan, build back better. Jon Karl we're already seeing, our chief White House correspondent, a response from the President.
JONATHAN KARL: Yeah, we are. Totally predictable, George. He says: “In 47 years, Joe did none of the things of which he now speaks. He will never change, just words!” But I’ve got to tell you, George. I have been watching Joe Biden's speech [sic] — speeches for many, many years. This was his most important speech, and he met this moment. I might say that this was his finest hour. Joe Biden gave what I believe was the speech of his life. I thought it was well crafted, well delivered, and the key message — I will be a Democratic candidate, but I will be an American president. He took it to Donald Trump, took the fight to Donald Trump, but this was ultimately a message of unity to the country, and I thought, again, the best speech I have ever seen Joe Biden deliver.
STEPHANOPOULOS: He is savoring that moment right now in Wilmington, Delaware, the state that he served for so long in the Senate. Mary Bruce you're there beneath the fireworks.
MARY BRUCE: George, the traditional balloon drop replaced by fireworks. This is as close to a packed convention floor as we're going to get this year. Hundreds of supporters standing on the rooftops of their cars, waving their Americans flags, excited to greet the nominees. It is an intimate setting compared to what we are used to see [sic], but that was an intimate speech. Joe Biden passionate in delivering it in front of what was then a virtually empty room. Out here, what would have been the applause lines were replaced with the honks of car horns out here at this drive-in movie setup. And I'm struck at just the passion Joe Biden had tonight in delivering that speech, arguing that he is the president who can unite this country going forward, that he is the one who can help turn the page after what he argued has been the very tumultuous Trump tenure. It was a message that resonated clearly out here with his supporters. I can see the candidates over my shoulder here, the nominees over my shoulder here, soaking it all in.
STEPHANOPOULOS: They are. Pierre Thomas, harking back to his announcement, a battle for the soul of America.
PIERRE THOMAS: He did indeed, George, and I was struck by the notion of how much George Floyd constantly illuminates this race, that Biden kept coming back to the notion of dealing with racism. He talked about Charlottesville, George. And I must tell you, one of the key issues, if he does become president, is what is he going to do to mend these fences between police, black community, and the nation in general, George?
STEPHANOPOULOS: Nightline’s Byron Pitts you get the past word.
BYRON PITTS: Well, I agree with Jonathan Karl that this was the best speech I’ve ever heard Joe Biden give. He made the promise to stamp out racism. That — that’s a bold promise. And he said this: this is our chance “to make hope and history rhyme.” Hope is a powerful thing in America. We are a nation that’s hurting and if Joe Biden can keep his word and make this a race about decency, whether he's a more decent man than our current President, I think that's a compelling argument that America will consider in November.
STEPHANOPOULOS: And as we are prepared to go off the air, it finally feels like a convention there in Delaware. We see the fireworks, we see the flags, we do see people celebrating. I imagine there's a smile beneath that mask for Joe Biden tonight after he's giving the speech, where he accepted the Democratic nomination for president of the United States.
