Instead of sharing any number of the partisan and false statements from President Biden’s speech (which our friends at National Review, RedState, and Townhall ably took on) or any of the other speakers, Tuesday’s CBS Mornings and NBC’s Today attempted to lull viewers not so much with puffball, almost erotic adulation of the Democrats that we saw on ABC’s Good Morning America, but boring recaps painting the proceedings as unobjectionable.
CBS co-host and Democratic donor Gayle King offered the already tiresome talking point in the “Eye Opener”: “President Biden passes the torch to Vice President Harris on a very emotional day one of the Democratic Convention.”
King later added that they would first cover “the historic passing of the torch in the Democratic Party” with Biden “looking back at his more than five-decade long career.”
After being tossed to by King with references to the proceedings ending far later than anticipated, co-host Tony Dokoupil quipped that “morning came extra early because the night was so long, some of our viewers may have fallen asleep, so we’ll clue them into what they missed.”
He then summarized the night and brought in chief White House correspondent Nancy Cordes, who herself boasted of Biden “capp[ing] a raucous night one and a reinvigorated party” and saw no issue with Biden casting 2024 in apocalyptic terms (though she and her fellow liberals would only ascribe that descriptor to Donald Trump’s GOP) (click “expand”):
DOKOUPIL: Fifty years in public life, he covered. He was too young to be President when he started in public life, and now, as he joked from the stage, he’s too old, apparently, but in addition to being a sort of goodbye, his speech was also a handoff to Kamala Harris, who got the loudest applause of the night, by far, and all the other big speeches from Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to 2016 Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, among many, many others, they all made the case for Harris as the one who, as Clinton put it, can finally break that highest and hardest glass ceiling. Now, outside the arena, there was a different scene as people protested the White House’s handling of the war in Gaza and some clash with police after breaking through a barrier. But inside this arena last evening, joy and admiration and for more on that, we are joined by our chief White House correspondent, Nancy Cordes. Nancy, good morning.
CORDES: Good morning to you, Tony, and yes, admiration for the keynote speaker, the President of the United States, who really capped a raucous night one and a reinvigorated party that feels a lot more bullish about its chances. The President was greeted with an extended standing ovation, a show of gratitude after he agreed to step aside.
BIDEN: It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve as your President. I love the job, but I love my country more.
CORDES: Before a sea of “We love Joe” signs and with Kamala Harris looking on, President Biden addressed the convention that just weeks ago was planned for him, but now centers around his Vice President.
BIDEN: Selecting Kamala was the very first decision I made before I became — when I became our nominee, and it was the best decision I made my whole career.
CORDES: Biden highlighted their joint accomplishments over the past four years, casting the race as a battle for the country.
BIDEN: We saved democracy in 2020, and now we must save it again in 2024.
CORDES: Harris made a surprise appearance earlier in the night to pay tribute to the President.
KAMALA HARRIS: Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation and for all you will continue to do, we are forever grateful to you.
Cordes offered minimal details, stating between soundbites that “[n]ight one of this convention was focused on the future and...drawing a sharp contrast with former President Trump on abortion rights” with “the economy” being “another focus”.
This gave way to supposed analysis (read: marching orders) from former Harris official-turned-CBS News contributor Ashley Etienne, who gushed that “[t]he goal for last night was to tell the arc of the legacy Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’s legacy, from bringing us out of COVID to building the strongest economy in the nation, bipartisan legislation and successes from guns to infrastructure.”
Dokoupil at least asked her about how voters admit they know little about Harris, noting “it’s remarkable that Kamala Harris is so famous, and yet for many voters still unknown.”
CBS would later re-rack portions of partisan correspondent Caitlin Huey-Burns’s interview Monday with Trump and bring her in to discuss it, but the Paramount-owned network at least partially redeemed itself with tough interview of Democratic National Committee Chairman Jamie Harrison in the second half hour.
NBC’s Today took the same approach.
“Passing the torch. An emotional President Biden taking the stage at the opening of the democratic national convention to a hero's welcome, making the case for Kamala Harris and against Donald Trump,” co-host Hoda Kotb enthused in a tease.
Chief White House correspondent Peter Alexander kept it superficial with short soundbites amid talk about Biden’s “swan song of sorts” and “heaping praise on Kamala Harris” to conclude a night that left “many Democrats...exhilarated after showering the outgoing President with love”.
“The President supported by his family, becoming emotional after he was introduced by his daughter Ashley and receiving applause from the crowd...President Biden also making a point of praising Harris, while touting their record together,” he added.
Alexander followed Cordes in touching on Hillary Clinton’s speech then concluding with stenography about Biden framing the election as existential (click “expand”):
ALEXANDER: For his part, Mr. Trump, campaigning yesterday, was asked whether he'd accept the results of the election.
DONALD TRUMP: It is going to be a fair and free election, the answer is absolutely I will.
ALEXANDER: President Biden, in his address, also attacking Mr. Trump.
BIDEN: You cannot say you love your country only when you win.
ALEXANDER: — warning against what he called clear and present threats to democracy.
BIDEN: Democracy has prevailed. Democracy — democracy has delivered and now, democracy must be preserved.
ALEXANDER: The President reflecting on his legacy, repeating a song verse he used in his inaugural address.
To see the relevant transcripts from August 20, click here (for CBS) and here (for NBC).
