CBS’s Sunday Morning started off with their anchor Jane Pauley fearmongering that if Republicans win in the 2022 midterm elections, “democracy” could end in the United States. Plugging an upcoming segment by correspondent Robert Costa, Pauley fretted that “the very future of our democracy” is on the ballot in 2022.
“This past summer, it was looking like the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade might offer an opportunity to the party in power, the Democrats. But a more recent issue, inflation, could very well rule the day. And favor Republicans,” Pauley bemoaned.
Kicking off his report, Costa cried “hundreds of candidates for state and national office have denied the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election. And while crime and inflation dominate the headlines, many are sounding the alarm about what else is at stake in 2022.”
Turning to Michael Berkman who currently serves as president of the McCourtney Institute for Democracy, Costa allowed him to fearmonger: “Democracy doesn't usually die through coups or invasion. It usually dies from within.”
Later on, Costa interviewed leftist propagandist and faux journalist Margaret Sullivan about the mythical threats to democracy by Republicans.
“The Republican Party is gripped by people who are election deniers. How should the press contend with that? It's happening inside one particular party,” Costa whined.
“We hold both parties to the same standards, but when one party is the one who is doing this very troubling thing, we need to be straightforward about that. And if it causes criticism from the right, that's okay,” Sullivan managed to say with a straight face.
Costa then asked her “how does the press cover it without sounding alarmist at every step?”
In response, Sullivan unironically insisted that the media hasn’t been “nearly alarmist enough” when talking about “threats to democracy.”
She added that “we need to stop being asleep at the switch and sound the alarm more about what could happen if election denialists are in power and decide, well, we only like the results of this election, but not that one. I mean, we no longer have a country anymore.”
In reality, the United States isn't a democracy, it’s a democratic republic. Additionally, our electoral system isn’t under attack from Republicans running for office who are campaigning on election integrity.
The media never calls out Stacey Abrams or Hillary Clinton for questioning the legitimacy of the elections that they lost.
The hypocrisy from CBS Sunday Morning is stunning, but not surprising.
This segment was made possible by Dawn. Their information is linked.
To read the relevant transcript click “expand”:
CBS Sunday Morning
10/30/2022
9:00:57 a.m. EasternJANE PAULEY: But to begin, we will look ahead to the midterm elections. This past summer, it was looking like the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade might offer an opportunity to the party in power, the Democrats. But a more recent issue, inflation, could very well rule the day. And favor Republicans. And beneath it all, says our Robert Costa, lies what could be the most critical issue of all, the very future of our democracy.
ROBERT COSTA: Hundreds of candidates for state and national office have denied the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election. And while crime and inflation dominate the headlines, many are sounding the alarm about what else is at stake in 2022.
MICHAEL BERKMAN (MCCOURTNEY INSTITUTE FOR DEMOCRACY, DIRECTOR): Democracy doesn't usually die through coups or invasion. It usually dies from within.
[...]
COSTA: The Republican Party is gripped by people who are election deniers. How should the press contend with that? It's happening inside one particular party.
MARGARET SULLIVAN: Right. And we need to be very straightforward about saying that and pointing it out. Of course, we are going to hold both parties to the same standards. It's not that we're on one team. We hold both parties to the same standards, but when one party is the one who is doing this very troubling thing, we need to be straightforward about that. And if it causes criticism from the right, that's okay.
COSTA: Margaret Sullivan is the former public editor of The New York Times and was the media critic at The Washington Post. She has a new book Newsroom Confidential in which she says the press has been reluctant to forcefully call out attacks on democracy for fear of being labeled partisan. How does the press cover it without sounding alarmist at every step?
SULLIVAN: I don't think we’re nearly alarmist enough. I think we need to stop being asleep at the switch and sound the alarm more about what could happen if election denialists are in power and decide, well, we only like the results of this election, but not that one. I mean, we no longer have a country anymore.
