Appearing on MSNBC Live With Craig Melvin late Tuesday morning, left-wing Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart accused anyone voting for Republicans in the midterm elections of being “okay” with “racism.” Asked later if some Democrats running in red states were “perhaps a little left of the center,” he dismissed such concerns and insisted they were just living their “truth.”
Reacting to a tweet from Georgia Secretary of State and Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp labeling his Democratic opponent Stacey Abrams “too extreme” after the Black Panthers Party announced their support for her, Capehart ranted: “I shouldn’t be shocked anymore by the overt racism that we have seen either from the President of the United States or Republicans who are trying to win election. And that tweet that he sent out ranks up there.”
The liberal pundit went on to blast any voters supporting the GOP:
This election is ultimately going to be about whether the American people like the message that is coming from the White House. This campaign, this entire election might be about your senator or your governor or your member of Congress, but ultimately, when people go into the voting booth and whether they vote Democrat or Republican, and if they vote Republican, they are saying, “We are okay with the message coming from this party. We are okay with the President using racism against migrants coming are from Central America. We are okay with a gubernatorial candidate who is putting out tweets a that are clearly about inciting fear among white voters to keep them from voting for Stacey Abrams.”
Capehart implored: “So this is about the direction of the country and who we are as a people. And Georgia tonight has an opportunity to say that the Georgia of Gone With the Wind is gone with the wind.”
Minutes later, anchor Craig Melvin observed: “I spent some time in Florida a few weeks ago with Andrew Gillum. You look at Gillum, you look at O’Rourke, even Stacey Abrams, I mean these are candidates for Democrats who are perhaps a little left of the center when you are look at the party.”
Capehart interrupted and objected to even that mild description of the far-left views held by the Democratic candidates: “I disagree with that assessment because the great thing about Abrams and Gilllum – and I haven’t paid as much attention to the O’Rourke race, his campaign – but all Abrams and Gillum are doing, they are running as Democrats.”
Melvin countered: “Medicare-for-all, I mean, there’s some even inside the Democratic Party who have suggested Medicare-for-all may be a bit much.” Capehart downplayed the radical health care plan: “I mean, we’re talking about, you know, slivers of degrees here.”
New York Magazine’s Josh Barro chimed in to back him up: “And if you’re governor, you don’t actually have to do it, you can just say, ‘Wouldn’t Medicare-for-all be great?’ It’s not the centerpiece of Andrew Gillum’s platform and that’s why I think it’s not a liability for him.”
Capehart concluded: “...and the key thing is that they are no longer afraid of saying, ‘Yeah, that’s right, I’m a Democrat.’ ‘This is what I stand – this is my truth,’ as Stacey Abrams said to me, ‘I am standing in my truth.’”
Here are excerpts from the November 6 discussion:
11:49 AM ET
(...)
CRAIG MELVIN: Jonathan, let’s go back to Georgia for a second, this race between Kemp and Stacey Abrams. It has been especially nasty, and there’s been a racial element to this race from the outset, and there was this tweet last night from Kemp, “The Black Panther Party is backing my opponent. Re-tweet if you think Abrams is TOO EXTREME for Georgia!” What have we seen in Georgia, and do we think that is going to be in any way, shape, or form effective?
JONATHAN CAPEHART [WASHINGTON POST COLUMNIST]: That tweet, I was – I shouldn’t be shocked anymore by the overt racism that we have seen either from the President of the United States or Republicans who are trying to win election. And that tweet that he sent out ranks up there. Not as bad as that horrible robocall, but they are pulling out the stops in Georgia to try to keep Stacey Abrams from winning the election.
It was going to be tough, and the key thing about the Abrams’ campaign, before she even announced she was running, she ran all the traps and knew what all the obstacles would be, including every particular stunt that Brian Kemp would pull to suppress the vote, keep people from coming out to vote, and thereby suppressing people who might vote for her. But what has to happen tonight is that either candidate has to get 50 plus one.
And I think what we’re seeing in Georgia is what we’re seeing in Florida is what we’re seeing in Arizona is what we’re seeing all over the country. This election is ultimately going to be about whether the American people like the message that is coming from the White House. This campaign, this entire election might be about your senator or your governor or your member of Congress, but ultimately, when people go into the voting booth and whether they vote Democrat or Republican, and if they vote Republican, they are saying, “We are okay with the message coming from this party. We are okay with the President using racism against migrants coming are from Central America. We are okay with a gubernatorial candidate who is putting out tweets a that are clearly about inciting fear among white voters to keep them from voting for Stacey Abrams.”
So this is about the direction of the country and who we are as a people. And Georgia tonight has an opportunity to say that the Georgia of Gone With the Wind is gone with the wind.
(...)
MELVIN: You know, you look at – I spent some time in Florida a few weeks ago with Andrew Gillum. You look at Gillum, you look at O’Rourke, even Stacey Abrams, I mean these are candidates for Democrats who are perhaps a little left of the center when you are look at the party. No? you disagree with that assessment?
CAPEHART: No.
MELVIN: Okay.
CAPEHART: I disagree with that assessment because the great thing about Abrams and Gilllum – and I haven’t paid as much attention to the O’Rourke race, his campaign – but all Abrams and Gillum are doing, they are running as Democrats. I think –
MELVIN: Medicare-for-all, I mean, there’s some even inside the Democratic Party who have suggested Medicare-for-all may be a bit much.
CAPEHART: I mean, we’re talking about, you know, slivers of degrees here.
MELVIN: Sure.
JOSH BARRO [NEW YORK MAGAZINE BUSINESS CONTRIBUTOR]: And if you’re governor, you don’t actually have to do it, you can just say, “Wouldn’t Medicare-for-all be great?” It’s not the centerpiece of Andrew Gillum’s platform and that’s why I think it’s not a liability for him.
CAPEHART: Right, and the key thing is that they are no longer afraid of saying, “Yeah, that’s right, I’m a Democrat.” “This is what I stand – this is my truth,” as Stacey Abrams said to me, “I am standing in my truth. My job is not to convince you change what you believe in, my job is to convince you that I will work my butt off for you if you elect me governor.” She’s saying that in Georgia, he’s saying it in Florida, and the authenticity that they bring to that is what, I think, has made them so attractive to a broad swath of people.
(...)
