During the Tuesday handoff between Cuomo PrimeTime and CNN Tonight, Don Lemon (the host of the later) whined that news outlets like NewsBusters reported on how he had called for the left to “blow up the entire system” and abolish the Electoral College on Monday night. He asserted to fellow CNN host and friend, Chris “Fredo” Cuomo that he was taken out of context. But in reality, he reframed what he said and claimed dishonesty from those reporting on him.
“I woke up and I saw all these headlines like, ‘Don Lemon is calling for the abolishing of the Electoral College,’” he mocked the reports. After some ribbing from his buddy, Lemon went on to suggest that he was merely responding to what Cuomo was saying:
Let me tell you, I don't care. But, I was responding to you when you said we want people with integrity in office. And I said, “Well, then we have to blow up the whole system. Right?” But – and I said man, here's what Democrats can do. And I said, “That's the danger.” They can stack the court. But all of a sudden, I am calling for the abolishing of the Electoral College. And what else did they say? That I'm a Democrat because I said “we.” I mean, the American people. But anyway.
But here’s what Lemon said on Monday, and you can decide for yourself (click “expand”):
CUOMO: And I think that most people don't agree with that idea. Which is why they don't care about the difference between left and right. See? Until you have a group of people that decide to consistently be better than what they reject, you're going to have people in the exact position they are now, Don. Which is no matter what happens, everybody sticks with their team.
LEMON: We're going to have to blow up the entire system. And you know what we’re going to have to do?
CUOMO: I don’t know about that.
LEMON: Yes. We’re going to have to do?
CUOMO: You just got to vote.
LEMON: Honestly, from what your closing argument is, you’re going to have to get rid of the Electoral College. Because the people --
CUOMO: I don't see it.
LEMON: Because the minority in this country decides who judges are and they decide who the president is.
CUOMO: You need a constitutional amendment to do that.
LEMON: And if Democrats – if Joe Biden wins, Democrats can stack the courts. And they can do that amendment and get it passed. That’s the danger.
CUOMO: Well, you need a two-thirds vote in the Congress and three-quarters of the state legislatures.
LEMON: The may be able to do that.
The full NewsBusters transcript can be found here.
Almost unbelievably, Cuomo built off of Lemon by playing the race card. “A black guy can't say that he wants to blow anything up right now,” he proclaimed to Lemon’s laughter. “People are waiting for you to come and destroy their houses (…) With people like me, your kooky white friends.”
“See. You can say that stuff. You can say that, but I can't. See, I would get in trouble. Because then, you know, ‘Don Lemon is joking about violence and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,” Lemon responded.
It wasn’t a race thing. Just last week, this author documented how BOTH Cuomo and Lemon were mocked the fact shootings and murders were on the rise in New York City.
Continuing to defend his friend, Cuomo agreed that the accurate reporting needed to be mocked. “You have to. We have to mock it. We have to mock the intention to demonize people. You have to mock it. Because if you go at it straight it's too much dignity,” he said. The same could be said for their reporting.
Then after claiming tiny slivers of soundbites were used to twist what he said about the Electoral College, Lemon proceeded to explain why we needed to “look at” it. “I do think that the we need to look at the Electoral College, because I think that it disenfranchises voters, both Democrats and Republicans. If you're in a blue state, and all of the electoral votes go to the Democratic person, the Republicans votes aren't counted. The people who voted for the Republican candidate,” he suggested.
Lemon must have failed civics class because the Electoral College was designed to protect smaller states from being disenfranchised by the populations of larger states.
In fact, that was the exact opposite of what Lemon was arguing the previous night. “Honestly, from what your closing argument is, you’re going to have to get rid of the Electoral College,” he said Monday. “Because the minority in this country decides who judges are and they decide who the president is.”
So, Lemon was lying about what he was lying about. This is CNN.
This attempt to walk back radical machinations was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Sandals Hotels & Resorts and Carvana. Their contact information is linked so you can tell them about the biased news they fund.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN Tonight
September 22, 2020
10:01:25 p.m. Eastern(…)
DON LEMON: I woke up and I saw all these headlines like, “Don Lemon is calling for the abolishing of the Electoral College!”
CHRIS CUOMO: Blow it all up. Blow it all up, you said.
LEMON: But I was responding to you when you said we want people with integrity.
CUOMO: Nah, nah. I wasn't even there.
[Laughter]
LEMON: Let me tell you, I don't care. But, I was responding to you when you said we want people with integrity in office. And I said, “Well, then we have to blow up the whole system. Right?” But – And I said man, here's what Democrats can do. And I said, “That's the danger.” They can stack the court. But all of a sudden, I am calling for the abolishing of the Electoral College. And what else did they say? That I'm a Democrat because I said “we.” I mean, the American people. But anyway.
CUOMO: But listen, you forgot something very fundamental.
LEMON: That you weren't there at all.
CUOMO: I wasn't even there. But I'll take your word for what happened. But I’ll tell you this.
LEMON: I lost my pen.
CUOMO: A black guy can't say that he wants to blow anything up right now.
LEMON: [Laughter] What is wrong with you tonight?
CUOMO: People are waiting for you to come and destroy their houses.
LEMON: Oh my gosh, I know.
CUOMO: With people like me, your kooky white friends
LEMON: I know! It’s crazy, right?
CUOMO: So, you can’t say you want to blow stuff up because you are playing into the narrative.
LEMON: See. You can say that stuff. You can say that, but I can't. See, I would get in trouble. Because then, you know, “Don Lemon is joking about violence and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.“
CUOMO: You have to. We have to mock it. We have to mock the intention to demonize people. You have to mock it. Because if you go at it straight it's too much dignity.
LEMON: Yeah, but I usually don't give it oxygen. I usually don't respond. But I thought this one the context was so egregious. And they take the soundbite, just the little part that we say and not the context of the entire conversation. But here's what I say. Run and tell this.
I do think that the we need to look at the Electoral College, because I think that it disenfranchises voters, both Democrats and Republicans. If you're in a blue state, and all of the electoral votes go to the Democratic person, the Republicans votes aren't counted. The people who voted for the Republican candidate. So, I do think it should be looked at. Because I think it does disenfranchise certain people.
Should it be abolished? That's not for me to say. I’m saying this is what Democrats are saying. Stack the court. Get rid of the Electoral College. But there is no nuance and no context anymore.
CUOMO: No.
LEMON: So, who really cares.
(…)
