Nothing controversial here. CBS This Morning co-hosts on Thursday breezily questioned 2020 presidential candidate Jay Inslee, offering little in the way of challenges to the Washington governor's plans to end the filibuster and the electoral college and to have Medicare for all. Instead, the journalists offered softballs with little skepticism.
Co-host Norah O’Donnell wondered, “You want to abolish the electoral college?” Gayle King’s chief concern was not about whether this is a controversial idea. She just demanded to know why it's taking so long: “How much traction are you getting? A lot of people say it has to go, it has to go. Here we are a gazillion years later and it's still here.”
King even helped with developing talking points: “I think sometimes, so many people still don’t, despite all the evidence, don’t get it. Tell us about the peril or the promise, if you can, in one or two sentences.”
Norah O’Donnell neutrally asked, “Are you in favor of Medicare for all?” Nothing about cost.
CBS journalists has been talking to lots of Democratic presidential candidates this spring. In March, the hosts lobbied Stacy Abrams to run. In April, they lamented the “sad conversation” about Joe Biden’s questionable touching.
Back in January, co-host John Dickerson breezily reported on 2020 Democrat Kamala Harris’s call to eliminate the insurance industry.
A transcript is below. Click "expand" to read more.
CBS This Morning
4/11/19
8:05:04 to 8:10:53JOHN DICKERSON: In our series "The road to 2020," we are talking to current and prospective candidates about the issues effecting the country. Washington Governor Jay inslee is running a presidential campaign centered on fighting climate change. As governor, he launched a clean energy fund to invest in new technologies. The Democrat also issued a clean air rule to cap carbon emissions in the state and expanded public transit in the Seattle area. Governor Inslee joins us now. Good morning.
GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE: Good morning.
DICKERSON: Governor, let me ask you this. A lot of people in politics right now you can't take on an issue that is this large. The opposite party of yours, the majority of the opinion is that party is that human contribution to climate change is minimal, is not the driving factor. How is this going to get changed in any significant way.
...
DICKERSON: You seem to accept, though, that this system has to change, for this kind of idea to be tackled. You have talked about, for example, getting rid of the filibuster in the Senate.
INSLEE: Yes. Yes.
DICKERSON: You do admit the system has to change. And then the question is think of all the laws that would have passed that Democrats wouldn't have liked in the last two years if the filibuster hadn’t existed.
...
NORAH O’DONNELL: You want to abolish the electoral college?
INSLEE: Yes, I think the electoral college needs to go. And I think importantly, if this nation is going to make any major reforms in health care, in climate change, the filibuster needs to go. It's archaic. It's time has passed. It’s time for us to pass and have movement in this country.
GAYLE KING: How much traction are you getting? A lot of people say it has to go, it has to go. Here we are a gazillion years later and it's still here.
...
KING: I stayed up late last night to watch you on CNN’s town hall.
INSLEE: Thank you.
KING: You seem to be enjoying it, Governor. I have to say.
INSLEE: Thank you.
KING: I'm a little sleepy. How about you? You said last night that it's a matter of urgent peril and great promise.
INSLEE: Yes.
KING: I think sometimes, so many people still don’t, despite all the evidence, don’t get it. Tell us about the peril or the promise, if you can, in one or two sentences.
...KING: you sure you want this job?
INSLEE: Yeah. I’m ready for it.
KING: Governor, we don't have a lot of time, but real quickly, are you in favor of Medicare for all?
O’DONNELL: I’m for Medicare for those who want it and we are developing a public option now in my state.
