The day after the presidential election dawned with the race uncalled. But even if Joe Biden squeaks out a close win, CBS This Morning on Wednesday conceded that the election wasn’t a good one for Democrats. Republicans will likely hold or expand their Senate majority. They have increased their numbers in the House and Donald Trump defied expectations in states like Ohio, Florida and North Carolina.
Co-host Anthony Mason lamented, “They had hopes of taking the Senate. Those seem to be fading away. It's within reach but barely. And the House they hoped to make gains, and that's evaporated as well, it looks like.” John Dickerson admitted that Democrats “did not do as well as they thought they were going to do across the board.”
He added, “We talked to the Biden campaign, one exciting version of events where they win North Carolina, Georgia, midwest and then were even flirting with Texas. That's not happening.” Exciting to whom?
Dickerson concluded that it was just a bad night for Democrats all around: “So the Democrats, we'll see where it all finally comes out.... Certainly not as good as night as they had hoped.”
Talking to Obama aide Valerie Jarrett later, Mason wondered, “Valerie, do you think the Democrats were overconfident?” The Democrats or the media? Later, Nancy Cordes admitted the Senate was looking bad:
We know the path to the majority does not go through South Carolina. Because Lindsey Graham won re-election rather handedly in that state. We know it does not go through Iowa. Another race that was a toss-up. Senator Joni Ernst retains her seat, and we know, of course, that it does not go through Kentucky, because the senate's leader, Mitch McConnell, held on to his seat as well.
The CBS segment was sponsored by Tylenol and Chewy.com. Click on the links to let them know what you think.
A partial transcript is below.
CBS This Morning
11/4/2020ANTHONY MASON: For the Democrats, John, not just the White House. They had hopes of taking the Senate. Those seem to be fading away. It's within reach but barely. And the House they hoped to make gains, and that's evaporated as well, it looks like.
JOHN DICKERSON: Exactly. End of the night, or end of the day, or wherever we are at this hour, they — they did not do as well as they thought they were going to do across the board. Really. I mean, unless he win the presidency. If they win the presidency it's in the narrowest of the narratives they had. We talked to the Biden campaign, one exciting version of events where they win North Carolina, Georgia, midwest and then were even flirting with Texas. That's not happening. So the Democrats, we'll see where it all finally comes out. It may be that they — certainly not as good as night as they had hoped.
7:36
MASON: Valerie, is the Biden campaign prepared for a prolonged court battle here?
...
MASON: Valerie, do you think the Democrats were overconfident?7:44
GAYLE KING: We continue our coverage of the 2020 election where we still do not know who the next president of the United States will be. Also, undecided this morning, control of the senate. We do know that some Republicans who had been in danger will return to capitol hill in January. Chief congressional correspondent, that's Nancy Cordes is back with us to bring us up to date on that. It was such a crazy night on many different levels. Full of surprises.
CORDES: Turns out the Democratic road to the majority is filled with potholes. So let's take a look at where things stand right now.
...
CORDES: We know the path to the majority does not go through South Carolina. Because Lindsey Graham won re-election rather handedly in that state. We know it does not go through Iowa. Another race that was a toss-up. Senator Joni Ernst retains her seat, and we know, of course, that it does not go through Kentucky, because the senate's leader, Mitch McConnell, held on to his seat as well.
...
CORDES: So in order to claim majority at this point Democrats need to run the table. There are four toss-ups remaining. They need to win two, three or four depending what happens on the Democratic side of the ledger.
