CBS This Morning on Tuesday belatedly discovered the Constitution and that historical ignorance about our nation’s founding document is bad. Co-host Tony Dokoupil is known for his “man-on-the-street” style interviews. But most don't deal with history. Past ones have been hectoring Americans on how racist they are or teaching them socialism by showing tasty pies.
In 2021, Dokoupil turned those lecturing powers towards preserving our Constitution and learning more about it. He began, “I'm talking about the Constitution now. That 233-year-old rule book for American life and governance that is especially relevant right at this moment…. Here's the problem for all of its wisdom, the Constitution is in trouble for this reason, most Americans do not know what's in it.”
He then talked to Americans who didn’t know how many members of Congress there are, couldn’t name the three branches of government and had no idea who the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is.
Watch the video:
Here’s a cringe-inducing example from the segment:
TONY DOKOUPIL: Every immigrant of this country has to pass a civics test to become a naturalized citizen. So, we borrowed some basic questions from that very exam... to get a sense of how deep a crisis we're in. How many people are in the House of Representatives?
WOMAN: I don't know.
WOMAN: 12.
SECOND WOMAN: 14?
DOKOUPIL: The House? For the whole country?
MAN: 80.
But if CBS is worried Americans don’t know the Constitution, what has the network done about it? Not much. Instead, on January 31, 2020, Dokoupil went to a mall and showed people actual pies. They were meant to represent income inequality and socialism. On June 26, 2020, the journalist went back to the streets to lecture Americans about how racist they are. To one man, he demanded, “You defined racism the way you did. Do you fit into that in any way?”
But, belatedly, Dokoupil seems to have discovered the Constitution -- and that knowing it might be a good thing.
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A partial transcript is below. Click “expand” to read more.
CBS This Morning
1/19/2021
8:34 AM ET
TONY DOKOUPIL: I'm talking about the Constitution now. That 233-year-old rule book for American life and governance that is especially relevant right at this moment. Consider this, the inauguration process, detailed in the 20th Amendment, the impeachment process, that is described in article 1, sections 2 and 3, and the 2020 election results were certified by the states and counted by Congress. All of it in accordance with article 2 and the 12th amendment. Here's the problem for all of its wisdom, the Constitution is in trouble for this reason, most Americans do not know what's in it.
…
TONY DOKOUPIL: And President Trump referenced the Constitution no fewer than 16 times ahead of the riot at the Capitol this month. Urging supporters to fight an supposedly unconstitutional election.
…
TONY DOKOUPIL: The Constitution is a 7500-word blueprint for America, basic rights and the process for addressing our problems, at least in theory.
…
DOKOUPIL: Every immigrant of this country has to pass a civics test to become a naturalized citizen. So, we borrowed some basic questions from that very exam. We got some trivia questions. Can we ask a few? To get a sense of how deep a crisis we're in. How many people are in the House of Representatives?
WOMAN: I don't know.
WOMAN: 12.
SECOND WOMAN: 14?
DOKOUPIL: The House? For the whole country?
MAN: 80.
DOKOUPIL: We assumed Americans by birth might do at least as well as Americans by choice. Can you name the three branches of government?
WOMAN: Judicial.
DOKOUPIL: Yeah, that's one.
WOMAN: my husband is going to kill me.
DOKOUPIL: However, the vast majority of people were stumped. Who is the chief justice of the United States Supreme Court?
MAN: Do we have nine of them?
DOKOUIPL: We have nine of them and there's a chief.
MAN: I don't know.
MAN: The chief justice? Trump.
DOKOUPIL: The Chief Justice is not Trump.
