As the recall race in California heads into its final days, the contrast on the ABC and CBS morning shows couldn’t be more stark. ABC’s Good Morning America cheered tired Democratic hacks coming in to rescue Gavin Newsom as the “cavalry” and the “heaviest hitters” arriving. CBS This Morning, by contrast, hit the “hypocrisy” and “elitism” of Newsom.
GMA reporter Matt Gutman never mentioned what started this whole recall: The governor’s maskless attendance at the restaurant The French Laundry in 2020. (Neither did NBC’s Today.) Instead, Gutman used heroic language for Newsom’s Democratic rescuers: “But over the summer, the threat [of the recall] seemed real because that's what the polls showed and so the Democrats have been spending big on ads and calling in the cavalry.”
If that wasn’t enough, the journalist cheered, “This morning, Gavin Newsom making the case Tuesday's recall election isn't just do or die for him.... In the fight of his political life, Newsom calling in the Democrats’s heaviest hitters.”
Speaking of GOP candidate Larry Elder, Gutman fear-mongered, “Whoever is the governor of California could decide on a replacement for 88-year-old democratic senator Dianne Feinstein. The senate is evenly split but if a Republican wins that could change.”
In contrast, CBS This Morning’s Major Garrett managed to call Newsom an “elitist” and a “hypocrite,” something not often done in the network coverage of the recall:
Governor Newsom went to what is now in California one of the most famous dinners of all time. He went to a place called the French Laundry in Napa, an exclusive, some might say elitist members. He did so with lobbyists. He didn't wear a mask and he wasn’t socially distanced. At the very time, he was urging Californians to stay home, wear masks, and socially distance. Many voters told us the act of hypocrisy drove them to sign the petition to where we are now where he faces a potential recall.
So, kudos to Garrett for leveling with viewers on the reality of the situation. However, he also previewed what will be a liberal media talking point of Newsom manages to survive:
They say the governor’s closing argument emphasizing two things as a potential template for the 2022 midterm elections. What is that template? Reinforcing that science-based decisions on mandates, whether its vaccines, testing or masks, work practically and politically and portray whoever your Republican opponent is as some kind of echo of Donald Trump or the Trump agenda.
The defense of Newsom on ABC was sponsored by Uber. The honesty on CBS was sponsored by Progressive insurance. Click on the links to let them know what you think.
Partial transcripts are below. Click “expand” to read more.
Good Morning America
9/13/2021
7:09MATT GUTMAN: at first this recall seemed like a side show, indeed, there are 46 candidates vying for Newsom's job including one who has been campaigning alongside a real live Kodiak bear. But over the summer, the threat seemed real because that's what the polls showed and so the Democrats have been spending big on ads and calling in the cavalry. This morning, Gavin Newsom making the case Tuesday's recall election isn't just do or die for him.
GAVIN NEWSOM: This election is a matter of life and death. Public health is on the ballot.
GUTMAN: In the fight of his political life, Newsom calling in the Democrats’s heaviest hitters.
...
GUTMAN: Your main opponent in this recall, Larry elder, does not blame climate change for these fires. He blames, essentially, yours and the government's incompetence.
...
GUTMAN: And because of a quirk in California's recall election law, Newsom has to win at least 50 PERCENT of the vote but if he doesn't, his opponent could take his job with significantly less than that and whoever is the governor of California could decide on a replacement for 88-year-old democratic senator Dianne Feinstein. The senate is evenly split but if a Republican wins that could change, Amy.
CBS This Morning
9/13/2021
7:09TONY DOKOUPIL: Let's go to California now where voters will decide tomorrow if Governor Gavin Newsom should be thrown out of office. The latest polls suggest that more than half of voters plan to vote against the recall, in essence in favor of the governor. And that is a much wider margin in favor of that Democrat than six weeks ago. President Biden will campaign with Newsom at a rally tonight. Our Major Garrett is in California where the Governor is lumping his opponents together under a single name.
GAVIN NEWSOM: We will defeat this Republican-backed recall on Tuesday!
MAJOR GARRETT: Governor Gavin Newsom rallied union and Latino voters in Los Angeles Sunday and later warned that Republican frontrunner Larry Elder, is a new version of Donald Trump.
NEWSOM: We would put ourselves on a very dangerous course if we do not overwhelmingly show up and reject this recall effort.
GARRETT: That means Donald Trump's on the ballot in your opinion?
NEWSOM: Oh, Trumpism is. Donald Trump was defeated last November, but Trumpism hasn't been defeated.
GARRETT: We asked Elder, a nationally syndicated radio host and columnist about the former President.
LARRY ELDER: Donald Trump is irrelevant to this election.
GARRETT: He’s not irrelevant to you though.
ELDER: The only people that ever bring up Donald Trump are the media.
GARRETT: And Newsom and former President Obama who cut a TV commercial featuring Elder and Mr. Trump.
BARACK OBAMA: Protect California by voting no on the Republican recall.
GARRETT: All part of a concerted Democratic effort to save Newsom, one that has enlisted the Vice President, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren.
ELDER: A lot of people have come from outside the state, including president Barack Obama, cutting commercials for him. Bernie Sanders has cut a commercial for him. Senator Warren has cut a commercial for him. No one's uttered the following words: “Gavin Newsom has done a good job for California.”
GARRETT: Under recall rules, a majority of voters have to vote yes to oust Newsom. If that happens, then the top vote-getter among 46 challengers becomes governor, no matter how small their share of the vote. Republicans blame Newsom for mismanaging California's homeless population and for going too far, they say, with pandemic lockdown orders and mask mandates.
ELDER: First day, I'm going to repeal any mandate for state workers that require them to be tested and to wear a mask at work. I don't believe the science supports that. So, that mandate will be repealed before I have my first cup of tea.
GARRETT: Elder also recently said the recall was already marred by, quote, “shenanigans,” and subject to fraud. When we raised that with Elder, he seemed to back off.
ELDER: So many people are going to vote to recall him, it won't matter what kind of shenanigans, if there are any, that take place.GARRETT: Republican rivals, Kevin Faulconer, former two term mayor of San Diego, and self-funded businessman John Cox who lost handily to Newsom in 2018 accused Elder of scaring off voters with baseless claims of fraud.
KEVIN FAULCONER: It's a dead end. If you tell people the vote isn't going to be counted correctly, they're not going to vote.
KEVIN COX: Claiming before the election's even over that it's going to be stolen is wrong. There's no absolutely no basis for that at all.
DOKOUPIL: And Major Garrett joins us now from Los Angeles. Major, good morning to you. I believe this is effort number six on behalf of Republicans to recall Governor Newsom. The first one to go to a vote. What made it different?
GARRETT: Well, this one qualified, that's what made it different. The previous ones didn't. One of the reasons this qualified. You need 1.5 million signatures in California to do that, is because Republican backers of the recall got extra time to collect signatures. Why? Because of Covid lockdown restrictions. One of the few times that those restrictions pleased Republicans. The judge said, actually it's hard to do that when you can't knock on doors or meet people face to face.
In the intervening period of time, Governor Newsom went to what is now in California one of the most famous dinners of all time. He went to a place called the French Laundry in Napa, an exclusive, some might say elitist members. He did so with lobbyists. He didn't wear a mask and he wasn’t socially distanced. At the very time, he was urging Californians to stay home, wear masks, and socially distance. Many voters told us the act of hypocrisy drove them to sign the petition to where we are now where he faces a potential recall.
GAYLE KING: Yeah. As the kids say, that was not a good look for the governor. The optics were really bad. So, Major, what else is at stake for the Democrats do you think?
GARRETT: California Democrats tell us a couple of things. Minimum wage, abortion, the entire progressive agenda dealing with climate change and taxation in California is at stake here. National Democrats see broader implications. They say the governor’s closing argument emphasizing two things as a potential template for the 2022 midterm elections. What is that template? Reinforcing that science-based decisions on mandates, whether its vaccines, testing or masks, work practically and politically and portray whoever your Republican opponent is as some kind of echo of Donald Trump or the Trump agenda.
KING: They say it all depends on turnout as it always does. We'll know tomorrow. Thank you so much.
