With the polls in Georgia’s special election closing in roughly 24-hours, CBS Evening News spent a segment of Monday night’s program seemingly hyping up the young Democrat running, Jon Ossoff. “30-year old Jon Ossoff has gone from unknown documentarian to Democratic-cause-celeb in the space of two months,” praised Correspondent Nancy Cordes. This, while poking fun at Republicans who they claim were struggling to hold the seat.
“Well, Mr. Trump did take a swing at the Democrat running in a special election tomorrow in Georgia to fill a House seat,” mocked Anchor Scott Pelley, “It should be a give-me because Republicans have held that seat since the 1980s.” He then noted that “Democrats are trying to make this a referendum on President Trump.”
Cordes interviewed Ossoff and asked him if he understood just how important his election was to the Democratic base. “Do you feel more pressure knowing that Democrats across this country are invested their hopes in you,” she said. She seemed to be pulling out all the stops since the flowery language like that was how the media fawned over President Obama’s and Secretary Hillary Clinton’s campaigns.
Ossoff is facing up against 11 republicans and 4 democrats she reported but failed to include almost all of them in her report. The only one Cordes mentioned by name was Karen Handel when touting how Ossoff had raised more funds than she did. “Progressive websites push Democrats nationwide to give to Ossoff and they did. He's raised $8.3 million, 18 times more than his top Republican rival, Karen Handel,” she glowed.
The CBS reporter also opined about how the circumstances managed to get people from around the country to rally around Ossoff’s campaign. “The race has become an outlet for Democrats frustrated by Mr. Trump's November win,” she explained as she went on to interview some of his anti-Trump canvassers.
“I hate the lying. I hate the lying,” one such canvasser told Cordes. “[They] drove here from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to canvas alongside local supporters,” she touted. The two women she talked with stated that their families were really supportive of their decision to travel to Georgia.
In wrapping up her report, Cordes seemed to have some worries about Ossoff’s chances of winning a general election if he didn’t win outright in the primary:
Tomorrow's election is what’s known as a “jungle primary” where all the Democrats and Republicans faceoff against each other. If no one gets above 50%, it goes to a runoff and if that is the case, Scott, Ossoff will likely go up against a GOP that's unified around one candidate instead of 11.
It’s not the first time CBS had thrown its weight behind a candidate just before a close election. In the run up to the 2016 presidential election, CBS touted Clinton’s ‘Get Out the Vote’ efforts in early voted Iowa. “Early access to the polls in Iowa was not lost on the Clinton campaign today,” Pelley touted back in September. Just a few days before the 2016 election, Pelley was greatly concerned that African-Americans wouldn’t turnout in the numbers needed for Clinton to beat Trump.
This latest report makes it abundantly clear just who CBS pulls for in whatever election is going on, the Democrat.
Transcript below:
CBS Evening News
April 17, 2017
6:41:34 PM EasternSCOTT PELLEY: Well, Mr. Trump did take a swing at the Democrat running in a special election tomorrow in Georgia to fill a House seat. It should be a give-me because Republicans have held that seat since the 1980s. But Democrats are trying to make this a referendum on President Trump. And here's Nancy Cordes.
[Cuts to video]
JON OSSOFF: This is not your typical sleeping special election in an off year.
[Small crowd laughing]
NANCY CORDES: 30-year old Jon Ossoff has gone from unknown documentarian to Democratic-cause-celeb in the space of two months. Do you feel more pressure knowing that Democrats across this country are invested their hopes in you?
OSSOFF: Well, I feel so well supported by thousands of volunteers here in this community.
CORDES: The former congressional aide is running against 11 Republicans and four other Democrats to fill the seat vacated by Tom Price, President Trump's secretary of Health and Human Services. Progressive websites push Democrats nationwide to give to Ossoff and they did. He's raised $8.3 million, 18 times more than his top Republican rival, Karen Handle.
KAREN HANDEL: Is he is being bankrolled by Nancy Pelosi and the liberal left.
CORDES: President Trump, who won this district by just one point, tweeted today that Ossoff is a “super-liberal Democrat” who “wants to protect criminals.” The race has become an outlet for Democrats frustrated by Mr. Trump's November win.
SHARON ADAMS: I hate the lying. I hate the lying.
CORDES: Sharon Adams and McKeller Newsom drove here from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to canvas alongside local supporters. What does your family say when you told them I'm going to go to Georgia and volunteer in a congressional race there?
ADAMS: My husband said “good.”
MCKELLER NEWSOM: My kids thought it was great.
[Cuts back to live]
CORDES: Tomorrow's election is what’s known as a “jungle primary” where all the Democrats and Republicans faceoff against each other. If no one gets above 50%, it goes to a runoff and if that is the case, Scott, Ossoff will likely go up against a GOP that's unified around one candidate instead of 11.
PELLEY: Nancy Cordes for us tonight. Nancy, thank you.
