The liberal media love to pretend they don’t play favorites between the parties. But that’s really hard to defend when you’re praising a liberal organization called Swing Left that connects Democrats with swing districts they can volunteer in. That was exactly what happened during Thursday’s MTP Daily on MSNBC when Chris Jansing filled in for host Chuck Todd.
Jansing began the segment like a late-night infomercial by first touting how “Democrats are fired up right now over issues like immigration and the Supreme Court and, frankly, Scott Pruitt.” She then lamented how many of those same people lived in “deep blue” districts where their votes didn’t mean much for the #Resistance.
“Well, now an organization called Swing Left is helping connect Democrats who live in those blue districts with nearby purple districts where they can make a difference and try to flip control of the House. Take a look,” she cheerfully announced.
The report started by highlighting how easy their website was to use along with a testimonial from a happy user who spent a lot of his time in his local swing district. “He's not alone,” Jansing hyped. “The Website launched the day after the Inauguration. By the end of the first weekend, 200,000 people had signed up. Today, it's pushing 400,000. People just waiting for a way to channel their frustration into action.”
Jansing visited a canvassing event for California 25 Democratic candidate Katie Hill where nearly all of the volunteers were from outside the district. As she gathered more testimonials, the MSNBC host quipped about how they were “in the shadow of the Reagan Library”. The people she spoke to were really excited about getting involved:
JANSING: Were you nervous about knocking on doors the first time?
UNIDENTIFIED MAN 3: Yes, I was very nervous.
JANSING: Now they tell me it's cathartic, even addicting.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN 1: I cannot go away because every time I go out and meet another Democrat and they say, “thank you so much for coming, I can't wait to vote.”
If that wasn’t enough to pitch the website to her audience, Jansing celebrated how they fundraised for Democratic candidates as well. “They set up innovative district funds. You donate to a district, not a person, and the eventual primary winner gets the cash. In Cal 25, that's Katie Hill.” In the report, Hill received a comically large check for $164,297.14.
In wrapping up her report, Jansing was enthusiastic about Swing Left because they were “a brand new organization” that had “raised $4 million for those winners.” As if to give MSNBC viewers more motivation to use the site, Jansing told them “that Swing Left is hoping to use to their advantage, well, 75 percent of Americans live within 50 miles of a swing district.”
Again, it’s hard to say you’re an objective news outlet when you’re actively promoting volunteer opportunities for Democratic campaigns.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
MSNBC's MTP Daily
July 5, 2018
5:28:30 PM EasternCHRIS JANSING: Welcome back. Plenty of Democrats are fired up right now over issues like immigration and the Supreme Court and, frankly, Scott Pruitt. But plenty of those Democrats also live in deep blue districts. Well, now an organization called Swing Left is helping connect Democrats who live in those blue districts with nearby purple districts where they can make a difference and try to flip control of the House. Take a look.
[Cuts to video]
UNIDENTIFIED MAN 1: You enter your zip code here. So I'm in West Hollywood, a very blue district.
JANSING: Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN 1: Maybe one of the bluest. And you search. And it says what my closest swing district is, which is California 25.
JANSING: And that's where you're standing right now!
UNIDENTIFIED MAN 1: This is where I've been standing for the last year or so, coming up here almost every weekend.
JANSING: He's not alone. The Website launched the day after the inauguration. By the end of the first weekend, 200,000 people had signed up. Today it's pushing 400,000. People just waiting for a way to channel their frustration into action.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN 2: How many of you guys are from outside of this district? [Nearly everyone raises their hand] Wow. Keep 'em up, keep 'em up. That's amazing.
JANSING: So in California District 25, in the shadow of the Reagan Library, 200 people went canvassing last Sunday.
Were you nervous about knocking on doors the first time?
UNIDENTIFIED MAN 3: Yes, I was very nervous.
JANSING: Now they tell me it's cathartic, even addicting.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN 1: I cannot go away because every time I go out and meet another Democrat and they say, “thank you so much for coming, I can't wait to vote.”
JANSING: Add to that Swing Left manpower, money. They set up innovative district funds. You donate to a district, not a person, and the eventual primary winner gets the cash. In Cal 25, that's Katie Hill.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN 4: Katie, it's my great pleasure to hand over this check from the grassroots. [Check for $164,297.14]
KATIE HILL: Thank you so much.
[Cuts back to live]
JANSING: So a brand new organization. They’ve raised $4 million for those winners. One other big thing that Swing Left is hoping to use to their advantage, well, 75 percent of Americans live within 50 miles of a swing district.
