Legendary TV personality Oprah Winfrey stumped for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams in Georgia on Thursday and the liberal media couldn’t get enough of it. During their evening news programs, the major broadcast networks celebrated her efforts as they gushed about her going door-to-door and surprising voters.
At the top of the show, NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt set up the game plans of the left and right in the last few days before the midterms. According to Holt, both sides were “playing their strongest hands tonight.” For President Trump and Republicans, it was “playing the fear card over illegal immigration.” Democrats were using “the O factor,” according to NBC White House correspondent Kristen Welker.
“The talk queen coming off the political sidelines today to rally support for Georgia's Democratic candidate for governor who could make history next Tuesday night,” Holt boasted while Welker suggested “the question on everyone’s mind” was whether or not Oprah was running for president. Perhaps it was the question everyone Welker knew in the liberal media was asking.
There was a common thread through both the NBC report and the report on ABC’s World News Tonight: pushing the accusation GOP gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp was suppression minority votes. “Democrats accusing Abrams’ opponent of using his office, secretary of state, to purge thousands of minorities from the voting rolls,” Welker parroted.
Note that Welker claimed the accusation was something Democrats were saying. It’s a common qualifier that liberal media use because they don’t actually look to see if the accusations were true; it’s just the attack line and they’re reporting on it.
But in the ABC report, Kemp schooled reporter Deborah Roberts who started shouting questions in his face as he was moving through a crowd at a campaign event:
ROBERTS: So, what do you say to those who say your trying to suppress the vote? What do you say?
KEMP: I'm not trying to suppress. The numbers don’t lie. Minority participation is up 23 percent in Georgia. 23 percent. That's what you should report and not believe this BS about voter suppression.
In wrapping up the segment, Roberts speculated about all the people Oprah was going to get out to vote for Abrams. “In fact, some people gauge that maybe she turned out a million extra voters for Obama by campaigning for him,” she gloated. “Stacey Abrams needs the core supporters, women, minorities, to turn out. Oprah touches those people, and she might help.”
Meanwhile, on CBS Evening News, congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes touted how Winfrey went door-to-door “to the shock of some Georgia voters.” She also talked about how Winfrey was a “registered independent,” despite only coming out in support for Democrats.
As she was ending her report, Cordes disclosed to viewers that “Oprah is a part-time CBS News contributor to 60 Minutes. She will be stepping away from that role temporarily, Jeff, while she campaigns for Abrams here in Georgia.” How many CBS employees have ever needed to take leave to campaign for a conservative? Have any of them ever supported a conservative?
The transcripts are in below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
November 1, 2018
6:42 p.m. EasternTOM LLAMAS: Next, we turn to Georgia, where the race for governor got some star power today. Oprah Winfrey campaigned for Democrat Stacey Abrams. Oprah even surprising voters, going door to door, you see it right there. Abrams' opponent, Georgia's Secretary of State Brian Kemp will have the GOP's biggest star rallying for him, the President. ABC's Deborah Roberts traveling to her home state of Georgia with the state of the race tonight.
[Cuts to video]
DEBORAH ROBERTS: With just five days to go, one of the biggest stars of all dropping into this historic race.
(…)
ROBERTS: Oprah Winfrey, campaigning for Democrat Stacey Abrams, who could become the nation's first black female governor.
(…)
ROBERTS: Today, with Republican candidate Brian Kemp, Vice President Mike Pence.
VP MIKE PENCE: I'm kind of a big deal, too. [Transition] I got a message for all Stacey Abrams' liberal Hollywood friends, this ain't Hollywood. This is Georgia.
ROBERTS: I asked Abrams about that criticism. Are you running a state campaign or a national campaign?
STACY ABRAMS: We're running a locally grounded campaign that is nationally known.
ROBERTS: Kemp, too, has national backing, from President Trump.
BRAIN KEMP: As you all know, this race is a battle for the soul of our state.
ROBERTS: But as Georgia's secretary of state, charged with supervising elections, Kemp's battling accusations that he's trying to block votes from Democrats.
ABRAMS: We have an opponent who is an architect of voter suppression.
ROBERTS: Critics say Kemp is stalling voter registrations of 53,000 Georgia residents because applications don't exactly match their IDs, like a missing initial or signature that looks slightly off. Kemp declined a formal interview, but I caught up with him at one of his rallies. I asked about the accusations. What about voter suppression? People are saying--
KEMP: Well, that's a myth. That is a myth that the Democrats bring out every two years.
ROBERTS: With 70 percent of the tied up applications belonging to black voters, I asked again. So, what do you say to those who say your trying to suppress the vote? What do you say?
KEMP: I'm not trying to suppress. The numbers don’t lie. Minority participation is up 23 percent in Georgia. 23 percent. That's what you should report and not believe this BS about voter suppression.
ROBERTS: Amidst the controversy, one thing is clear, voter enthusiasm in Georgia is sky high. And today, Oprah working to maintain the momentum.
(…)
[Cuts back to live]
LLAMAS: And Deborah Roberts joins us now in studio. And Deb, you can never gauge how much a celebrity can effect a candidate, but there is one big reason why Oprah Winfrey went to Georgia.
ROBERTS: No question, Tom. They call it the Oprah effect. In fact, some people gauge that maybe she turned out a million extra voters for Obama by campaigning for him. Stacey Abrams needs the core supporters, women, minorities, to turn out. Oprah touches those people, and she might help. But Kemp has his own big dog coming in, the President coming to Georgia to stump for him on Sunday.
CBS Evening News
November 1, 2018
6:35 p.m. EasternJEFF GLOR: Oprah Winfrey used her star power today on behalf of a Democratic candidate for governor of Georgia. Here's Nancy Cordes.
[Cuts to video]
NANCY CORDES: The Oprah show came to Georgia today.
CROWD: And you get a vote! And you get a vote!
CORDES: The media mogul telling a Cobb County crowd that she called Democrat Stacey Abrams out of the blue this week.
(…)
CORDES: She also went door to door.
(…)
CORDES: To the shock of some Georgia voters. Oprah is a registered independent and has only stumped for one other major candidate...
OPRAH WINFREY: He is the one, Barack Obama!
CORDES: Abrams is vying to become the nation's first female African-American governor. Polls show her virtually tied with Georgia's Republican secretary of state Brian Kemp. He hit the trail today with Vice President Mike Pence.
VP MIKE PENCE: I heard Oprah's in town tonight. [Transition] I'm kind of a big deal, too. ( Cheers and applause ) You get that? And I got a message-- I got a message for all Stacey Abrams' liberal Hollywood friends: This ain't Hollywood, this is Georgia!
CORDES: The governor's race here has been plagued by accusations of voter suppression, lawsuits filed over registration purges, and polling place closures. Oprah urged minority voters not to be deterred.
(…)
[Cuts back to live]
CORDES: Oprah is a part-time CBS News contributor to 60 Minutes. She will be stepping away from that role temporarily, Jeff, while she campaigns for Abrams here in Georgia.
NBC Nightly News
November 1, 2018
7:01 p.m. EasternLESTER HOLT: Good evening, everyone. Five days until the midterm vote, Republicans and Democrats are playing their strongest hands tonight. President Trump playing the fear card over illegal immigration with a powerful and racially divisive new video. While in Georgia, voters answered knocks at the door only to come face-to-face with Oprah Winfrey. The talk queen coming off the political sidelines today to rally support for Georgia's Democratic candidate for governor who could make history next Tuesday night. We've got it all covered starting with Kristen Welker in Atlanta.
[Cuts to video]
(…)
KRISTEN WELKER: Tonight, the O factor, Oprah Winfrey electrifying voters in Georgia for Democrat Stacy Abrams. Knocking on doors, hosting a pair of town halls today supporting Abrams who could become the first female African-American governor.
(…)
WELKER: Quickly dismissing the question on everyone’s mind, is her visit a sign she's thinking about running for president?
OPRAH WINFREY: I'm not here because I'm making some grand stand because I'm thinking about running myself. I don't want to run.
WELKER: Instead, Oprah putting the focus on Abrams.
(…)
WELKER: Do you see her as someone who helps you energize specifically women voters, voters of color?
STACY ABRAMS: I think Oprah energies everyone.
WELKER: Winfrey’s visit comes as Abrams is locked in a tight race with Republican Brian Kemp. Democrats accusing Abrams’ opponent of using his office, secretary of state, to purge thousands of minorities from the voting rolls. Kemp has vehemently denied any voter suppression. Today the vice president stumping for him.
(…)
WELKER: Oprah usually stays on the political sidelines, endorsing Barack Obama in 2007 and Hillary Clinton in 2016. Still, Oprah didn't miss a chance to take a not so subtle swipe at the Trump-era politics of division.
(…)
