With vote totals flooding in early in the night, it was painfully obvious to the liberal media that the so-called “blue wave” they’ve been hyping for a year crashed against red breakers. It was early in the nine o’clock hour when CNN anchor Jake Tapper admitted “what's going on here tonight, this is not a blue wave. This is not a wave that is knocking out all sorts of Republican incumbents.”
His evidence was Democrats failing to take Kentucky’s sixth district:
Now, there are all sorts of ways Democrats can regain the House without Amy McGrath having defeated incumbent Congressman Andy Barr, but the fact is she did not. And if she had, that would have been an indication of a big, powerful blue wave. The fact that she did not, and it is a district that he won two years ago, Congressman Barr, by more than 20 points. This was a target. Democrats did hope to win Kentucky sixth.
But Tapper held out hope Democrats would take the House by a very narrow margin. “That said, Democrats still have a decent chance of winning back the House. They still have a number of seats that are very competitive where Democrats are in the lead, and that could still happen,” he explained.
A few minutes later, CNN chief political analyst Gloria Borger declared “there is no tsunami. There's no tsunami coming.” According to her, Democrats could win the House by one member “but there's a lot of disappointment I'm hearing from people.”
In response, bitter liberal activist Van Jones tried to keep up morale saying “people need to stay out there and continue the fight”, but admitted “this is heartbreaking, though. It's heartbreaking.” Jones then kicked up the hyperbolic and divisive rhetoric by equating Democratic efforts to unseat Republicans to “antibodies” fighting off an “infestation of hatred and division”.
“That does not seem to be happening tonight. It's not a blue wave, but it's a blue war,” he proclaimed. “We have to continue the fight forward. But I think that sense of helplessness, that has really fueled a lot of this outrage and outpouring from Democrats may still be there tomorrow even if we have the House.”
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN’s Election Night in America
November 6, 2018
9:05:29 p.m. EasternWOLF BLITZER: Right now in the House of Representatives Democrats must pick up 21 Republican seats. It stays the same as a result of this. 21 Republican seats and not lose any of their own. Jake, let's talk a little bit about this. 21 seats they still have to pick up, the Democrats.
JAKE TAPPER: It is entirely possible that the Democrats will regain control of the House today. But when you look at what's going on here tonight, this is not a blue wave. This is not a wave that is knocking out all sorts of Republican incumbents.
We just saw -- you called the Kentucky sixth district. Now, there are all sorts of ways Democrats can regain the House without Amy McGrath having defeated incumbent Congressman Andy Barr, but the fact is she did not. And if she had, that would have been an indication of a big, powerful blue wave. The fact that she did not, and it is a district that he won two years ago, Congressman Barr, by more than 20 points. This was a target. Democrats did hope to win Kentucky sixth.
And you look at the competitive races going on in Florida where Republicans right now have the edge. You look at what’s going on in the Indiana Senate race right now. It does look as though Republicans have been able to build something of a wall in certain parts of the country, especially in these states that President Trump won. That said, Democrats still have a decent chance of winning back the House. They still have a number of seats that are very competitive where Democrats are in the lead, and that could still happen.
(…)
9:22:30 p.m. Eastern
GLORIA BORGER: There is no tsunami. There's no tsunami coming. Winning the House by one member is enough for them. But there's a lot of disappointment I'm hearing from people. I'm also hearing talk about recounts in Florida. Can you believe it? And the lawyers going to Florida. This has to really play out, but the excitement, I think is -- the cliche is the balloon is popping.
[Crosstalk]
ANDERSON COOPER: Van?
VAN JONES: Well, first of all there are still people standing in line in Georgia. There's still people standing in line in Florida. This is not over. People need to stay out there and continue the fight. This is heartbreaking, though. It's heartbreaking. The hope has been that the antibodies would kick in. That this infestation of hatred and division would drive response from the American people in both parties and say no and no more. That does not seem to be happening tonight. It's not a blue wave, but it's a blue war. We have to continue the fight forward. But I think that sense of helplessness, that has really fueled a lot of this outrage and outpouring from Democrats may still be there tomorrow even if we have the House.
(…)
