In a report for Tuesday’s CBS This Morning, co-host Tony Dokoupil went ice fishing with two New Hampshire voters, one Republican, one Democrat. Amid discussing the state’s upcoming primary, Dokoupil couldn’t resist using the mild weather to bring up climate change. He was promptly mocked by the GOP voter.
“Another major campaign topic felt unavoidable,” Dokoupil narrated as the taped segment played. Sitting on a frozen New Hampshire lake with Republican Dennis Whitcher and Democrat Tim Moore, Dokoupil remarked: “This is 40 degrees, I’ve got my coat open. But it’s not supposed to be this hot.”
Moore agreed, while Whitcher sarcastically quipped: “It’s global warming – or climate change.” Dokoupil picked up on it: “You say that with a smile, what do you think? You don’t believe it, do you?” Moore replied: “It’s a joke. You gotta be kidding me.”
Moments later, after Moore said that health care and the climate were two of his top issues, Dokoupil bitterly noted: “You mean the hoax that your friend here says is not affecting your business?”
Before he brought up climate change, Dokoupil focused on other issues. “Health care is one of your top issues?,” he asked Moore, who responded: “Yeah, I’m self-employed, so it’s expensive. It’s very expensive.” Dokoupil eagerly boosted the socialists in the presidential race: “Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders seem to have Medicare for all plans, right?...Free at the point of service. Sounds pretty good, no?” Moore was skeptical: “Well, how are we going to pay for it?”
Later in the 8:30 a.m. ET half hour, Dokoupil reported live from a polling place in the state and was thrilled to find an ex-Republican who voted for former Mayor Pete Buttigieg in the Democratic primary: “I’ve got something very special to share with you guys today....you’ve heard, we’ve reported on our show, about the soon-to-be former Republicans that Mayor Pete Buttigieg claims to be recruiting and we have one here.”
The host touted voter Jay Buckley as a “College Republican, registered Republican” who had just “voted for Mayor Pete.” Buckly gushed: “So got a lot of love for Pete. He has a lot of composure....he draws a really good line between a traditional Democrat and I think like a progressive Republican I consider myself to be.”
In a follow-up question, Dokoupil returned to his favorite candidates: “Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, why don’t they have your attention?” Buckley explained that they were too far left: “I like both of them. I think Elizabeth is a firebrand, she’s a real great banner holder for the party, but is almost too progressive...”
Dokoupil lamented: “Too progressive, even for a young man like yourself. You like the composed man.”
Just last week, Dokoupil was congratulated by Warren for his efforts to sell socialism to unsuspecting mall shoppers using a ridiculous pie demonstration.
Here is a transcript of Dokoupil’s discussions with News Hampshire voters aired on February 11:
7:32 AM ET
(...)
TONY DOKOUPIL: On a winter day in New Hampshire, there aren’t too many places to go looking for voters, but over an ice-fishing hole in Concord is one of them. How many maggots do you put on a hook to catch fish?
TIM MOORE: I’m going to put three on right now.
DOKOUPIL: And that’s where we meant Dennis Whitcher and Tim Moore. You’re a hunting guy primarily, you’re a fishing guy? You’re a Republican, you’re a Democrat?
MOORE: Sort of.
DOKOUPIL: “Sort of” says it all when it comes to the New Hampshire primary, as many sort-of Democrats review a field of candidates they only sort of like.
MOORE: I’m struggling with the presidential race this year.
DOKOUPIL: What’s the struggle over?
MOORE: The division in this country is probably the biggest issue that I have right now, it’s just heartbreaking.
DOKOUPIL: Woah!
MOORE: Little fish here, little guy.
DOKOUPIL: Up here we found reeling in fish can be easier than reeling in votes. Health care is one of your top issues?
MOORE: Yeah, I’m self-employed, so it’s expensive. It’s very expensive.
DOKOUPIL: Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders seem to have Medicare for all plans, right?
MOORE: Yup.
DOKOUPIL: Free at the point of service. Sounds pretty good, no?
MOORE: Well, how are we going to pay for it?
DOKOUPIL: Another major campaign topic felt unavoidable. This is 40 degrees, I’ve got my coat open. But it’s not supposed to be this hot.
MOORE: No.
DENNIS WHITCHER: It’s global warming – or climate change.
DOKOUPIL: You say that with a smile, what do you think? You don’t believe it, do you?
WHITCHER: It’s a joke. You gotta be kidding me.
DOKOUPIL: Tim, are you with Dennis on that point?
MOORE: No. [Laughs]
DOKOUPIL: I didn’t think so. So your biggest issues are, in order, political polarization –
MOORE: Health care.
DOKOUPIL: Health care –
MOORE: Health care and climate. I mean –
DOKOUPIL: You mean the hoax that your friend here says is not affecting your business?
MOORE: Not just climate change. I mean, the Trump administration is rolling back protections on our water at a staggering rate.
(...)
8:31 AM ET
TONY DOKOUPIL: I’ve got something very special to share with you guys today. We got voters moving behind us, and you’ve heard, we’ve reported on our show, about the soon-to-be former Republicans that Mayor Pete Buttigieg claims to be recruiting and we have one here. This is Jay.
JAY BUCKLEY: Hello.
DOKOUPIL: College Republican, registered Republican, and just now today right there you voted for Mayor Pete.
BUCKLEY: That’s right.
DOKOUPIL: Why?
BUCKLEY: So got a lot of love for Pete. He has a lot of composure that I don’t think – that I think a lot of the candidates don’t exude well. He does singularly really strongly against the rest of the crew. He has – he draws a really good line between a traditional Democrat and I think like a progressive Republican I consider myself to be.
DOKOUPIL: You know, you call it composure. Non-Mayor Pete supporters may call it a little bit – a tad lack of charisma.
BUCKLEY: Okay, I mean, I suppose you could see it that way. There’s a certain class level that I think he does really well. And I think that, you know, the way he speaks, he could be considered the next great political orator in the United States.
DOKOUPIL: Wow.
BUCKLEY: Yeah.
DOKOUPIL: Better than the big ones from the past? So here’s a question for you – we are next door to New Hampshire – to Vermont and Massachusetts. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, why don’t they have your attention?
BUCKLEY: Well, you live in New Hampshire long enough, you understand there’s a cultural difference between Vermont and Massachusetts certainly. I like both of them. I think Elizabeth is a firebrand, she’s a real great banner holder for the party, but is almost too progressive for the folks who –
DOKOUPIL: Too progressive, even for a young man like yourself. You like the composed man. Okay. Well, thank you very much, Jay, we appreciate it. And as these voters move in and out, a reminder that there are a lost undecideds here. People squinting extra hard as they try to narrow their choices and pick only one when that curtain closes, guys.
GAYLE KING: Boy, Tony, thanks. Tell Jay Buckley really appreciate his candor. It’s always interesting to see a person’s thought process when they’re making any decision. That was very nice. Thank you very much.
