The first two nights of the Democratic National Convention were snooze fests. So, ABC’s World News Tonight and NBC Nightly News were on a mission to hype night three, which would feature Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), two-time presidential failure Hillary Clinton, and former President Barack Obama. Of course, it was the latter that had the networks excited, with both touting how their President would warn the country that “our very democracy [was] at stake” in 2020.
“Just hours from now, former President Barack Obama speaking from Philadelphia, the birthplace of American democracy, will argue that very democracy is on the line in this election,” boasted ABC congressional correspondent Mary Bruce. “Obama is expected to attack his successor in searing, unprecedented terms.”
Unable to wait for Obama to make his address, Bruce excitedly read excerpts to viewers:
Excerpts of his speech charge President Trump has never taken the job seriously. Quote, "He's shown no interest in putting in the work. No interest in finding common ground. No interest in using the awesome power of his office to help anyone but himself and his friends. No interest in treating the presidency as anything but one more reality show."
Obama will say the, quote, "Consequences of that failure are severe. 170,000 Americans dead. Millions of jobs gone. Our worst impulses unleashed, our proud reputation around the world badly diminished, and our democratic institutions threatened like never before."
Clearly following the same Democratic Party marching orders, NBC White House correspondent Peter Alexander nearly echoed Bruce. “And former President Obama, according to prepared remarks, will deliver his most forceful indictment of Donald Trump yet,” he touted.
And the similarities didn’t end there. As Alexander was explaining to anchor Lester Holt where Obama would deliver his speech from, he said: “President Obama will deliver tonight's searing speech from the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. In many ways, the birthplace of the country. That location chosen, I'm told, by those close to the former President to underscore that it is our very democracy at stake in this election.”
They’re not even trying to hide how they’re using DNC talking points.
A short time later, NBC political director Chuck Todd gushed about how “important” Obama’s speech supposedly was. “I think this is as important to Joe Biden as Bill Clinton's speech in 2012 was to Barack Obama's re-election here,” he bloviated.
Todd was also excited to see how Obama would get under President Trump’s skin, thus elevating the speech even more, saying: “Keep an eye on the speech because here's another aspect of it, Lester. Donald Trump will obsess over it, so it will make Obama's speech even more important and more, perhaps, a bigger deal to Joe Biden going forward.”
They couldn’t make it any more obvious which candidate they were propping up.
This gushing for Obama and stoking of hysteria was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Lysol on ABC and Farmers Insurance on NBC. Their contact information is linked if you want to tell them about what they’re funding.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
August 19, 2020
6:36:07 p.m. Eastern(…)
MARY BRUCE: Just hours from now, former President Barack Obama speaking from Philadelphia, the birthplace of American democracy, will argue that very democracy is on the line in this election. Obama is expected to attack his successor in searing, unprecedented terms.
Excerpts of his speech charge President Trump has never taken the job seriously. Quote, "He's shown no interest in putting in the work. No interest in finding common ground. No interest in using the awesome power of his office to help anyone but himself and his friends. No interest in treating the presidency as anything but one more reality show."
Obama will say the, quote, "Consequences of that failure are severe. 170,000 Americans dead. Millions of jobs gone. Our worst impulses unleashed, our proud reputation around the world badly diminished, and our democratic institutions threatened like never before."
(…)
NBC Nightly News
August 19, 2020
7:02:06 p.m. Eastern(…)
LESTER HOLT: Also on the virtual stage, a man who carved his own place in history, former President Barack Obama ready to deliver some choice words for President Trump.
(…)
PETER ALEXANDER: And former President Obama, according to prepared remarks, will deliver his most forceful indictment of Donald Trump yet. Saying, “he's shown no interest in putting in the work, no interest as treating the presidency as anything but one more reality show that he can use to get the attention he craves.”
Obama will also tout his former VP. “He made me a better president. He’s got the character and the experience to make us a better country.
(…)
[Cuts back to live]
HOLT: Peter joins me now. Peter, I understand there’s new information about President Obama's speech for this evening.
ALEXANDER: Yeah, Lester, that's right. President Obama will deliver tonight's searing speech from the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. In many ways, the birthplace of the country. That location chosen, I'm told, by those close to the former President to underscore that it is our very democracy at stake in this election.
(…)
7:08:13 p.m. Eastern
CHUCK TODD: But Barack Obama's speech tonight, I think this is as important to Joe Biden as Bill Clinton's speech in 2012 was to Barack Obama's re-election here.
Keep an eye on the speech because here's another aspect of it, Lester. Donald Trump will obsess over it, so it will make Obama's speech even more important and more, perhaps, a bigger deal to Joe Biden going forward.
