On Sunday, CBS’s Face the Nation waited until the very end of the program to address at the Virginia gubernatorial race where Republican nominee Glenn Youngkin looked as though he could pull off an upset against Democrat Terry McAuliffe. And while they ignored the many education-linked controversies that were occurring simultaneously in the commonwealth, and blamed Youngkin’s rise on national politics, they discussed how Youngkin “seizing” on a poor debate performance by McAuliffe.
After introducing political correspondent Ed O’Keefe, moderator Margaret Brennan said they “don’t normally cover governor’s races” on the show and suggested Virginia had “out[sized] importance in the political world. Why is this mid-sized southern state so important?”
“This is a state that has been hewing Democratic for the last 10 years or so. But for whatever reason, they're having a competitive statewide contest this year,” O’Keefe downplayed at first.
But he eventually admitted there were a “few different reasons,” including the apparently shocking fact that Youngkin was a “well-liked Republican contender who has managed to make this about something other than Donald Trump, a local issue of concern: Education and specifically parental control of education.”
The only thing O’Keefe noted about the education conversation in the commonwealth was a debate where McAuliffe flashed his contempt for parental control over the education of their kids. And instead of that outrage being grassroots-driven, “the Youngkin campaign seized on this and said, what do you mean you don't want parents to be in charge after years of mask mandates and virtual schooling and all these debates about social policy and about what’s being taught in school?”
“Those emotional issues, always good to galvanize people,” Brennan deduced.
Brennan and O’Keefe perpetuated the CBS blackout of two rapes by a “gender-fluid” boy in Loudoun County, Virginia where the local school board tried to cover one up to get a transgender bathroom policy passed, allowing the second to occur. They also didn’t mention the parental outrage at the Department of Education slipping the influence of Critical Race Theory into their materials, and the slew of other sexual assaults in a Loudoun middle school.
Ignoring the confluence of McAuliffe saying he didn’t want parents involved in schools and school boards showing they couldn’t be trusted, Brennan and O’Keefe suggested the bulk of the floundering came from national politics (Click “expand”):
BRENNAN: One of the things though that I think is interesting is to see current and former presidents out there campaigning in Virginia. And President Biden went out and helped Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic candidate, even though McAuliffe said, basically, that Biden’s creating problems for him, “headwinds,” and that he’s unpopular.
O’KEEFE: Right. And Biden won the state by 10 points last year, but his numbers sit now in the 40s. But to bring him over to Virginia to say that his opponent is a Trump acolyte and could return the state to Trump-style politics, or what is going on down in Texas regarding the abortion policy.
In essence, what Democrats are trying to do is continue what work for them over the last four years, nationalize the race and warn them about what Trump-style Republicanism could mean for their state.
Further, Brennan was confused by how Democrats weren’t making “an affirmative argument” for McAuliffe, saying “‘Here’s what you get when we govern.’ They’re saying, ‘that’s what you might get if we’re not governing’” by choosing to focus on former President Trump.
O’Keefe backed up the Democratic argument by suggesting that Virginia “relies so much on the federal government for employment and for its economic growth,” that the argument works there. But that’s really only Northern Virginia, to an extent.
They ignored the fact that a recent poll showed that likely-voters trusted Youngkin on the issues of schools and education. Again, they’ve seen McAuliffe say parents shouldn’t be involved in schools and school boards proving they couldn’t be trusted. And putting the CRT part aside, the Loudoun County School Board proved they couldn’t be trusted with the physical safety of students for political reasons.
This omission of critical Virginia controversies to deflect to national issues to explain a possible Democrat defeat was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Google and Toyota. Their contact information is linked so you can tell them about the biased news they fund.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CBS’s Face the Nation
October 31, 2021
11:22:20 a.m. EasternMARGARET BRENNAN: This Tuesday is Election Day in Virginia and New Jersey, where voters will select their governors. Usually the party out of the White House has an advantage in these off-year raises. But the one in Virginia is drawing some national attention right now as a test of just how Democrats are governing.
CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O’Keefe is here to help us break it down. So, Ed, we don’t normally cover governor’s races but this one has taken on outside importance in the political world. Why is this mid-sized southern state so important?
ED O’KEEFE: In essence, it sets the state for next year. This is a state that has been hewing Democratic for the last 10 years or so. But for whatever reason, they're having a competitive statewide contest this year. They shouldn't be doing that, if electoral history from recent years holds.
But it seems to be for a few different reasons. One, you have a popular, apparently well-liked Republican contender who has managed to make this about something other than Donald Trump, a local issue of concern: Education and specifically parental control of education.
All stemming from a debate answer that has his Democratic opponent, the former, trying to be future governor, Terry McAuliffe made in a debate recently where he said, I don't think parents should have control over what goes on in the classroom. In essence, trying to explain away a bill he had vetoed years ago. But the Youngkin campaign seized on this and said, what do you mean you don't want parents to be in charge after years of mask mandates and virtual schooling and all these debates about social policy and about what’s being taught in school?
So, it could signal that that local issue, finding one, plus the growing unpopularity of the president, could be enough for certain Republicans in states where they maybe they haven’t done as well recently to pull it off, and it will signal to the rest of the party, this is how you can win in the post-Trump era.
BRENNAN: Those emotional issue always good to galvanize people.
O’KEEFE: Absolutely.
BRENNAN: One of the things though that I think is interesting is to see current and former presidents out there campaigning in Virginia. And President Biden went out and helped Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic candidate, even though McAuliffe said, basically, that Biden’s creating problems for him, “headwinds,” and that he’s unpopular.
O’KEEFE: Right. And Biden won the state by 10 points last year, but his numbers sit now in the 40s. But to bring him over to Virginia to say that his opponent is a Trump acolyte and could return the state to Trump-style politics, or what is going on down in Texas regarding the abortion policy.
In essence, what Democrats are trying to do is continue what work for them over the last four years, nationalize the race and warn them about what Trump-style Republicanism could mean for their state.
Meanwhile, Youngkin is trying to going local, focusing on that issue education, insisting that he will not, has not campaigned with the former president, even though he’s doing a telephone town hall for him Monday night. Youngkin says he won’t be there; trying to divert attention and say I'm focused on these things here in the state. We'll do this on my own.
BRENNAN: What’s interesting for a Democrat, though, is they're not making an affirmative argument –
O’KEEFE: They aren’t.
BRENNAN: -- of: “here’s what you get when we govern.” They’re saying, “that’s what you might get if we’re not governing.”
O’KEEFE: Well, that's what frustrates McAuliffe so much. I mean, he’s told me as much. He said the lack of action in Washington doesn't help me make the case that government can do things for people. So, if they would only just pass this legislation they’ve been spending months on, it would help me make the point.
BRENNAN: Do you buy that argument?
O’KEEFE: In Virginia, I do, because of the unique nature of Virginia. In fact, it relies so much on the federal government for employment and for it’s economic growth, it works there. It wouldn't necessarily work in other states.
And the other thing I’ve noticed in recent weeks, especially, is that McAuliffe has made the abortion argument. That if they did what they did in Texas, and if the Supreme Court rules a certain way, it could happen here. They insist that abortion rights is a big issue of concern for voters in Virginia. And we'll see whether it works on Tuesday.
BRENNAN: Ed O’Keefe, thank you for the preview.
