House Speaker joined Stephen Colbert on Monday to tape CBS’s The Late Show and some group therapy disguised as an interview. During the session, Pelosi would try to ease Colbert’s fears that Democrats might fail to keep the House and because both agreed that democracy itself is on the ballot in November.
After the Democratic Speaker made the truly astonishing prediction that Democrats will win, Colbert asked, “But what gives you the confidence to do that? Because all the prognosticators-- certainly six months ago, they said it was going to be this crazy red wave. Now it looks likely that the Democrats will hold the Senate but there is still a flight favor for the Republicans to take the House.”
Colbert’s overly optimistic Senate forecasting aside, Pelosi set the table, “Well, okay, so, you ready?” After Colbert affirmed that he was, Pelosi proceeded, “Okay. Here's the thing, when we won in 2020, and, again fewer seats, but still holding the House, we started right away to prepare for the next election in terms of organization, own the ground. When you mobilize, you must own the ground to take out the vote. You have to do that with inspiration and how it put together our messaging and that's the second "M." And the third is money.”
Continuing, Pelosi hailed what she considers to be the great and diverse field of candidates Democrats are running who were inspired by January 6 and the Dobbs decision, “They went in with courage and confidence that they could win. So when Roe v. Wade came down, boom, we were totally ready. And that just caused a whole different attitude on the part of some of whether we could win. We always believed we could win because we knew we had to, because our democracy was on the ballot, our planet was on the ballot, a women's--everything was on the ballot in this election, more than in regular-- majorities come and go.”
Such claims ring hallow when Democrats say that about every election. Nevertheless, Colbert agreed, “It is on the ballot. You're talking a little like you're talking in the past tense, if you don't mind me pointing that out. We still have a little more than a month to go.”
Still, Colbert was anxious about polling and Pelosi would again to proceed to assuage those fears by hyping what she considers to be Democratic accomplishments.
This segment was sponsored by Amazon.
Here is a transcript for the October 4 show:
CBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
10/4/2022
12:03 AM ET
STEPHEN COLBERT: But what gives you the confidence to do that? Because all the prognosticators-- certainly six months ago, they said it was going to be this crazy red wave. Now it looks likely that the Democrats will hold the Senate but there is still a flight favor for the Republicans to take the House.
NANCY PELOSI: Well, okay, so, you ready?
COLBERT: Always.
PELOSI: Okay. Here's the thing, when we won in 2020, and, again fewer seats, but still holding the House, we started right away to prepare for the next election in terms of organization, own the ground. When you mobilize, you must own the ground to take out the vote. You have to do that with inspiration and how it put together our messaging and that's the second "M." And the third is money.
So, we're getting ready for the election. That was in December of 2020. In January 6, you know what happened, an insurrection incited by the president of the United States on the U.S. Capitol, on our Constitution, on our democracy. The greatest influx of candidates came forward, young people, people of color, people of different generations, different backgrounds and the rest, the beautiful diversity of America, came forward. They didn't pay attention to those pundits who said you can't win.
They went in with courage and confidence that they could win. So when Roe v. Wade came down, boom, we were totally ready. And that just caused a whole different attitude on the part of some of whether we could win. We always believed we could win because we knew we had to, because our democracy was on the ballot, our planet was on the ballot, a women's--everything was on the ballot in this election, more than in regular-- majorities come and go.
COLBERT: It is on the ballot. You're talking a little like you're talking in the past tense, if you don't mind me pointing that out. We still have a little more than a month to go.
PELOSI: Yes.
COLBERT: The polls still aren't reflecting, necessarily what you're saying. Do you believe in the polls?
