Wednesday’s CBS Mornings offered a preview of what’s to come next week after what’s expected to be a massive red wave election as they lamented the reality that they still refuse to accept: voters don’t care about January 6 or the House January 6 Select Committee.
CBS’s January 6-obsessed correspondent Scott MacFarlane had the story thanks to a trip to Virginia’s Second Congressional District, which includes much of the Hampton Roads and has consistently tacked to the center for decades. MacFarlane tied the district to January 6 as it’s currently represented by committee member Elaine Luria (D).
MacFarlane gushed that Luria “has something unique to talk about” thanks to “[w]hat she calls her effort to prevent another attempted insurrection and attack on democracy.”
To his dismay, MacFarlane explained that “[i]t’s just unclear if that’s going to sway enough votes.” From the get-go of the voice-over portion, it was clear the answer would be a resounding no as “[a]t a farmers market in Virginia Beach, there's one thing on voters' minds” and that was inflation.
MacFarlane insisted “inflation and abortion rights are dominating the debate,” but “this is a race and a campaign season like no other” since “Luria isn’t a typical incumbent.”
Instead, MacFarlane boasted that “[s]he's one of nine members of Congress who became national figures leading the House January 6th Select Committee.”
In contrast, he said Kiggans has “slam[med] Luria for focusing too much on the investigation” with Kiggans telling him that her obsession with January “shows...she’s out of touch.”
MacFarlane pushed back with dismay before going over to Luria, who said she didn’t “care” because history’s too important (click “expand”):
KIGGANS: I think it shows that she's out of touch with this district.
MACFARLANE [TO KIGGANS]: Being on the committee's out of touch?
KIGGANS: So, focusing on January 6th, making that a priority, and using her celebrity on that committee to do things like fundraise and I just think it's out of touch with what the voters of the second district are really caring about now.
MACFARLANE: Luria strikes back, criticizing Kiggins for questioning Virginia's 2020 election results, a state President Biden won by ten points. [TO LURIA] Is there any political peril to being a face of the January 6th Committee in one of these tossup evenly split districts?
LURIA: Honestly, I don't care. The truth about it is is that the work that the committee is doing is so important, being on the right side of history, getting to the facts.
Back live with the co-hosts, MacFarlane promoted Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-WY) endorsing liberal Democrats in the name of saving the country (or something), which lead co-host and Democratic donor Gayle King to swoon: “She really is standing up for what she believes in.”
MacFarlane then stated his dismay at how Virginia Beach voters know about January 6 and his friends in Congress, but the economy’s “top of mind” and specifically “gas prices,” “grocery prices,” and “inflation.”
In response, co-host Tony Dokoupil smeared Americans struggling to stay alive and put food on the table, lecturing them that while that “affects you today,” threats to democracy “may affect you down the line.”
In the 8:00 a.m. Eastern “Eye Opener,” Dokoupil doubled down with the lunacy that this House seat would be decided based “on how voters feel about the investigation of the January 6th attack.”
This liberal elitism being disconnected from accepting what voters actually care about was made possible thanks to help from advertisers such as Prevagen and Walgreens. Follow the links to see their contact information at the MRC’s Conservatives Fight Back page.
To see the relevant CBS transcript from November 2, click “expand.”
CBS Mornings
November 2, 2022
7:08 a.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: America Decides ‘22; Close Race in Virginia; GOP Challenger Looks to Unseat Democratic Jan. 6 Committee Member]
NATE BURLESON: Control of the House is also up for grabs on Tuesday. Our latest battleground tracker poll shows Republicans favored to win a majority. But there are a lot of close races, including one in Virginia involving a member of the January 6th Committee. Scott MacFarlane spent time traveling in that state, and now he's here with us. Scott, good morning. Good to see you.
SCOTT MACFARLANE: Hey, Nate, good to see you, as well. This is a race against Republican candidate Jen Kiggins and incumbent Democrat Elaine Luria. And Congresswoman Luria has something unique to talk about. What she calls her effort to prevent another attempted insurrection and attack on democracy. It's just unclear if that’s going to sway enough votes. At a farmers market in Virginia Beach, there's one thing on voters' minds:
VIRGINIA VOTER #1: Food prices are bad. I mean, it's gone — skyrocketed.
VIRGINIA VOTER #2: Prices of everything, gasoline, groceries, it's — it's unreal.
MACFARLANE: Like in so many congressional races, inflation and abortion rights are dominating the debate between Democratic incumbent Congresswoman Elaine Luria and Republican challenger Jen Kiggins, both U.S. Navy veterans —
CONGRESSWOMAN ELAINE LURIA (D): I think a woman should have a right to choice.
STATE SENATOR JEN KIGGANS (R): We are suffering this year because of the failed policies of the Joe Biden administration.
MACFARLANE: — except this is a race and a campaign season like no other.
LURIA [on 10/13/22]: Donald Trump maliciously repeated this nonsense.
MACFARLANE: Because Luria isn't a typical incumbent. She's one of nine members of Congress who became national figures leading the House January 6th Select Committee.
LURIA [on 07/21/22]: Our hearings have shown the many ways in which President Trump tried to stop the peaceful transfer of power.
MACFARLANE: Her opponent slams Luria for focusing too much on the investigation.
KIGGANS: I think it shows that she's out of touch with this district.
MACFARLANE [TO KIGGANS]: Being on the committee's out of touch?
KIGGANS: So, focusing on January 6th, making tat a priority, and using her celebrity on that committee to do things like fundraise and I just think it's out of touch with what the voters of the second district are really caring about now.
MACFARLANE: Luria strikes back, criticizing Kiggins for questioning Virginia's 2020 election results, a state President Biden won by ten points. [TO LURIA] Is there any political peril to being a face of the January 6th Committee in one of these tossup evenly split districts?
LURIA: Honestly, I don't care. The truth about it is is that the work that the committee is doing is so important, being on the right side of history, getting to the facts.
MACFARLANE: The — three of the other nine members of this panel are going to be gone at the end of the year. Two are retiring, Congresswoman Liz Cheney, as you'll recall, lost her primary in Wyoming. This was a wedge issue, her service on the committee. And last night in Michigan, Liz Cheney, who says she's going to defeat the election deniers, endorses a Democrat in Michigan.
KING: Yes. Yes. A little jarring to see that picture. But she really is standing up for what she believes in. But it's interesting when you talk to voters — emotions are so intense on both sides. Everybody feels very strongly about this election.
MACFARLANE: There we are in Virginia Beach where they have strong thoughts, as you say, but they bring up inflation.
BURLESON: Yeah.
MACFARLANE: They bring up the grocery prices. They bring up the gas prices. I mentioned the January 6th committee, they're all familiar with it.
KING: Yeah.
MACFARLANE: But —
KING: That's not top of mind for them.
MACFARLANE: Not top of mind.
TONY DOKOUPIL: One thing affects you today, the other thing may affect you down the line.
BURLESON: Right.
MACFARLANE: It’s immediate versus long term.
BURLESON: Scott, it’s always good to have you in studio. Thank you.
(....)
8:01 a.m. Eastern
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Key Hose Race]
KIGGANS: I think it shows that she’s out of touch with this district.
BURLESON: A close race in Virginia hinges on how voters feel about the investigation of the January 6th attack.
LURIA: The truth about it is that the work that the committee is doing is so important.
