After spending hour after hour sticking to horse race results and CNN’s magic walls, the liberal network’s first piece of analysis reminded us of why they’re still a laughing stock of a network as a trio of lefties marveled at Democrats winning back governors' mansions in some of the deepest blue states with “stellar” Wes Moore in Maryland and lesbian Maura Healey in Massachusetts.
Inside Politics Sunday host Abby Phillip swooned that “[t]here’s a lot of history that could be made tonight” with Healey becoming “the first openly gay governor in that state — or the first lesbian in the entire country” and could have company later in the night if Democrat Tina Kotek won in Oregon.
As for Moore, Phillip gushed over him as “someone who Democrats agree is perhaps the future of the party” and “a huge rising star.”
Who’s Talking host Chris Wallace joined in on this pointless exercise and touted Moore as “an enormously impressive candidate” and noted that Healey and Moore won in “deep blue states” after eight years of “moderate, moderate Republicans, Larry Hogan and Charlie Baker, both very popular.”
However, they both had little in the way of challengers because the GOP nominees were “hard right candidates.” Of course, Wallace never mentioned how Democrats meddled in the GOP primaries to boost said candidates.
Bash had more valentines to dole out. For Moore, she hailed him as “just stellar” with a resume including a stint serving in Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne. And for Healey, Bash trumpeted “the history-making moment of her being the first openly lesbian” and female governor period in the Bay State.
Phillip was still enthralled, twice calling it “amazing” before adding that “there are a lot of places in this country, especially when you look at these statewide contests where it is a barrier to reach for women to be elected to those positions, for black people to be elected in those positions.”
“So, there is a lot of barriers that we thought we have gotten past but people are still breaking in 2022,” she concluded.
To see the relevant transcript from November 8, click “expand.”
CNN’s Election Night in America
November 8, 2022
9:43 p.m. EasternDANA BASH: Let's go back to the pair of firsts that Boris was talking about governors’s mansion. You’re going to have a Democrat in the governor’s mansion again and in Maryland and Massachusetts — excuse me in Massachusetts and Maryland. Maryland is — cause we’re local, we see the signs everywhere. Talk about Wes Moore and the importance of it.
ABBY PHILLIP: Well, look, there’s a lot of history that could be made tonight. I think these are two big ones, but especially for Democrats in Massachusetts, the first openly gay governor in that state — or the first lesbian in the entire country. There could actually be a second tonight if Tina Kotek wins in the state of Oregon. But that's a significant moment for the state of Massachusetts, that governor’s mansion returning to Democrats. But in Maryland, in Wes Moore, I think what you’re seeing is someone who Democrats agree is perhaps the future of the party. A huge rising star, someone who as Boris said never held public office before, taking over that governor's mansion from a very popular Republican governor. I think that's definitely one place I would be watching.
CHRIS WALLACE: Yeah, there’s no question. We, obviously, here in Washington, we see in a lot of the ads for Wes Moore, an enormously impressive candidate. I agree with you. He’s going to have a national profile. What’s so interesting — these are two deep blue states, Maryland and Massachusetts, and for the last eight years, both of them have been governed by moderate, moderate Republicans, Larry Hogan and Charlie Baker, both very popular. But both Healey and Moore were advantaged by the fact they have hard right candidates, candidates who were strongly against abortion, strongly for Trump. And one of them said that Pence was a traitor. The other one said that the 2020 election was rigged. That kind of politics, from a Republican —
BASH: Yeah.
WALLACE: — isn’t going to work in Maryland and Massachusetts.
BASH: Yeah, no question and the resume that Wes Moore has is just stellar. A veteran from Afghanistan and 82nd Airborne, but I want to go back to Maura Healey in Massachusetts because I am sorry — when you think about it, the history-making moment of her being the first openly lesbian — okay — but the first woman, there’s never been a female governor —
PHILLIP: Yeah, it’s amazing.
BASH: — in Massachusetts?
PHILLIP: — it is amazing and it — Massachusetts is not the only place where that is a piece of history where it has not happened. I mean, there are a lot of place in this country, especially when you look at these statewide contests where it is a barrier to reach for women to be elected to those positions —
BASH: Yeah.
PHILIP: — for black people to be elected in those positions. I believe Wes Moore would only be the third black governor that’s been elected governor in this country since Reconstruction, I should say. So, there is a lot of barriers that we thought we have gotten past but people are still breaking in 2022.
WALLACE: No and you’re exactly right about Wes Moore. I mean, the first black governor of Maryland. Another deep blue state, a few barriers they broke in tonight and we may see how the national race goes. But in — in a couple of very blue states, a couple of very impressive blue candidates.
