The Liz Cheney book tour has begun, and it’s very pleasing to Democrats to hear her demand everyone vote against Republicans. On the second hour of Monday’s Today, co-host Savannah Guthrie gave Cheney nine-and-a-half minutes of book promotion -- for this "staunch conservative," as she put it.
The first six minutes (and seven questions) were along the expected line of “please underline how dangerous Trump and his GOP enablers are.” This portion had all the “if Trump wins, democracy ends” bluster.
It was more interesting when Guthrie pressed her on just how much she wants Democrats to win. “You said the Republican Party of today has made a choice, has not chosen the constitution. Do you think Democrats, it would be better for Democrats to regain control of Congress in 2024?” Cheney said yes. Some "staunch conservative," pushing for an all-Democrat Washington.
Guthrie underlined: "This is just crazy stuff! You are Liz Cheney. You are previously known as one of the most conservative members of Congress. You're the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney. You are saying it would be safer if Republicans weren't in control of the House." Cheney said "I think what we have seen is that you cannot count on this group of elected Republicans to uphold their oath."
Guthrie pressed further: "You write that. You say every one of us, Republican, Democrat, independent must work and vote together. I will put it to you plainly. Will you vote for President Biden if Donald Trump is on the other side of the ticket?" Cheney said, " I will never vote for Donald Trump" and that she would "do whatever it takes to make sure that Donald Trump is defeated in 2024." Asked if that means she'd vote for Biden, she repeated, "I will do whatever it takes."
Guthrie then noted Trump is beating Biden in the polls, not just nationally, but in battleground states. "Do you wish the Democrats had nominated someone other than Biden? Do you feel he is the best chance to defeat Donald Trump?" Cheney wouldn't answer that directly.
Then came a question about persuadable voters:
GUTHRIE: I keep thinking when I was reading your book, about who is persuadable at this point? You call it a cult of personality on the Trump side. Okay, fine. So if you're in the cult, you're not going to vote for anyone except Trump. And then you have people on the other side, they will vote for the Democrats. This is a sliver of people who think, "okay, I may not have loved Trump. I'm tired of his antics, but I'm worried about the border. I'm worried about crime. And I think Biden is too old." What do you say to them that they think a Trump vote is -- it'll end up being all right. Maybe not pleasant but it'll be all right.
Cheney explicitly lectured: "I think that's a real problem, and the challenge is to make sure those people understand and recognize that a Trump vote is not acceptable....that choice can never be Donald Trump because a vote for Donald Trump may mean the last election that you ever get to vote in. " Welcome to democracy!
