With the 2014 midterm elections just five weeks away, MSNBC’s Ronan Farrow thought it was the perfect time to give a state Democrat a six minute platform to promote her campaign.
On Tuesday afternoon, Farrow spoke to Leticia Van de Putte of Texas, the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor, and provided her with unchallenged airtime to hit her Republican opponent on numerous issues including, in the words of the MSNBC host, his “harsh rhetoric on undocumented immigrants.”
As the interview began, Farrow helped the Texas Democrat attack her GOP opponent, Dan Patrick, over immigration:
Senator Van de Putte, when we last talked, you highlighted Texas Latinos who could vote and aren’t registered and talked about that as a big problem and also the potential gain that could transform politics. Last night that came out in a big way. You called out some of Dan Patrick’s particularly harsh rhetoric on undocumented immigrants. How has this played out on the campaign trail?
Unsurprisingly, Farrow’s guest took the bait and repeated Farrow's line that her GOP opponent was “harsh” on immigration:
What we have seen in the campaign trail all across our state is the aftereffects of Dan Patrick and so many of the Republicans using the politics of fear with regard to immigration… And what we know is that that type of sentiment insults the good people who live on our Texas border. They are upset and in fact their business leaders, the Chamber of Commerce, has asked repeatedly to Dan Patrick and the rest that would say such harsh things to tone it down.
The MSNBC host continued to shill for the Texas Democrat and even expressed concern that her opponents’ “harsh” language might cause Van de Putte to look soft on terrorism:
Patrick went on to claim that ISIS is one of the forces threatening to come across the border, obviously a very inflammatory conflation of the immigration debate and terrorism fears. In light of how harsh the rhetoric is, how tough has it been for to you show compassion for undocumented immigrants, which you’ve continued to emphasize, without looking soft on terror?
Given that Farrow began the discussion with Leticia Van de Putte by immediately criticizing her opponent’s stance on immigration, it was no surprise that he never once challenged her during the entire six minute interview. The MSNBC host could have pushed back on his guest’s assertion that Patrick’s views on illegal immigration “insults the good people who live on our Texas border” but instead eagerly teamed up with the Democrat to help promote her campaign talking points.
See relevant transcript below.
MSNBC
Ronan Farrow Daily
September 30, 2014
RONAN FARROW: In other political news, it is now five weeks to election and across the country, incumbents are in tough fights to keep their jobs. Here are 10 state races that we are watching. As Politico points out, ones that could go either way. But in Texas, the state’s longest serving governor, Rick Perry isn’t even on the ballot. And that should make tonight’s final gubernatorial debate worth watching. Democrat Wendy Davis will make a final appeal to a statewide audience. The most recent poll has her trailing her opponent, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott by a whopping 18 points.
Some Democrats are actually placing more hope in the race for what some call the states most powerful position, the lieutenant governorship. State Senator Leticia Van de Putte is a Latina candidate in a state where the Hispanic vote could transform the political map. Last night she faced off against her republican opponent, state senator and radio talk show host Dan Patrick in their one and only debate.
DAN PATRICK: We have to have a secure border. Against terrorists today, against the drug cartels today and hardened criminals. It’s a lot more than just people coming here working for the American dream.LETICIA VAN DE PUTTE: I know that pointing guns at children which we saw this summer is not the solution. Let’s make sure that we secure the border but that we do so in a manner that is sufficient and that actually gets the job done.
FARROW: High stakes debate there. Joining us now Texas State Senator Leticia Van de Putte. It’s good to see you again senator.
VAN DE PUTTE: Thank you for having me on today.
FARROW: Senator Van de Putte, when we last talked, you highlighted Texas Latinos who could vote and aren’t registered and talked about that as a big problem and also the potential gain that could transform politics. Last night that came out in a big way. You called out some of Dan Patrick’s particularly harsh rhetoric on undocumented immigrants. How has this played out on the campaign trail?
VAN DE PUTTE: What we have seen in the campaign trail all across our state is the aftereffects of Dan Patrick and so many of the Republicans using the politics of fear with regard to immigration. We all agree that we want to secure the border. But when you use harsh rhetoric, calling it an illegal invasion and comparing those children that we saw this summer coming with diseases like leprosy, well that’s just not true. And what we know is that that type of sentiment insults the good people who live on our Texas border.
They are upset and in fact their business leaders, the Chamber of Commerce, has asked repeatedly to Dan Patrick and the rest that would say such harsh things to tone it down. It’s not true. It is wonderful. A place to live and we do absolutely want that help at the local level. But what they say is that deploying the National Guard troops which can only observe and not arrest really is not the best and most efficient use of tax dollars.
FARROW: Patrick went on to claim that ISIS is one of the forces threatening to come across the border, obviously a very inflammatory conflation of the immigration debate and terrorism fears. In light of how harsh the rhetoric is, how tough has it been for to you show compassion for undocumented immigrants, which you’ve continued to emphasize, without looking soft on terror?VAN DE PUTTE: Well, I have always understood that immigration, and we share a border with Mexico. And immigration is something that’s been occurring, in case they hadn’t noticed, for 300 years both back and forth across the border. What they fail to understand is those that would use this harsh rhetoric, that Mexico is Texas’ number one trading partner, about $520 million a day. But it is absolutely imperative that we make sure that those that would do harm, those that would sell drugs, those that would do human trafficking, that they are apprehend and that they are punished.
But the folks that come here from fleeing a country with violence, that's not who we ought to be focusing on. What is strange to me is that I thought my opponent, Dan Patrick, would start to tone it down some because this harsh rhetoric worked in a very divisive Republican primary. But last night he doubled down. But it wasn't just immigration. He doubled down against women. He doubled down against education.
FARROW: Let's talk about his points about women Senator Van de Putte. That is a point he made. He raised Wendy Davis. He tried to tie you to what he viewed as a negative abortion agenda. And in general, Wendy Davis has gotten a lot of attention in this race, a lot of fund-raising at a national level in this race. But she is also down in double-digits right now. How is her candidacy weighed on your campaign?
VAN DE PUTTE: Well, first of all, I think that folks are not looking at the newest numbers. Wendy Davis, and she has that last debate tonight, has closed the gap to within about 7 or 8 points. And what I see on the campaign trail is that people are engaged. It is the Latino population and I have been spending a lot of time in our Latino communities. But it’s women and its independents and its Republicans. They understand that you need to respect women for the decisions that they make on their own for their families. It wasn't just about women and their reproductive health.
All of these Republican candidates have said they wouldn't even bring up the bill that we passed last year, but was vetoed by Governor Perry on equal pay for equal work. And they voted against the testing of rape kits. That we’ve had this backlog of rape kits that are sitting on a shelf and these candidates have defended not funding that examination and reducing that backlog. When we talk about women here, it's not just on reproductive health. They seem to continue this whether it’s equal pay or whether it comes to sexual assault. And that to me, it’s just unacceptable. Women need to go and they need to vote.
FARROW: And those issues have been very much in play in your campaign and will also be on the table tonight. Wendy Davis has one last chance to face off against her opponent. We will be watching all that closely. We will be looking at at how things play out for you on the road. Thank you so much for your time state senator.
