As the chances of Republicans gaining control of the Senate in the upcoming midterm election remained high, Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd appeared on Friday's NBC Today to pour cold water on the possibility: "...definitely feels like a hold-your-nose election....talking to voters that I did, they'd like to punish the President's party without rewarding the Republicans. And in many cases, they're sort of sitting on their hands, they're not sure what to do....They're probably leaning against the President, but they're not happy about it."
Fill-in co-host Hoda Kotb teed up Todd's pessimism: "Now the President's numbers are low, Congress's numbers are low. Do you think people are actually going to want to go out to the polls, are they going to be holding their nose, picking the lesser of two evils? What are we going to see?"
When Kotb asked about the American public being "upset" by the Obama administration's mishandling of the Ebola crisis, Todd downplayed the notion that voters would punish Democrats: "...the states that I was in, whether it was the Midwest or the south, Ebola wasn't a huge issue in these Senate races, wasn't a huge issue for these voters....it could play, but voters aren't exactly holding one party against the other on this."
Here is a full transcript of the October 31 segment:
7:14 AM ET
HODA KOTB: Now to politics. With only days before the midterm elections, it's all about the mood of the voters and whether change will again come to Washington. Chuck Todd, moderator of Meet the Press is wrapping up his Meet the Voters road trip. 3,000 miles in an RV through thirteen states. His last stop, Metaire, Louisiana. Hey, Chuck.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Countdown to Election Day; Chuck Todd On the Races That Matter]
CHUCK TODD: Well, good morning, Hoda.
KOTB: Good morning. Now the President's numbers are low, Congress's numbers are low. Do you think people are actually going to want to go out to the polls, are they going to be holding their nose, picking the lesser of two evils? What are we going to see?
TODD: Well, I definitely – the voters I met, definitely feels like a hold-your-nose election. You get the sense, in talking to voters that I did, they'd like to punish the President's party without rewarding the Republicans. And in many cases, they're sort of sitting on their hands, they're not sure what to do. They do plan on voting. In these states where the races are – they're spending millions of dollars, they are going to show up to the polls. They're probably leaning against the President, but they're not happy about it.
KOTB: Now, the Republicans need to take six seats to take control of the Senate. Where do you see the most competitive spots?
TODD: There are three states that if – are my desert island races. If you told me the results of Iowa, Colorado, and Kansas, I'd have a good idea who would control the Senate. Republicans start with three in the bag already. So among those three, if one party wins two of those three races, they're going to control the Senate. And right now, I think all three of them are within two points.
KOTB: Okay, let's talk Ebola for just a second. It's sort of emerged as an issue. The people are upset about how the federal government has handled this. In a couple of states it's very important, New Jersey and Maine. How big of an issue do you think Ebola's gonna be for voters?
TODD: Well, it's interesting. In traveling the country and the states that I was in, whether it was the Midwest or the south, Ebola wasn't a huge issue in these Senate races, wasn't a huge issue for these voters. But in these particular states – I would peg Illinois, Georgia, you brought up Maine – there are very highly contested gubernatorial races. And that's where Ebola's been an issue, because you have major airports there or, of course, the one nurse that's in Maine. And so it could play, but voters aren't exactly holding one party against the other on this. So while it's an issue, I don't know if it sways an undecided voter, Hoda.
KOTB: Alright, Chuck, you hopping on that bus and coming home now? Is it over?
TODD: Of course. Well, it's sort of over. I'm going to be back here in Louisiana in December. You guys got crazy rules down here, Hoda.
KOTB: That's actually very true. Alright, for a complete wrap of the races watch, be sure to catch Meet the Press this Sunday. And NBC, of course, will have special live coverage as the results roll in. That's Tuesday night at 10/9 Central Time.
