On Tuesday morning, all three networks ignored the fact that Democrat Stacey Abrams, a Georgia Democrat, is still flirting in election denialism. She refused to say outright that she would accept the Georgia governor’s race results, should she lose. On Monday night, Abrams debated Brian Kemp, the incumbent Republican.
Here’s what ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS Mornings, and NBC’s Today don’t want you see: Greg Bluestein from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tells Abrams.
Ms. Abrams in 2018, you didn’t concede defeat to Mr. Kemp, and you discussed systemic problems with the state’s election system. Do you agree to accept the results of the election, no matter what they show? Do you still believe in the use of words such as rigged to describe the state’s election system?
Here’s the key part of her non answer: “I will always acknowledge elections’ outcomes but will never deny access for any voter.” Because it is the responsibility of every American to defend the right and privilege to vote.
Abrams attempted to rewrite her clear history of electoral denialism. She began her response by stating, “In 2018, in my speech on November 16, I acknowledged that Governor Kemp had won.” I then went on to detail the problems faced by voters in his leadership as secretary-of-state.
On April 4, 2019, she denied that reality. “We had this little electoral vote back in 2018. And despite the final results and the inauguration, and the current situation, I have one affirmative statement. We won.” Even the liberal Washington Post was critical of Abrams’ use of language to deny the outcome of the election, which she appears to be trying to downplay.
This debate was not covered by ABC, and only ABC’s Good Morning America provided a complete report on Monday’s battle in Georgia. While ignoring election denialism, Rachel Scott, a congressional correspondent, said about Kemp: “Georgia Republican governor Brian Kemp facing off with the Democrat he barely beat four year ago, Stacey Abrams.”
Another point that networks have ignored? Abrams claimed that Kemp’s election integrity legislation would suppress voting. The opposite has been true. Here’s a tweet by Blayne Alexander, NBC, on this topic:
Target sponsored the ABC’s cover-up of Abrams’s election denialism. Click the link to let them hear your thoughts.
Below is a transcript of the segment. To read more, click “expand”.
Good Morning America
10/18/2022
7AM tease
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS – High stakes. National attention is paid to the heated rematch.
STACEY ABRAMS — Mr. Kemp
BRIAN KEMP
STEPHANOPOULOS – The candidates debate guns.
…
7:03 AM ET
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: The latest on the midterms is just three weeks away. The stakes are particularly high in Georgia, where there was a debate in the governor’s race. National attention is paid to a bitter rematch. Rachel Scott is on the scene in Atlanta. Good morning Rachel.
RACHEL SCOTT : George, good morning. This was a heated rematch that took four years to make. Republican Governor Brian Kemp takes to the debate stage against Stacey Abrams, his Democratic opponent. They present two very different visions of the future for Georgia. Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp faces off against Stacey Abrams, a Democrat he barely beat four year ago.
BRIAN KEMP – Miss Abrams will lie about my record, because she doesn’t want to talk about hers.
ABRAMS: Georgia’s most dangerous threat is four more years of Brian Kemp.
SCOTT: Kemp defends his recording and points to his decision to reopen schools and businesses during the pandemic. Abrams repeatedly tied to President Joe Biden.
KEMP: She supports her policies that have increased taxes on hard-working Americans, Georgians, and Georgians even though they promised not to.
SCOTT: And then there were these moments. There was a contentious clash over gun policy and crime, with Kemp signing a bill that allows Georgia residents to own a handgun without a permit.
KEMP: Every person who purchases a firearm in the United States of America must pass a federal background check.
ABRAMS: This is false. That’s false, Mr. Kemp.
KEMP: I get your point. The point is that when you purchase a firearm, you are subject to a background check. None of these laws —
ABRAMS: Mr. Kemp – If you buy a weapon in Georgia from a gun sale or private seller, you are —
MODERATOR
KEMP: You have not been interrupted tonight.
SCOTT: Abrams then apologizes.
ABRAMS: This topic is very important to me, and I am sorry for my outburst.
SCOTT: This debate is taking place as Georgia’s early voting begins. Georgia could decide which party controls its Senate. Voters will choose between Republican Herschel Walker and Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock. The anti-abortion candidate is still refusing to admit that he paid for a woman’s abortion. He now admits for the first time that he did indeed give $700 to his ex-girlfriend. He couldn’t explain the purpose of the money. Some Republican voters said they support him.
MAN: I had no choice but to vote for Herschel Walker, which is basically a vote against Warnock.
SCOTT: Just three weeks remain before election day and the attacks are turning personal. A bitter clash between Republican venture capitalist J.D. and Democratic congressman Tim Ryan in Ohio’s senate was the subject of an Ohio Senate debate. Vance.
TIM RYAN: This explains why J.D. Vance is, with all due respect, a fraud.
SCOTT: He accused him of pushing racist beliefs in a heated exchange.
J.D. VANCE: You are so desperate to get political power, you’ll accuse my father, the father of three beautiful, biracial children, of engaging in racism. You don’t have to be racist to believe in a border.
RYAN: I never spoke about your family. You don’t want people to know that you are with extremists in this belief.
SCOTT: These stakes are so high. Let’s discuss where things stand. FiveThirtyEight, our friends, says that Democrats are more likely to retain the Senate. Their chances of flipping the Senate increase to 64 percent if they win in Georgia. If they win the Ohio senate race, it increases to 73 percent. Michael, with margins this close, every race matters.
