Today on CNN This Morning Frank Luntz tried his Solomonic best at splitting the baby. He called on Republicans and Democrats to stop talking “tearing the country apart” about voter fraud.
Luntz warned that Pennsylvania’s vote count will be a “crapshow.” Luntz warned that Pennsylvania’s vote counting will be a “crap show.” As the night progresses and into the next days, when mail-in/absentee votes are counted in Pennsylvania, this lead will shrink, prompting Republicans to accuse Dr. Oz of ballot fraud.
But Don Lemon, co-host, wasn’t buying Luntz’s call to kumbaya. Lemon was not opposed to Republicans denying voter fraud. He insisted that Democrats should continue to talk about voter suppression, despite the record-breaking voter turnout.
FRANK LUNTZ – So I’m urging the Republicans to stop promoting corruption. I’m urging Democrats to stop suppression. Let’s hold the election and stop tearing down the country.
LEMON: It’s difficult to say that when you back off on suppression, when there have been people [who were] traditionally, and with evidence, pushed out of the voting process.
Lemon was not satisfied by Luntz’s response, in which he pointed out that the US has one of the most open electoral systems in the world. Lemon insisted that “it doesn’t mean it can be improved.” Lemon’s co-host Poppy Harlow agreed with Lemon: “Exactly.” These are my words. It doesn’t mean it can’t be better, right?
Lemon offered a suggestion about how things should change. We can only hope that it didn’t mean what we thought it meant. He said:
“I believe we should be allowing people the right to vote as soon as possible –”
Luntz cut Lemon before he could finish his sentence, but he was presumably about to say “as much as possible.”
Lemon may have meant “often” to mean, in as many elections possible. It was a very odd way to express it, however. It sounded almost like Lemon was making fun of the election joke: “Vote early and often!”
The Lemon-Luntz exchange sounded a bit like a Republican pundit arguing against a hardcore Democrat pundit. In reality, it was exactly that. Lemon is clearly more partisan than the other. Lemon’s argumentative, partisan confrontation is a million miles from what the new CNN CEO Chris Licht supposedly intended for the new show. Lemon is a more partisan liberal than his predecessors, John Berman or Brianna Keilar, on the morning show. That’s quite a statement!
CNN This Morning: Don Lemon argues that while Republicans should stop talking about voter fraud, Democrats should talk about suppression of vote. This position was sponsored by Whole Foods and T-Mobile.
Here’s the transcript.
CNN
CNN This Morning
11/4/22
6:32 am EDT
FRANK LUNTZ – I’m afraid about the vote counting. I wanted to be there with you all to warn your viewers that in Pennsylvania (which I believe is ground zero), they count the ballots slowly. The first ballots that are counted come from the machine. Only later, many hours later, do they begin to count the paper ballots.
KAITLIN COLLINS – The day of, or early voting.
LUNTZ: Exactly.
Day of is going help the Republicans, while early voting is going for the Democrats. People will claim that the election was stolen again. Because the Republican will be leading by 5, 6, or 8 points by midnight.
DON LEMON: Red mirage.
LUNTZ: Exactly. It is possible that Dr. Oz wins. I would say that the odds of Dr. Oz winning are now very good. 51/49 chance he wins. He’ll have a big lead at midnight, and it’s only going to get smaller —
LEMON: It will shrink.
LUNTZ: Right.
LEMON: People will say, “Oh, the ballots were under that table, and they’re stuffing,” Which was the case in 2020? The same thing.
LUNTZ: We have to hold people responsible. There is also the other side. That’s voter suppression. We had the highest turnout in places such as Georgia Iever. Voting is open to all who wish to vote. People who wish to take part in the democratic process can do so.
I am urging Republicans to stop committing corruption. I’m urging Democrats to stop suppression. Let’s hold the election and stop tearing down the country.
LEMON: It’s difficult to say that when you say back on suppression when there have been people, with evidence, who have been excluded from the voting process. I believe that we should allow people to vote as often and as early as possible —
LUNTZ — We are. I agree with your statement. We are. Georgia
LEMON: But we are not. Hang on. We’re not. We are not. You are fighting against souls, presumably “to” the polls. It should be a day for people to vote.
LUNTZ: Everybody. European countries
LEMON: Just because a lot people are voting doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone isn’t using suppressive tactics. While I can see that there are record numbers of voters, it is not the same as the number of people who are voting.
LUNTZ: –not but.
LEMON: We can’t tell because it’s happening. Both are possible. Both are possible simultaneously. It doesn’t matter which one you choose.
LUNTZ: You ask Europeans, ask South Americans. Nobody has the right to vote as we do. We have the most open system anywhere on the planet!
LEMON: It doesn’t mean it can’t be improved.
POPPY HARLOW – Exactly. These are my words. It doesn’t mean it can’t be better, right?
