ABC’s Good Morning America and CBS Mornings shifted away from a fixation upon abortion and vague warnings about what happens if voters make a wrong choice Monday morning.
Instead, they tried to suppress voter opinion by suggesting that voting for Republicans could enable violent individuals who would cause violence and/or raise serious doubts about the future of our country.
GMA host Amy Robach was unrelenting in her assertions that there are “rising voter threats” because “[i]ntelligence officers say extremists may target election infrastructure, personnel or even sites.”
Robach then appointed Pierre Thomas, chief Justice correspondent: “[T]alk about the threat environment ahead of this election and a big question, Can people be sure their vote will matter?”
While Thomas insisted “there’s no evidence of hacking” to prevent Americans from voting and having it count and “no specific plot identified,” he still played footsie with the fear-mongering about “domestic extremists…attack[ing] down the stretch” (click “expand”):
Authorities are aware that domestic extremists could strike down the stretch leading up to the midterm elections. Another alarming incident was the attack on the husband of the speaker. Although no plot has been found, they are concerned by the volume of online chatter on social media. What is driving the anger? The hot-button topics that divide us as well as the potential for violence from radicals who believe that widespread election fraud is a fact, like the attackers on January 6.
A recent Homeland Security bulletin was blunt. It warned that “perceptions and…reactions on divisive topics will likely lead to sporadic…plots of violence.” This bulletin is considered precautionary. I’m just telling the police to be aware of isolated incidents.
CBS Mornings engaged in some self-contradiction when Major Garrett, a senior Washington correspondent, told the table of leftists that “if Republicans won, that doesn’t mean democracy’s dead, doesn’t mean nobody cares about that” as voters would have “prioritized[d] other matters” such as crime and inflation, which, in a democracy is your privilege.
Reality was not easy to find from this point on.
Gayle King, co-host of the Democratic donor, lamented that voters were not grasping the “message” that democracy was in danger. She dismissed claims by David Becker, CBS contributor and election lawyer, that voting so far had been safe and secure. She said, “Many people are raising concerns about violence at the polls and people are scared.”
King continued the theme by citing claims of individuals loitering close to ballot drop boxes as “people armied, standing there at polls watching.”
Nate Burleson, co-host, joined the fray by calling it “scary stuff,” given “the symbolism,” which led King back to her paranoia: “It’s very frightening.” It’s scary. I’m watching it at home.
Garrett acknowledged that this nonsense was true, saying that “[t]he atmosphere is a little more tense.” However, he reminded the unconvinced leftists “the early voting, and much of it in person, people are experiencing these in a safe and accessible way” and would be “like to” be the same “on Tuesday.”
He gave them a sliver of credibility. “But can local law enforcement exclude the possibility of violence and people interfering?” They can’t. They are more aware of this now than they were in 2020.
John Dickerson, fill-in host, continued to cast doubt on the country’s future by asking Becker to weigh-in on the “spectrum” of “election deniers”
DICKERSON – David, the election deniers are participating in this election. Can you put them on a spectrum? Some election deniers have only mumbled about last year’s election. Others have a plan to not only deny last election but also deny the coming one. Can you give us an idea of the nature of that continuum?
BECKER: Yeah, sure. Some people have listened to the election denial claims but not really believed them. They say, “Well, we don’t know for certain who won.” I believe there were problems, and other such things. It’s bad enough that it leads to doubts in an system that people should be confident about.
BURLESON: Right.
BECKER: However, there are clearly people running on a platform for election denial. The election was supposedly stolen.
BURLESON: Mmmm.
BECKER:… which, of course it wasn’t. They will also try to get their hands on the scales for their candidates in future elections. We’re hearing from some that they can’t see how it’s possible for the other side in a 50/50 or 50/50 country to win. Or that they don’t know anyone who voted on the other side. This probably speaks more about their friends.
DICKERSON: Right.
BECKER — These are the things we need to be on the lookout for, should any of those rigid election deniers win on Election Day.
King expressed his surprise that such Republicans could win: What message does that send? What does this say about the country?
Becker reaffirmed these fears and said, “One of the things that we have to do after this election is some introspection and to try and figure out what democracy really means for us.”
It will consist of liberals asking why so many ignorant people out there won’t listen.
Becker warned of a perilous future for Republicans if they win:
Democracy is how we resolve our differences. The United States has legitimate policy differences. We’re going to have trouble as a democracy if we remove the safeguards of democracy and make it difficult to resolve disputes.
Monday’s voter suppression efforts to influence 2022 midterms were made possible by the endorsement of advertisers like Kohl’s (on ABC), and The Hartford (on CBS). Follow these links to view their contact information on the MRC’s Conservatives Fight Back webpage.
Click “expand” to view the relevant transcripts starting November 7.
ABC’s Good Morning America
November 7, 2022
7:10 a.m. Eastern
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE] Happening Now; High Alert at The Polls; Intelligence Officials Warn Of “Heached Threat” From Domestic Extremists
AMY ROBACH According to intelligence officials, extremists could target voting infrastructure, personnel, and even voting sites. Our chief justice correspondent Pierre Thomas joins us now. Pierre, tell us a bit about the current threat environment ahead of the election. And, another big question: Can people be sure their vote will count?
PIERRE THOMAS – Amy, good morning. There are some good news and some troubling news. The good news is that I spoke to the Homeland Security secretary recently and he confirmed that there is no evidence of hacking in any states or any other significant factor that could affect people’s ability go out and vote and be sure it will be counted. Authorities are monitoring the possibility that domestic extremists could attack the midterm elections. Another alarming incident was the attack on the husband of the speaker. Although no plot has been found, they are concerned by the volume of online chatter on social media. What is driving the anger? The hot-button topics that divide us and violence from radicals who believe that widespread election fraud is a reality, like the attackers on January 6. A recent Homeland Security bulletin was blunt. It warned that “perceptions and…reactions on divisive topics will likely lead to sporadic…plots of violence.” This bulletin is considered precautionary. I’m just telling the police to be aware of isolated incidents. George.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS (OK, Pierre)
————————————————————————–
CBS Mornings
November 7, 2022
Eastern, 8:02 a.m.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE] America Decides Campaign ’22; Candidates Make Final Midterm Push. Major Garrett & David Becker discuss Key Races & Election Security.
JOHN DICKERSON – Major, please set the table. What’s the current situation for both parties?
MAJOR GARRETT – So Democrats are on defense and Republicans are ascending. That’s the psychology of both parties right now. But wait! In this ascent defense, the voters are the intermediary. The voters will reveal exactly what they care about, and how much. They care about democracy. It is evident in every poll. It’s a source of anxiety and curiosity. How resilient is our structure? But just because Republicans win doesn’t mean democracy is dead. It doesn’t mean that nobody cares about it. It means that they place more importance on other things, which is your privilege in a democracy. If you think inflation is more important than public safety/crime in my neighborhood or someplace else, or immigration, and you vote that way it’s an ex-production your prioritization.
NATE BURLESON is right.
GAYLE KING: I believe they care. But is that message reaching voters? At this time, it doesn’t seem like it.
GARRETT : Gayle, the polling would suggest that you are correct.
KING: Mmhmm
GARRETT – One thing I believe is an X factor for polling is that we saw a large number young women register to vote after the Dobbs decision. If you’re polling for likely voters and they’re new registered, they haven’t voted before so you don’t need to screen them. If they show up, it could be an X factor tomorrow night.
BURLESON – David, much is being said about the security of 2020’s election. What should we expect now when it comes time to count ballots?
DAVID BECKER (right). DAVID BECKER: Right. First, the 2020 election we just witnessed was the most secure, transparent and scrutinized in American history.
BURLESON – Not everyone is saying that.
BECKER: It’s not true for everyone, but it is the truth.
GARRETT
BECKER: Yeah.
KING: Right.
BECKER: 2022 is even more important. Already, we’ve seen more than 40 million people vote in safety and convenience. This number is expected to rise in early and mail-in voting, possibly reaching 60 million. It is possible that we will see record-breaking turnout at the midterms. This is a good sign for election officials. They are doing a great job. They will find that voting on Tuesday, rather than early, is safer and more convenient. It’s possible to have lines, but that’s normal. They are always there.
BURLESON: Security should not be a concern.
BECKER: Not at all. The system’s security is still intact. What happens after 8:00 p.m.? The election officials will be counting the ballots.
BURLESON: Okay.
BECKER: It will take time. This has always been the case. It takes time, and we get a little anxious when we have small margins. We want to know what’s going on. I want to know the outcome. Let the — election officials do their jobs. These are your neighbors, your communities members, and your fellow citizens. The United States has very complex ballots. Multiple pages, dozens and dozens of races. Let them do what they are supposed to. It may take several days.
KING: However, many people raise the possibility of violence at the polls and I believe people are scared. People are seen standing at the polls, armed, watching.
BURELSON – That’s some scary stuff Gayle.
KING: It’s very frightening.
BURLESON: The symbolism in this is just —
KING: I’m at home, watching it, and I’m afraid.
GARRETT – The atmosphere is a little more tense.
KING: Yeah.
GARRETT – There is no doubt about that. David’s point is that early voting, and much of it in person, allows people to experience this in a safe and accessible manner.
KING: Okay.
GARRETT – But I want to stress that this is how most Americans are experiencing it. This is 99.9% of Americans. That’s how they will likely experience it Tuesday. But can local law enforcement prevent violence or interfering? They can’t. They are more aware of this now than they were in 2020.
BECKER: I should add very quickly. I am speaking to election officials across the country and they are very sensitive to this.
KING: Okay.
BECKER: They’re ready. They are ready. They are ensuring that the safety of voters is their top priority as they vote.
KING: Right.
BECKER: I believe voters will find that it works.
GARRETT – For example, if there’s a bomb threat at your precinct, you can close it down immediately. They already have a backup plan on where to move it, and how to adapt.
BURLESON: Okay.
GARRETT : They have thought through the process and are prepared for anything.
DICKERSON – David, the election deniers are participating in this election. Can you put them on a spectrum? Some election deniers have only mumbled about last year’s election. Others have a plan to not only deny last election but also deny the coming one. Can you give us an idea of the nature of that continuum?
BECKER: Yeah, sure. Some people have listened to the election denial claims but not really believed them. They say, “Well, we don’t know for certain who won.” I believe there were problems, and other such things. It’s bad enough that it leads to doubts in an system that people should be confident about.
BURLESON: Right.
BECKER: However, there are clearly people running on a platform for election denial. The election was supposedly stolen.
BURLESON: Mmmm.
BECKER:… which, of course it wasn’t. They will also try to get their hands on the scales for their candidates in future elections. We’re hearing from some that they can’t see how it’s possible for the other side in a 50/50 or 50/50 country to win. Or that they don’t know anyone who voted on the other side. This probably speaks more about their friends.
DICKERSON: Right.
BECKER — These are the things we need to be on the lookout for, should any of those rigid election deniers win on Election Day.
KING: What message does it send if they win? What does that say about the country?
BECKER: I think that we need to reflect on this election and try to understand what democracy means to us. Democracy is how we resolve our differences. The United States has legitimate policy differences. We’re going to have trouble as a democracy if we remove the safeguards of democracy and make it difficult to resolve disputes.
KING: President Trump has stated that — the former President Trump said that he would have some very,very,very,very,very,very, very good news following this election. What impact? We’re all taking that to mean that he will announce his candidacy.
GARRETT : It’s reasonable to expect that he will announce.
KING: He will.
GARRETT — Sometime in the first or second week after this midterm election. If the Republicans do better from their perspective than they currently believe, I think it will be sooner. He should get in as quickly as possible, I believe.
KING: Do You Think It Will Impact Tomorrow’s Vote?
GARRETT They want to keep the focus on inflation, public safety and immigration and not have Trump in there. He always makes the decisions, and the default is more me than the Republican Party.
