FLASHBACK: After 2017 NJ, VA Dem Wins, Nets Gushed Over ‘Lifting’ of Liberal Spirits

After the 2017 New Jersey and Virginia elections, the place Democrats swept to victory, the networks the subsequent day delighted in a “stinging rebuke” that “lifted” the spirts of Democrats. 4 years afterward Wednesday, as Republicans gained in deep-blue Virginia and maintain a lead in very deep blue New Jersey, ABC, CBS and NBC once more tried to focus the outcomes again on Donald Trump. 

On Wednesday’s Good Morning America, Jon Karl taunted, “Nicely, I feel the lesson for Republicans right here is the best way to win elections now could be to run away from Donald Trump…. It was a win for Republicans who stayed away from Donald Trump.” 

On the At the moment present, NBC’s Garrett Haake centered: “However Youngkin efficiently saved his distance from Mr. Trump in the course of the race and didn’t marketing campaign with him.” On CBS Mornings, Main Garrett lectured Republicans, “In a post-Trump or neo-post-Trump period, in case you have a center-right agenda and President Trump isn’t a part of the dialog, suburban voters are gettable for Republicans.” 

Now, the networks allowed that Tuesday was horrible information for Biden. CBS’s Ed O’Keefe fretted, “Huge warning indicators for Democrats and a digital rejection of the Biden agenda.” NBC’s Savannah Guthrie apprehensive that the outcomes are “main blow to Democrats and president Biden.” ABC’s Jon Karl informed George Stephanopoulos, “George, it is a sonic growth of a wake-up name for Democrats.” 

However on November 8, 2017, 2017, the networks have been positively excited the day after huge wins for Democrats within the Virginia and New Jersey governor’s race, enthusing over how this “stinging rebuke” would “carry a broken celebration’s spirit.” 

 

 

On that day’s CBS This Morning, then-co-host Norah O’Donnell sounded much less like a journalist and extra like a therapist. She cheered, “One yr after President Trump’s election, voters in Virginia and New Jersey go huge for Democrats. Their candidates win straightforward victories and carry a broken celebration’s spirit.” CBS promoted the Democratic success for 5 minutes and 11 seconds. 

Ed O’Keefe noticed the Virginia win for Democrats as a warning for the celebration: “Message is Republicans have to determine whether or not they will absolutely embrace Trumpism or completely divorce themselves from it. Ed Gillespie, the Republican candidate in Virginia was making an attempt to perform a little little bit of each and it didn’t work for him.” 

O’Keefe hailed the greatness that was the Democratic candidates: “For Democrats, the message is, that candidate recruitment, the keenness they’re seeing amongst voters, it’s legit.” He added, “Democrats are getting elected up and down the poll.” 

For the November 8, 2017 GMA, co-host Robin Roberts was equally thrilled: “[President Trump] struggling a defeat again at residence. Democrats sweeping key races. What it means for the Trump agenda.” She continued, “Democrats seeing plenty of success, you understand, popping out on prime in that intently watched race for Governor in Virginia.” 

Over on the November 8, 2017 At the moment present, not-yet disgraced host Matt Lauer opened the present with a giddy tone: “Stinging rebuke: Robust election night time for President Trump and the GOP…. The message despatched by voters and who the President is pointing fingers at this morning.” 
 
In a second of unintentional comedy, reporter Kristen Welker performed a clip of the newly elected Virginia Governor. A number of years later, Ralph Northam could be caught up in a black face/KKK scandal concerning his faculty yearbook. However in 2017, Northam declared the top of bigotry: 

Virginia has informed us to finish the divisiveness. That we are going to not condone hatred and bigotry. And to finish the politics which have torn this nation aside.

Will journalists in 2021 warn the Democrats about divorcing them from the unpopular Biden? There was a few of that on Wednesday, however will it proceed because the weeks and months go by? In 2017, the community journalists used a nasty night time for Republicans to hype the “lifting [of] a broken celebration’s spirit,” and to advertise the “stinging rebuke” delivered to an unpopular president. In 2021, voters rejected an unpopular Democratic president and his insurance policies. Will journalists understand simply how a lot wreckage Biden has left in lower than ten months? 

[Special thanks to NewsBusters Associate Editor Kyle Drennen for transcript assistance.] 

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