Virginia’s governor race was widely understood as being a preview of 2022 midterms. It also served to reflect on Biden’s administration and other liberal policies. On Monday, on the eve before Election Day, ABC’s World News Tonight CBS Evening NewsAnd NBC Nightly News seemed to hint that they had little to no confidence in Democrat Terry McAuliffe’s ability to beat out Republican Glenn Youngkin since all three ignored the race entirely.
ABC did not cover the race that was most closely followed, Youngkin. Instead, they hyped Queen Elizabeth’s call for action on climate change. CBS spent nearly 3 minutes (2:50), on Huma’s book, published by CBSViacom. NBC gushed almost 2 minutes (1,57) about a food truck located in Austin, Texas.
And since the NewsBusters is based out of Northern Virginia, the only mention of the commonwealth came in the form of the McAuliffe ads that played during the commercials.
Fox News Channel was in Austin and Lester Holt from NBC, which is in stark contrast to Lester Holt who anchors NBC. Special Report Anchor Bret Baier was present in Leesburg, Virginia for the race.
“We are coming to you tonight from Leesburg, Virginia the hub of Loudoun County, the county that might tell us who the next governor will be here in the commonwealth,” he announced at the top of the newscast. “Later tonight, Republican Glenn Youngkin will wrap up what he hopes will be a successful come-from-behind campaign against Democrat Terry McAuliffe.”
Washington correspondent Alexandria Hoff was at Youngkin’s “Loudoun Parents Matter” rally and noted it came “on the heels of a 40-plus-stop bus tour in 38 counties. But it is here in Loudoun County where many have watched fiery parent vs. school board meetings play out.”
“This final rally, its location, its emphasis is really a full-circle moment for Glenn Youngkin, who found his footing on the issue of education,” she said. “Youngkin’s message of fighting what he sees as government overreaching in schools helped him gain momentum statewide that seemed unlikely early on.”
Hoff also highlighted a recent poll that showed how education had become the leading issue among likely Virginia voters: “And that is a sentiment we’ve been hearing over and over again. According to the most recent Washington PostAccording to a poll, Virginians are most concerned about education. It is now more important than COVID-19 and the economy. Today, Youngkin said voter enthusiasm is on his side.”
After a section about McAuliffe’s last campaign day, Baier and State Department reporter Rich Edson conducted a fact check of the false claims that McAuliffe had made about Covid being used to hospitalize children.
MCAULIFFE, Virginia: 1,142 of our children went to Covid’s ICU or hospital beds. We just had two 11-year-olds die of Covid. It just happened.
BAIER: All right. So, according to the Virginia Department of Health’s website, throughout October 23rd, you’ve got 134,000 kids, cases, 976 hospitalizations. 10 deaths. This is since the inception of Covid.
“The campaign has no comment on that,” Edson recalled. He continued to point out that The Washington Post had described McAuliffe’s claims as “wildly inflated figures.” He also noted how McAuliffe repeatedly brought up former President Trump while simultaneously claiming the race wasn’t about him.
The race of Virginia was left out in Virginia on Election Day Eve. They ignored pollsYoungkin may have pulled ahead last week.
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You can find the transcript below. To read it, please click on “expand”.
Fox News Channel’s Special Report
November 1, 2021
Eastern, 6:00 amBRET BAIER: Good evening. I’m Bret Baier. Tonight we are speaking to you from Leesburg in Virginia, which is the center of Loudoun County. This county could decide who our next governor will be. Tonight, Republican Glenn Youngkin is expected to wrap up his successful campaign against Democrat Terry McAuliffe.
Tonight, President Joe Biden will be on the international stage to promote his climate change policies, while back at home, a moderate Senator, Democrat, is putting the brakes on Obama’s social tax-spend agenda. That will come.
In Virginia, the focus has been on education and connections to past and present presidents in the recent race. These themes were echoed in the final day of campaigning. McAuliffe is currently in Roanoke, Richmond. Fairfax is where he finishes. Youngkin visited Roanoke as well Richmond. He also made a stop at Virginia Beach. He’ll be here in Leesburg later this evening.
We’ll have analysis from our political panel on this race shortly. Fox Team coverage is available tonight. Rich Edson will be in Fairfax with McAuliffe Campaign. We will start with Alexandria Hoff, a correspondent from Leesburg, Virginia. Good evening, Alexandria.
ALEXANDRIA HOFF : Hello, Bret. Glenn Youngkin has come full circle on education issues, and this rally is its final location.
This evening’s Loudoun Parents Matter in Leesburg follows a bus tour that took in 40 counties. Many have witnessed the fiery battle between parents and school boards play out here in Loudoun County.
Youngkin’s message of fighting what he sees as government overreaching in schools helped him gain momentum statewide that seemed unlikely early on.
MIKE RUDD (Youngkin supporter): When you have the school systems in jeopardy like they are, if you don’t want to inject racism you should not have it – have it as a subject in the school or anywhere else, as far as that goes. Don’t make hate a part of your curriculum. [Transition]Everyone is unhappy about the state of our school system.
HOFF: And that is a sentiment we’ve been hearing over and over again. This is the most recent. Washington PostAccording to a poll, Virginians are most concerned about education. It is now more important than COVID-19 and the economy. Youngkin claimed today that the voter enthusiasm is strong.
GLENN YOUNGKIN
HOFF: If that happens, Youngkin will be the first Republican to become the Virginia’s first statewide elected Republican in twelve years. This would likely help to create the GOP strategy for winning midterm elections across the nation.
(…)
Eastern at 6:05 p.m.
BAIER: Hey, Rich, you know, there is a soundbite from McAuliffe that he’s been making on the campaign trail actually many times, that’s getting some pushback. Let’s have a listen.
TERRY MAULIFFE – In Virginia 1,142 children have been admitted to hospital and ICU beds by Covid. We just had two 11-year-olds die of Covid. It just happened.
BAIER: All right. So, according to the Virginia Department of Health’s website, throughout October 23rd, you’ve got 134,000 kids, cases, 976 hospitalizations. 10 deaths. This is since Covid’s inception. How does the campaign feel about this?
RICHEDSON: Bret. And The Washington PostThis was something I looked into last week. The campaign responded that he can sometimes misspeak when discussing Covid statistics. But The Washington PostThis happens all the time, and it’s just too common. He tends to overinflate them, and it can lead to serious health problems. The Post characterizes it, “wildly inflated figures” for child hospitalizations, Bret.
(…)
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