Appearing as a guest on The Sunday Show, NBC News presidential historian Michael Beschloss charged that Virginia Republican governor-elect Glenn Youngkin "played the race card" to get elected, and was "perfectly happy to connect with Virginia's horrible, violent, ugly history, which is centuries of slavery, white supremacy politics."
MSNBC host Jonathan Capehart -- who had previously heard the liberal, race-baiting analysis at a symposium -- cued up Beschloss to repeat the charge: "And you had a very bracing assessment of the role of whiteness -- of white -- and white grievance in the Virginia election. I would love for you to reprise that."
The liberal historian then gladly complied:
Well, I could even go further, Jonathan. As it was said decades ago at another historical moment, Glenn Youngkin in Virginia played the race card, and he played it from the bottom of the deck. And, you know, that would make a statement in any state of the Union. It particularly makes a statement in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Virginia -- as you both know -- has a glorious history. -- George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, flawed leaders but did have a great commitment to democratic principles and the Bill of Rights in all three cases,
Further tearing into Youngkin, Beschloss added:
But here we are now, also Glenn Youngkin was perfectly happy to connect with Virginia's horrible, violent, ugly history, which is centuries of slavery, white supremacy politics. The eve of the Civil War, which state of the Union had the largest number of enslaved people in this country? It was Virginia -- half a million people in 1860.
He then tied in former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon:
So all I'm saying is that anyone who operates politically or runs for office in the Commonwealth of Virginia owes it as a duty to be respectful of that tradition and not try to revive it. This connects to Republican politics back to Ronald Reagan talking about welfare queens and Richard Nixon talking about law and order just as infamous as Glenn Youngkin talking about Tony Morrison, a world-renowned, justifiably black woman who got the Nobel Prize announcing Beloved which I'm not sure he's ever read and using that to send not a dog whistle, but an air horn to people who believe in white supremacy.
The NBC News historian did not mention that Nixon's 1968 Democratic opponent -- Hubert Humphries -- also called for "law and order."
Capehart then shifted to playing the now-famous clip of veteran Democratic strategist James Carville complaining about the "woke" left. After liberal MSNBC contributor Zerlina Maxwell defended wokeness, arguing that it just means being opposed to being a "jerk," Beschloss fretted that Democrats are allowing conservatives to stigmatize the word "woke." Here's Beschloss:
But for Democrats and progressives to allow conservatives to turn the word "woke" into an epithet and weaponize it against them is a terrible mistake. We're talking about Virginia as an example of this. If "woke" means having a proper respect for America's ugly racial history and trying to make sure that that never happens again anything like it. "Woke" should not be used as an epithet to prevent that happening.
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Transcript follows:
MSNBC's The Sunday Show
November 7, 2021
11:03 a.m.
JONATHAN CAPEHART: And you had a very bracing assessment of the role of whiteness -- of white -- and white grievance in the Virginia election. I would love for you to reprise that.
MICHAEL BESCHLOSS, MSNBC PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Well, I could even go further, Jonathan. As it was said decades ago at another historical moment, Glenn Youngkin in Virginia played the race card, and he played it from the bottom of the deck. And, you know, that would make a statement in any state of the Union. It particularly makes a statement in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Virginia -- as you both know -- has a glorious history. -- George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, flawed leaders but did have a great commitment to democratic principles and the Bill of Rights in all three cases,
But here we are now, also Glenn Youngkin was perfectly happy to connect with Virginia's horrible, violent, ugly history, which is centuries of slavery, white supremacy politics. The eve of the Civil War, which state of the Union had the largest number of enslaved people in this country? It was Virginia -- half a million people in 1860.
So all I'm saying is that anyone who operates politically or runs for office in the Commonwealth of Virginia owes it as a duty to be respectful of that tradition and not try to revive it. This connects to Republican politics back to Ronald Reagan talking about welfare queens and Richard Nixon talking about law and order just as infamous as Glenn Youngkin talking about Tony Morrison, a world-renowned, justifiably black woman who got the Nobel Prize announcing Beloved which I'm not sure he's ever read and using that to send not a dog whistle, but an air horn to people who believe in white supremacy.
CAPEHART: And, in fact, you said in that symposium that Virginia is the capital of white supremacy
(...)
ZERLINA MAXWELL, MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I think the use of the word "woke" as a pejorative is actually -- it says more about the person saying that than it does about the people who are so-called woke. I mean, all it -- woke means that, I mean, if you reduce it down, just not being a jerk.
(...)
BESCHLOSS: But for Democrats and progressives to allow conservatives to turn the word "woke" into an epithet and weaponize it against them is a terrible mistake. We're talking about Virginia as an example of this. If "woke" means having a proper respect for America's ugly racial history and trying to make sure that that never happens again anything like it. "Woke" should not be used as an epithet to prevent that happening.
CAPEHART: Mm-hmm. And, in fact, Zerlina put her finger on it. It used to be "woke" means "aware." It means "aware."
BESCHLOSS: That's exactly right.
(...)
On Monday's Deadline: White House, MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace was joined by former ABC News analyst Matt Dowd as the two responded to Democratic strategist James Carville blaming the woke left for recent Democratic losses. After playing a clip of Carville making his comments on PBS NewsHour, Wallace picked up on a tweet in which Dowd claimed that Jesus would be "woke" as she set up the segment:
Seemingly as a reaction to part of that conversation, our friend Matt Dowd chimed in yesterday on Twitter, tweeting this, quote: "As I sat in church today, I was thinking, if Jesus were here today, he would be accused of being woke. How about we just say it is human decency to treat all with respect and dignity, and that it is constitutional to say all men and women are equal?"
Without acknowledging that "woke" leftists are known for such excesses as trying to insert politics everywhere, and even getting people fired from non-political jobs for having unpopular views, Dowd -- who is currently running for Texas lieutenant governor as a Democrat -- defended his reasoning:
Well, first, I don't ever think it's a really good thing for old white guys to use the term "woke," right, and to frame the reference of that. To me, this is, like, it's another thing like Critical Race Theory, right, like people say this word, and it's taken as a pejorative, but there's no -- nobody knows what it means that's accusing other people of it.
And as I said in my tweet -- and I've tried to say -- how about we just try to treat everybody with decency and respect and a common sense of -- that they belong here and, obviously, that all men and women are created equal? That's what we need to get to. The only people that this seems to be afire about is, again, in the sort of right-wing infrastructure ecosystem here and there.
Wallace soon jumped in to repeat the discredited claim pushed by journalists and other liberals that Virginia schools are not exposing children to Critical Race Theory:
So you don't think education and -- which was wrapped up in a whole bunch of things -- it wasn't just this campaign pledge from Glenn Youngkin to ban Critical Race Theory -- which isn't taught in Virginia public schools, but it meant something to Virginia voters. I mean, I hear you, and I said that, and the right went berserk -- but Critical Race Theory isn't taught in schools -- it's an attack that connotes something that isn't real. It's real to those voters who swung in a huge way in the suburbs and ran up margins for Glenn Youngkin in rural Virginia.
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Transcript follows:
MSNBC's Deadline: White House
November 8, 2021
5:48 p.m. Eastern
NICOLLE WALLACE: That was James Carville in the wake of Election Day last week, blaming Democrats' wokeness as the reason for their losses across the board and starting a conversation -- a very, very vibrant one -- about how exactly Democrats have lost some of the good things they had going for them -- as Congressman Connolly said earlier in this program, 13-point swing since one year ago.
Seemingly as a reaction to part of that conversation, our friend Matt Dowd chimed in yesterday on Twitter, tweeting this, quote: "As I sat in church today, I was thinking, if Jesus were here today, he would be accused of being woke. How about we just say it is human decency to treat all with respect and dignity, and that it is constitutional to say all men and women are equal?" ... I want to try to nail you down on where you've come down on. I think this is probably not a very helpful debate to have about wokeness, but I wonder -- I wonder what you think
MATTHEW DOWD, FORMER ABC NEWS ANALYST: Well, first, I don't ever think it's a really good thing for old white guys to use the term "woke," right, and to frame the reference of that. To me, this is, like, it's another thing like Critical Race Theory, right, like people say this word, and it's taken as a pejorative, but there's no -- nobody knows what it means that's accusing other people of it.
And as I said in my tweet -- and I've tried to say -- how about we just try to treat everybody with decency and respect and a common sense of -- that they belong here and, obviously, that all men and women are created equal? That's what we need to get to. The only people that this seems to be afire about is, again, in the sort of right-wing infrastructure ecosystem here and there. But Democrats need to get back to just using the common values that every American connects to. And that's the conversation that we need to have in the course of this.
I don't think Terry McAuliffe lost Virginia because of the woke culture in all of this. He probably, in my view, lost more because he talked about Donald Trump too much. And I think that's what the problem with the voters have right now is they want to have this battle on election. In their mind, Donald Trump is yesterday, and we all know he sort of surfaces in this. But they want to know your candidacy versus the other person. What's the difference? And what are you going to do in my life? Quit talking about Donald Trump.
WALLACE: So you don't think education and -- which was wrapped up in a whole bunch of things -- it wasn't just this campaign pledge from Glenn Youngkin to ban Critical Race Theory -- which isn't taught in Virginia public schools, but it meant something to Virginia voters. I mean, I hear you, and I said that, and the right went berserk -- but Critical Race Theory isn't taught in schools -- it's an attack that connotes something that isn't real. It's real to those voters who swung in a huge way in the suburbs and ran up margins for Glenn Youngkin in rural Virginia.
DOWD: Well, here's -- this is the problem that I want to -- and my candidacy want to try to help Democrats in this -- and I said this during the 2004 campaign -- any time the other side is using your term, you're winning in the course of the race. And so if they're using your terminology, you're winning in this race.
(...)
Ex-MSNBC's Bardella Gets Smacked Down by Conservative Guest on CRT
Appearing as a guest on Sunday's CNN Newsroom with Pamel Brown, former MSNBC contributor Kurt Bardella was like a fish out of water as he appeared outside of his former MSNBC safe space and was actually challenged by a conservative panel member on his typical trash talk of Republicans.
Bardella -- a USA Today and L.A. Times columnist who is now also an advisor to the Democratic National Committee -- accused Glenn Youngkin of using racism in his campaign for Virginia governor. In spite of all the evidence that Critical Race Theory has had a presence in some Virginia schools, the former MSNBC contributor declared:
But there is zero doubt that Republicans like Glenn Youngkin used the invented issue of Critical Race Theory to try to scare the crap out of parents. Hey, it clearly worked -- there's no denying that. It's a playbook that Republicans have washed, rinsed, rinsed and reused time and time again on a number of issues using the issue of race as a weapon. It is pure racism masquerading as a policy debate because, as you pointed out, Critical Race Theory is not in any K-12 school in America.
He then used the tired "bunch of white people" jab against the Founding Fathers as he essentially argued in favor of Critical Race Theory:
There is no teacher out there that's trying to force people and students to think that there's something wrong with them because they're white. But we also cannot ignore the reality that our country was founded by a bunch of white people -- privileged, rich white people -- and that has colored the way our system has been set up, which is why there are so many black spots in our education and in our justice system. This is just a reality -- it's a fact.
When Scott Jennings -- one of the few conservatives who still works as a contributor for CNN -- had his turn to respond, he argued that parents know what their children are being taught, and took a shot at Bardella's lame arguments by mockingly endorsing him to be the Democratic party's spokesperson:
Yeah, hey, listen, I don't have much to -- I don't have much to add because I'm for Kurt for Democrat National Committee spokesperson. I hope Kurt gets hired to say this over and over and over again. If you want to tell parents, "Hey, what you're -- you're crazy -- don't believe your own eyes -- don't believe it -- by all means, go ahead. If you want to throw in with Randi Weingarten on the school closings, then by all means, go ahead. I'm for you, brother.
As Bardella obliviously responded that "No one in the Democratic party is saying teachers can't be involved in education," Jennings quipped: "Terry McAuliffe was saying it. Terry McAuliffe was saying it explicitly!"
This rare takedown of a liberal spinmeister on CNN which needs to happen more often was sponsored in part by Dell and Zales. Their contact information is linked. Let them know how you feel about their support of such programming.
Transcript follows:
CNN Newsroom with Pamela Brown
November 7, 2021
7:45 p.m. Eastern
KURT BARDELLA, USA TODAY COLUMNIST/EX-MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR: But there is zero doubt that Republicans like Glenn Youngkin used the invented issue of Critical Race Theory to try to scare the crap out of parents. Hey, it clearly worked -- there's no denying that. It's a playbook that Republicans have washed, rinsed, rinsed and reused time and time again on a number of issues using the issue of race as a weapon. It is pure racism masquerading as a policy debate because, as you pointed out, Critical Race Theory is not in any K-12 school in America.
There is no teacher out there that's trying to force people and students to think that there's something wrong with them because they're white. But we also cannot ignore the reality that our country was founded by a bunch of white people -- privileged, rich white people -- and that has colored the way our system has been set up, which is why there are so many black spots in our education and in our justice system. This is just a reality -- it's a fact.
But there is truth to the reality that Democrats need to understand how you talk to people about education. And I want to tell you something: If in the aggregate Republicans want to make every election going forward about education -- about who's most interested in teaching our students -- in funding our schools -- in narrowing the achievement gaps, we are happy to have that debate because, time and again, Republicans are the ones who are voting against measures that would improve education in America -- that would pay teachers more.
PAMELA BROWN: I got to get Scott in here to reply.
SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yeah, hey, listen, I don't have much to -- I don't have much to add because I'm for Kurt for Democrat National Committee spokesperson. I hope Kurt gets hired to say this over and over and over again. If you want to tell parents, "Hey, what you're -- you're crazy --
(cross talk)
BARDELLA: Hey, I didn't just say that, Scott... (unintelligible)
JENNINGS: -- don't believe your own eyes -- don't believe it -- by all means, go ahead. If you want to throw in with Randi Weingarten on the school closings, then by all means, go ahead. I'm for you, brother.
BROWN: Hold on, hold on, hold on, really quick. Kurt, hold on one second, and I'll give you a second to say your peace. Really quick, Scott, are you wrapped up? Because I've got to get Kurt in to respond to that.
JENNINGS: Hey, look, here's the deal. Republicans, for the first time in my political career, figured out that education matters to voters, and they were able to talk about it in a way that met voters where they were. Democrats, on the other hand, figured out how to throw in with the teacher's union and all the, you know, the education people who want parents to be treated like common criminals in school board meetings.
And we saw where the voters lined up. And you just interviewed a bunch of moms who were ultra-concerned. And whether you have a kid in the school system or not -- if you're a taxpayer or just a citizen, you have a right to know what's going on in these schools -- what's going on in the classroom -- are they teaching things that shouldn't be taught?
JENNINGS: Okay, quickly. I got to get Kurt in because we are running out of time. Kurt, Scott made some serious claims there, so go ahead, Kurt.
BARDELLA: Well, Scott, not surprisingly is lying and misrepresenting what I said. No one in the Democratic party is saying teachers can't be involved in education. No one in the Republican -- Democratic party is saying that teachers don't...
JENNINGS (jumping in): Terry McAuliffe was saying it. Terry McAuliffe was saying it explicitly!
(...)
On Tuesday, CNN twice promoted questionable claims that global warming is threatening to cause some island nations to flood out of existence as anchors Kate Bolduan and Rosemary Church hyped the foreign minister of Tuvalu recording a speech standing in knee-deep water.
Early in the morning, Church informed viewers that former President Barack Obama would be speaking at the COP26 summit, and then recalled the stunt out of Tuvalu: "Participants will also hear from Tuvalu's foreign minister this week. He recorded his statement behind a podium in knee-deep seawater in an effort to highlight the impact of rising sea levels on Pacific nations like his own."
A bit later, Church brought aboard Mark Maslin of University College London, and posed:
And in just few hours, former U.S. President Barack Obama will deliver remarks about the threat posed by climate change. And so, too, will the foreign minister of Tuvalu who will highlight the impact of rising water levels by standing in the waters. So how important will their contributions to this be, do you think?
After Maslin fretted that some are trying to undermine the conference, Church admitted that key countries like China and Russia are not participating as she also claimed that there is a climate "emergency."
Later in the morning on At This Hour, Bolduan also picked up the issue of Pacific nations possibly flooding:
A powerful warning at the international climate conference this morning coming from the foreign minister of the South Pacific nation of Tuvalu, a low-lying island located midway between Hawaii and Australia. The foreign minister standing knee deep in sea water on what used to be dry land to show how urgent the crisis is.
She then brought aboard the network's chief climate correspondent, Bill Weir, and promoted his coverage of the climate summit. Weir claimed that there has been a "conga line" of extreme weather events that are "unnatural," suggesting that human activity is to blame.
It was not mentioned that multiple reports suggest that Tuvalu is not losing land mass to rising levels, and may even have gotten larger. Additionally, many predications made at past climate conferences have clearly not come to fruition decades later.
This environmental propaganda was sponsored in part by
Their contact information is linked.
Transcripts follow:
CNN Newsroom
November 9, 2021
3:44 a.m. Eastern
ROSEMARY CHURCH: The crucial COP26 climate summit in Glasgow is now entering its second and final week, and negotiations on key issues are expected as countries are being urged to make ambitious commitments. In the coming hours, former U.S. President Barack Obama is set to deliver remarks on the threat of climate change. Participants will also hear from Tuvalu's foreign minister this week. He recorded his statement behind a podium in knee-deep seawater in an effort to highlight the impact of rising sea levels on Pacific nations like his own.
(...)
And in just few hours, former U.S. President Barack Obama will deliver remarks about the threat posed by climate change. And so, too, will the foreign minister of Tuvalu who will highlight the impact of rising water levels by standing in the waters. So how important will their contributions to this be, do you think?
(Mark Maslin of University College London worries some are trying to undermine the talks)
Yeah, that's an important point, isn't it? Because some world leaders do appear to grasp the emergency our planet faces right now. But many don't, including the world's biggest carbon polluter, China. Also Russia and Saudi Arabia. Their leaders not even bothering to attend COP26. How much does the lack of participation worry you? And what might it signal?
(...)
CNN's At This Hour
November 9, 2021
11:47 a.m.
KATE BOLDUAN (before commercial break): Coming up still for us, foreign minister giving a speech knee-deep in water: what his message is to the world today.
(...)
11:51 a.m.
BOLDUAN: A powerful warning at the international climate conference this morning coming from the foreign minister of the South Pacific nation of Tuvalu, a low-lying island located midway between Hawaii and Australia. The foreign minister standing knee deep in sea water on what used to be dry land to show how urgent the crisis is.
SIMON KOFE, TUVALU FOREIGN MINISTER: We cannot wait for speeches when the sea is rising around us all the time. Climate mobility must come to the forefront. We must take bold alternative action today to secure tomorrow.
BOLDUAN: Joining me now, CNN chief climate correspondent Bill Weir just back from the COP26 climate summit. So, Bill, you just spent six days at the summit in Glasgow, you've been covering climate for years, and I have to say, you wrote the most eloquent and biting reporter's notebook of your takeaways this time that we'll be posting on CNN.com very soon. I want to read for everyone your closing grab:
"It's impossible to come to Glasgow and not pinball between hope and cynical despair. At times it feels like a global gamblers anonymous convention held in a casino. But then you see the sustainable light in the eye of an earnest soul as they describe all the things that are worth saving." Tell me more what you learned now that you're back.
BILL WEIR: Well, you know, it's so messy, Kate, you know. It's sort of a crystallization of human nature in so many ways. Yeah, there are so many activists outside frustrated that they can't get into the hearings -- frustrated that it's just a parade of more promises that we really have been hearing from leaders of the last five American presidents. You know, back in Rio, George H.W. Bush first signed on to the idea that this is an issue and, you know, countries together have to figure it out.
That's when Michael Keaton was still Batman, you know, and the only thing that's happened to global climate cooking pollution is it's gone up, so the fear is that COP26 is not going to be any different from COPs one through 25 even though it's so in our faces that we have this conga line of billion-dollar disasters that are just obviously unnatural disasters.
State Dept. Official: Beijing Misusing 50-Year-Old UN Resolution to Thwart Taiwan
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