After the results of Tuesday night’s vote on Ohio’s ballot measure to raise the required percentage for constitutional amendments, framed as a referendum for an upcoming abortion amendment, Wednesday morning’s CNN This Morning featured five segments that totaled over 22 minutes of celebration of the proposal being turned down.
Anchors Poppy Harlow and Victor Blackwell hosted quite a few guests to discuss the matter and exchange figurative fist-bumps with, including the illustrious White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
These segments all began with a similar celebratory message, such as this one from the first segment of the show, that praised the “abortion rights advocates” for their “critical victory” in this vote:
In huge numbers this morning, Ohio voters have spoken. Abortion rights advocates have won a critical victory in a high-stakes special election. Fifty-seven percent of voters rejected a measure that was backed by state Republicans. It would have made it harder for voters to change Ohio's Constitution and protect the women's access to abortion when the issue goes on the ballot this November.
In two of the segments, Blackwell and Harlow spoke to CNN chief national correspondent Jeff Zeleny in Columbus, Ohio. Zeleny’s pitch was to sing the praises of this effort from “voters across the spectrum” to overturn the issue, because it was such a great “victory for the people of Ohio and democracy.”
Other segments in the show included two interview panels: one with Washington Post political video reporter Joyce Koh, CNN senior political analyst Ron Brownstein, and CNN political commentator Errol Lewis, and the other with the co-chair of Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign Nina Turner and former top aide to the Mitt Romney presidential campaign Kevin Madden.
Most of these panelists sang this same tune of praising the results of the vote, calling it “a win for Ohioans” and reading the results as an indicator of “what voters are actually saying.” The only exception to this tone of praise was conservative Madden’s urging for Republicans to do more to position themselves in the post-Roe political world, since he attributed these results to their weakness in this position.
One of the key segments in the show featured an interview with Jean-Pierre, who Blackwell introduced on this topic by asking for President Biden’s reaction to the results of the vote. She lauded these results as “a win for democracy,” commending the anchors for their celebrations in their coverage of these results, and also re-emphasizing the blame on “Republicans—elected officials” for this proposal.
Blackwell agreed with Jean-Pierre, also pointing out the importance of the abortion issue in the upcoming election, and that this was an issue that he hoped Biden would address similarly as election day neared.
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Transcript of the first segment below (click Expand):
CNN This Morning
8/9/23
6:02:47 AM ET
POPPY HARLOW: But, what a development overnight. We've been talking a lot about Ohio yesterday.
VICTOR BLACKWELL: Sure.
HARLOW: And what—and direct democracy and what it was going to mean in the state. Well, look what it meant.
In huge numbers this morning, Ohio voters have spoken. Abortion rights advocates have won a critical victory in a high-stakes special election. Fifty-seven percent of voters rejected a measure that was backed by state Republicans. It would have made it harder for voters to change Ohio's Constitution and protect the women's access to abortion when the issue goes on the ballot this November.
BLACKWELL: So under the failed measure, a 60 percent super majority would have been required instead of a simple majority. Voters said no to that.
Now, this comes after lawmakers in Ohio and other Republican-controlled states passed sweeping abortion bans. Critics of the Ohio measure called it a GOP power grab.
The voter turnout, it was massive, unprecedented for an August election in an off year. Over 1 million more Ohioans voted than in last year's primary.
CNN's chief national correspondent Jeff Zeleny is live in Columbus. Jeff, Ohio voters, they came out. They sent a strong message yesterday.
JEFF ZELENY: Good morning, Victor and Poppy.
They absolutely did. From urban areas to suburban areas, voters across the spectrum, Republicans joining Democrats and, certainly, critical independents in rejecting that amendment that would have made it more difficult to pass a constitutional amendment.
Of course, first among those was the abortion measure that is on the ballot in November. But as we talked to voters, it was about so much more than that.
Some called it a power grab. Others simply, even those who don't necessarily support abortion rights, thought that state Republican leaders were trying to pull a fast one, if you will, by scheduling that August election.
But at a victory party last night, supporters talked about it was a victory for the people of Ohio and democracy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DENNIS WILLARD (Spokesman, One Person One Vote): Voters saw Issue 1 for what it was: a deceptive power grab designed to silence our voices and diminish our voting power. We defeated Issue 1, because an enormous coalition that spans ideological divides came together to defend democracy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: And it also would have—it also would have made it much more difficult to put amendments to the Constitution, those citizen petitions on the ballot in the future. It would have required signatures from all 88 counties across the state of Ohio. So effectively, one county could block the entire state.
So yes, abortion was at the center of this, the driving force of this, but it was about so much more. And voters had their say yesterday, and answered very loudly.
HARLOW: Yeah. They did, and spent a whole lot of money, too. Right? Over $32 million when you add up both sides on this.
Just to be clear, Jeff, this abortion protection, essentially, will still be on the ballot in—in November, right?
ZELENY: It absolutely will be on the ballot.
So effectively, a new campaign starts today, that has been underway for several months, and this is because hundreds of thousands of Ohioans signed petitions to put this on the ballot. The petitions were delivered in July. And they were certified by the state’s—secretary of state.
So this election in November will be one of the biggest tests a year after, of course, Roe versus Wade was overturned, and the Supreme Court sent the issue back to the states. Ohio is just the latest example of a state that will decide that.
Now, we do know, of course, Ohio in 2019 passed a law that banned abortion, effectively, after six weeks. That has been held up in the courts, that is not in effect, but if this amendment passes in November, that will be overturned. But the bigger picture of this, as we're seeing a pattern from state after state after state of these citizens, when they vote, they are supportive of abortion rights. Our national poll yesterday, of course, showed that 64 percent of Americans disagree with that Supreme Court decision.
So that was front and center yesterday here in Ohio.
HARLOW: Yeah, I was thinking ab—
ZELENY: Poppy and Victor.
HARLOW: —about that poll when I woke up to these headlines this morning. Jeff Zeleny, really appreciate the reporting there in Columbus. Thanks.
