On Friday, all three network morning shows dutifully advanced concerns from Hillary Clinton’s campaign that Hurricane Matthew could impact voter registration in Florida and touted the Democratic nominee’s demand that the state’s deadline for registration be extended to help her get more support at the ballot box in November.
During a brief political report on NBC’s Today amid the extensive storm coverage, correspondent Peter Alexander recited talking points from team Clinton: “Matthew could potentially impact voting in the southeast. The Clinton campaign had requested that the voter registration date, the deadline of next Tuesday in Florida, be extended. But Florida's Republican governor there, Rick Scott, he is the chairman of the super-PAC supporting Donald Trump's campaign, said he has no plans to extend the voter registration deadline beyond next Tuesday.”
During an interview with Governor Scott on ABC’s Good Morning America, co-host George Stephanopoulos actually urged the GOP leader to extend the deadline.
Minutes later, correspondent Tom Llamas reported: “Now, because of Hurricane Matthew, the Clinton campaign had hoped Florida would extend voter registration deadline, which is next Tuesday. But Florida Governor Rick Scott, who’s a major Trump supporter, says he's not extending it because, quote, “People have had time to register.”
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Stephanopoulos turned to White House correspondent Jon Karl and fretted: “Jon, there is some concern in the Clinton camp, bullish about early voting in the Carolinas and Florida, that this might have an impact.” Karl sounded the alarm:
Absolutely, George. We have seen in the past how close races can be in Florida. Every single vote counts. So the Clinton team has asked for that extension on voter registration, they still think there are tens of thousands more who would register between now and October 11th. Some may be prevented from doing so as a result of this storm and they also believe this could have an effect on early voting.
On CBS This Morning, co-host Charlie Rose proclaimed: “Hurricane Matthew is creating controversy on the campaign trail....Clinton’s campaign wants the state’s voter registration deadline to be extended because of the storm, but Florida's governor refused to extend the Tuesday deadline, saying, ‘Everybody has had a lot of time to register.’”
During a roundtable discussion minutes later, former Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer argued Scott’s refusal was politically motivated:
But I think the one thing that might be affected by all of this is the voter registration. You know, Trump's people had registered, I think, only 60,000 people so far, you know, voter registration forms that they’ve brought in. Hillary Clinton's people, so far, have brought in 488,000 voter registration forms. So you can see why a Republican governor might say, “Well, we’ve had plenty of time, we’re not going to extend that deadline.” They have extended it in South Carolina, but apparently Rick Scott’s not going to do that.
While all the coverage portrayed Scott as a partisan, none of the reporting pointed out the cynical nature of the Clinton campaign using the natural disaster to try to get an edge in the presidential race.
Here are excerpts of the October 7 political coverage on the NBC, ABC, and CBS morning shows:
Today
8:11 AM ET(...)
PETER ALEXANDER: And another note in the midst of this powerful storm, Matthew could potentially impact voting in the southeast. The Clinton campaign had requested that the voter registration date, the deadline of next Tuesday in Florida, be extended. But Florida's Republican governor there, Rick Scott, he is the chairman of the super-PAC supporting Donald Trump's campaign, said he has no plans to extend the voter registration deadline beyond next Tuesday. He said people will have plenty of opportunity and plenty of ways to vote between now and November 8th. South Carolina, by the way, did extend its deadline because of the hurricane and evacuations.
(...)
GMA
7:43 AM ET(...)
TOM LLAMAS: Now, because of Hurricane Matthew, the Clinton campaign had hoped Florida would extend voter registration deadline, which is next Tuesday. But Florida Governor Rick Scott, who’s a major Trump supporter, says he's not extending it because, quote, “People have had time to register.”
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Yeah I spoke with Rick Scott about that in the last half hour. He said this is all politics right now although they have extended the voting deadlines in South Carolina ahead of the storm. Let’s bring this all to Jon Karl right now. And Jon, there is some concern in the Clinton camp, bullish about early voting in the Carolinas and Florida, that this might have an impact.
JON KARL: Absolutely, George. We have seen in the past how close races can be in Florida. Every single vote counts. So the Clinton team has asked for that extension on voter registration, they still think there are tens of thousands more who would register between now and October 11th. Some may be prevented from doing so as a result of this storm and they also believe this could have an effect on early voting.
(...)
CBS This Morning
8:14 AM ET
CHARLIE ROSE: Hurricane Matthew is creating controversy on the campaign trail. Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump tweeted their concerns, telling people in Florida to stay safe and be careful. Clinton’s campaign wants the state’s voter registration deadline to be extended because of the storm, but Florida's governor refused to extend the Tuesday deadline, saying, “Everybody has had a lot of time to register.”
(...)
8:18 AM
BOB SCHIEFFER: And you mentioned this, Charlie. I think the main impact – I mean, it's pretty hard to get people to focus on politics when the roof has just blown off their house. So – but they’re both playing on the same golf course. So that – it kind of shuts down both campaigns for a little bit. But I think the one thing that might be affected by all of this is the voter registration. You know, Trump's people had registered, I think, only 60,000 people so far, you know, voter registration forms that they’ve brought in. Hillary Clinton's people, so far, have brought in 488,000 voter registration forms. So you can see why a Republican governor might say, “Well, we’ve had plenty of time, we’re not going to extend that deadline.” They have extended it in South Carolina, but apparently Rick Scott’s not going to do that.
(...)
