Giddy over Democratic wins in state and local elections across the country, on Wednesday’s Good Morning America, political pundits Matthew Dowd and Meghan McCain were eager to cheer the results as “rejection” of President Trump and a victory for “diversity and inclusion.”
“But the voters so clear here, 2-1 in Virginia, 3-1 in New Jersey, they wanted to send a message to Trump,” co-host George Stephanopoulos declared at the top of the discussion. Dowd agreed: “Yeah, they sent a message to Trump big time in the course of this.” He then hailed the slate of left-wing candidates who were elected to office:
I think it sends a lot of signals, but I think the big takeaway that I had from it is the level of diversity and inclusion that happened on election night. If you – not only the first transgender person elected into office in Virginia, the first Sikh elected to office in a major city, the first gay mayor of Seattle. The first African-American woman elected mayor of Charlotte. The first woman mayor of Manchester.
“I mean it was a night of total diversity, and I think that – not only a rejection of Trump, it was basically a rejection of what he stood for,” Dowd proclaimed. Stephanopoulos chimed in: “And the divisions we’ve seen over the last year.”
Turning to McCain, Stephanopoulos observed: “One of the things that we saw especially, Meghan, in Virginia, this idea of embracing President Trump’s policies when you’re Republican, but you’re not President Trump, doesn’t work.” McCain seized the chance to bash GOP gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie: “It’s always strange bedfellows when you’re someone like Gillespie, who was a lobbyist and sort of the very definition of a swamp creature, trying to become Trump.”
Later in the segment, Stephanopoulos hoped that the election results would derail the entire Republican agenda: “So what does this mean for the Republican agenda going forward as they head into a midterm election year? What does it mean for big things like tax cuts?” Dowd warned the GOP to abandon its legislative goals:
I think it makes it harder and harder to get anything done in the course of this. I think if you’re a Republican that comes back to Washington in the aftermath of what happened yesterday, you sit down and say, “Do I really want to embrace all these parts of what Donald Trump is pushing?” Including an unpopular tax bill. When you look at the polls, the tax bill’s unpopular, pushed by an unpopular president. I think it makes it much harder.
Meanwhile, McCain made a dire prediction about Republican chances in the 2018 midterm election: “ I anticipate, if it’s anything – we’re reading the tea leaves right now – I anticipate it’s a bloodbath.” Dowd confidently announced: “Donald Trump is powerful in the Republican primary, but he’s an anchor in the general election.”
The biased exchange was brought to viewers by Lowe’s, Walmart, and Jared jewelry.
Here is a full transcript of the November 8 segment:
7:08 AM ET
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Let’s pick up on all this now with our Chief Political Analyst Matthew Dowd and Meghan McCain form The View. And let’s talk about the message, Matt. On the one hand, the President is now the fifth president in a row to have this happen to him, lose Virginia and New Jersey the year after. But the voters so clear here, 2-1 in Virginia, 3-1 in New Jersey, they wanted to send a message to Trump.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Democrats Win Big on Election Night; Are Victories Sign of a Growing Anti-Trump Wave?]
MATTHEW DOWD: Yeah, they sent a message to Trump big time in the course of this. And talk about when he comes back to Washington, it may be his forbidden city when he comes back in the aftermath of this. I think it sends a lot of signals, but I think the big takeaway that I had from it is the level of diversity and inclusion that happened on election night. If you – not only the first transgender person elected into office in Virginia, the first Sikh elected to office in a major city, the first gay mayor of Seattle. The first African-American woman elected mayor of Charlotte. The first woman mayor of Manchester. I mean it was a night of total diversity, and I think that – not only a rejection of Trump, it was basically a rejection of what he stood for.
STEPHANOPOULOS: And the divisions we’ve seen over the last year. One of the things that we saw especially, Meghan, in Virginia, this idea of embracing President Trump’s policies when you’re Republican, but you’re not President Trump, doesn’t work.
MEGHAN MCCAIN: It’s always strange bedfellows when you’re someone like Gillespie, who was a lobbyist and sort of the very definition of a swamp creature, trying to become Trump. And The Weekly Standard headline, which I think is the main takeaway, is that Trumpism without Trump fails. And I think imitations of him, especially when you have the kind of legacy that Gillespie did, is just not gonna work.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You know, we saw the tweet, Matt, from President Trump. He said, “You know, Gillespie wasn’t behind me, didn’t hug me hard enough,” basically. The problem with that, that may work in a congressional district that’s solidly, solidly Republican, not gonna work in big states and swing states.
DOWD: No, I think Republicans have to ask themselves where it is. It’s not only that Trumpism without Trump doesn’t work, I don’t think – Trumpism without Hillary Clinton doesn’t work in elections. Donald Trump was successful – just like Magic Johnson and Larry Byrd were better because of his opponent – Donald Trump was better because he had an opponent like Hillary Clinton. In an aftermath of an election like this, where Hillary Clinton is no longer on the ballot, it becomes really difficult for Republicans to win these races.
MCCAIN: And voter turnout being 11% higher than election in 2016 is also very significant. And the legislative losses is also something that is more unprecedented than the governorship turning.
STEPHANOPOULOS: So what does this mean for the Republican agenda going forward as they head into a midterm election year? What does it mean for big things like tax cuts?
DOWD: I think it makes it harder and harder to get anything done in the course of this. I think if you’re a Republican that comes back to Washington in the aftermath of what happened yesterday, you sit down and say, “Do I really want to embrace all these parts of what Donald Trump is pushing?” Including an unpopular tax bill. When you look at the polls, the tax bill’s unpopular, pushed by an unpopular president. I think it makes it much harder.
STEPHANOPOULOS: They wonder, can they afford to fail?
MCCAIN: Midterms are coming and there’s no peace. I mean, the party could not be more fractured. When you see President Trump coming out and attacking Gillespie this morning, saying, you know, “He didn’t support me enough, he wasn’t enough like me.” And conservative media is really taking that side, that you don’t support the President enough, then basically you’re bupkis at this point. And it’s a very dangerous message going forward. I anticipate, if it’s anything – we’re reading the tea leaves right now – I anticipate it’s a bloodbath.
DOWD: And it’s a box that they’re in. Donald Trump is powerful in the Republican primary, but he’s an anchor in the general election.
MCCAIN: Yes.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Matt Dowd, Meghan McCain. Thank you very much.
MCCAIN: Yeah, that’s a solid accent, Matt.
[LAUGHTER]
STEPHANOPOULOS: Let’s go over to Robin.
ROBIN ROBERTS: Come to expect that from our friend Matthew.
