Anyone who has somehow been added to an e-mail list for a political campaign can attest to the fact that they often get messages that include fun or cheesy efforts to drive interaction with supporters to keep enthusiasm up. But during the Wednesday edition of CNN’s Cuomo Prime Time, host Chris Cuomo and CNN Tonight host Don Lemon were up in arms over such an e-mail sent by the Trump campaign polling supporters on how the State of the Union address went.
“[H]e sent me a note, asking what I thought about his speech,” Cuomo claimed as if it was a private message for him and him alone:
Here's the official poll. Now, perhaps you thought it was good. Maybe even great or better yet, historic. Well, I hope it's one of those, because those are your only choices. If you thought it was anything else, you're out of luck. Because that's all the President wants to know, as you can see here in question one.
The fact, the poll was on the official Trump campaign website and said “paid for by Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.” betrayed Cuomo’s allusions.
As Lemon was introduced, the CNN Tonight host pretended to be filling out a paper version of the ballot to “send it in.” Then Cuomo sarcastically began reading some of the questions. Surprise! They’re meant to energize President Trump’s supporters:
CUOMO: I love that this got sent to me. “Chris, we need your help!” And then he says, “do you believe Democrats only say they don't want a wall to harass our great President?”
LEMON: Ugh, presidential harassment.
CUOMO: Yes, no, no opinion? “Do you believe Democrats should celebrate our great success instead of obstructing it?” Yes, no, no opinion.
“It's multiple choice. It's how I got through college,” Lemon mocked. Has Lemon never seen a poll before?
“The day after he says no more petty politics, no more poisonous, you know, personal politics, let's unify, that's what they send out,” Cuomo spat in disgust.
Lemon then huffed about how those type of e-mails ask for an “honest assessment,” “I mean, it should be an honest assessment, it's not. None of those things is ever honest.” “No, it's propaganda,” Cuomo decried. Maybe someone should take a look at whatever his brother (New York Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo) sends and has sent to his supporters.
Cuomo then shifted gears to bashing the Trump’s State of the Union address. “Because of you just focus on the message, you’ll be fine,” he began before going on to dismiss the overwhelmingly positive reactions. “But that message is only good as the man or woman giving it. And he's completely inauthentic, asking for unity, when right in the same speech, he attacks the Democrats and then this comes out the next day.”
And before moving on to previewing what would be coming up on Lemon’s show, the pair praised Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. “[Y]ou can tell when someone has the oomph, the gumption, the stamina. And I think she’s really going to make a difference,” Lemon gushed.
This is just another example of the liberal media taking something every politician/president has done in the past and pretending it was something new and controversial from President Trump. This is CNN.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN’s Cuomo Prime Time
February 6, 2019
9:47:11 p.m. EasternCHRIS CUOMO: So just a day after the President's State of the Union address where he said, we must all choose to be better and to unify for the country, he sent me a note, asking what I thought about his speech. Here's the official poll. Now, perhaps you thought it was good. Maybe even great or better yet, historic. Well, I hope it's one of those, because those are your only choices. [Laughter] If you thought it was anything else, you're out of luck. Because that's all the President wants to know, as you can see here in question one. Let's bring in D. Lemon. Good, great, or historic?
DON LEMON: Hang on, I'm marking my ballot here, so I can send it in.
CUOMO: I love that this got sent to me. “Chris, we need your help!” And then he says, “do you believe Democrats only say they don't want a wall to harass our great President?”
LEMON: Ugh, presidential harassment.
CUOMO: Yes, no, no opinion? “Do you believe Democrats should celebrate our great success instead of obstructing it?” Yes, no, no opinion.
LEMON: No opinion. It's multiple choice. It's how I got through college! [Laughter]
CUOMO: The day after he says no more petty politics, no more poisonous, you know, personal politics, let's unify, that's what they send out.
LEMON: Well, I mean, it's interesting, "How do you think I did, an honest assessment." I mean, it should be an honest assessment, it's not. None of those things is ever honest.
CUOMO: No, it's propaganda.
LEMON: And the next day, there will be a fund-raising thing that will come out. I have one like that that I got from the first lady and I keep it. I said, “look, I got a letter from the first lady!” And I saw it to everybody but I don't even know what's inside of it. I never opened it.
CUOMO: You know, Kellyanne said a clever thing, Don. She said before the speech, “I really hope that people listen to the message and not just the messenger.” And when she said that I was like, “I wonder why she said that.” And they the speech came out and I read the speech and I said, “oh I get it now.” Because of you just focus on the message, you’ll be fine. That’s why he has well over 70 percent of people -- all blended in, only 30 percent of Democrats. But 80 something percent of independents, even more of Republicans, they liked what was in the speech. Yeah!
But that message is only good as the man or woman giving it. And he's completely inauthentic, asking for unity, when right in the same speech, he attacks the Democrats and then this comes out the next day.
LEMON: You know what she's basically saying, right? Is what I always say, pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. It's exactly -- this is Wizard of Oz stuff here. So, yeah, that's a little weird. But I don't know about the message, either. Because I watched it, I actually fell asleep and then I woke back up. I don't know, the whole thing about a socialist country and all of that, that was a little odd. And then you know him --
CUOMO: It’s a great label.
LEMON: Him with the – he was forecasting right?
CUOMO: Great label.
LEMON: That’s what he's going to do for 2020. Do you want your country to be a socialist--
CUOMO: And they showed Bernie, they showed AOC. She's got three letters now. That means she's cool but that also means she’s going to be a target.
LEMON: I think she’s ready for it, believe it or not, I do.
CUOMO: She certainly wants it. Whether she's ready for it, we'll see.
LEMON: Well, she's young. She hasn't done anything yet. But we'll see. She's young. Give her a chance. But usually, you can tell when someone has the oomph, the gumption, the stamina. And I think she’s really going to make a difference. But we'll see. We’ll see how that all plays out. Speaking of a divided nation, right? Or bringing people together, the State of the Union is supposed to bring us all together.
(…)
