MSNBC on Wednesday offered a mix of gloating and relief as journalists recapped Tuesday’s elections in Kentucky and Virginia. Correspondent Vaughn Hillyard seemed transported as he described the Democratic gubernatorial win in red Kentucky. Meanwhile, anchor Andrea Mitchell breezily explained that Ralph Northam, who got in trouble with a blackface scandal, has “moved past” the controversy.
But first, Hillyard cheered, “So there was a lot of hype in the room. Everybody knew it was a possibility. But to become reality was a different story.” He praised, “For the Democrats here in this state, this was a big deal because everything worked out perfectly.” You think MSNBC journalists would laud “everything working out perfectly” for Republicans?
In the same segment, Mitchell touted the scandal-ridden Democratic Party “moving past” the blackface scandal. (Democrats took the state Senate and House.) She vaguely referenced the lieutenant governor, but didn’t specifically explain that Democrat Justin Fairfax has sex abuse allegations against him:
Despite the blackface scandal with the governor, the Democratic governor, it seems like the Democratic Party has moved past that for now. Because they didn't have a Democratic governor or lieutenant governor exchange campaigning for these candidates. They were on their own in these local races.
Back in February, Mitchell worried that calls for Northam’s resignation were “too politically correct.” Again, not something MSNBC hosts are concerned with when Republicans are in trouble.
A partial transcript of the segment is below. Click “expand” to read more.
Andrea Mitchell Reports
11/6/1912:28 PM ET
VAUGHN HILLYARD: This is the place, Andrea, that Donald Trump won by 30 percentage points. So there was a lot of hype in the room. Everybody knew it was a possibility. But to become reality was a different story. Because you looked, not only did the suburbs show up, the urban corridors showed up, but also eastern Kentucky. You know, we're talking about coal country. For the Democrats here in this state, this was a big deal because everything worked out perfectly. Matt Bevin to date, I guess the sun is about high noon now, still has not announced he would be conceding.
He would have to take it to court to get a recount. You just heard Andy Beshear, the governor-elect Beshear said he has not received a phone call. You Donald Trump there, the heard President Trump on election day coming to town to shore up support for the Republican incumbent in this race. You saw Trump's Twitter feed last night where he was suggesting he actually helped Matt Bevin by 15 or 20 percentage points and Andy Beshear, the Democrat who won last night, he was asked that a few moments ago and he chuckled, suggesting he had not seen the poll Donald Trump is talking about, Andrea.
12:28STEVE KORNACKI: With complete control of the state government now for Democrats in Virginia, I think you just have a story here of “From Republican bastion, to swing state, really now, to blue state.”
MITCHELL: Despite the blackface scandal with the governor, the Democratic governor, it seems like the Democratic Party has moved past that for now. Because they didn't have a Democratic governor or lieutenant governor exchange campaigning for these candidates. They were on their own in these local races.
