NEWS AND OPINION:
The liberal bias in the news media can get very local indeed. Consider that the national broadcast networks essentially ignored New Jersey Republican Jack Ciatterelli during his entire quest to become governor of the Garden State. This treatment, however, apparently did not affect his appeal among voters. So says a painstaking study that was conducted over the last five months.
“Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli stunned the political and media establishment on Tuesday with a breathtaking performance. One could also say he defeated the corrupt press,” wrote Scott Whitlock, research director for NewsBusters.org, a conservative press watchdog.
“ABC, CBS and NBC buried the race and, over five months, only once even uttered the name ‘Ciattarelli’ on their morning or evening newscasts. Ciattarelli won the Republican nomination on June 8, 2021, and the total coverage over the next 153 days (before Tuesday night), was a scant 50 seconds — consisting of 39 seconds on CBS and 11 seconds on ABC,” Mr. Whitlock wrote in his revealing analysis.
“It may have been a surprise for the corrupt media elite, but not all Americans. Conservatives and Republicans in New Jersey, Virginia and all over the country have been excited to vote and to support candidates in opposition to Joe Biden’s liberal agenda. Just imagine how Ciattarelli might have done if he was granted more than 50 seconds from the Democrat-protecting media,” Mr. Whitlock concluded.
A TEACHABLE MOMENT FOR DEMOCRATS
Has the Democratic Party reached a point of reckoning following the elections on Tuesday?
Democratic commentator and CNN political contributor Van Jones offered insight into the unexpected defeat in the Virginia gubernatorial bout and other races.
“I think there is a message here. I think the Democrats are coming across in ways we don’t recognize, that are annoying and offensive and seem out of touch,” Mr. Jones advised during an appearance in the aftermath.
“Virginia’s overwhelmingly positive results for pro-life, pro-faith and pro-freedom candidates shows that Virginians have no stomach for the Radical Left’s vision for a nanny state propagandizing our children, controlling our economy and dictating every facet of our lives,” said Timothy Head, executive director of the Faith & Freedom Coalition, a Georgia-based grassroots organization with 200 million members.
“This is a wake-up call for Washington Democrats. Abandon the partisan, extremist agenda of Washington-based programs that cost trillions of dollars we don’t have for programs nobody wants, Americans are focused on the success and stability of their families, advised House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, during an appearance on Capitol Hill Wednesday.
A TEACHABLE MOMENT FOR REPUBLICANS
Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin’s victory in Virginia now provides the Republican Party with “a blueprint” for the 2022 and 2024 election, says Louis Jacobson, — a senior correspondent with PolitiFact.
“A strong showing in the suburbs – fueled by an emphasis on education – combined with a commanding presence in rural areas to give Republicans a win in Virginia. Can it work elsewhere?” Mr. Jacobson wrote in an essay for U.S. News & World Report.
“Youngkin needed to energize the Trump-supporting base while not turning off Republicans and independents who had supported Biden out of a distaste for Trump. Remarkably – especially as a first-time candidate – he managed to do it,” Mr. Jacobson said.
Another source also had a say.
“Democrats should be worried that Youngkin’s win provides a workable lesson for Republicans nationally. They can signal just enough to the Trump base, while keeping Trump away and still appealing to swing voters. If it can happen in a state that trended strongly blue for a decade, it can happen elsewhere,” Mark J. Rozell, dean of George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government, told Mr. Jacobson.
AND ONE MORE TIDY SUMMATION
The GOP electoral victories on Tuesday set off dozens of commentaries about what those victories mean — or don’t mean. Here’s one that gets to the point in a helpful hurry, courtesy of Jessica Anderson, executive director of Heritage Action for America, a conservative policy advocacy organization affiliated with The Heritage Foundation.
“Virginia led the nation and took the critical first step in rejecting the Left’s cultural and economic agenda. In a state long considered out of reach for conservatives, Glenn Youngkin’s victory shows the lasting power of kitchen-table issues,” Ms. Anderson said.
“When parents see how woke policies hurt their children and their communities, they spring into action, and we saw this first hand in Virginia. Elected officials across the country should take note: Americans of all political persuasions are fed up with the Left’s social and cultural extremism, and they’re voting like it.”
FOXIFIED
The elections on Tuesday were good to Fox News according to Nielsen Media Research. The cable news network drew a peak primetime audience of 4.7 million viewers, compared to CNN, which had an audience of 1 million and MSNBC with 1.5 million. Viewers even hung around into the wee hours; 2.1 million people were still watching Fox News at 3 a.m. ET while 552,000 chose CNN and 794,000 went with MSNBC.
Those numbers represent the highest-rated odd-year election night coverage on record for Fox News. Meanwhile, the network again dominated the competition during the week of Oct. 25-31, earning an average primetime audience of 2.3 million viewers. CNN drew 600,000 and MSMNC 1.6 million, according to Nielsen.
POLL DU JOUR
• 35% of U.S. adults consider themselves to be “moderate” in their general approach to issues.
• 19% consider themselves to be “somewhat conservative.”
• 18% say they are “very conservative.”
• 13% say they are “somewhat liberal.”
• 12% say they are “very liberal.”
• 3% are not sure.
Source: An NBC News survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted Oct. 23-26.
• Follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.
Sign up for Daily Newsletters
