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Networks Hype Role of 'Political Violence' in Determining Midterm Elections on Sunday Shows

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  November 15, 2022 6:30 PM

On the most recent edition of the Sunday shows, Democrats and their allies in the mainstream media were all too happy to celebrate that they did better than expected in the 2022 midterm elections. Democrats will maintain their majority in the Senate, and at the time of this publication, the House still remains to be called. In making her rounds, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was lauded for the success Democrats did have and asked for an update on her husband, Paul Pelosi, who had been assaulted late last month. The suspect, David DePape, was federally charged, and he pled "not guilty" on Tuesday.

During her appearance on ABC News's "This Week," Pelosi highlighted that they were not only comforted by people expressing well-wishes but by people supposedly saying, "I wasn't going to vote, but now I'm going to vote because this has gone too far."

Throughout the segment, Pelosi emphasized the Democratic talking point of how "our democracy was on the ballot" and that this was supposedly why voters elected as many Democrats as they did. Democrats, including President Joe Biden, used the attack on Paul Pelosi to make fear-mongering statements about how democracy was supposedly at stake in this election. 

Speaker Pelosi even referenced the president, saying, "President Biden did a great job presenting about our democracy being on the ballot." When asked by host George Stephanopoulos if Biden should run again in 2024, Pelosi responded emphatically that he should.

Paul Pelosi was discussed even more in-depth during CNN's "State of the Union," as well as what supposed role the assault he experienced played in determining the midterm elections.

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Not only did host Dana Bash begin the segment by expressing her well-wishes for Paul Pelosi, but she also brought up the attack again later in the segment as well. "I just want to ask specifically, and kind of point blank, about the fact that there has been such extremism, such political violence," Bash said, making clear the direction she was going in. "Do you think that had an impact on voters as they cast their ballots?"

Although Pelosi did say it was "anecdotal" and "a trend in what I'm hearing," she affirmed that's what she was hearing, including when it comes to Bash's question that "that turned voters off." Where the speaker did seem more than willing to speak about the assault was to throw Republicans under the bus, calling their reaction "disgraceful."

The speaker claimed that the trauma was "intensified by the ridiculous, disrespectful attitude that the Republicans--and there's no--nobody disassociating themselves from the horrible response that they gave to it."

This comment comes despite many well-wishes pouring in from Republicans, including Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), whose own violent assault by a neighbor was mocked by the speaker's daughter, Christine Pelosi. 

Speaker Pelosi wasn't the only guest whom Bash had asked about "political violence," though. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), who last week won reelection against Republican Tudor Dixon, was also a guest, and she too weighed in on the topic earlier in the program. 

Bash once again was quite forthcoming when she asked the governor, "Do you think this election was in any way a repudiation of political violence?" "I would like to think so," Whitmer replied before going on to rant against her opponent. 

Dixon, Whitmer claimed, "would regularly stoke politically violent rhetoric, undermine institutions," including specifically toward Reps. Fred Upton and Peter Meijer, Republicans in the state. 

When it comes to Paul Pelosi, Whitmer also said, "I think that this is a moment where good people need to call this out and say we will not tolerate this in this country. And perhaps part of that message was sent this election."

The governor was not asked to clarify or provide specifics about her charges against Dixon. 

Democrats like Biden, Pelosi, and Whitmer certainly like to talk a big talk about "political violence" and supposed "threats to democracy" when it comes to how much of an effect they would have leading up to the midterms and ultimately did after voters went to the polls.

While polls were still open, CNN exit polls showed that the above issues weren't included in the top five issues for Democratic voters, though Bash nevertheless insisted during an election night panel that the issue could still be important to voters. 

When it comes to the question as to how voters felt about "Democracy in the U.S.," Republican voters were actually more likely to say that it was "very threatened," with 50 percent saying so compared to the 48 percent of Democratic voters who said so. A majority of Democratic voters, 52 percent, said that democracy was "somewhat threatened."

The democracy question was also briefly mentioned in one of the CNN write-ups about the exit polls. 

Exit poll highlights from POLITICO and Reuters do make more mention of the democracy issue, though. 

When it comes down to what issues mattered to voters, it was inflation for Republicans and abortion for Democrats. 

As to why Republicans didn't perform better, given that inflation was indeed such an important issue to voters, it's likely that merely trying to portray themselves as different from Democrats was not enough of a winning strategy for Republicans.

Further, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA), who helped usher in the true red wave of 1994, believes that as "despicable" as Biden's strategy was to warn about supposed threats of democracy while "demonizing Republicans," it did play a factor.

Democrats are eating it up, too. As I highlighted, in addition to our friends at Twitchy, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) relished in that from the Senate floor, claiming it is why his party will maintain control of the chamber. 

That Schumer would warn of threats of violence is especially rich, given that he threatened Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh during a rally outside the Supreme Court in 2020, and just this summer, Justice Kavanaugh was targeted with an assassination attempt. 

That these top Democrats' remarks come from a place of fear-mongering and hysteria in order to win votes almost makes the loss worse. It also means that Republicans have more to do. 

As of Tuesday night, Democrats will maintain control of the Senate and may even expand it if Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) wins his runoff election next month. Republicans were also just moments ago projected to win control of the House, though their majority will likely be quite narrow.