During Sunday's "Meet The Press" on NBC, on the same Very Special Episode where he let Danielle "I'm not a scientist but I also don't play one on TV" Pletka jaw about climate change , Check Todd decided to explain why he will never let go of the "No Blue Wave" myth he's spun about the 2018 midterms. He began by conceding why IT WAS a Blue Wave:
So what's the deal? Well, Democrats are going to net at least 38 seats in the House. And with two GOP-held seats still undecided, it's possible the Democrats could get up to 40. Historically, that's big. The last time Democrats gained this many seats in a midterm was 1974, the post-Watergate election. One point for team wave.
Democrats also won the national House popular vote by a whopping 8.9 million votes, 53-45, eight points. In the GOP's last two wave elections, '94 and 2010, Republicans won the popular vote by a smaller margin. So that's another point for team wave.
And had Todd stopped there, we'd be fine. Thanks for admitting your election night error and at least a correction. But this is Chuck Todd. And much like how he ruined goatees for everyone except Stone Cold Steve Austin, he had to ruin this too.
But was it a wave? Maybe not. Republicans knocked off Democratic senators in North Dakota, Missouri, Florida and Indiana while losing only in Arizona and Nevada. As of now, they're plus two in the upper chamber. A real wave should have saved two or three of those vulnerable incumbent Democrats, and two of them lost by six points each. Point for team no wave.
There were also some high-profile losses for the Democrats, nail-biters in Georgia's governor race, in Florida's governor and Senate races all went to the Republicans. Plus in Ohio, Democrats lost every big race, except for hanging onto Sherrod Brown's seat, and they hung onto that by a smaller-than-expected margin. All points for no wave.
My reaction watching Chuck Todd personified by Stone Cold Steve Austin media3.giphy.com
No, Chuck! There was a massive wave. As political director for NBC News, you should know this, but the Senate is that Republicans had the most favorable election map:
And even with this map -- see Democrats having to play defense, while almost no Republicans had to hold their seats? -- the GOP almost lost Texas, Georgia and Florida and did lose Nevada and Arizona. The fact that it was "nail biters" in ruby red Texas and Georgia does not discount that. The fact that Andrew Gillum, who would have been the first African-American governor of Florida, or Stacey Abrams, who would have been the first African-American woman governor in the ENTIRE history of the United States, could not overcome large swaths of racism and systematic voting fraud/purges/disenfranchisement to win does not disprove the "Blue Wave." And while you mention Ohio, you also fail to mention the entire takeover of Democrats in California and Maine. Plus, as favorable as the map was in 2018 for Republicans, it's the opposite in 2020 ( Bye, Susan Collins! ).
Then Chuck Todd went for the last refuge of lazy TV journalism, "Both Sides":
Look, there are strong points for both sides of this argument. And the strongest point for the pro-wave side are the House results, coast to coast. But it may be more accurate to describe this election as a realignment, not only because of the results in states like Missouri, Ohio, Indiana, Florida and Georgia but because of the strong turnout for both parties. In a wave election, one side usually stays home, demoralized. That didn't happen in 2018.
Except, Chuck, you are also discounting that the voter turnout for this election hit a 50-year high. Conservatives always turn out big in midterm elections but it was the energized "Blue Wave" that allowed this midterm turnout to be high enough to almost rival a presidential election.
And while Chuck Todd (and some too prideful or egotistical, we mean YOU, NEW YORK TIMES ) will still deny it for either ratings or to not lose face, somewhere in a Senate office Mitch McConnell saw that and is in fear of his impeding pain in 2020. Somewhere in his hole where a soul should be, Donald Trump sees this. It's why they are working hard to save a Senate seat in Mississippi. Fucking Mississippi!
I n conclusion, this is excellent news for John McCain.
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It was a stolen election. I'll never believe Trump won fairly. If our election happened in another country. Our corporate media would have no problem pointing out it wasn't a legitimate election. However in America, elections results are never to be questioned by the corporate media.
35 races total.Democrats won 22 Senate races.Independents won 2 Senate races. Republicans won 10 Senate races.1 went to a run-off.Shut the fuck up, Chuck Todd.