After the networks spent Monday hyping Georgia Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff as the Democrats’ secret “hope,” to overtake the state’s formerly Republican-held seat, it was cable news’ turn to obsess over the 30-year-old candidate. MSNBC went all out promoting Ossoff on Tuesday as their “hero” who could take over the Congressional seat, recently vacated by HHS Secretary Tom Price.
The network wasted no time setting the stage, presenting Ossoff as some sort of real-life Jimmy Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. On Morning Joe, correspondent Kasie Hunt began by calling Ossoff a “soft-spoken, wonky millennial” while folksy music gently played in the background. The rest of the report gushes over Ossoff’s celebrity support, and Trump’s robocalls to sway voters not to vote for him.
Towards the end, Hunt outright asks Ossoff if he’s become the “vessel for the hopes and dreams of Democrats” who hate Trump.
KASIE HUNT: Do you feel like you've become the vessel for the hopes and dreams of Democrats all over the country who can't stand Donald Trump?
OSSOFF: Well, this thing has taken on a life of its own in the past few months.
HUNT: Ossoff comes across as an unlikely hero, mocked in an attack ad for dressing up as Han Solo in college.
HUNT: Did Han Solo shoot first?
OSSOFF: [laughs]
HUNT: Now he's carefully scripted. Sounds like you're running against Donald Trump.
Just a few hours later in the 11am hour on MSNBC, host Ali Velshi made a freudian slip introducing Ossoff as “Congressman to be.”
VELSHI: Joining me is John Ossoff. Congressman-to-be or congressman candidate, congressional candidate, thank you for being with us.
It’s no secret that the media eagerly want Ossoff to win the typically Republican-held House seat. Just about every hour on MSNBC and CNN Tuesday, the networks were running interviews with Ossoff or otherwise promotional pieces for the Democratic candidate.
