Networks Warn of ‘Hard-Right,’ ‘Incredibly Conservative' Kansas Candidate

August 8th, 2018 12:18 PM

A danger is looming that journalists want to warn Americans about. ABC, CBS, MSNBC and CNN on Wednesday all fretted about Kansas’s possible new Republican gubernatorial candidate, labeling Kris Kobach a “hard-right,” “staunchly,” “incredibly conservative” choice. This kind of ideological hand-wringing stands in contrast to the warm response socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez received. She earned some labels, but enjoyed a gentle response from journalists. 

With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, Kobach leads incumbent Republican Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer by less than 200 votes. With this development, the labels began flying. CBS This Morning guest co-host Vladimir Duthiers warned: “The hard-right conservative Kris Kobach is deadlocked with the incumbent primary for governor.” Reporter Ed O’Keefe highlighted “his incredibly conservative positions on immigration.” 

 

 

O’Keefe said the question facing the GOP is this: “Do you want to be that mainstream Republican or do you want somebody who's far more conservative and brings out Trump supporters?” 

Over on Good Morning America, ABC’s Jon Karl recounted: “President Trump made a late endorsement of controversial candidate Kris Kobach, a hard-right, staunchly anti-immigration candidate.” He insisted that “many Republicans think he is just too conservative to win the general election.” 

On CNN’s New Day, Alisyn Camerota identified: “That is a controversial candidate. He got the President’s endorsement and he is, at the moment, in this razor thin win.” On MSNBC, Hallie Jackson warned: “We got some unofficial results showing an incredibly controversial candidate in Kansas.” 

In contrast, CBS on June 27 tossed softballs to radical socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, ignoring her hard-left views. Co-host Gayle King mused about the excitement of winning the Democratic nomination: “I would like to know what that was like for you and what were thinking as the night went on?”

Over on NBC, Chuck Todd on July 1 allowed Ocasio-Cortez to redefine socialism in order to “sell” it to “older Americans.  

Finally, journalists rarely label liberal Supreme Court nominees, but never fail to identify conservative picks for the high Court. 

Partial transcripts are below. Click “expand” to read more.

CBS This Morning 
8/8/18
8:04

VLADIMIR DUTHIERS: Let’s talk about Kansas. The hard-right conservative Kris Kobach is deadlocked with the incumbent primary for governor. Is this part of the Trump effect here? This is the President’s pick. 

ED O’KEEFE: Absolutely it is. because there were Republicans hoping that the President would actually stay out of this race because they're concerned that Kobach and his incredibly conservative positions on immigration, especially, could actually hand the governor's seat to Democrats in the fall. Kansas has had Democratic governors before. But it's a predominantly Republican state. The fact that you that you see that close margin just speaks to the ongoing crisis in the Republican Party. Do you want to be that mainstream Republican or do you want somebody who's far more conservative and brings out Trump supporters? We’ll see whether or not the Trump style works in states like Kansas this November. 

Good Morning America 
8/8/18
7:07

JON KARL: In another hotly-contested race, there’s still no victory in the Kansas Republican primary for governor. President Trump made a late endorsement of controversial candidate Kris Kobach, a hard-right, staunchly anti-immigration candidate who chaired President Trump’s disbanded Commission on Voter Fraud. Many Republicans think he is just too conservative to win the general election. 

“He is a fantastic guy who loves his State and our Country,” Trump tweeted Monday. “he will be a GREAT governor and has my full & total Endorsement!” That Twitter boost was not enough to easily push Kobach over the line. With more votes to count, he is neck and neck with his opponent, the sitting Republican governor of Kansas, Jeff Colyer. 

The president hopes to blunt any Democratic enthusiasm by campaigning nonstop in the fall. But Democrats, pointing to the president’s unpopularity in many of the competitive districts this election cycle, say they too would like to see the President out there as much as possible. George?

STEPHANOPOULOS: Yeah, both sides looking at that. Okay, Jon, thanks very much.  

New Day
8/8/18
8:05

ALISYN CAMEROTA: Look at what happened in Kansas with Kris Kobach. That is a controversial candidate. He got the President’s endorsement and he is, at the moment, in this razor thin win. 

MSNBC Live
8/8/18
10:03

HALLIE JACKSON: Just about an hour ago, we got some unofficial results showing an incredibly controversial candidate in Kansas, Kris Kobach, with all precincts in, the President’s pick has a razor thin lead in his Republican primary.