On Wednesday, all three network morning shows found time to tout the defeat of an Ohio law curbing union power in Tuesday's election, while ignoring passage of another ballot initiative that made the ObamaCare heath insurance mandate illegal in the state.
On NBC's Today, news anchor Natalie Morales declared: "In Ohio, voters rejected a new law that would limit the collective bargaining rights of some 350,000 unionized public workers. Labor unions there are calling the news their biggest victory in decades." On ABC's Good Morning America, Josh Elliott similarly announced the "big victory for labor unions." On CBS's The Early Show, Jeff Glor described how "voters handed union workers a victory."
All three broadcast also took note of Mississippi's personhood amendment failing to pass. Glor declared: "Mississippi voters easily defeated a measure aimed at outlawing abortion." Morales explained: "If passed, though, it would have effectively banned abortion and imposed strict restrictions on in vitro fertilization." Elliott reported: "Supporters were hoping to prompt a legal fight over abortion rights nationwide."
In contrast to those electoral outcomes favorable to the left, Ohio's rejection of ObamaCare, as well as Democrats losing control of the Virginia state senate, were ignored by NBC, ABC, and CBS.
Here are the November 9 election reports from Today:
7:12AM ET
NATALIE MORALES: Election results are in this morning. In Ohio, voters rejected a new law that would limit the collective bargaining rights of some 350,000 unionized public workers. Labor unions there are calling the news their biggest victory in decades. And in Mississippi, the so-called "personhood amendment" that would have declared a fertilized egg a person was defeated. If passed, though, it would have effectively banned abortion and imposed strict restrictions on in vitro fertilization.
9:02AM ET
NATALIE MORALES: A big election day victory for labor unions in Ohio, where voters repealed a state law that limited the bargaining rights of more than 350,000 teachers, firefighters and police officers. And in Mississippi, voters rejected a so-called personhood proposal that said life begins at fertilization.
Here is the report from Good Morning America:
7:14AM ET
JOSH ELLIOTT: And voters in Mississippi have defeated a ballot initiative that would have declared life begins at conception. Supporters were hoping to prompt a legal fight over abortion rights nationwide.
Also, a big victory for labor unions. Voters in Ohio have overturned a law that limited the collective bargaining rights of public workers.
Here is the report from The Early Show:
7:15AM ET
JEFF GLOR: It was Election Day yesterday. There were some key issues on ballots around the country. In Ohio, voters handed union workers a victory when they rejected a law that would have limited collective bargaining for most state workers. It would have prevented firefighters, teachers, and others from striking or negotiating pension and health care benefits.
Mississippi voters easily defeated a measure aimed at outlawing abortion. The so-called personhood initiative would have declared life begins at conception. There are similar measures on the ballot in six other states.
- Kyle Drennen is a news analyst at the Media Research Center. Click here [1] to follow Kyle Drennen on Twitter.