ABC Insists ‘The Republican Brand Is Still Very Damaged’

Despite the Republican Party taking control of both houses of Congress as well as winning additional governors mansions, ABC’s Good Morning America made sure to throw some cold water on the GOP victory.

On Wednesday morning, co-host George Stephanopoulos and ABC News Political Analyst Matthew Dowd pushed the line that despite the GOP's midterm victory “the Republican brand is still very damaged.”

After the entire GMA panel agreed that the GOP experienced a “tidal wave” win last night, co-host George Stephanopoulos wondered “coming into the night, the Republican brand was as damaged as the Democrats, how do they do coming out?”  

Rather than push back against the liberal co-host’s assertion, so-called conservative analyst Matthew Dowd eagerly dismissed the GOP victory and claimed it wasn’t about them at all:

Well the Republican brand is still very damaged. You look at the exit polls and both political parties are looked at very negatively. I think the Republicans better not misread this. This wasn't a vote for them, it was a rejection it was a rejection of the president and it was a rejection of the politics that's been practiced the last couple of years in Washington, D.C. 

Democratic strategist Donna Brazile seemed more in touch with the electoral reality and admitted that “it was a crushing defeat for the Democrats. Democrats lost not only in purple states and red states, which we anticipated, but we also lost in blue states. Maryland, Massachusetts, Illinois. It was -- it was a crushing defeat.”

Dowd’s anti-GOP sentiments aren’t surprising giving his history. Earlier this year, the former Bush official insisted that former Attorney General for Ronald Reagan Edwin Meese was much worse than Eric Holder [1]. In April [2], Dowd continued to disparage his fellow Republicans by telling them to give up on repealing ObamaCare

See relevant transcript below.

ABC’s Good Morning America

November 5, 2014

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: The Republican tidal wave captured in magazine and newspaper covers this morning. Look at “Time” magazine, play on the iconic picture of President Obama, actually, that's "The New York Times" right there. Also we have “Time” magazine showing Mitch McConnell as Barack Obama. That's “The Daily News” saying “hope to nope” right there. That's the beginning. 

Let’s bring in our political team. ABC News Political Analyst Matthew Dowd, Democratic strategist, Donna Brazile. And you saw that hope to nope right there. You know, coming into the night, it looked like it was going to be a reject of incumbents across the board. But this really fell on the Democrats and the president. 

MATTHEW DOWD: It absolutely fell on the Democrats. I mean, there is this brewing and growing frustration both political and economic frustration. And the voters took it out not only on incumbents, but Democratic incumbents. Only one Republican incumbent lost statewide last night and that's what I think the Democrats realize this morning. 

ROBIN ROBERTS: And this morning also later today, the president is going to have a press conference to address the nation. And on Friday Donna, he’s already said he’s going to bring leaders from both parties to the White House. Because people are wondering what these next two years mean to him now, the results from last night?

DONNA BRAZILE: Well Robin I hope he brings more than coffee and doughnuts. Look, it was a crushing defeat for the Democrats. Democrats lost not only in purple states and red states, which we anticipated, but we also lost in blue states. Maryland, Massachusetts, Illinois. It was -- it was a crushing defeat because I think conventional wisdom said you know what? A tough year because of the president. But in addition to that, our candidates didn't have a message to galvanize Democrats. And now Democrats will have to do what Republicans know how to do. That is to write an autopsy report and hope we can rebirth the party in two years. 

STEPHANOPOULOS: And Matthew, coming into the night, the Republican brand was as damaged as the Democrats, how do they do coming out? 

DOWD: Well the Republican brand is still very damaged. You look at the exit polls and both political parties are looked at very negatively. I think the Republicans better not misread this. This wasn't a vote for them, it was a rejection of the president and it was a rejection of the politics that's been practiced the last couple of years in Washington, D.C.