The networks reacted negatively to Ted Cruz's "long-winded protest." On Wednesday, George Stephanopoulos derided it as "bizarre [1]." This is not exactly the reception Democratic state senator Wendy Davis received when she fought against pro-life legislation in Texas. [MP3 audio here [2].]
On June 27, CBS This Morning correspondent Manuel Bojorquez thrilled, "The marathon filibuster that went viral has turned a little-known Texas lawmaker into a national political star." He added, "Some political analysts are comparing it to the 1988 Democratic convention speech that catapulted Ann Richards to the national stage." On July 1, CNN's Miguel Marquez enthused, "A Democrat in the governor’s mansion here? Unthinkable a week ago; a ‘maybe’ today."
MSNBC's Ed Schultz could barely contain his praise for the obscure state senator: "If I were Wendy Davis, I would not limit myself to think about just being the governor of Texas. I think that she is a star. I think she has the guts, the political moxie. She is exactly what women in this country have been begging for."
On June 27, This Morning co-anchor Charlie Rose prompted, "It [the filibuster] has also catapulted you in the political limelight. Will you run for governor or for national office now?"
Diane Sawyer touted the liberal "folk hero [3]."
A sampling of pro-Wendy Davis hype can be found below:
"The marathon filibuster that went viral has turned a little-known Texas lawmaker into a national political star....Some political analysts are comparing it to the 1988 Democratic convention speech that catapulted Ann Richards to the national stage."
— Correspondent Manuel Bojorquez on CBS This Morning, June 27.
"She was a state senator Tuesday morning. By Wednesday, she was a political celebrity known across the nation....Her feat of stamina and conviction gained thousands of Twitter followers in a matter of hours. Pictures of the sneakers she wore beneath her dress zoomed across computer and television screens....Even President Obama noticed, posting a Twitter message on Tuesday that read, ‘Something special is happening in Austin tonight.’"
— New York Times correspondent Manny Fernandez in a June 27 article.
"You’ve met tough things before in your life, though, as a single mother, a woman who went from community college to TCU to Harvard Law School, and back to practice law. So, this seems to be another challenge for you....It [the filibuster] has also catapulted you in the political limelight. Will you run for governor or for national office now?"
— Co-host Charlie Rose setting up an interview with Davis on CBS This Morning, June 27.
"A Democrat in the governor’s mansion here? Unthinkable a week ago; a ‘maybe’ today."
— Correspondent Miguel Marquez on CNN's New Day, July 1.
"If I were Wendy Davis, I would not limit myself to think about just being the governor of Texas. I think that she is a star. I think she has the guts, the political moxie. She is exactly what women in this country have been begging for."
— MSNBC’s Ed Schultz on The Ed Show, June 30.
— Scott Whitlock is Senior News Analyst at the Media Research Center. Follow Scott Whitlock on Twitter. [4]