MSNBC host Jonathan Capehart said Sunday that it looked very much like the American people were leaning toward giving Republicans a chance to lead the House of Representatives.
Capehart made the comment during a conversation on “The Sunday Show” with guest and Democratic Majority Whip James Clyburn (SC), saying that with just over ten months to go until the 2022 midterm elections, polling did not appear to be moving in a direction favorable to President Joe Biden.
“Let’s talk about these poll numbers. The president’s poll numbers. And the wrong track,” Capehart began noting that Biden’s approval numbers have continued to slip while the number of Americans who believe the country is headed in the wrong direction has risen. “One, your reaction to those poll numbers. And, two, what can the president do to turn them around?”
Clyburn conceded that the poll numbers were “concerning,” even “disconcerting,” and immediately pivoted to suggest that somehow former President Donald Trump was entirely responsible for the current situation.
“These two parties have already — always worked together to ensure this democracy keeps moving toward a more perfect union. That’s not what it is today. The Democrats are carrying us along. The Republicans have vacated any pursuit of perfection and have now turned themselves over to a cult leader and their party is no more,” he claimed.
“I hear you on that, Whip Clyburn. Yet in the poll it shows, asking the respondents about who they think should have control of Congress. 47% say Democrats should have control. 46% say that Republicans have control. But what I found concerning in that poll is that since April 2021, the number — the percentage of people who believe that Republicans should have control of Congress has been inching up,” Capehart pushed back. “So despite what you’re saying about not having a governing partner, the American people seem to be slowly but surely thinking, hey, maybe the Republicans should be given a shot, given the gavel back in the House.”
.@CapehartJ: “The American people seem to be slowly but surely thinking, ‘Hey, maybe the Republicans should be given a shot, given the gavel back in the House.'”
Rep. Clyburn (D-SC): “I’ve been saying to my party … let’s stop mimicking what the Republican talking points are.” pic.twitter.com/xcJH0zMufS
— The Recount (@therecount) January 23, 2022
Clyburn then argued that the main reason anyone believed Republicans should have control was that Democrats weren’t saying enough about their accomplishments.
“I’ve been saying to my party quite a bit, let’s stop mimicking what the Republican talking points are. We keep talking about what the Democrats are not doing. No, the glass is not full. It is only half full. So let’s see what we can do by focusing on that part of the glass that is half full, rather than keep concentrating on that half empty part,” Clyburn said. “Look at what we have done with the Rescue Act. Look at what we have done with the infrastructure bill. And stop talking about the fact we have not done Build Back Better. No, we haven’t. But we will. We already rescued these families. Let’s talk about that.”