ABC, NBC and MSNBC panels tout Democratic 'determination' ahead of midterms: 'Democrats have to defy history'

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MSNBC, NBC and ABC panels tout Democrat enthusiasm ahead of midterm elections

Guests and hosts on the MSNBC, NBC and ABC Sunday news programs appeared confident in the Democratic Party ahead of the midterm elections.

NBC, ABC and MSNBC panels appeared confident in Democratic enthusiasm during Sunday's news programs ahead of the midterm elections despite facing historical headwinds and high inflation.

"I think Pennsylvania is going to be one of those states that we turn to on election night, and we’ll see Fetterman who’s running a really good aggressive campaign as well, I think that race will go toward the Democrats," former DNC Chair Donna Brazile said during ABC's "This Week," expressing confidence in Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman. 

"The mobilization is there, the enthusiasm is finally there on the Democratic side, they know everything is on the line, everything is on the table, we have some close races that I think the part should still be concerned about especially in North Carolina where I think the Senate race is one that we can win, Ohio Democrats can win but overall we know that Democrats have to defy history, and we also have to deal with the fact that the Republicans have not just enormous resources but a movement, a movement that we have to combat," she continued. 

Fetterman currently leads Republican candidate Mehmet Oz 51% to 44% among likely general election voters, according to a Marist College Poll. 

During MSNBC's "The Sunday Show," host Jonathan Capehart asked Rev. Al Sharpton if Democrats were still as confident about their midterm prospects as they were at the beginning of the summer. 

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. and Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman speaks to a crowd gathered at aa United Steel Workers of America Labor Day event with President Biden in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, just outside Pittsburgh, Monday Sept. 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Rebecca Droke)

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Sharpton said he sensed a real "determination" at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Phoenix Awards over the last few days.  

"The mood is that they are determined that they are not going to allow us to go back into the Trump era. I think the energizer, more than anyone, is Donald Trump," Sharpton said. 

He said the poll numbers in Florida, Georgia and Pennsylvania were "close."

"This is not a given. I think there was a lot of determination last night at the annual dinner. Both the president and vice president spoke," he added. "And they really laid out what they have done, but your toward the Black community. That messaging is where they think they are going to have to do in the next four weeks."

Capehart asked Sharpton about several elections across the U.S. including the Georgia gubernatorial election. Capehart noted how Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp leads Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams by 7 points, according to a Fox News poll. 

Rev. Al Sharpton says there is real determination among Democrats ahead of the midterm election.  (Screenshot/MSNBC/TheSundayShow)

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"But I think you cannot underestimate Stacey Abrams on the ground, with real organization. And she is probably one of the most gifted candidates that could be governing this country. So I wouldn’t worry about the polls, if I was Stacey. Stacy has a stealth kind of operation," Sharpton said, adding that if they didn't "move the polling site" last time, she would have "won." 

NBC's Chuck Todd asked his panelists what the "bigger story" was, "that Republicans have caught up, or that Democrats haven't fallen back." 

USA Today's Susan Page said that abortion really helped Democrats and crime was really helping Republicans. She pivoted to the Wisconsin Senate race and said Democrat Mandela Barnes was getting "caught up" in the "same phenomenon" that some Republicans have been caught up in, "things you've said in the past maybe when you weren't running for this particular office have resurfaced and portray you as extreme."

She added that Barnes' "unfavorable" ratings have gone up but that Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., his opponent, has not improved his favorability ratings. 

Democratic Senate candidates Rep. Tim Ryan, Sen Raphael Warnock, PA Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, WI Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes ((Daniel Acker/Getty) (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) (Michael M. Santiago/Getty) (Brandon Bell / Getty_Images))

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Dispatch editor Stephen Hayes said the bigger story was that Republicans aren't "doing better" as inflation remains high and added that it should already be a blowout for the GOP. 

Johnson, R-Wis., has a five-point lead, 51% to 46%, over Barnes in the Wisconsin's Senate race, according to an AARP survey. Johnson also leads by 10 points among Independent voters in the state.