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Alex Thompson Elliot Williams CNN This Mornign 10-4-24 Q. How do you know that Liz Cheney’s endorsement of Kamala Harris is entirely unlikely to shift the election in any detectable way?

A. When a CNN liberal admits that its impact will likely be limited to “one lady in Wisconsin.”

Those were the surprising words of legal analyst Elliot Williams, who served for eight years in the Obama administration, on today’s CNN This Morning. His remark earned a round of laughter on the panel, though former Biden aide Meghan Hays suggested that  “One lady might decide this entire election!”

GOP strategist Matt Gorman was in rare form. Responding to Trump calling Cheney a “stupid war hawk,” Gorman said, “I think that was the name of my college mascot.”  He added “I’m not going to pretend that Liz Cheney’s endorsement going to have an effect in this race, except make extremely online liberals feel good about a Republican for once” and granting a “media moment” — because “Republicans attacking other Republicans is going to be catnip for the mainstream media. “

Putting aside the wan hope that the one lady in Wisconsin could end up swinging the whole election to Harris, there was no serious suggestion on the panel that Cheney’s endorsement would have any measurable impact on the election. But it does give media Democrats a reason for good cheer, joy and vibes and all that. 

If an endorsement falls in the forest, and no voter cares about it . . . 

Here’s the transcript.

CNN This Morning
10/4/24
6:01 am EDT

DONALD TRUMP:  Liz Cheney is a stupid war hawk. All she wants to do is shoot missiles at people.

. . . . 

MATT GORMAN:  Yeah, I mean, stupid war hawk. I think that was my college mascot.

But no look, Liz Cheney can vote for anyone she wants. I’m just, I’m not going to pretend that Liz Cheney’s endorsement going to have an effect in this race, except make extremely online liberals feel good about a Republican for once. 

But then, look, I also think that the Kamala Harris team is smart in this regard. They know that Republicans attacking other Republicans is going to be catnip for the mainstream media. So setting it in Ripon, where the Republican party was founded, and doing something, it’s less about, I think actually the Liz Cheney thing, but trying to create a media moment that contrasts with Trump, I think, to Alex’s point.

. . . 

ELLIOT WILLIAMS: There’s nobody that votes against Kamala Harris because Liz Cheney is supporting her. But there might be people who could support her on account of Liz Cheney’s support. 

Now look, it’s probably one lady in Wisconsin. It’s not a wide swath —

MEGHAN HAYS: One lady might decide this entire election!

WILLIAMS: Glad as I am at the notion that one lady is going to decide the entire election, however, you know, to your point, it’s not going to be a major swing one way or another.

GORMAN: I think they’re all not equal, right? If Nikki Haley came out and supported Kamala Harris, which she didn’t. But if she did, that would be a little different thing. If John McCain were still around, he was out there campaigning for Kamala Harris in Arizona, I would take folks’ point here.

But I think not all Republicans are built alike, right? So trotting out random former Trump staffers or Liz Cheney, I think the power of endorsement also comes when it’s not as expected, right? Liz Cheney has very clearly been a critic of Trump for many years now. Whatever you think about it, the issues that really propel her have, I think, in large part, already been baked in, so it’s less of a surprise.