As Appalachians Languish, CBS Moderators Minimize Deadly Hurricane Helene With Climate Change Question
The power is still out in the southeastern states ravaged by Hurricane Helene, and the vice-presidential debate between Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, and Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., was the last thing on the minds of the victims. With powerlines snarled on the ground, they couldn’t watch as their tragedy was reduced to a question about “climate change” by tone-deaf CBS debate moderators Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan.
In Appalachia, families mourn some 160 dead, and scores more are reeling from the loss of their homes, towns, and all things familiar. Many are still trying to source regular access to water, gas, and shelter. Storm recovery is one of the biggest things happening in the U.S. right now, so it is not surprising Helene was a debate topic.
Here’s how the only hurricane related question was phrased for J.D. Vance.
“Scientists say climate change makes these hurricanes larger, stronger, and more deadly because of the historic rainfall … Seven in 10 Americans and more than 60 percent of Republicans under the age of 45 favor the US taking steps to try and reduce climate change. What responsibility would the Trump administration have, to try and reduce the impact of climate change?”
It is a leading, assumptive question that suggests, if the weather would stay just a few degrees cooler, hurricanes would not kill people. CBS could have just as easily asked, how will Donald Trump stop hurricanes during hurricane season in the future?
Brennan and O’Donnell had to take the climate change angle to steer away from the Biden-Harris administration’s pitiful disaster response.
Neither President Joe Biden nor Vice President Kamala Harris immediately traveled to the region to offer hurting people condolences or pledge support. Why change your schedule when a social media staffer can express the same idea in a quick post? Because nothing helps you understand a situation like seeing it firsthand, and showing up is what leaders are expected to do.
“Let’s start with the hurricane, because it’s an unbelievable, unspeakable human tragedy,” Vance said. ”We want as robust and aggressive as a federal response as we can get, to save as many lives as possible, and then, of course, afterwards, to help the people in those communities rebuild … They need their government to do their job, and I commit that when Donald Trump is president again, the government will put the citizens of this country first when they suffer from a disaster.”
He did address the climate change part of the question.
“Let’s just say that’s true. Just for the sake of arguments, let’s say we are not arguing about weird science,” Vance said. “If you believe that, what would you want to do? The answer is that you want to restore as much American manufacturing as possible, and you want to produce as much energy as possible in the United States of America, because we’re the cleanest economy in the entire world.”
Biden/Harris policies have led to more energy production in China, more manufacturing overseas, and the U.S. doing more business in some of the dirtiest parts of the world.
Walz said his “heart goes out to the folks down there,” and explained that governors work with emergency management before the federal government comes in. Then he pivoted to climate change.
“There’s no doubt this thing roared onto the scene faster and stronger than anything we’ve seen,” Walz said. “We’ve seen massive investments … in the Inflation Reduction Act that has created jobs all across the country.” Hs spoke of electric vehicle technology, and solar manufacturing propped up by government subsidies.
“The solution for us is to continue to move forward. That climate change is real. Reducing our impact is absolutely critical. But this is not a false choice. You can do that at the same time you’re creating the jobs that we’re seeing all across the country. That’s exactly what this administration has done. We are seeing us becoming an energy superpower for the future, not just the current. And that’s what absolutely makes sense.”
CBS seemingly cares little about its Appalachian viewers because the questions continued deeper into climate change. Hurricane Helene was never mentioned again, missing an opportunity to address the massive disaster and failing to underscore some real problems in America.
How about a question about our aging infrastructure: the crumbling bridges now washed away; the compromised dams; the blighted businesses that stopped paying local taxes for emergency services and other needs? What about the miles of water pipes disintegrating under our feet, overwhelmed water treatment facilities, and the aging power grid? All these vital issues needed federal funding attention before. Now that they have been washed away, it must all be rebuilt from scratch. Surely some of these weaknesses were no match for powerful Helene, but questions about these issues would have been more meaningful. How soon can we get some roads built? When can we get the water flowing again? Is a gas tanker on the way?
These questions are perfect for a debate because it is not just for Appalachia.
The American people want these answers too. We feel badly for the hurting victims. We want our tax dollars to help them. And we want to know that our leaders will use the money we sweat for, to help us if we ever face such devastation.
Beth Brelje is an elections correspondent for The Federalist. She is an award-winning investigative journalist with decades of media experience.
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