Cornyn, after losing primary, blasts GOP 'unforced political errors' in WSJ op-ed
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed the day after the midterms, outgoing Texas Sen. John Cornyn blamed divisive Republican candidates and infighting for the party's losses, and also faulted President Trump's reading of his mandate.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Outgoing Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) published a Wall Street Journal opinion piece on Wednesday 4 November criticising his own party after the midterm elections held the previous day. Washington ExaminerR “Outgoing Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) sharply criticized his own party Wednesday” Read at Washington Examiner ↗ Raw StoryL “wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed published Wednesday” Read at Raw Story ↗ Mixed · 2Cornyn wrote that "because of unforced political errors, my party, this administration and our country will miss an opportunity to make progress that was within reach," and that the Republican "beat-down wasn't only foreseeable, it was foreseen" because the party forgot the "basic rules of coalition politics." Washington ExaminerR ““I am sorry that because of unforced political errors, my party, this administration and our country will miss an opportunity to make progress that was within reach,” Cornyn wrote.” Read at Washington Examiner ↗ Raw StoryL “beat-down wasn't only foreseeable, it was foreseen," because Republicans forgot the "basic rules of coalition politics."” Read at Raw Story ↗ Mixed · 2He argued that successful coalitions "add, they don't subtract" and said candidates such as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Georgia's Mike Collins narrowed the party by focusing on grievances and attacks on Republicans they saw as insufficiently conservative; he also accused Texas candidate Bo French of bigoted comments about Indian Americans. Raw StoryL “The first rule, Cornyn wrote, is that "successful coalitions add, they don't subtract."” Read at Raw Story ↗ Washington ExaminerR “He specifically pointed to Paxton and Georgia Republican Senate nominee Mike Collins as examples of candidates who narrowed the party’s appeal”“accusing him of alienating voters with bigoted comments about Indian Americans” Read at Washington Examiner ↗
Mixed · 2"When nominees show contempt for voters and request a smaller Republican Party, voters oblige them," Cornyn wrote. Washington ExaminerR ““When nominees show contempt for voters and request a smaller Republican Party, voters oblige them,” Cornyn wrote.” Read at Washington Examiner ↗ Raw StoryL “"When nominees show contempt for voters and request a smaller Republican Party, voters oblige them," Cornyn wrote.” Read at Raw Story ↗ Mixed · 2Cornyn lost the Republican Senate nomination to Paxton, who had Trump's endorsement; Raw Story dates the runoff to May. Paxton then lost Tuesday's general election to Democrat James Talarico, who took 55.1% to Paxton's 43%, according to the Washington Examiner, which called it the first Democratic Senate win in Texas in nearly four decades. Washington ExaminerR “Paxton lost Tuesday’s general election to Sen.-elect James Talarico (D-TX), who won 55.1% of the vote to Paxton’s 43%.”“Talarico’s victory marks the first time a Democrat has won a Senate seat in Texas in nearly four decades” Read at Washington Examiner ↗ Raw StoryL “Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated him in the GOP primary runoff in May after Trump endorsed Paxton” Read at Raw Story ↗ Right · 1The Washington Examiner reports that the losses handed Democrats control of both chambers of Congress. Washington ExaminerR “handed Democrats control of both chambers of Congress on Tuesday” Read at Washington Examiner ↗
Right · 1Cornyn contrasted the candidates with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who he said has challenged establishment Republicans over "real policy differences" rather than "performative politics." Washington ExaminerR “Cornyn compared the trio to Secretary of State Marco Rubio” Read at Washington Examiner ↗ Left · 1According to Raw Story, Cornyn also criticised a "strange reverse personality test" in GOP primaries, citing Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who lost his primary this year. Raw StoryL “He also knocked what he described as a "strange reverse personality test" in GOP primaries.” Read at Raw Story ↗ Mixed · 2Cornyn also criticised the president: he wrote that Trump "repeated Mr. Biden's mistake and misread his mandate," with higher prices and aggressive immigration enforcement when voters wanted lower costs and secure borders, and mocked Trump's focus on "sideshows." The Examiner says he faulted both Biden's and Trump's administrations for squandering mandates. Raw StoryL “He argued the president "repeated Mr. Biden's mistake and misread his mandate,"” Read at Raw Story ↗ Washington ExaminerR “arguing both administrations squandered political mandates by pursuing policies that alienated voters” Read at Washington Examiner ↗
Mixed · 2Cornyn wrote that forcing voters to choose between policy and integrity "is unfair to them and suicidal for us," and that "Party leaders have to stop excusing the inexcusable and police our side of the aisle — or voters will continue to police it for us." He added that anyone willing to "restore integrity and rebuild our party can count me in." Raw StoryL “"is unfair to them and suicidal for us,"” Read at Raw Story ↗ Washington ExaminerR ““Party leaders have to stop excusing the inexcusable and police our side of the aisle — or voters will continue to police it for us,” he wrote.”““Anyone who is willing to turn the page, restore integrity and rebuild our party can count me in,” he wrote.” Read at Washington Examiner ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Presents the op-ed as a scathing postmortem by a senator ousted by Trump's pick, stressing the attack on Trump.
- Emphasis
- Trump's misreading of his mandate, 'sideshows', the 'suicidal' warning on integrity, and Trump's endorsement of Paxton over Cornyn.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not report Talarico's vote share or that Democrats won both chambers, and omits the Rubio comparison.
- Charged language
- “tore into”“scathing postmortem”“suicidal”“beat-down”
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- Presents it as an outgoing senator's sharp rebuke of Republican candidates' rhetoric and infighting, with the Texas result as context.
- Emphasis
- Paxton's loss to Talarico with vote shares, the comparison with Rubio, the Biden parallel, and Cornyn's openness to a continued role.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Gives less space to Cornyn's specific criticism of Trump's policies and leaves out the Massie example and the 'sideshows' remarks.
- Charged language
- “tears into”“sharply criticized”“scandal-plagued”
- For example
-
“blaming Republican candidates’ divisive rhetoric and political infighting for a string of bruising midterm election losses” — Washington Examiner
“a scandal-plagued Trump ally who secured the president’s last-minute endorsement” — Washington Examiner
What every side reports
- Cornyn wrote a Wall Street Journal op-ed on 4 November criticising Republican candidates and the party after the midterms.
- Cornyn lost the Texas Republican nomination to Ken Paxton, who was endorsed by Trump and then lost the general election.
- Cornyn named Paxton, Mike Collins and Bo French as examples of candidates who shrank the party's appeal.
Where accounts differ
-
How much of the op-ed's criticism is aimed at Trump
- Left
- Raw Story stresses that Cornyn "didn't spare Trump", quoting the "misread his mandate" and "sideshows" lines and the Triumphal Arch jibe.
- Right
- The Washington Examiner centres on divisive candidates and infighting, and mentions Trump's administration only alongside Biden's as having squandered a mandate.
John Cornyn person
Argues the losses were self-inflicted and foreseeable, blames candidates who shrink the party and a president who misread his mandate, and says he will help rebuild the party.
““Anyone who is willing to turn the page, restore integrity and rebuild our party can count me in,” he wrote.” — Washington Examiner
“"This is a losing mindset that Republicans must outgrow," Cornyn wrote.” — Raw Story
Republican Party party
Described through Cornyn's criticism as having lost ground by embracing fringe challengers; no party response is reported in either article.
““Today, it is fringe challengers who play down voting records and policy in favor of performative politics,” he wrote” — Washington Examiner
Left1 article
-
GOP senator rips his own party for ‘suicidal’ moves that sealed midterm ‘beat-down’
Mixed Frames the op-ed as a scathing attack on the GOP and Trump, with colourful quotes.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right1 article
-
John Cornyn tears into GOP’s ‘unforced political errors’ in post-midterm criticism
Neutral Reports the op-ed as a sharp intra-party rebuke, with detailed election results and context.
- 4 Nov 19:18 First Washington ExaminerR John Cornyn tears into GOP’s ‘unforced political errors’ in post-midterm criticism
- 4 Nov 22:33 +3h 15m Raw StoryL GOP senator rips his own party for ‘suicidal’ moves that sealed midterm ‘beat-down’
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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