'Special Report' All-Star Panel on Biden's impact on McAuliffe's ticket
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}This is a rush transcript from "Special Report," November 2, 2021. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're going to win. I think we're going to win in Virginia. The race is very close. It's about who shows up, who turns out.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}I have not seen any evidence that, whether or not I am doing well or poorly, whether or not I have got my agenda passed or not, is going to have any real impact on winning or losing.
Even if we had passed my agenda, I wouldn't claim we won because Biden's agenda passed.
GLENN YOUNGKIN, (R) VIRGINIA GUBERNATORIAL NOMINEE: This race is about our kid's future, about Virginia's future, and Terry McAuliffe doesn't want to talk about it, Joe Biden doesn't want to talk about it, because they're on the side on big government.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: Well, there is a question about what this race comes down to in Virginia as we wait for the polls to close just 11 minutes from now. "Politico" had an opinion piece in which it says, "To some extent, the candidates are a sideshow. The outcome is far more likely to hinge on Joe Biden and Donald Trump and whether the president or ex-president proves to be a bigger anchor on his party. Biden's sagging approval ratings have fueled deep concern among Democrats that their voters, either out of weariness with last year's battle or disaffection with Biden's performance, may lack the enthusiasm to vote."
Let's bring in our panel tonight, Bill McGurn, columnist for "The Wall Street Journal," Mara Liasson, national political correspondent of National Public Radio, and "Washington Post" columnist Marc Thiessen. Mara, this is close heading in. It really wasn't supposed to be close. Glenn Youngkin closed the gap. But this, on this Election Day, how much is this about Biden and Trump as "Politico" suggests?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MARA LIASSON, NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO: We have seen races get more and more nationalized over time. Certainly, Terry McAuliffe tried to make this race about Trump, tying Glenn Youngkin to Trump. And Youngkin made sure that he kept a careful distance from Trump without alienating Trump's MAGA base. So, yes, I think that national figures really did loom over this race. And one of the problems with Virginia off year elections is they generally are overanalyzed. But they are also like a canary in a coalmine, and a lot of times they have been a preview of how the party in power does in the next midterms.
BAIER: We are seeing some voter analysis, Bill, early that Youngkin is doing pretty well with Trump voters, some nine out of 10 very or somewhat favorable view of the former President Trump he's getting, six out of 10 of somewhat unfavorable view of the former president. It seems like he has walked, tiptoed through the tulips of what was a dangerous political environment.
BILL MCGURN, COLUMNIST, "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL": Yes, I think he has done very well in that.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Look, I have a slight different take on this. I think what it shows is that the national figures aren't having the big impact on the race. Certainly, Terry McAuliffe wishes Trump were involved. He said it this weekend, I wish Trump was here, because all he has had -- he is a very bad candidate. All he has is suggesting Glenn Youngkin is a racist and crying Trump. And the other side, I think Joe Biden hasn't nationalized it. They tried to bring him. They brought in Barack Obama, Stacey Abrams, and it doesn't seem to have moved the needle.
Now, maybe we will find out that it did, that they brought out all these blue voters that wouldn't come. But it looks like it's really a race between the candidates. And I think Glenn Youngkin attached himself to some real bread and butter issues, literal bread and butter issue, the 2.5 percent tax on groceries, education, which is now the top issue.
I would put it this way, I think if Glenn Youngkin doesn't win in this environment, facing a bad candidate with a lot of breaks that have gone his way, it's hard for me to see any Republican winning statewide in Virginia. I think it will just be a blue state.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}BAIER: You're right, that's exactly right, if that's what turns out. Here are some sound about expectations tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TED CRUZ, (R-TX): I think Virginia is a very important canary in a coalmine. Biden has handed control much the agenda over to the radicals, over the Bernie Sanders and AOC and Elizabeth Warren. And I think people are horrified. I think Virginia is an aspect of that.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}SEN. TIM KAINE, (D-VA): I think there is a comfort level with Terry that's positive. The little dynamic in the race, I think Terry has the math. He has the early vote. I think we are going to win, and I think early voting is going to be the key to it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: Marc, you do have to remember this is a former governor of Virginia who knows the Democratic machine in that state. If it's very, very close, it's about turnout and who comes out on Election Day.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MARC THIESSEN, COLUMNIST, "WASHINGTON POST": And not doubt he has the machine going, and I agree with brother Bill that the Trump play hasn't worked. But Biden is no doubt a huge drag on McAuliffe's ticket. The early exit polls show that Biden's approval rating in Virginia in the exit polls is 43 to 56, and McAuliffe's is 44 to 53. So they are almost mirrored. McAuliffe is almost an avatar for Biden.
And look, education was obviously a big issue. But I think the tipping point in this election, if Youngkin wins, was Afghanistan. Not that voters are voting about Afghanistan and the Afghan withdrawal, but Afghanistan was the moment that millions of Americans, including millions of Virginians, decided Joe Biden is incompetent, that this administration can't handle it. His approval ratings across the country in the 50s. On every issue he had majority support, and it all fell out from under him on August 15th with the fall of Kabul and the weeks after with the withdrawal. So I think we're going to look back and see that that was a tipping point, not just for this election but also for 2022.
BAIER: Mara, the last time there was a big piece of legislation, or pieces of legislation that were really messy up on Capitol Hill, was frankly, Obama, 2009, 2010. There was a Virginia's governor's race back then where did well, foreshadowing what happened in the midterms. Take a listen to this about climate action and all of this negotiation about these bills.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER, (D-NY) SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: While there still would be much, much more work needed to protect our planet, this framework is a bold step in the right director.
REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES, (D-NY) HOUSE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS CHAIR: There's some technical issues that folks are working through with respect to some of the climate provisions. I believe at the end of the day we're going to find common ground, as we always do.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}SEN. JOE MANCHIN, (D-WV): I think time is going to be needed. And we are not in a rush right now. The rush was trying to get everything before the president went overseas. I think he is doing a good job. I've been listening what he is doing. I think the people are paying attention.
JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Joe is looking for the precise detail to make sure nothing got slipped in in terms of the way in which the legislation got written. I think we'll get this done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}BAIER: There are a lot of lawmakers looking for that, Mara, about what got slipped in and what's actually in the bill. So it seems like it's going to take at least a long time.
LIASSON: The Senate isn't going to vote for this until the middle of November, according to Schumer. Look, getting things done is supposed to be good politics, but the process of getting things done on Capitol Hill is terrible politics because it looks like a mess. It dispirits Democratic base voters. It really annoys independents. And that's pretty similar to Obamacare. Now, the difference is that back then there was a real movement against the substance of the bill, town meetings, members of Congress were yelled at. That's not happening here. People are not --
BAIER: That's because they don't know what's in it.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}LIASSON: Well, they know some things.
BAIER: Not in the reconciliation bill.
LIASSON: They know some things. I think it's a little bit different.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}BAIER: Bill, your thoughts real quick?
MCGURN: Yes, I think, look, it's a mess up there. Joe Biden came in promising to unite America. He can't even unite his own party. They were trying to get this done before his foreign trip. They didn't do it. And right now I think we still don't have the text and the actual, final actual bill that people want to read before they say yes.
BAIER: We'll follow all of this, and the countdown is on. Panel, thank you.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Content and Programming Copyright 2021 Fox News Network, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Copyright 2021 VIQ Media Transcription, Inc. All materials herein are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of VIQ Media Transcription, Inc. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content.