CNN’s Cillizza: Biden, Harris, McConnell Get Coal for Christmas; Buttigieg, DeSantis, Manchin Get Candy Cane

 Friday on CNN’s “New Day,” network politics reporter and editor-at-large Chris Cillizza gave out his names of who would be getting coal in their stockings for Christmas this year and who would be getting candy canes.

According to Cillizza, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) are all getting coal.

“Joe Biden starts 2021 in the high 50s in approval rating, looks like he’s getting the coronavirus back under control, economy starting to recover. He ends the year with Omicron raging, with his approval rating in the low 40s, with some good signs in the economy but overall a very tough year for the President. So, coal,” Cillizza outlined. “I will also put Kamala Harris in the coal category. And it’s for a lot of reasons Zolan and Erica just talked about. I think that she has struggled to adapt to that role, as everyone who has ever been vice president has. This is not unique. Part of it is the job. That’s just the job of being vice president. So, I think she has struggled a little bit. I think the whole thing with Biden’s age, you know, is he running again, would she be the front runner, that complicates it. So, coal for her.”

“The other person who’s getting coal, Mitch McConnell,” he continued. “And I say this not because he had an unsuccessful legislative year or anything like that. It’s because he has become target number one for Donald Trump. Donald Trump calls him the old crow. He attacks him. He is trying to recruit someone to run against him as leader in the Senate. Mitch McConnell’s number two, John Thune, is reportedly thinking about walking away from politics. That would be a blow to McConnell as well. The last one I want to put in the coal category is the Republican Party, and I think this one probably the most important. This is a party that is currently organized and led by a man who falsely claims that the 2020 election was stolen. We cannot lose sight of that. He is not only arguing the election is stolen. He is working to put in place people, secretaries of state, lower-level offices who favor the idea of the election being stolen and might, in 2024, reverse an outcome. And I think we can’t lose sight of that. So, those are my four coals.”

He said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), and Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) all get candy canes.

“First getting a candy cane — Pete Buttigieg,” Cillizza stated. “I think he has had a really good year. he is headlining the best thing for Democrats that Joe Biden got done, the infrastructure package. He’s out there selling it. It’s getting good reviews.”

“On the other side, Ron DeSantis, I think, gets a candy cane,” he added. “I can already feel my Twitter feed blowing up because people hate Ron DeSantis, particularly Democrats. I’m talking about what his goals were at the start of the year and what the end of the year looks like. He wants to run for president. He has had a very good year in gaining support and loyalty within the Republican Party, so much so that Donald Trump is taking notice and has tried to throw a few punches back to say, hey, if I’m running, he better not be running. So, DeSantis. Third, and talk about your Twitter feed blowing up, Joe Manchin. Here’s why. Whether you agree or disagree with Joe Manchin, it is impossible to debate that Joe Manchin is the single most powerful United States Senator. And, as some people would argue, has as much power as the President of the United States in terms of getting the legislative agenda done. Joe Manchin didn’t want the Build Back Better act. We don’t have the Build Back Better back. If there is going to be a social safety spending bill, it is going to go through Joe Manchin. So, he is as powerful now as he has ever been.”