The hosts of ABC's "The View" did not react well Wednesday to a disappointing result for Democrats in Georgia's special House race the prior night.
In the wake of Democrat Jon Ossoff suffering a defeat to Karen Handel in Georgia's sixth district and keeping the seat in Republican hands, the show went into damage control mode, with host Whoopi Goldberg insisting the race was much closer than anyone expected.
She had trouble recalling the last race where Republicans won a narrow special election contest before being reminded it was Montana.
"The strides [Ossof] made are more proof that there are people coming in and making a difference," host Sara Haines said.
However, Ossoff led in some polls heading into the race, and overall more than $30 million went into what was ultimately a losing effort.
Host Joy Behar said the fact remains that the Democrats are winless in House races since President Donald Trump took office.
"If you're using Donald Trump as your basis for your campaign, I don't know if it's working," she said. "I don't think people are going towards the Democrats in enough numbers at this point, and it's a problem."
Host Sunny Hostin pointed to the high education level of the district as a sign that it is more likely wealthier and more inclined to vote Republican, although 13 of the 15 best-educated districts in the country are represented by Democrats.
"Generally speaking, Republicans vote in bigger numbers than Democrats, so the trick is to get these people to the polls," Behar said.
She slammed the Democrats for not getting Ossoff to actually move into the district itself, which was a constant sticking point for him on the campaign trail.
Goldberg said she did not see the election's outcome as a "loss," but rather as "slow progress." The crowd applauded.
Host Jedediah Bila said Ossoff offered a jumbled message of being anti-Trump but also occasionally hitting conservative talking points that appealed to the district.