Morning Joe: All Episodes Talk

[oakville]

I was truly horrified by the stupid focus group people Halperin interviewed on the show today.

 

"I get my news from Glenn Beck and that's why I like Cruz."

 

All I needed to hear. Click.

 

I think it is interesting to listen to people's opinions on Trump & Cruz. I wonder if Halperin will do a focus group on undecided Democratic voters tomorrow.

[oakville]

Another article on Joe's love of Trump.

 

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/scarborough-has-a-choice-to-make-donald-trump-or-respectability/

[Eliot]

I am so happy he is finally getting called out on this. He will always harken back to that manufactured moment where he hung up on Trump as "evidence" he is not biased, but, really, I am convinced that whole thing was planned in advance.

[Landsnark]

Rattner was on with charts and showed how banks have 3% less investments under their control since Dodd-Frank.  Bloviatin', Hillary Hatin' Joe interrupted him to ejaculate a word salad that consisted of repeating anti-Hillary buzzwords and condemnations of banks and financial institutions.  I changed channels in the middle.  I have no idea why I give the show a chance every morning.  I never watch it for more than a few moments until I'm angered by his blatant self-serving hypocrisy. 

[sugarbaker design]

Joe never could handle the facts.

[Landsnark]

Rubio refused to be on Morning Joe?  http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/Joe-Scarborough-Rubio-Dark-Money-Chrisie/2016/02/11/id/713833/

 

How fun would it be if it's a Rubio/Clinton run and they each simply ignore Morning Joe?  I'd love that.

[represent]

 

Rattner was on with charts and showed how banks have 3% less investments under their control since Dodd-Frank.  Bloviatin', Hillary Hatin' Joe interrupted him to ejaculate a word salad that consisted of repeating anti-Hillary buzzwords and condemnations of banks and financial institutions.  I changed channels in the middle.  I have no idea why I give the show a chance every morning.  I never watch it for more than a few moments until I'm angered by his blatant self-serving hypocrisy.

LOL, you just wait till Trump gets elected.  I can't wait, Democrats bullshitting around OK. At this point I might vote for him because I'm not paying any college student's tuition out of my retirement fund Bernie. Yeah, Chris Matthews confirmed exactly what I thought about the Wall Street speculation tax. Get the money somewhere else Bernie and not off the back of the middle man.

 

Like I believe Bernie's retirement fund is hidden under his mattress. No, it's growing on Wall Street like the rest of us who might be fortunate enough to have a fund.  He acts like he has no business on the Wall IMO.

 

STFU Joe, your millions are being managed on the Wall as well.

Edited February 12, 2016 by represent

[oakville]

Joe goes on attack against Hilary's spokesman.

 

http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/mark-finkelstein/2016/02/12/scarborough-hillary-and-her-hack-spokesman-attack-obamas

 

Catching up with today's show. They compared Bernie & Hillary's ads for South Carolina. Eric Garners daughter supports Bernie. Rev Thompson's wife was murdered  at the Charleston church supports Hillary.

[oakville]

Eugene Robinson who is a native of SC said that Hillary has an edge over Bernie in SC but that African Americans will listen to Bernie.

Eugene said that 40M African American voters won't just look at what the leaders in the community thinks.

 

Mika  likes Bernie 's ads over Hillary.

 

Ratner said that Clinton was the first Black President , so they will do well with African Americans.

 

Mika said that African Americans haven't done well under Obama so it's a mistake for Hillary to hug Obama on that issue.

 

Ratner concede that Bernie's economic message on income inequality would gain votes in the African American community.

 

Joe showed up at 7 am. Mika was shocked & told Joe he should stay home to get some rest.

[stormy]

Also, Eric Gardner's wife supports Hillary.

[Rhetorica]

I really don't get this one at all.

And he keeps saying he'll do it with this "wall street speculation tax?" Someone needs to explain this to me. How is this going to affect the investments and 401K plans, because I'd be shocked if it didn't. What affect is this going to have on the business my financial adviser conducts on my behalf? Is this going to tax advisers more on the business they conduct? Because if it does, it's going to trickle down to me, the vanishing middle class, what else is new.

By all means, please make sure that they can't send their billions over some off shore bank and avoid paying taxes, and whatever else you must do to curb their greed if it's breaking laws but...

I mean maybe they could work on no interest loans for needy students, maybe a percentage off of their tuition, but free?

Is the speculation tax suppose to cover all of this?

Are the states picking up some of the cost? If so, how are these state schools suppose to pay the professors/instructors? I mean is the money going to come from the same budget in which the state pays it's elementary, middle and high school teachers? How are states suppose to shell out this money for free tuition and also the money needed to keep up the facilities in these institutions? If they don't keep up the facilities then the academics suffer.

I just don't get where the money is coming from at all?

I wondered about that too. Here's clarification, although I don't know if this is true.

Although the tax would be imposed on big banks and other large financial institutions, at least some of the pain would end up getting passed on to small investors, through higher costs to pension and insurance funds that invest in Wall Street.

But Warren Gunnels, policy director for the Sanders campaign, argued that if Wall Street firms pass on the cost to investors, tax credits would be available to help low- and moderate-income people defray the cost.

Full article:

http://www.npr.org/2016/02/12/466465333/sanders-favors-a-speculation-tax-on-big-wall-street-firms-what-is-that

[NextIteration]

 Rev Thompson's wife was murdered  at the Charleston church supports Hillary.

 

And here too, Mika had to pick sides in a morbid despicable way, implying that Clinton's ad was too "heavily produced" as if their losses were different because of the quality of the ad.

Edited February 13, 2016 by NextIteration

[oakville]

Catching up with Wednesday's show.  Mika said her daughter is feeling the Bern. Steve Schmidt said GOP voters were revolting against the Establishment.

[oakville]

And here too, Mika had to pick sides in a morbid despicable way, implying that Clinton's ad was too "heavily produced" as if their losses were different because of the quality of the ad.

True.

Speaking of  ads, the panel did not like Ted Cruz's Office Space parody ad of Hillary Clinton smashing a computer server with a baseball bat. Andrea Mitchell said that was not Presidential. Joe said only a few people knew about the movie.

[NextIteration]

In background discussions, NBC News and MSNBC journalists, reporters and staffers said there was widespread discomfort at the network over Scarborough's friendship with Trump and his increasingly favorable coverage of the candidate.

"People don't like that Joe is promoting Trump," one MSNBC insider said. Others described Scarborough's admiration for Trump as "over the top" and "unseemly."

Four of those sources also said that the growing media scrutiny over the two men's relationship has caused the network's leadership to more closely monitor Scarborough's comments. "The higher-ups are definitely aware about what's going on," said another person within MSNBC. "It's an issue."

link

[oakville]

Does MSNBC have a policy on their hosts endorsing candidates? I would think that the opinion hosts like Maddow, Matthews, Scarborough etc are allowed to say who they plan to vote for.

[Landsnark]

It could be argued that Scarborough is actually campaigning for Trump and is a proxy PR director.  Scarborough is providing Trump with hours of free cheerleading on the only daily AM political chat show on American television.  The air time that Scarborough has devoted to supporting and promoting Trump is worth tens of millions to hundreds of millions of dollars... let alone the volume of minutes that Scarborough brings on Trump via the phone.  Trump is on their show daily and is allowed to ramble on  unchecked and unquestioned.

I'm certain that when he hung up on Trump it was purely theater.  The first thing I thought of the moment I saw the article about this was that Scarborough would conveniently point to "the hang up" as "proof" that he is the most critical person of Trump.

 

But the most notable acknowledgment of Trump and Scarborough's relationship came on the morning after Trump's victory in the New Hampshire primary. In an interview with "Morning Joe," the GOP frontrunner told Scarborough and Brzezinski: "You guys have been supporters, and I really appreciate it."

The remark, which Trump sought to clarify -- "not necessarily supporters, but at least believers" -- sparked a hurried attempt by Scarborough and Brzezinski to dismiss the perception that they were pro-Trump."

[Ruby25]

I don't know- I know people are trying to be open minded and say maybe when it comes to Bernie and AA voters, but the gap was really wide in the last SC poll I saw. She was leading him 74-17. This sort of reminds me of when there was a brief period (really brief) in 2008 when media people were trying to say black female voters would be torn btw Hillary and Obama. Yeah...that did not happen.

[represent]

I wondered about that too. Here's clarification, although I don't know if this is true.

Although the tax would be imposed on big banks and other large financial institutions, at least some of the pain would end up getting passed on to small investors, through higher costs to pension and insurance funds that invest in Wall Street.

But Warren Gunnels, policy director for the Sanders campaign, argued that if Wall Street firms pass on the cost to investors, tax credits would be available to help low- and moderate-income people defray the cost.

Full article:

http://www.npr.org/2016/02/12/466465333/sanders-favors-a-speculation-tax-on-big-wall-street-firms-what-is-that

 

Still, hell no, LOL. 

 

But seriously, they wanted to rev up the young folk and that's great; but now, this old gal is starting to take several steps back.

 

Full disclosure, I grew up in a two party household and when I hear "free" my Republican dad starts showing up in me. I swear when Reagan won the White House especially the second time, you would have thought it was the Super Bowl, especially since I think he won by a landslide. I think I remember those words. Meanwhile, my poor mother was sitting in the corner of our den rolling her eyes.  It's was kinda funny then and it's hilarious to me now.

 

At any rate, don't play me Bernie, that's not the kind of Bern I want to feel. Keep your hands out of my retirement pocket.

 

I need to vote Democrat because I have always cared about the social issues, but...

[shok]

Ahhh, good old Joe. Reading a quotation from Chuck Schumer about nominating Supreme Court justices but conveniently leaving out quotes from Mitch McConnell and many other Republicans in 2005 about how despicable it would be for the Senate to block a sitting president from nominating a Supreme Court nominee:

"The Constitution of the United States is at stake.  Article II, Section 2
clearly provides that the President, and the President alone, nominates judges.
The Senate is empowered to give advice and consent.  But my Democratic
colleagues want to change the rules.  They want to reinterpret the Constitution
to require a supermajority for confirmation.  In effect, they would take away
the power to nominate from the President and grant it to a minority of 41
Senators."
"[T]he Republican conference intends to restore the principle that, regardless
of party, any President's judicial nominees, after full debate, deserve a
simple up-or-down vote.  I know that some of our colleagues wish that
restoration of this principle were not required. But it is a measured step
that my friends on the other side of the aisle have unfortunately made necessary.
For the first time in 214 years, they have changed the Senate's 'advise and
consent' responsibilities to 'advise and obstruct."

 
In fact, the Republicans should be prepared to have a whole lot of their quotes thrown back in their faces in the next few months. Just have a look at what they had to say. http://web.archive.org/web/20110521170148/http://democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=332924

 

Sam Stein is right. Both parties are being pretty hypocritical about the issue but that said, President Obama was the people's choice, twice, and has the right and in fact the responsibility to nominate a candidate for the Court.

[NextIteration]

@shok, did you catch John Oliver last night covering the "Thurmond" rule?  It's not surprising that even with Meacham there, it hasn't come up this morning.

[NextIteration]

::eyeroll::

Excuse me Mr. Geist, you smarmy asshole, it's the Democratic Party and this is not Fox News.

 

Gee Mika, what "truths" is Trump unearthing by pointing out the fact that really, Bush Jr didn't keep us safe?  He's just going against GOP Zombie lies (dogma).

 

Barnicle, no "we" didn't give us 15 years of war, Bush Jr and Cheney and the neocons did.

 

And you just gotta love Joe bringing Brokaw on to give himself cover for his Trump campaigning.

Edited February 16, 2016 by NextIteration

[shok]

 

Excuse me Mr. Geist, you smarmy asshole, it's the Democratic Party and this is not Fox News.

 

I didn't watch this morning. What did he say?

[NextIteration]

I didn't watch this morning. What did he say?

 

Eek, I can't remember the context now, but he said "Democrat Party" which is the way that FNC folks and GOPers refer to the Democratic Party.  It may have been during some sneering commentary about "the establishment" or "party elites".  I really can't abide him, adore his father though.

[tenativelyyours]

So before the debates Trump goes on and on how Obama is at fault for all the woes of the world and the pending threat of terrorist attacks.  Yet now in the debates all we hear from Trump is that Bush II was the problem since it sticks it to a hopeful Bush III.  I'm guessing as soon as Bush drops out it will be back to Trump's idiotic teenage speak of how Obama is the "worst" and how Trump will fix ISIS but good but can't tell us until he is elected because otherwise Suzie will Billy who will tell Trish and then the whole homecoming dance will be ruined.

 

I get that these assholes can't even remember the mis-truths and exaggerations and outright lies they tell, but Trump makes it so easy because he says to little.  Tons and tons and tons of words, but says so very very little.

[NextIteration]

Sigh.  Mika and Joe will be hosting a Trump Town Hall tomorrow night on MSNBC.

[tenativelyyours]

I'm wondering if MSNBC moved fast to set this up so they can try to sell it as showing how professional Scarborough and his sidekick are.  All the while ignoring, and hoping we all do too, that a town hall is not a debate and all these two have to do is stand and do their best to walk the line between looking thoughtful while a question is asked or having a difficult bowel movement.

 

If I had to place a bet I would say that Mika will bob her head as if the Big Orange Tool says the wisest and most profound things while Scarborough will pretend at least once to push back on one of Trump's answers but really just do so, so that Trump can "win" the point and Scarborough will so gracefully concede and say how right Trump is.  I'm guessing both Scarborough and Mika will try to get as much tongue bathing in as it permits.  I just hope Scarborough is as arrogant as I think he is and gets an invite post Town Hall by the Trump campaign and the squinty-eyed ego can't resist how important it makes him.

[Bossa Nova]

I just read the link above about the GOP town halls this week.

 

I do understand the format of a town hall and CNN's splitting up the candidates over 2 nights.

 

Yet, am I missing something here.... Trump gets his own town hall, with Scarb and Mika?!

 

WTF.

Edited February 16, 2016 by Bossa Nova

[slensam]

I just read the link above about the GOP town halls this week.

 

I do understand the format of a town hall and CNN's splitting up the candidates over 2 nights.

 

Yet, am I missing something here.... Trump gets his own town hall, with Scarb and Mika?!

 

WTF.

How does one candidate who is not even president yet get a town hall all to themselves? This is some egregious bullshit.

[NextIteration]

I don't even understand how this can be happening, the RNC point blank said no MSNBC.  That was for debates of course, but their heads have to be exploding.

[Landsnark]

Mika and Joe should wear helmets tomorrow night for their own safety.  Those softballs they are going to gently lob to Trump are going to be fired right back at them.  It'll be like a batting cage.

Also, shocker they arranged for this.  It's 70'something degrees here right now, beautifully sunny, and it's Charleston.  And Trump is their bff.   Do MSNBC execs even watch their own network, I wonder?  This is a paid vacation for them.

[represent]

@shok, did you catch John Oliver last night covering the "Thurmond" rule?  It's not surprising that even with Meacham there, it hasn't come up this morning.

Hehe, love Oliver, I saw it, watched it with both rage and uncontrollable laughter at those sticks they used to reach over and vote for the dead.

 

Which brings me to Oliver running the Trump town hall meeting as the only way I'd be able to watch it.

 

I love that "wee rat faced," guy.

Edited February 16, 2016 by represent

[Andyourlittledog2]

They have a fucking countdown clock to the Trump Town Hall looming large in the right lower corner of their screen,  So we won't be permitted to ignore it. 

 

I can't even leave my TV on MSNBC any more because I turn on the TV and walk away to do something and suddenly the air in my house is filled with the blathering of Trump or Cruz or Rubio (but mostly Trump) and I practically break a leg dashing back to my TV remote to change the channel.  Was that what they were going for with their OTT programming of all things Trump, do you think?  

 

This morning I caught Joe Scarborough going on about how George W Bush was the big 'middle finger' to the establishment when he was elected. The big outsider. Seriously. He is now selling Bush as not establishment, just like Trump! Per Joe. He also went on and on about how he 'has said for years', 'said way back when', 'always knew' all things ever. He should start his own church he's so freakishly accurate in prophesying, our Joe is. Scary how he knows all long before anyone else does. And Mika nods solemnly, attesting to Joe's truthiness.  These two are like some weird comedy duo taking it on the road. Except that they are serious and not at all funny. 

 

I may have that stroke I've been threatening before this election year is over. I can't even tune to MSNBC any more without wanting to punch a wall. Damn 'em. 

[represent]

All I know is Trump is starting to threaten again about going third party. He said it at the press conference yesterday, about how he signed that "pledge" but the RNC is reneging because he wants them to overturn that vote in Iowa. So here he goes again threatening about not being treated fairly, suing Cruz and breaking off on his own.

 

So I'm waiting, because the minute he decides to go his own way, I'll know he wasn't trying to get elected after all and that he really was working for his "buddies" the Clintons, or the DP in general.

 

Works for me, it takes down the RP, so it works for me. 

Edited February 16, 2016 by represent

[Padma]

So, MSNBC is counterprogramming to CNN's townhall with Rubio, Cruz and Carson?  Is this a ratings gambit to show that Trump draws bigger than the other three?

 

Then CNN has him in -another- townhall (actually one that's not just a showcase for him, hosted by his bffs) on Thursday? WTH?

 

I read that MSNBC was "concerned" about Scarb and Mika's friendship with Trump and how it was infecting (my word) their coverage. Apparently, with this stunt just 3 days before the crucial SC primary, that is definitely NOT the case at all! 

 

(And let's not forget the fawning "Citizen Trump"--zero journalism, nice PR piece that Trump could have made for himself). It aired before Iowa and before NH. I guess it was too obvious to play it again before SC so they came up with this instead.

[NextIteration]

What the heck is Joe talking about - using Amy Klobuchar as an example of someone saying "we need to take our country back" or did he mean she's asking "from whom"?  If he meant the former, he's full of shit.

[oakville]

Mika & Joe are excited about hosting the Townhall. Barnicle said the NY times could do in depth articles on Trump's unethical business practices but Trump could rebut them quickly with an instagram post.

 

Joe acknowledged that Trump had a poor performance on Saturday's debate. Sanders & Clinton are tied in Nevada.

 

Heileman said there is Bush fatigue in South Carolina.

[NextIteration]

So, MSNBC is counterprogramming to CNN's townhall with Rubio, Cruz and Carson?  Is this a ratings gambit to show that Trump draws bigger than the other three?

 

Then CNN has him in -another- townhall (actually one that's not just a showcase for him, hosted by his bffs) on Thursday? WTH?

 

Sure stretches the definition of exclusive,no?

[MyAimIsTrue]

What the heck is Joe talking about - using Amy Klobuchar as an example of someone saying "we need to take our country back" or did he mean she's asking "from whom"?  If he meant the former, he's full of shit.

 

He'd better not be messing with Amy Klobuchar.  I'm not from Minnesota and have never even been there but I love her.

[KittyS]

I'm hoping I misheard, but I believe Mika just characterized Hillary's campaign as being about, "I'm a victim, I'm a woman, vote for me!" WTF, Mika? Both Hillary and Bernie seem to be running mostly issues-based campaigns and that is the message she's hearing?

I'm pissed that MSNBC is essentially giving Trump what will amount to 2 hours of free air time. I doubt those two are going to challenge him on any of his nonsense. It will probably be similar to their fawning Koch brothers interview.

I am usually annoyed by this show, but the election is pushing me into rage territory.

Edited February 17, 2016 by KittyS

[Landsnark]

I was going to write a bunch of stuff about the show that annoys me... but there's too much.  Joe enthusiastically insulting Clinton for being paid to speak, then later asking a NYT writer why "the media" feels free to attack her constantly.  Mika insulting Obama in order to praise Trump (and what she said was childish to the point of moronic).  Meachem claiming "You know... the conventions of politics, people are exhausted by them," on a conventional political talk show that has grown to treat policy and governance as a celebrity-driven reality show... without a hint of self-awareness that he, Joe, Mika, MSNBC, the format, their competitors are part of the problem.

This show is just bad.  It's wildly biased.  The commenters are unmoored from traditional journalistic ethics and they never honestly turn their focus to their own GIANT role in driving narratives and generating influence.  Driving a new narrative is the name of the game in today's media, and political media is no different now than celebrity gossip... especially to your rank and file voter who has never missed an American Idol or any of their pet reality shows.

I need to find a new show.

[Mumbles]

It was a little rich watching Barnicle question Marc Leibovich about his column on shamelessness (namely, Trump's). A serial plagiarist whose rich white boy friends got him gigs on MSNBC is the definition of shamelessness.

I like Leibovich but was puzzled by his sort-of defense of Rubio's breakdown at the NH debate by claiming that all politicians prepare answers. Yes, politicians have stump speeches that they resort to - but never to the extent that Rubio has in this campaign. He couldn't even drop the canned soundbite when specifically called out on it. That panic and lack of independent thought is terrifying in a possible future world leader.

[NextIteration]

I've decided that Joe insulted my beloved Senator Amy for two reasons, Rachel has been fan-girling about her and interviewed her last night, and the reason that Rachel is fan-girling her is that her name is on the short-list of talked about possible SCOTUS nominees.  They left that stupid assertion in the third hour, which they often edit just a touch - as we know.  (Take out people disagreeing, saying fair things about Clinton and the like.)

[slensam]

The more I think about this Trump "town hall" thing the more I get annoyed. This has to be one of the more unethical jounalistic events that I can remember. They're his friggin' press agents at this point

[Landsnark]

The show is going to be 1/4 mile from my house for the rest of the week.  So I think I'll go with my SIL, MIL, and a neighbor.  They're each already white blonde and they will wear tight black turtlenecks and will each hold a sign (like a word balloon, thought bubble, etc...) above their heads that says, "Duh."  Since Scarborough already dresses like me, and I feel certain we'll both be hungover, I just have to put on a wig that matches his hair, squint, and hold up a sign above my head that says, "Shut up!  I am right!"

[represent]

 

 

The commenters are unmoored from traditional journalistic ethics and they never honestly turn their focus to their own GIANT role in driving narratives and generating influence.  Driving a new narrative is the name of the game in today's media, and political media is no different now than celebrity gossip... especially to your rank and file voter who has never missed an American Idol or any of their pet reality shows.

I need to find a new show.

Yep, I posted this weeks ago that this was a reality show in response to the posted "sexy" picture of Joe and Mika on a table showing her "goods." I said the picture was right on point because this wasn't  a credible news show, it was a reality show. I watch enough of them, I know the traits. But I also watch real news shows like VICE and I can clearly tell the difference IMO.  This is so a reality show. 

 

When Joe punches in the air at what he considers a great slam at Obama from Trump, he looks like a boy on the playground. Yes, you're suppose to comment on whether the President's comments matter, help/hurt Trump; but as a journalist, you're not suppose to come off as a fanboy. Viewers really should NOT be able to tell whose team your on. 

 

What they should have also focused on was Obama's comment on Rubio, and how he walked away from his own bill. He never mentioned his name but he said they have "one" who walked away from his own bill and if anyone has been paying attention you know that's Rubio.  Yeah, Obama knows which way the wind blows. But they are so in heat for Trump that's all they noticed. 

 

Here it is the next day and Robot Rubio is still getting that push from his fellow Republicans cause I'm sure they believe that he can knock out Cruz in the end. And Trump is polling second nationally.

Edited February 17, 2016 by represent

[oakville]

I am watching Mika & Joe's town hall with Trump. The camera work is horrible. Trump's head takes up most of the screen. Mika is wearing a very short black skirt. Joe is wearing a suit jacket with no socks. They aren't allowing many questions from the audience. Trump wants Germany & Japan & South Korea to pay more for US troops stationed in those countries. Trump wants Bush to donate the remaining money in his Super Pac to Wounded Warriors. Trump refused to name 3 foreign policy advisors until next week. Trump said he will be a great negotiator.

[Ohwell]

I am watching Mika & Joe's town hall with Trump. The camera work is horrible. Trump's head takes up most of the screen.

 

oakville, you need hazard pay for watching this.

[novhappy]

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2016/02/msnbc_s_town_hall_with_donald_trump_was_disgraceful.html

Awesome takedown!

[suomi]

OK so these two posers had The Orange One tonight but Rachel Maddow has an hour of one-on-one with Joe Biden tomorrow night, in addition to her regular show. And, scene.