Morning Joe: All Episodes Talk

[millennium]

7:09 AM.  That's when I reached for the remote.

Mika the Philosopher declares that evaporating donations are being cited as a reason Biden should withdraw, then asks but are the donations evaporating because everyone is saying he should step down.   Is it the chicken or the egg, Mika asks, probably believing she just invented that riddle herself.

THEN, Barnicle wades in, comparing what the Democrats are doing to Biden to telling Grandpa he can't sit at the head of the table on Thanksgiving anymore, and it hurts Grandpa's feelings, and makes Grandpa angry and ...

CLICK.

[Kemper]

That is the thing about Meeka.  Everything she has accomplished in life - marriage, career - are the result of her family name and who she is married to. No shame in that. But I don't think her recent "lecturing" to people and corporate heads who want Biden to step down is professional. And it would not be tolerated by any network except for who her husband is.

She needs a time-out; go to the South of France and take a break. Come back after the Democratic Convention and report on the upcoming election without lecturing and shrill hysteria. Because you are making Morning Joe unwatchable for me.  

[tres bien]

When it comes to VP Harris Mika doesn't seem to tout how important KYV is 

Edited July 19 by tres bien

[oakville]

Mika was happy that Biden's campaign manager showed up. She said Biden will stay in the race! Perhaps, Mika could join the campaign during the summer.

I hope Mika & Joe agree to go to the DNC convention this summer.

[millennium]

1 hour ago, oakville said:

Mika was happy that Biden's campaign manager showed up. She said Biden will stay in the race! Perhaps, Mika could join the campaign during the summer.

[oakville]

2 hours ago, millennium said:

Mika would never travel by train.  She wrote in her first book that she never flew first class while being married to her first husband.

Joe offered to take her to Pensacola on a private jet in 2010 when they were doing a story on the BP oil spill in Florida.

[chick binewski]

13 hours ago, millennium said:

And now Mika's bloviating about how the poor treatment Biden has received from other Democrats is a betrayal of him, especially after all he's accomplished. 

I could only bear to watch a few minutes today (btw any kind of chryon about Crowdstrike would have been helpful before I had to go to Walmart, guys) but I actually thought Barnacle articulated the situation better. The dems are doing what they're doing in an incredibly shitty fashion. I think I even agreed with Sharpton this morning.

And FFS Mika is it 50 Over 50 because it's a round number you can remember? Sen. Bernie's age is easily found on the interwebs. 

[millennium]

7 hours ago, chick binewski said:

I could only bear to watch a few minutes today (btw any kind of chryon about Crowdstrike would have been helpful before I had to go to Walmart, guys) but I actually thought Barnacle articulated the situation better.

Right now, hurt feelings are a luxury the Democrats can't afford.   Guys like Barnicle, Biden and other octogenarians can nurse their sense of injustice all day long because if Biden blows this election and the shit really starts to come down in 2025, the fact is they won't have to suffer through it for very long, and they know it.   The rest of us, especially Americans under the age of 50, will be fucked for years after all those old men are in the ground.

That's what makes me so upset about Mika playing to the keep-Biden side.   These pundits only see things from their own POV.  They completely disregard the dystopia staring everybody else in the face.  

Maybe Mika figures she's wealthy, she's a celebrity, the daughter of a Washington insider, so she'll be safe no matter what.  But what about other women, Mika?   Or is it only  women like you, Huma Abedin and the attendees of your stupid KYV conferences who have value?   Mika poses as a defender of women retaining control over their bodies, yet apparently she's perfectly willing to gamble with the lives and autonomy of women nationwide to spare the feelings of a family friend. 

I'm LGBT, I have relatives who are LGBT, and dear friends who are LGBT.   Do we have value, Mika?   Do you know what will happen to us if Biden blows this?  First, they'll outlaw marriages and curtail our access to health care.   They'll legislate gay and transgender people right back into the closet while creating social "permission structures" that will lead everyday Americans to feel good about persecuting and attacking anyone who is different.

Speaking of health care, I'm 100% dependent on the Affordable Care Act for my medical coverage.   That's gonna go away, guaranteed.   And what about all the older people on Medicare and Social Security?  Say goodbye to that, too.  Does any of this cross Mika's mind as she sits there and curls her lip whenever someone suggests that Biden should drop his run?

Then there are the millions of people who will be rounded up like animals, sent to camps and deported -- including little kids who were born here.   Does Mika think any of these scenarios are dire enough to warrant the serious consideration -- or even the discussion -- of another candidate?

My guess would be no.

 

 

Edited July 20 by millennium

[oakville]

Will MSNBC broadcast Morning Joe tomorrow? Mika will be too distraught to go on the air. Joe will be outraged.

[tres bien]

30 minutes ago, oakville said:

Will MSNBC broadcast Morning Joe tomorrow? Mika will be too distraught to go on the air. Joe will be outraged.

Joe's been on MSNBC with Katie Tur this afternoon. Very much loves being the insider.

Mika's probably at home wringing her hands

Edited July 21 by tres bien

[oakville]

7 minutes ago, tres bien said:

Joe's been on MSNBC with Katie Tur this afternoon. Very much loves being the insider.

Mika's probably at home wringing her hands

Did Joe support the decision?

[tres bien]

1 minute ago, oakville said:

Did Joe support the decision?

Yes

[chick binewski]

On 7/19/2024 at 10:51 PM, millennium said:

Right now, hurt feelings are a luxury the Democrats can't afford.   Guys like Barnicle, Biden and other octogenarians can nurse their sense of injustice all day long because if Biden blows this election and the shit really starts to come down in 2025, the fact is they won't have to suffer through it for very long, and they know it.   The rest of us, especially Americans under the age of 50, will be fucked for years after all those old men are in the ground.

In agreement that this is not a time to be delicate but I do think the dems could have handled this with more finesse and fewer leaks.

Maddow seems to think this move makes it a lock for the Harris/? ticket. I hope she's right.

[millennium]

14 hours ago, chick binewski said:

In agreement that this is not a time to be delicate but I do think the dems could have handled this with more finesse and fewer leaks.

Based on what Joe Scarborough said this morning, there was a nearly insurmountable wall of advisors encircling Biden and withholding damaging polls and other vital information from him.   In light of that, it is perhaps understandable why the Democrats resorted to more insidious means of trying to get through to him.   Reportedly, the next step was for Pelosi and Schumer to go public with the damaging numbers that they wanted Biden to see.

I don't know what the real story is.   I'm just glad this leg of the race is over.   But the Democrats have a long way yet to go.
 

Quote

 

There will be pain for us all, but it will not be all pain, nor will this pain be the last. We and you too, you most of all, dear boy, will have to pass through the bitter water before we reach the sweet. But we must be brave of heart and unselfish, and do our duty, and all will be well!

― Bram Stoker, Dracula

Hold your ground, hold your ground! Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me! A day may come when then courage of men fails. When we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dead on this good earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!”

― J.R.R. Tolkien, Return of the King

 

 

Edited July 22 by millennium

[SeanBug]

Mika being upset by people attacking Biden doesn't bother me at all. It's probably the one thing I agree with her on.  

If Biden's campaign was withholding polling data, they owe him a huge apology.  

But that doesn't change the fact that people leaking private conversations to the press is incredibly disloyal and distasteful.  And Clooney? "I love Joe Biden", but meanwhile I'm gonna shit talk my pal in the NYT. 

And to claim it was in order to pressure him?  How'd that work out?  All you did was make the Democratic Party look like a bunch of gutless weasels picking on a man who has done nothing but serve his country, and suffered tremendous personal loss while doing so.  If pissing off the voters who love and admire Joe Biden was your end game, then well done. 

I'm glad Meacham is on. He almost had me in tears yesterday when he was on with Rachel.  An act of selfless devotion.  How many politicians can you say that about? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kemper]

Must admit that I have only seen the 8:00 rerun; and only the appearance so far of Gov. Andy Beshear.  Who fully endorses the Vice President. 

What The Twins and most of their guests overlook is that there has not been one vote cast in a Democratic primary for the President and Vice President. Actually, I will admit that Manchin's voice this morning surprises me.

My local tv station did man-on-the-street interviews last evening; many said that the Dem powers-that-be should not rush in and pronounce that our VP is the candidate. My tv station is in a large city so there was a cross-section of voters interviewed.  

I have to wonder if MJ will choose to go their usual route by going all-in for a candidate.

 

[tres bien]

After the 6 am hour I'd seen enough. It's just a lot of boo hoo what to do? 

However mean girl here. Claire's Harry Potter glasses were so distracting even the bridge of the frames had a scar on Harry's forehead vibe

[oakville]

I haven't been able to watch the show today. Our cable TV provider has knocked out MSNBC and a few other channels. I can only watch CNN or Fox News. I watched Kasie Hunt's morning show. It's a much younger crew of guests. Kasie lets the guests talk.

[SeanBug]

Tim Kaine was right today. 

If you have a problem with Biden, call the WH. You have their number.  

Here's an idea, go after Trump and Vance with the same fervor you displayed the last 3 weeks attacking Biden.  

I only saw a little of the show today but Mika was fine she even allowed talk about a networks/streaming services bidding to air NBA games. 

 

 

[oakville]

MSNBC is back on the air for me. Joe said Democrats are excited about Kamala. Joe said she isn't FDR or Reagan but people are excited about her.

Mara Gay is happy with Kamala.

Small donors gave over $ 80 million to the DNC.

Joe's inbox is flooded with people excited about Kamala.

Lemire admitted Democrats were not excited about Biden.

Joe is in the studio wearing white running shoes and no socks.

Eugene said Kamala has most of the delegates needed to win the nomination.

[oakville]

Eugene said Kamala will be popular with black voters. She will have foot soldiers.

Mika was excited that Kamala spoke at her KYV event in SF. Kamala broke barriers.

[oakville]

Joe is happy with Kamala's hairstyle & youth. She is younger than Joe.

Joe is mad at Republicans for criticizing Kamala for being a DEI hire.

Katty is happy that she can be considered to be young again.

Mika was proud of picking Kamala to be on the women over 50 list 4 years ago.

Joe hated Vance's joke about Mountain Dew. Vance isn't funny and he reminds him of Jeb Bush.

[oakville]

Joe mocked Vance for wearing a tech vest & calling Trump Hitler.

Joe complained about Vance flip-flopping.

It seems that the panel forgot about Kamala's mom being from India.

[oakville]

Joe would have supported Youngkin or Haley for VP. Joe supported Mike Pence to get evangelical  voters.

[tres bien]

Mika annoys the hell out of me. When she starts in with her pet project I have to mute her. And really. How is it KYV if she's giving her opinion on VP's hairstyle 

I also don't give a damn about anything Mara Gay or anyone from the NYT says. I hope they'll start treating the old guy in the race the way they treated President Biden. So disrespectful.

Oy. I forgot how dull and boring Tim Kane is.

Gotta a lot of Atlantic Magazine viewpoints lately. 👍

[SeanBug]

Yeah Joe. Kamala isn't Reagan because

1. She's a Democrat.  

2. She's a woman

3. She has actual experience in the Executive Branch, not a former B list movie star who got lucky when he ran for Gov of CA. 

4. She's not a 77 year old white man with dementia

5.  She doesn't use the Estee Lauder blush Reagan was reported to use. 

6. She's not calling Black women "welfare queens". 

7. Her spouse isn't using astrologers  to guide her policy decisions

8. She knows Reaganomics was only making the rich richer, while fucking over the middle class. 

9. Star Wars (the defense system not the movies) 

10. Remind us how he handled the AIDS epidemic

 For the love of God, shut the fuck up about Reagan.  Every time you bring him up, it reminds people that you really are for trickle down economics, racism, and shitting on the working class. 

Why is Kamala Harris' hair being discussed? She has worn it pretty much the same for quite some time.  Are they comparing it to that bleached dead squirrel on someone else's head? 

[oakville]

26 minutes ago, tres bien said:

Mika annoys the hell out of me. When she starts in with her pet project I have to mute her. And really. How is it KYV if she's giving her opinion on VP's hairstyle 

I also don't give a damn about anything Mara Gay or anyone from the NYT says. I hope they'll start treating the old guy in the race the way they treated President Biden. So disrespectful.

Oy. I forgot how dull and boring Tim Kane is.

Gotta a lot of Atlantic Magazine viewpoints lately. 👍

Mika was grateful that Kamala helped sell out her KYV summit in 2019. Kamala was running for President & she appreciated being mentored by Mika.

Kamala & Mika aren't as close as Mika is with the Biden family, so it will be important for Kamala to work hard to get Mika's approval.

The Biden family encouraged Kamala to sit for an interview with Mika last month & invited them over for dinner at the Naval Observatory.

There were rumours that Joe monopolized the discussion that evening.

[oakville]

Mika brought her cat on the set after Vance called Kamala a childless cat lady. It was a cute cat.

[CrazyInAlabama]

How on earth can two people who claim to be all about women taking their place in the world sit there and discuss a presidential candidate's hairstyle?    They should be ashamed. 

[millennium]

Elise Jordan this morning with another installment of "Chats with Blockheads."

Highlight of the segment: the MAGA woman who looks like she'll soon be auditioning for My 600-lb Life opining that Kamala Harris "seems like an idiot" because she "hasn't done much" in the past three years.

Attorney General of California, Vice President of the United States ... "she seems like an idiot." 

Ain't that America?

Close second:  The right-leaning undecided "swing voters" saying that Kamala Harris was complicit in keeping Biden's "condition" secret.

Dear brain trust ... that was her JOB.   To support the President in every way possible.   Have none of you ever worked in an organization where there was a hierarchy?   Biden may not be up to the rigors of campaigning, but as far as is known, there haven't been any instances where he has been unable to fulfill the duties of President.

I love (not) how Elise Jordan sits back and lets these morons spew this ignorance, then presents it as if it's insightful.

[tres bien]

^^^

I had pretty much had the same feelings about the "focus groups"

How is it a focus group if you get 10 or 12 mostly old white people that are low information voters. 

Oh yeah. Cause that's what the Republicans are. I almost expected the first group of women to be wearing white schmata's taped to their ears. Everyone of those women were so outwardly anti women .

And. Please don't air clips of Trump telling Jewish people how dumb we are. Even with Mika's sigh of disgust it's still deeply gross

Edited July 24 by tres bien

[tres bien]

BTW did I ever mention that Mika comes across as an uppity white woman 

[oakville]

11 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

How on earth can two people who claim to be all about women taking their place in the world sit there and discuss a presidential candidate's hairstyle?    They should be ashamed. 

Mika used to play with Trump's hair on set.

Mika flirting with Trump.

https://x.com/JillyM98/status/1642869906843787266

 

[tres bien]

1 hour ago, oakville said:

Mika used to play with Trump's hair on set.

Mika flirting with Trump.

https://x.com/JillyM98/status/1642869906843787266

 

🤮

[chick binewski]

Nothing makes me reach for the remote faster than one of Elise's focus groups. One of her last participants declared Trump's children should run for president. (She did not clarify whether they should all share duties. Or if they should select whichever one wins a cage match. Or if age restrictions should be waived for Baron. I'll just assume Tiffany was not included in this master plan.)

[tres bien]

Here's a question Elise should ask her focus group "please give me the definition of DEI"

[Pike Ludwell]

That last guy in "undecided" group, wearing the baseball cap sounded like a  MAGA person who snuck in. Saying with scorn basically that Kamala does whatever she needs to to win, so she helped hide Biden's condition. Same with that woman seated in the center -- overly concerned about Kamala hiding a man with problems ... with no evidence. She tried to appear reasonable, but just didn't make it. That guy who spouted that we all just need to get along ... yeah, that's a real useful suggestion. That woman seated on the right seemed the only one who was rational and independent.

[Kemper]

7 hours ago, tres bien said:

BTW did I ever mention that Mika comes across as an uppity white woman 

Meeka is a product of her raising and will never rise above it.  She has no idea how women who are not monied/famous/nepos actually navigate their working lives. Much less their day-to-day issues.  I do not see how any news organization can take her seriously; much less Forbes.  I am not blaming her besides the fact that she thinks she earned it.

Elise Jordan?  Tell me what she adds to any program/show/interview - ever. Yet here she is.  I am picking on The Women of Morning Joe.  There is not enough space to discuss the failings and foibles of The Men. 

Yet we still watch. Most of the time this is still the best political discussion show around.  It is all political discussion all the time.  Poor CNN. All they report is the news.

Edited July 24 by Kemper

[millennium]

6 hours ago, oakville said:

Mika used to play with Trump's hair on set.

Mika flirting with Trump.

https://x.com/JillyM98/status/1642869906843787266

 

Until moments ago I had never seen any of that.

Now I'll never be able to unsee any of that.

9 minutes ago, Kemper said:

Poor CNN. All they report is the news.

They do make allowances for Van Jones' weekly emotional breakdowns.

[tres bien]

One of most revealing parts of Elise's focus groups is that all of these people grap onto the lies, misinformation and conspiracy theories they're fed everyday then repeat it all without missing a beat.

The woman in the first group that identified herself as a teacher saying if she did her job the way VP has done hers she be fired. FFS 

[oakville]

1 hour ago, millennium said:

Until moments ago I had never seen any of that.

Now I'll never be able to unsee any of that.

They do make allowances for Van Jones' weekly emotional breakdowns.

The clip should be a daily reminder not to take Mika & Joe's opinions on politics too seriously. They frequently get too close emotionally to the politicians that they cover. Joe's pronouncement that President Biden was "the best Biden he had seen" a few months ago is another example of him getting too excited about being close to a powerful politician.

[millennium]

1 hour ago, oakville said:

The clip should be a daily reminder not to take Mika & Joe's opinions on politics too seriously. They frequently get too close emotionally to the politicians that they cover. Joe's pronouncement that President Biden was "the best Biden he had seen" a few months ago is another example of him getting too excited about being close to a powerful politician.

They made no pretense of objectivity when it came to Biden.   I think it was more important to them that they come across as insiders rather than observers.   That's one of the problems with the show -- there's a conspicuous degree of incest between the hosts, the panelists and their subjects.   Joe and Mika knew Trump personally.  Donnie knew Trump personally.   Joe and Mika are close friends of the Biden family.  Mike Barnicle described himself a couple days ago as a close friend of Joe Biden.   And they all use that familiarity, that name dropping, to remind us that they dwell on a higher plane of existence than the viewers.  It's the same as when Scarborough casually drops that he flew up to Boston to see the Red Sox. 

They want us to know that Morning Joe people are different than average Joe people.

[millennium]

2 hours ago, tres bien said:

One of most revealing parts of Elise's focus groups is that all of these people grap onto the lies, misinformation and conspiracy theories they're fed everyday then repeat it all without missing a beat.

I'm still waiting for her Democrat voter focus group, and the one with left-leaning undecided voters.

[/sarcasm]

[millennium]

Scarborough's feathers are ruffled because Donald Trump is saying "America is a stupid country."

"America is NOT a stupid country," Scarborough insisted.

I wonder, how does Joe reconcile that sentiment with the fact that 70 million Americans want to re-elect an insurrectionist sexual-abuser convicted felon as President?

[millennium]

I'm a bit puzzled.   Scarborough is praising Netanyahu's speech yesterday and also his use of Israeli soldiers and former hostages as human props.   But on every other MSNBC show I watched the speech was widely panned, with criticisms of its "red-meat" content and its lack of a conciliatory tone that might hint at a deal.

It leads me to wonder, is Mika close friends with the Netanyahu family, too?

[oakville]

1 hour ago, millennium said:

I'm a bit puzzled.   Scarborough is praising Netanyahu's speech yesterday and also his use of Israeli soldiers and former hostages as human props.   But on every other MSNBC show I watched the speech was widely panned, with criticisms of its "red-meat" content and its lack of a conciliatory tone that might hint at a deal.

It leads me to wonder, is Mika close friends with the Netanyahu family, too?

Joe used to brag about being a strong supporter of Israel. He visited Jerusalem and was given the key to the city by the Mayor. Joe was frequently invited to his constituents' Barmitvah when he was in Congress. He enjoyed the free food & wine.

[tres bien]

Can we never have to see Elise Jordan's focus groups again.

She a bad interviewer and who knows how she found the most annoying people. The Madison WI progressives came across so whiny to me. Except for the Black man who seemed like a regular person.

And yeah a total of 15 or so voters and one person of color?

[oakville]

Joe was very happy with Biden's speech last night.

Joe had breakfast with a top executive after the show. He told Joe that the USA is doing better than China on the economy & population. The USA is doing much better after COVID-19 than its competitors.

Ed Luce said Trump will get mad if the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates in September.

Joe blamed disinformation on people feeling bad about the economy.

Joe said look at the data! Joe said violent crime is at the lowest rate in 50 years.

Joe got mad at people who looked at their grocery bills . Inflation is going down.

Joe is mad at people burning American flags.

Joe said America is not a stupid country.

Joe is mad at Fox News for showing illegal immigrants crossing the border. Joe said the numbers are down.

Sam Stein said that Biden's legacy will be better if Kamala Harris wins the Presidency.

[Kemper]

1 hour ago, oakville said:

 

Joe got mad at people who looked at their grocery bills . Inflation is going down.

This from someone who doesn't have to worry about paying for groceries.  

[tres bien]

I hope Mika and Joe go to Chicago to cover the Democratic National Convention like the good old days 

 

Edited July 25 by tres bien