Joe Scarborough Walks Off MSNBC's "Race To The White House" After Exchange With Rachel Maddow

Update from MSNBC spokesman Jeremy Gaines to Huffington Post:
"Joe didn't walk off. He chose not to participate in the final couple of minutes of the discussion because he felt the conversation didn't fit his role as a political analyst."

Previously:
Did Joe Scarborough walk out of David Gregory's show "Race to the White House" Thursday night on MSNBC? It seems that way by the video below. Joe was a panelist on the show along with Air America's Rachel Maddow, CNBC's John Harwood and former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford, Jr.

The panel was discussing the effect of Sen. Obama's personal and professional relationships on his campaign when Rachel and Joe disagreed. Joe started to challenge Rachel's argument that relationships only become an issue when a political opponent makes them an issue, but she cut him off, "Let me make my point and then you can dismiss me." She then finished with an example of a McCain campaign co-chair in Florida's bathroom activities.

After a commercial break, Joe prefaced his rebuttal to Rachel's point by saying "I don't engage in Crossfire-type debates and certainly I don't want to talk about what people do in bathrooms." When he finished speaking, and after David Gregory had shut Joe vs. Rachel down, John Harrow came on camera. Then, viewers can hear Joe taking off his microphone (2:47 into the below video). When the panel picture came back, no Joe.

Watch Rachel and Joe make their points, hear Joe unplug, and then (after a jump) see the panel after Joe has gone:

Pictures of before and after:

Comments

[cbmtrx]

Jesus Christ, Joe. Are you three years old?

You interrupt a guest with patronizing interjections, condescend to them as payback, and then walk out when you can't muster a sufficient response to save face? Go whine about "Crossfire debates" on Teen TV, you adolescent tit.

McCain has been getting the mother of all free rides, courtesy of the Democratic presidential candidates, the money-grubbing media, and opinion whores like you. You'd have to be a plank to think there isn't yet ample dirt to dig up on that military monomaniac.

Grow up or shut up.

[brend]

I love Joe. He's grrrrreat!

[littleblackcat]

Grrrrreat? Um, are you sure? It IS a term used to describe a cornflake, so it does fit.

[killlthekingg]

Yes, yes people who disagree with you are stupid. You know, I know, we all know that if he was shouting for obama you wouldn't be here leaving these comments.

[TERRYKEITH4]

LOL!!!

[tbrnotb]

If you've ever watched Joe on any panel (I saw him in Bill Maher a couple of weeks ago), he tries to take over every discussion. THE MAN WILL NOT SHIUT UP. I turned off Bill Maher because the man was so obnoxious. He cuts people off before they make a point and then potinifcates...."I was once a congressman and you guys don't know anything about govern ment blah, blah, blah!"

So someone makes a point (loved that "and THEN you can dismiss me" remark) and Joe pulls off the microphone and I imagine he stalks off. So this is what happens sometimes when you confrom a bully. And that's all Joe is....a big bully.

Way to go Rachel!

[NJ13]

Scarborough, like most NEOCONS is immature. Unlike his dingy co-host on Morning Joe, Rachel Maddow has a brain and can make concise, clear arguments for her position. He is a male chauvinist and cannot handle when people shut him down. Rachel's examples were spot on and were not lewd in any way. She was right in what she was saying. He was classless and child like in leaving the show before it was over.

And I have seen him make predicitions on more than one occasion on the show so the excuse they have made for his leaving does not hold.

[joecharles]

Joe must go...what a self indulgent yapper! Rachel wouldn't let this goon step all over her delivery like the grunting/groaning Mika.

[youvebeenflagged]

Joe treated Rachel with the same kind of condescending dismissive attitude as Hillary uses on Barak. He looks like a whining child.

[killlthekingg]

Are you kidding me? Obama sticks his nose in the air everytime he is busted for saying something outrageous & acts as if we all are too stupid to understand what the great messiah really meant. Everything that man says is somehow ,one way or another, "taken out of context." Its just a cop-out for screwing up. You only used the word "condescending" because you heard that on tv about Obama's disgusting remarks about small town PA .. which happens to be the type of place I live.

[littleblackcat]

What Obama said wasn't "taken out of context", it was DELIBERATELY TWISTED by the Clinton (and republican) spin machine so they could make something out of it that anyone with two working brain cells knew wasn't the truth. People in small towns and some not-so-small towns ARE bitter, do NOT believe the government gives a damn about them (and they are correct) and DO cling to the things they know and are comfortable with. I am NOT a believer, do not subscribe to the comfort of the "power of prayer" since it has never done anything to help me or my family when help was desperately needed, however, the people whose minds are comforted by daily prayer are able to better deal with the horrors dealt them by situations out of their control. Also, many people in rural communities DEPEND on their guns to help provide food! Having this to fall back on is necessary! I depend on my garden in exactly the same way and those of you who do not "get their hands dirty" are going to wish they knew much more about how things REALLY come about. People, ALL people, fear what they are not familiar with. There was nothing wrong with what was said unless you go looking to MAKE something wrong. The whole bloody country needs to grow up and THINK! This stupid acceptance of what some jackass says is what got us into the hellhole we're in today.

[middleoftheroad]

I like Rachel, but Joe took the high road. Just because she is right A LOT of the time, does not make her right ALL THE TIME... This was pretty classless. But whatever.

[terribletink]

Where was Joe's sense of propriety about such matters last year when he laughed like a drunken frat boy at Tucker Carlson's story about assaulting a man who had "bothered" him in a bathroom once?

Oh wait, I forgot...sorry...I was thinking he was talking about taking a position on actual moral grounds, but this is Joe Scarborough after all, so I guess it's really more about hiding behind false piety and sanctimonious con artistry.

[9yroldayesha]

Rachel Maddow is not an unbiased commentator, but an unabashed far left Obamanista. She usually screeches, perspires. smiles sarcastically and screams at other annalysts who dont agree with her views. She is just jealsous of Joe, because he has got something she doesn't have. eh...A brain!

[littleblackcat]

If Joe had a brain, he wouldn't be a republican.

[jayburd]

I think Morning Joe needs to cut down on the caffeine. Did Joe leave because he was pissed that Rachel kicked his ass on the issue being discussed or that she had the gall to assert her right not to be interrupted? Probably the latter. Joe's not smart enough to know when he's been proven wrong, let alone admit it.

Solution: change "Morning Joe" to "Morning Madness" and give Rachel the anchor's job. It's about time she had her own cable show, anyway...

[amira1201]

I agree with you, Micca and Joe have to much caffeine in their show wich makes them both very arogant.

[ragtopdodge]

Joe got SERVED! By a liberal lesbian at that!

So he left as a sore loser usually does.

[cacique88]

I invite those who have spoken to Rachel Maddow's talents and eligibility to run her own show to make their statements directly to MSNBC at [e-mail]. I am organizing a campaign to see her in her own slot in this political year. The world needs to hear more from rachel. We viewers deserve her quality and brilliance.

[cacique88]

Let's hope his exit from race to the white House is permanent and that it is the beginning of his exit from MSNBC. He isn't a stalwart conservative to be on Fox news. He is so cowardly that his only opportunity is to become a spokeman for McCain, a job he has been auditioning for since Mccain began his ascendency in Florida in February.

I warch his show and have seen his persistent dismissal of Mica Brzezinski and his penchant for interrupting his co hosts. I have seen his shift to supporting Clinton's bid on the show with his many remarks admiring her toughness. He is quietly supporting Operation Chaos with his comments hoping that Clinton beats obama handily in PA.

MSNBC should give Rachel Maddow a chance for her own show perhaps starting with a segment within Countdown as a test to audiences. it would be more relevant than Morning Joe and more exciting than anything David Gregory could concoct.

[brend]

Joe is a fair commentator.

[halyscomet]

Joe will likely continue his love-fest with Hillary Clinton and attempt to drum up last minute Pennsylvania votes for Clinton, while continuing to brow-beat Mika. Mika must REALLY need the job...

[jgalvan]

As "Tucker" has learned so will the bully Joe will indeed learn that if viewers of MSNBC want right wing spin we would be watching Fox Noise or ABC. I myself am getting tired of this blow hard who somehow has convinced MSNBC that he is journalist. I will not and have not given his show one minute of my valuable time, Ms. Maddow however is someone that I trust because she is very balanced with her views without knocking someone in the head. I can only wish that Joe would have kept walking and would never return to my favorite news organization.

In regards to David Gregory whom has been mentioned in these post, I do believe that he is also walking a fine line in his defending "ABC" stupid debate, does he really believe that those questions where of some value that would aid voters?

[halyscomet]

I think Joe is interviewing with FOX currently. It is truly where he belongs...