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

[harriscrl3]

I find Joe's reasoning as to why they foucs on Obama over McCain hard to swallow. FIrs of all then it doesnt explain why they tend to focus more on Hilary Vs Obama. Hilary has more History media Loves History so MCain should be the one that is focus on NOT Obama. They dont focus on John McCain because they dont want to focus on John McCain cause he feeds them. America does NOT know John McCain. He is NOT a national figure he is Senator from AZ of all places not even CA or NY. So he is NOT been defined for the American people yet they dont focus on him.

Go Rachel she has common sense and was polite. Joe has no common sense and was RUDE.

Carol

[Maifmart]

Are his ratings better than Imus' were? Corporate media's policy seems to provide right or left wing talking heads, tempered with opposing guests and then let the ratings decide. However, Bob Novak type walkouts are not allowed, you're supposed to be a professional, not a Jerry Springer guest. Unless it is planned for, extra camera set-ups covering the exit corridors cost too much, especially if it's your paid-for talking head walking off.

[Gatormouth]

Spit in his oye, darlin, an don't let the spalpeen have the advantage of you! Rachel, I love you (as i would my daughter, of course) and you must make your parents very proud. You could fair see the air rushing out of that punctured windbag! (I always talk like this after a Jameson manhattan).

[papasalas]

MSNBC has to give Rachel her own show. She's so much more insightful and fair than most of those talking heads on that channel.

[JScott]

I wish more guests would stand up to interrupting folks Rachel you go girl.
Scarborough was rude but he's not the first Billo is the worst offender.

I think they should make a new tv show a mashup of political talk and game show.
The rules are each guest get to talk conscisely about an issue for 1 minute without interruption, if any other guests overtalks or interrupts they lose points, lesser points deducted for rolling the eyes or any other similar gesture. The one that wins is one that has the most points and was judged by the studio and call in tv audience to be the most clear and conscise about explaining and issue and their opinions on it. Of course there's no way FNC would have a show like this.

[dr4Will]

when stupid media whores open their big mouths someone with common sense has to leave the room--more power to Joe,whom I usually don't support for letting the big mouth liberal broad know his feelings and those of middle America!!

[VWR]

OK, time to crawl back under your rock.

[Ron333wood]

I love Rachael Maddow. She is incredible and you hardly miss Keith Olberman when she sits in for him.

[widollar]

Joe Scarborough is a thin skinned fake! He is spoiled and can't stand someone challenging his positions. Rachael Maddow is great and very insightful with her comments. Joe can not stand this so he acts like a little child and takes his football and leaves the field. Later Joe, much later!

[gregt499]

i didn't know joe was such a soft skin!i also am upset that msnbc made an excuse for his behavior.joe did what you do when you can't take the heat--------he got out of his seat.

[shades3]

Joe Scarborough seems to think that because he was "in congress," it gives him the right to barge ahead of anyone, both on his program and other programs.
On his program Mika enables him, but that doesn't mean that everyone else has to do the same.
Rachel was making a point and common courtesy says that Joe [I used to be in congress] Scarborough should have shut up his mouth until she was finished speaking, then made his point, if he indeed had one.
Rachel, unlike Mika, is not interested in pleasing Joe. Good for her.

[TERRYKEITH4]

And if it were not for Rachel I would not've known he got away with murder....

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Whoa.

Lord knows I'm not an Obamanista, but let's be fair.

Over the last two weeks, much has been made of Obama's associations, and within the last few days even more so than a preacher -- now a domestic terrorist from 40 years back.

Maddow points out the FACT that McCain's political opponents (both Hillary and Obama, presumably) have NOT made a point of McCain's associations, one in particular.

Scarborough, rather than letting it go by -- he's not on the McCain payroll is he? -- FIRST attempts to cut off Maddow, then, with her being courteous to him when he was not to her, says:

a) Obama is fair game to be defined by his opponents, but McCain is NOT, simply due to their relative durations on the public stage (say wha?); and

b) He doesn't engage in "Crossfire" type shows -- though he was the one who pounced on Maddow, not vice versa.

Scarborough is no fool -- he knows Obama's associations vs. McCain's associations -- is an argument he can't win, and hanging in and getting blown out by the intellectually SOUND Maddow on this point would not sit well with his ego, or McCain's camp.

Scarborough is not a political analyst -- he is a partisan.

[speakingtruth2power]

I had three Presidential favorites before deciding

that Barack Obama had the best chance to defeat

the tag team threat of Hillary C and J W McBomb.

Regardless, Obama can't change much without

a proactive and populist oriented new Congress.

Our MSM has been giving RW partisans a pass

for too long, trading honesty for access to lies.

[stillonline]

Morning Joe has about five minutes of news and twenty minutes of Republican talking points which Joe repeats ad nauseam. He misrepresents what people say. He arranges the facts to fit his ideology. He uses insulting adjectives to describe people. (He spent a week calling Senator Obama a "wimp") This much "disinformation" usually only comes from Fox. On top of that, he's a terrible interviewer. He loves the limelight only slightly less than Bill Clinton. He drones on and on....never quite making the point - simply to hog the microphone. His guests sit quietly waiting for him to finish. He seems to think they are only there to admire him. But the worst part is his way he whines when he talks. Look up smarmy and you see Morning Joe.

[jadez]

you should be very clear why this a-hole has a show.
the media DEFINES the talking points for the entire day in the MORNING.

thats why there are NO progressive shows on in the morning.
business runs the media and THEY want conservative talking points all day long.

sure you get a tokin like Maddow because it brings in viewers,but untill she gets her own show and sets the agenda this is very little change.

keith O is the ONLY decent progressive on tv and he goes up against that guy on fox at 8pm.

most of the country leans progressive but the networks wont go there because it interfers with their profits and truth is bad for business in this country.

[stillonline]

I want Morning Rachel! Morning Rachel!

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Morning Maddow! Morning Maddow!

Don't get mad in the morning, GET MADDOW!

[papasalas]

Great idea. Rachel should have her own show.

[mesuki]

Joe can't deal with Rachel,cause she stands up to him and calls out his right wing bull shit. He needs to stick to people like his wife and Mika,who he can step all over. It's just a matter of time ,I predict if MSNBC doesn't get rid of him,his show will go down the toilet. I stopped watching the show a couple of months ago,and I can't even stand watching the commercials for it. I put Joe in the same catagory as Hannity,Limbaugh,Oreilly,Tucker,Buchanan ,a bunch of nacissistic,racist assholes that think they know more then anybody else.

[heal57]

'Mourning Joe' is the program's new name. I think he's be better off at Fox News. When he first ame on MSNBC though I didn't agree with his philosophy, I thought it was a fairly decent guy, but that sure didn't last. He's a bully and he's going to lose his audience because of it, you know, like Hillary's losing.

[ann1]

One night he was on Bill Maher and as usual he was running his mouth. Also on the panel was a black lady(forgot her name). It was evident Joey found what she had to say irrelevant by constantly talking over her. At one point he told her to shut up and she said, no you shut up. He has absolutely no respect for women. Get his arrogant butt off the air immediately, do not pass go do not collect $200 dollars.....just GO!