Joe Scarborough Defends Newt Gingrich's Slip In Polls (VIDEO)

In a surprising change from his usual tune, Joe Scarborough had some mildly nice things to say about Newt Gingrich on Monday's "Morning Joe."

Co-host Mika Brzezinski began the show with news of Gingrich's eight-point drop in Iowa in the past week. Scarborough has made no effort to hide his disdain for Gingrich, repeatedly attacking the candidate on-air and in writing. But he actually defended Gingrich on Monday.

"I've been kind of tough on the speaker," Scarborough acknowledged, much to the amusement of contributor Mark Halperin. He chalked Gingrich's slip in the polls up to "a steady barrage of anti-Newt ads coming from all sides, from Mitt's super PAC, Ron Paul's super PAC."

"And again I think he has many flaws," Scarborough cautioned, "But let's be fair about this. I don't know that any politician could withstand the barrage of negative attacks that Newt has handled over the past two weeks."

He also praised Gingrich's performance on "Face the Nation" on Sunday. The GOP candidate had said he would be willing to arrest a judge who he thought was out of line. Scarborough said that he disagreed "with everything [Gingrich] said," and that it "scared the hell out of me." But he called it a "command performance," where "Newt Gingrich looked as good and as confident and as calm as I've seen him in years."

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Comments

[freddsky]

04:30 PM on 12/21/2011

Add to Scarborough's rudeness and pompousness his inability to sell a joke. This morning he drew from an old Spitting Images skit about Margaret Thatcher ordering a meat dinner for herself and her cabinet. Waiter: what about the vegetables? Thatcher: they'll have the same! Joe managed to fluff it and misrepresent it at the same time. Ridiculous little man.

[scipio2009]

07:29 PM on 12/20/2011

Nothing like a good ol' back-handed compliment to have HuffPost running another false headline. lol

[freedom1947]

02:26 PM on 12/20/2011

Whats this guy been smoking? Do they belong to the same Klan group?

[kiksadi50]

01:59 PM on 12/20/2011

He doesn't know any politician who could withstand these kind of attacks? is he serious? Obamma has withstood a non-stop pummeling by the Repub. party and Conservative news outlets, pundits, and relatives of Obamma haters since he took the oath of office.Even his wife is openly attacked by Glenn Beck,Rush Limbaugh & Fox News.Give me a break.Newt has deserved everything that has been said about him.He made a lot of enemies when he was Speaker on his side of the aisle,not just the Dem./Indep.side.And you can't say things like, 'maybe we need a terrorist attack every now and then.....Don't let him off the hook, he's accountable for his past and present behaviors.Newt's a cocky b*stard too,doesn't help his case.

[manofmystique]

12:56 PM on 12/20/2011

Republicans hate and total opposition to the black President has rendered them INCAPABLE of being fair and balanced. You can not truth anything they say because hypocrisy and cynicism is what rules them.
EVERY move Republicans make is either cynical or it is a ploy. This is because they are driven by hate and a desire to put the white house in white hands and they don't care how dirty those hands are. That's how Newt Gringrich could be a frontrunner.

[Everywoman1122]

01:50 PM on 12/20/2011

That hate in the end will destroy everyone and everything in America...including republicans

[manofmystique]

08:18 AM on 12/21/2011

That can happen if good people in high (and low) places refuse to rock the boat, stay silence, do anything to ward it off, or do nothing to control their destiny.
We know who the leading offenders are. That theat should be the target of ratification.

[spokanelaw]

12:29 PM on 12/20/2011

I'm shocked - another flip-flopper for Gingrich.

[saywha]

12:21 PM on 12/20/2011

When is Joe going to go to Fox News? I'm so tired of him.

[pamiety]

01:39 PM on 12/20/2011

I'm so with you on Joe leaving.

[jwoww]

02:04 PM on 12/20/2011

Fox doesnt need him. he brings nothing to the table for them.

[James Wills]

12:20 PM on 12/20/2011

Once more the Newt is not "Speaker'. He is an ex Speaker of the House who was driven out in censure and disgrace.

[flossophy]

01:56 PM on 12/20/2011

True, the establishments of both parties didn't like Newt taking away their power and spending playtime. 

So they conducted a political w!tchhunt to try to put some d!rt on him... 83 of the 84 ethics 'charges' were dropped... and the last one was a clerical error on a tax exempt form for a college course he was teaching called, "Renewing American Civilization"... which the IRS later dismissed after finding there was no wrongdoing. 

Shame on him for his maritaI infideIity though.

[Stan DaMann]

12:16 PM on 12/20/2011

No one has pointed out yet that crimes of violence against federal judges have been steadily increasing in recent years, and Newty's reckless comments are even more irresponsible than many may have realized.

These candidates are running for President of the United States, and they don't seem to realize that what they say will be repeated by the irrationals among us for many years.

Furthermore, this Republican primary race has made our country an world-wide embarrassment.

And the latest fear-mongering talk, threatening another war in Iran, has made the United States look like a lunatic nation in the eyes of many in the world, as well as encouraging more violence to those with such tendencies.

The Republican party needs to be throughly rejected by the voters in all 2012 races, for their completely and utterly irrational and dangerous behavior and positions on the issues.

[manofmystique]

12:43 PM on 12/20/2011

You are absolutely correct....

[Everywoman1122]

01:51 PM on 12/20/2011

Ditto

[dvncmdy]

12:14 PM on 12/20/2011

'There are some strange things going on out there"...yes, Joe, there sure are

[TheTightwireGuy]

11:57 AM on 12/20/2011

Scarborough said that he disagreed "with everything [Gingrich] said," and that it "scared the hell out of me." But he called it a "command performance," where "Newt Gingrich looked as good and as confident and as calm as I've seen him in years."

Great point, Joe. But this EXACTLY the problem recently pointed out by fellow GOPer/Huntsman supporter, Terry Newell:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/terry-newell/obama-reelection-gop_b_1148049.html

Meaning that your positive comments about Newt's "performance" inflates the value of "charisma" over both "competence" and "character" in how we should, and do, choose our presidents. Of late.

While Mr. Newell believes this problem is primarily due to the expansion of voting rights in our country--Really! Read the last paragraph of the linked article--my take, and probably that of MOST progressives, is that it is due to problems highlighted by these websites:

A) www.getmoneyout.com
B) www.opendemocracy.net/media-globalmediaownership/article_56.jsp

But then again, Joe, you ARE a GOPer who benefits GREATLY from your position in commercial media. And your corporate bosses greatly support your defense of "free" media markets. Especially when it means strangling government support of for-profit competition AND not-for-profit/public media outlets.

So keep on touting Newt's charisma, Joe. Because it shows how corrupted and distorted your perspective on our nation's politics really is.

[grumpy2]

01:09 PM on 12/20/2011

Joe's opinion means as little as my own, Newt is a ongoing wreck, but , Joe has an audience he is paid well to talk to, I wonder if any of the talking heads have an honest personal opinion?

[dfvboulder]

11:53 AM on 12/20/2011

What does it mean to be confident and calm, while spouting looney ideas?

I'd say it makes matters worse, since he clearly had no clue how looney he was being.

[omobob]

11:13 AM on 12/20/2011

> The GOP candidate had said he would be willing to arrest a judge who he thought was out of line. Scarborough said that he disagreed "with everything [Gingrich] said,"

Love is in the air. Joe and Newt. Two clueless clods in a basket.

[Rich914]

10:46 AM on 12/20/2011

Mika and Joe are my first and favorite sources of talk/info every morning. They put on a show that's fair and balanced and --- INTERESTING !!!

[Frod43]

10:41 AM on 12/20/2011

truth be told...very few rich republicans....including the newt..have ever served in the armed forces..yet they're eager to us the military ..and cops to do their bidding...kinda like in china, or egypt ..
so newt would have judges arrested who dont agree with him..(a person who brags that he isnt a lawyer or knows the law!)

[omobob]

11:13 AM on 12/20/2011

> so newt would have judges arrested who dont agree with him..(a person who brags that he isnt a lawyer or knows the law!)

Spot on. Well noted. faved. cheers

[Liz In Brooklyn]

11:41 AM on 12/20/2011

Too bad Al Gore didn't have that same mindset in 2000 with the Justices of the SCOTUS . .

Imagine how many people would be alive today!