Joe Scarborough Disses Rachel Maddow

Just as I was gearing up for a calm July 4th weekend, Joe Scarborough raised my blood pressure to a high boil. Coming in 20 minutes late to "Race for the White House" on MSNBC, my son informed me that Maddow was arguing with Scarborough in a discussion about Obama's Iraq withdrawal policy.

Shortly after I started watching, Scarborough -- in a direct steal from Romper Room - said, "Whoever agrees with Rachel, raise your hand." The conversation continued in circles, with Maddow reiterating her points. In frustration, she started to laugh. Scarborough's response was, "Gee, Rachel, for an Obama supporter, you sure have the Hillary cackle down." This may not be verbatim, as I don't have TiVo. However, "the Hillary cackle" phrase is a definite, and is now burnt into my brain.

In that moment, Scarborough epitomized every boorish, condescending male that ever tried to diminish a woman... whether it be a family member, a co-worker, or a presidential candidate.

It appears that going forward into the campaign coverage, one of the media's "talking heads" has learned absolutely nothing from the previous months of discourse on appropriate coverage and dialogue. Let's hope that the producers at MSNBC get enlightened sooner rather than later, before they choke on the next offensive sexist soundbite.

Comments

[sisterdebmac]

I just want The Rachel Maddow Show on Air America back! I am so sick and tired of it being hikjacked for an hour every day for David Gregory's lametastic piece of crap Race To The White House. Mark Green? Are you listening? We love Rachel and we want to hear HER. Not Gregory. Not Buchannan. And certainly not Scarborough.

I most especially don't think it's fair that you make us listen to this trash when Rachel isn't even on it. It's not so bad when she moderates, but let me just tell ya, as soon as I heard Scarborough moderating it last week, I changed the channel. Got that, Mark? This idiot is driving down your ratings on AA. As if you need the ratings to be driven down any further.

Dump Race To The White House! Free The Rachel Maddow Show!

PS: Mr. Olbermann, it's wonderful that Rachel is now your fill-in host. Thank you so much for giving this brilliant woman a chance. She smokes everyone else who has ever sat in that chair, except you, Sir.

[Yurdelite]

Every time Scarborough and Buchanan make their sexist, racist, bigoted comments I fire off an email to:

MSNBC President:

[e-mail]

letters@msnbc

Funny Scarborough should make a derogatory remark like that about his "girlfriend" as he referred to Hillary during her primary run against Obama.

I heard the exchange between Rachel and Scarborough and as I stated I fired off an email to Phil.

How many people know this about Slick Joey another republican adulterer passing judgement on Clinton:

http://www.americanpolitics.com/20010808Klausutis.html

[frustratedinohio]

Speaking of these people and their shows, why is everybody playing musical chairs at MSNBC? I don't like it at all.

[Patri]

This July 3 dissing on the part of Scarborough was not the first. Scarborough has a big problem with Rachel Maddow. My belief is that Rachel Maddow runs circles around Scarborough in her general assessment and interpretation of issues and is far superior to him in intellect--and he knows it. That is what he cannot handle. Several weeks ago he once again tried to cut her off and prevent her from presenting her interpretation of issues in the primaries. When Maddow said, "Wait, Joe. Let me finish then you can dismiss me" Scarborough came back with his nasty response, tore off his mike and left the set. He is obviously an inferior little man who cannot deal with a woman who is mature, intelligent, and has answers that make Scarborough look the fool. Why MSNBC keeps him is beyond me. I stopped watching MSNBC in the mornings when he is hosting. I KNEW something was going to hit the fan on July 3 when I saw he was hosting and Maddow was one of the four special commentators. His attitude is revolting, but I give Rachel Maddow credit for being able to sit through the hour with that boob controlling the format. While it can be said that Scarborough "dissed Maddow," it was even more obvious that Scarborough proved, once again, what an infantile, jealous, and incapable fool HE is.

[karela]

"Morning Maddow" would be such a more intelligent, informed, respectful and enjoyable show! Joe Scarborough is such a PIG. Did y'all catch the morning where he shut Mika up by telling her she needed to quit talking right now or he was going to get mad at her? That creep gets away with sex based put downs all the time. He was not a Senator. He was in the House of Representatives for six years. If you want to see your ears start smoking, read the Wikipedia entry on his work there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Scarborough

[Yurdelite]

Joe Scarborough is just like the rest of the republicans cannot stand SUPER SMART, COMPETENT, females who are straight and they absolutely HATE the gay ones like Rachel. Too darn bad Joey--get over it.

He ALWAYS tries to put Rachel down like he does Mika but Rachel is too smart and too quick. Mika is very shakey--maybe she wants to keep her job. Joe is a true chauvinist and a know it all.

Rachel came to the aid of a fellow female panel member (black woman) when Pat Buchanan yelled at her to "shut up." Oh, Rachel took Buchanan to task for his blatent disrespect showing that she is not afraid to dance with the big boys.

She should continue to stand up to Slick Joey.

A graduate of Castro Valley High School in Castro Valley, California, Maddow later obtained a degree in public policy from Stanford University in 1994. She then received a Rhodes Scholarship in 1995 and used it to obtain a D.Phil. in political science from Lincoln College, Oxford University.

Her political activism has focused on AIDS and prisoners' rights, especially the prevention of the spread of HIV and AIDS in prisons. She is gay, and is an outspoken advocate for gay and progressive issues.

JOE CAN'T TOUCH THIS!!!

[prettychicago]

I have seen several of their heated discussions. He loves to talk over the women at work, for sure. Mika does her best not to lose it, and I think has come to the conclusion that she is there to be his kicking post/sidekick for now. I like Mika, and think she's probably more respected in political circles than Joe will ever be. Family connections and all... Just biding her time - Morning Joe is better without the Joe.

Rachel is no one's sidekick, and that's what he can't handle. He can't dominate the conversation with her and it makes his brain shut down. Ha ha! Whenever they are on together it's like he's bringing a knife to a gun fight. He knows he can't win, so he just goes BiIl-O on her.

Honestly, I think I could hold my own with him on his show. I only studied Poli Sci at a 4-year Christian College , debating with Conservative professors. Hardly the stuff to take on Maddow or anyone else on MSNBC, but he just looks bad the minute he starts talking to women. It would be ova' quickly!

[raker]

Lie with dogs, you get fleas. Rachel Maddow is too good for the cesspool of cable news. But if that's where she wants to be "and if that's what you want to watch, it's silly to complain about the smell.

[molly2007]

I have to disagree with all of you. Rachel is so in the tank for Obama and no matter what he does she is there to defend him and he did flip flop on the war and Joe was right.

[strifeknot]

You need to listen to her radio show. You'd find she's getting pretty disgusted with Obama's capitulations and rightward tilting of late.

[woodsywizz]

Rachel Maddow has sense. She's not "in the tank" for anyone, she knows & speaks her knowledge.

Obama did not "flip-flop" on the war, now nor ever. Do a little light reading, like BASIC RESEARCH.

I'm glad that you write and speak your feelings.

I would rather that you study, and display your (soon to be acquired) wisdom.

[Roose]

Joe S has been abusing Mika for so long that anything that squinty-eyed cretin says or does is not news anymore, it's just business as usual.

[MsLiz]

I was sorry that Joe Scarborough's newborn was not a girl. It would enlighten him to have that fatherly feeling for a daughter. He would not want anyone to treat his daughter the way he treats Rachel and Mika. Instead, he is a typical Southern good ole boy, with fixed ideas not subject to change. His show was pretty good while he was away, but he came back more obnoxious than ever.

[tenilla]

He has a 4-year old daughter by his second wife.

I felt sorry for Mika for a long time, but now I cannot stand to watch either one of them.
Mika won't take a stand on anything and is the only human I have ever heard laugh "hee, hee, hee."
Scarborough is just a big redneck bully. Scarborough and Pat Buchanan together finally
drove me away from Morning Joe. I can catch Chuck Todd on the next MSNBC segment.

They should give the show to Mike Barnicle and one of the other MSNBC women. The black
woman from Chicago seems quite competent,

[LABC]

I don't why, in this country, failed politicians with smirks are given talk shows to bore us on. God, they are all starting to look alike, rubbery pasty faces, smirks, and an ability to talk over intelligent people. A change is needed...

[walkthewalk]

Joe Scarborough is nothing more than a bully with a media platform on which to pontificate. When he can't win an argument on the merits, he resorts to personal insults. It's the way in which he relates to Rachel Maddow whenever they appear on a show together.

I, too, turned off the TV when he accused her of being dense because she insisted that Obama had not changed his position on Iraq. Instead of discussing the meaning of what Obama actually said to determine whether the flip-flopping charge was warranted, Scarborough chose to try to win his argument by trying to present Maddow as an idiot. Only a fool would try to diminish a reasoned professional like Rachel.

Rachel Maddow is one of the best and smartest political analysts on the air anywhere. She can talk politics, but she understands policy and its implications as well. And she is inherently fair. Scarborough sees everything through a political lens only. Some action is either a smart political move or a dumb one. To hell with whether a policy makes any sense or is damaging to the public. If it can garner votes, it's a good policy. Does this thinking sound familiar?

Just like our government, our media needs a new direction. Now.

[Draculich]

Rachel's also got that cooking show, right?

Her biases take away from her arguments, regardless if she may be correct. She comes across as not as willing to listen to the other side's argument, not unlike "Pat Bookanun" (as Ali G would call him) and many of the babbling politicos, Scarborough included.
That's fine at home, but when you want to be taken seriously in front of millions of viewers, then you must discuss the issues seriously and leave the biases at home.

And I agree with most of what she says.

[mcole]

for the love of good food, rachel ray has the cookin show!! this is rachel maddow, of the phd and rachel maddow radio show

[swift_goat_pet_for_truth]

"That's fine at home, but when you want to be taken seriously in front of millions of viewers, then you must discuss the issues seriously and leave the biases at home."

The fine gentlemen of Faux Noise would beg to differ.

[liberalgirl31]

There has always been a lot of tension between Scarborough and Maddow. I think deep down he is fighting his attraction to her. He is intimidated by and yet at the same time hot for a strong liberal woman! What's an ultra-conservative former congressman from the South to do?

[DMSmith]

Rachel for MTP!!!!!

She's the best we've seen in decades!

PS - the haircut comment was bigoted in the extreme. Pay attention, folks!

[NABNYC]

I never understood what was the exact deal between the Clintons and Rupert Murdoch. I know he held a fundraiser for her. Did he also make donations to Bill's library or foundation -- the other places they stash money? Not clear.

We do know Murdoch is an extreme right-winger whose TV news was the primary propaganda wing for the Bush white house, reportedly getting memos every day telling them what Rove wanted them to say. Nothing's changed about that. We also know that Murdoch wants to take over all the major TV and newspapers in the country so he can control and restrict all the news available to Americans. Just think: if the only candidate allowed to advertise was the one Murdoch chose, it would be kind of like he was the dictator of the entire country. Golly gee.

Murdoch is in the process of trying to take over all the financial news (WSJ) and is desperately seeking to destroy nbc, including cnbc and msnbc. The Clinton supporters did not miss an opportunity to attack nbc. I thought maybe that had finally ended when Hillary lost. I guess not.

[texanna]

What thread are you on? This comment has nothing to do with the article for pete's sake! The primary is over, let go of the Clinton bashing and just get on with things. Say, I know, why not focus on what Sen. Obama has been doing to triangulate himself into something that nobody likes.

[cariintexas]

Lookout, the thread police is out in force Exactly how many people did you poll to determine NOBODY likes Obama, and by the way it's NO ONE, not nobody.

[LABC]

Say, I got a better idea - why don't you actually quit with the Obama bashing on this thread. I mean, just for a nano second, if you can...

[Allamr18]

joe is the douchiest of all douche bags. i watched that episode and started screaming at the tv. i wish rachel wouldve cussed him out, but she is classy and i respect her. Joe needs to stick to morning joe when the rest of the world is asleep and not paying attention to him.

[vejzagic]

I think he is pissed, because unlike Rachel, he doesn't get to guest-host the most watched show on MSNBC Countdown and that just kills him.