Appearing on MSNBC's Morning Joe Tuesday morning, Politico's Jim VandeHei absurdly claimed that Republicans would be in big trouble if they took control of the Senate in the midterm election: "...even if Republicans win, I think they're going to be in a hell of a jam. In that they're not going to be able to get anything done."
VandeHei predicted Senators like Ted Cruz would be "breathing fire" and that "ultraconservatives" would control the party: "... and it's what's gonna make governing almost impossible over the next two years. This happy talk that things can get done is nonsense if you look at the history of the last four years in terms of how these House Republicans want to vote and what the base of the Republican Party responds to."
Liberal co-host Mika Brzezinski predictably agreed with VandeHei's assessment: "And I think that Jim was touching on....if they win the Senate tonight and they have a really good night, the Republicans, it will only embolden their more self-destructive ways. I don't see a correction that has happened that is making for this potential sweep."
She continued: "I think if the Republicans have a really bad night, it might open the door for a reasonable Republican who can actually win the election, because they would really correct." By "correct," Brzezinski seems to mean move to the left.
Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd dispelled the notion that a big win for Republicans would somehow be bad for them: "...the majority is always worth having....You know, losing the majority's a big deal. Gaining the majority for the Republicans is a big deal."
VandeHei than ran to Brzezinski's defense: "I want to take one last stab at defending Mika's thesis on this....go ask John Boehner, Speaker Boehner, if he thinks that Tom Cotton is somebody that you can work with. The guy is extremely conservative....These guys – it's going to be extremely difficult in this environment to govern."
Wrapping up the exchange, Brzezinski declared: "Jim VandeHei, thank you for liking my thesis." Fellow co-host Joe Scarborough proclaimed: "Well, it is a thesis, Mika, that boxes Republicans in. If we win, we lose. If we lose, we really lose. I mean, come on. Sometimes winning's winning."
Todd added: "Winning's winning. Losing's losing."
Here are excerpts of the November 4 exchange:
8:01 AM ET
(...)
CHUCK TODD: But it is sort of – there has always been something holding the GOP back from having just a massive night. Right? There's something that's been holding them. Maybe it's their brand, maybe it's the fact they had a --
JIM VANDEHEI: It's the GOP.
TODD: The only message they have is anti-Obama. You know what I mean? There's just something missing there.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: That's it. That's it.
ANDREA MITCHELL: There's a lack of a message or an agenda. I mean, you're angry at the Democrats, you're angry at the incumbents, you're dissatisfied with the President. That's very clear from all of the polling, but what are you voting for? Whom are you voting for? And that's what hasn't – has been completely missing.
BRZEZINSKI: Totally agree.
(...)
8:08 AM
VANDEHEI: I think Mika was about to say it earlier, even if Republicans win, I think they're going to be in a hell of a jam. In that they're not going to be able to get anything done. You have Robert Costa, I think, had an interview with Ted Cruz the other day where Cruz was saying, "Listen, I'm going to come in and I'm going to be breathing fire and I'm going to be as conservative as I was before." Erick Erickson did a piece for us – he's from Red State – today on Politico, saying, "Listen, the establishment is done, we're going to come in and we're going to make this 2016 primary about being ultraconservative."
And that fight is what's gonna define Republicans and it's what's gonna make governing almost impossible over the next two years. This happy talk that things can get done is nonsense if you look at the history of the last four years in terms of how these House Republicans want to vote and what the base of the Republican Party responds to.
BRZEZINSKI: What their message has been when there's been one.
(...)
8:10 AMBRZEZINSKI: And I think that Jim was touching on, and Andrea, I'd love to ask you. I feel like if they win the Senate tonight and they have a really good night, the Republicans, it will only embolden their more self-destructive ways. I don't see a correction that has happened that is making for this potential sweep. And then I think-
JOE SCARBOROUGH: Is this an Obi-Wan Kenobi thing, where if we strike Democrats down they will only get stronger?
BRZEZINSKI: I think if the Republicans have a really bad night...
SCARBOROUGH: You can tell who's seen Star Wars and who hasn't.
BRZEZINSKI: ...it might open the door for a reasonable Republican who can actually win the election, because they would really correct. No?
ANDREA MITCHELL: I think that is the unknown question, which Republican Party is gonna show up?
(...)
8:11 AM
CHUCK TODD: You know, and by the way – and I know that there's been this – the majority is always worth having. You don't want to sit there and say, "Geez, well, if we don't get it, it's better for 2016 or if we lose it" – you know, be careful what you wish for. If you look at the last – the last – only one six-year itch election has not led to the party winning the six-year election then winning the presidency two years later. So I wouldn't be – you know, if I were Democrats tonight, I wouldn't be sitting there going, "Oh, it's just a midterm, it's just this, it's just a road game," all this stuff. You know, losing the majority's a big deal. Gaining the majority for the Republicans is a big deal.
(...)
8:14 AM
VANDEHEI: I want to take one last stab at defending Mika's thesis on this. Which is, Tom Cotton, go ask John Boehner, Speaker Boehner if he thinks that Tom Cotton is somebody that you can work with. The guy is extremely conservative, he's much closer to Ted Cruz than he is to Mitch McConnell. These guys – it's going to be extremely difficult in this environment to govern.
(...)
8:16 AM
BRZEZINSKI: Jim VandeHei, thank you for liking my thesis.
JIM VANDEHEI: I don't know if I liked it, I'm supporting your thesis.
BRZEZINSKI: Thank you.
SCARBOROUGH: Well, it is a thesis, Mika, that boxes Republicans in.
BRZEZINSKI: It's a hypothesis.
SCARBOROUGH: If we win, we lose. If we lose, we really lose. I mean, come on.
BRZEZINSKI: You know what?
SCARBOROUGH: I'm with Chuck.
TODD: If you win, you win.
SCARBOROUGH: Sometimes winning's winning.
TODD: Winning's winning. Losing's losing.
(...)
