Brokaw: My Most Conservative Friend Might Vote for Hillary

Tom Brokaw says his most conservative friend has told him he might vote for Hillary Clinton. I for one believe the former NBC News anchor. Hillary supporters might indeed constitute the rightmost fringe of his friend set.

The revelation occurred on today's Morning Joe.

View video here.

TOM BROKAW: This election is about ending polarization; this election is about moving on; it's solutions. I said on Meet the Press on Sunday I think this election is the end of dogma. I may have understated in a way; I think it's the end of rigid dogma. I think it's the end of litmus tests. I think you have to have fundamental principles, but at the same time the voters out there are saying "hey, if it's a good idea and it comes from a liberal, let's take it."

JOE SCARBOROUGH: Let's embrace it.

BROKAW [continuing to quote voters]: "If it's a good idea and it comes from a conservative, let's take it." And I want principled people of character running, but at the same time we've gotten ourselves into this codification process: unless you can check off all the litmus tests, you're not worthy.

SCARBOROUGH: You know, I had a very conservative Republican say that to me after Katrina. That on every level we've got these litmus tests and when you check 'em off, what happens is, on all levels, you have people who are ideologically pure who may not be able to run a government.

DAVID SHUSTER: You know, Tom, but the Republican establishment as you know is having a tough time with somebody like John McCain. You see the Rush Limbaughs out there attacking him, saying he'll ruin the party. Can somebody like McCain still get the nomination, get the general election, without Republican establishment falling in line behind him?

BROKAW: I think he can; I think he's demonstrated that in a couple of places now. New Hampshire is not exactly a warm-and-fuzzy liberal city; you know, it's contrarian. I have had more Republicans this time than in all the years I've been doing this say to me, look, they're fed up. These are born and bred, gold-plated Republicans: it's time for a change, it's broken, we've got to fix it.

And a guy whose very important in national security matters, very conservative man, said that to me; the most conservative friend that I have, and I've known him since I was 18, lives in Iowa. Called me and said: "you're going to find this hard to believe. I just want somebody who's competent. And if I think she can run the country, I will vote for her." It's the last thing I expected to hear from him.

SCARBOROUGH: Right. I'm hearing that from a lot of conservatives too: that this year Michael Dukakis may be right, finally, a declaration that it's about competence, and not ideology.

Argh! How many times have we heard this from liberals? "Forget ideology, let's compromise!" But while Brokaw pays lip service to taking good ideas from conservatives, he inevitably gives the example, as does Scarborough, of Republicans supporting Democrats and not the other way around.

How have any of the Dem candidates put compromise over ideology? The very reason they're engaged in such a nasty personal fight is that nothing separates them on the issues: all subscribe without exception to the left-wing catechism.

Brokaw's idea of bi-partisanship: you Republicans agree with us Democrats.