'Morning Joe' Mourns With Biden How Presidents Get Demonized 'From Day One'

"Are you telling them to 'keep calm and carry on' in the White House?" MSNBC's Joe Scarborough supportively asked the Vice President of the United States on Friday morning. "Morning Joe" hosted Joe Biden, but skipped the more embarrassing subjects: the recent trial fiasco of terrorist Ahmed Ghailani and the ethics charges against Rep. Charlie Rangel.

The topics of conversation ranged from the START Treaty to the "stimulus" bill to Sarah Palin – the MSNBC crew all laughed at her claim that she could beat Barack Obama in the 2012 Presidential race – but Scarborough changed subjects toward the end and asked Biden about the demonizing of presidents once they enter office.

"As you know...at least since Clinton was elected, the second a President gets elected, the other side tries to de-legitimize that president from day one," Scarborough claimed. "You've seen that from the outside since early '93. Have you been shocked since you got on the inside at just how tough it is?" he asked Biden.
 

The Vice President answered in the negative. "Well, I've not been surprised, unfortunately. I wish I was shocked." He then seemed to lament the presence of Fox News, between the lines: "What I've found is that there is a – there's a plethora of – of outlets for people to get their news from. There's a plethora of outlets for people to organize through, and so you get a couple hundred thousand people with one point of view, and you've got yourself a platform. And there's a cacophony of voices out there that make it very confusing for serious people to try to figure out what are the facts? What's the real deal here? And things have just gotten a lot more complicated."

Co-host Mika Brzezinski tried to throw sunlight on the 2010 elections for Biden. "Isn't this new map – or this 'shellacking' as the President puts it – isn't it actually a moment of opportunity for this administration?" Surprisingly, Biden put it in perspective. "Well it's both a moment of opportunity, but also a pretty clear message," he mused.

Why would Brzezinski and Scarborough pander to Biden about demonization when confessed terrorist Ahmed Ghailani was acquitted on hundreds of counts except  one – conspiracy to destroy a government building – in a civilian trial in New York? Do they think there's no discontent against the Obama Justice Department?

A transcript of the segment, which aired on November 19 at 7:59 a.m. EDT, is as follows:

JOE SCARBOROUGH: For a lot of people that haven't spent a lot of time in Washington, and I'd put the President in this category, Bill Clinton was the same way – they don't realize the tide comes in, the tide goes out. But the tide always comes back in. Are you telling them to keep calm and carry on in the White House?

(...)

SCARBOROUGH: What do you guys need to do to turn it around?

MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Yeah, isn't this new map, or this "shellacking" as the President put it – isn't it actually a moment of opportunity for this administration?  

Vice President JOE BIDEN: Well it's both a moment of opportunity, but also a pretty clear message then.

(...)

SCARBOROUGH: Well you got here in '72, right?

BIDEN: I did.... (Unintelligible)

SCARBOROUGH: 29 year-old kid – 30, I guess, by January. Talk about how things have changed. Because as you know, every day on the show we talk about how, at least since Clinton was elected, the second a President gets elected, the other side tries to de-legitamize that president from day one. You've seen that from the outside since early '93. Have you been shocked since you got on the inside at just how tough it is?

BRZEZINSKI: Or not surprised.

BIDEN: Well, I've not been surprised, unfortunately. I wish I was shocked. I've been here for eight Presidents, this is the eighth president I've worked with. And what I've found is that there is a – there's a plethora of – of outlets for people to get their news from. There's a plethora of outlets for people to organize through, and so you get a couple hundred thousand people with one point of view, and you've got yourself a platform. And there's a cacophony of voices out there that make it very confusing for serious people to try to figure out what are the facts? What's the real deal here? And things have just gotten a lot more complicated. And unfortunately we always learn the wrong lesson from one another. We learn how – we learn how to take down a president, and the next guy they learn.

(...)

BRZEZINSKI: Before we go, let me just show you Sarah Palin, your former rival for the Vice Presidential position talking about 2012. Take a listen.

(Video Clip)

SARAH PALIN: And looking at the lay of the land now, and trying to figure that out, if it's a good thing for the country, for the discourse, for my family, if it's a good thing.

BARBARA WALTERS: If you ran for President, could you beat Barack Obama?

PALIN: I believe so.

(End Video Clip)

(Laughter)

BIDEN: Look, I – look – I-I-I-I – don't give me any trouble. I-I-I-I don't think she could beat President Obama, but you know, you – she's always underestimated, so you know, I think – I think I shouldn't say any more.

BRZEZINSKI: There you go!