Marco Rubio’s leap into the Republican presidential race has provoked a variety of reactions, but the most unhinged Rubio backlash goes to Donny Deutsch, who reduced himself to a mess of inconsistency by claiming Rubio isn’t qualified for job, while defending the even less experienced President Obama.
(This is the same Deutsch that infamously insulted Rubio as a "coconut" -- brown on the outside and white on the inside.)
What frightened Deutsch the most was how Rubio would handle the resurgent Russia, "we have...become...a country of sports center watchers that watch the campaign versus truly, truly going deep and saying, okay, I want to imagine this guy right now Putin goes into the next territory. Does his next Ukraine....That guy, that's the guy, a guy who spent a few years in Tallahassee, a guy who has been in the Senate and other than Barack Obama, the last senator we elected was JFK, there’s a reason we don’t elect senators, that's the guy who is going up against Putin."
Surprisingly, in a spirit of balanced analysis, Willie Geist asked if he felt this way about Obama in 2007.
Even more surprising was the fact that Deutsch was transparent in his answer, "when I looked at Obama at that point, for some reason, I felt a different gravitas. He did not have the experience."
Deutsch then dramatically changed the subject and started fawning over Obama’s presidency:
Correct me if I’m wrong about anyone of these things, lowest unemployment we have seen in my lifetime. Health care legislation that is a breakthrough legislation, time will still tell whether this is successful but it’s a breakthrough...He saved the auto industry. He opened up Cuba. He killed Osama bin Laden....This is a very, very successful presidency.
Surprise: Deutsch is wrong. He must have vacated the planet during the Bush years; the unemployment rate currently stands at 5.5% and it fell as low as 4.4% in 2007. It was under 5 percent for two years (from December 2005 to December 2007).
His label of Obamacare as "breakthrough legislation" is illustrative of the media’s liberal bent. When Obama shoves legislation that takes over a sizable portion of the U.S. economy down the throat of the American people it’s called a "breakthrough." When Republicans send a letter to Iran explaining how the government works it’s called "unprecedented."
Deutsch’s verdict on the healthcare legislation itself comes a bit late; if a system crafted by liberals is so filled with glitches that Jon Stewart pokes fun at it, one can gather it's not a "historic achievement" at this point.
As for "saving the auto industry," there were businesses who survived without bailouts. Ask Ford. There is no reason why the auto industry could not have done the same, and perhaps come out stronger. If anything, one could argue that Obama did greater damage by sending a message to private industries that they can be reckless with their business, as they are guaranteed a bailout.
Deutsch’s contention that Obama deserves props for "open[ing] up Cuba," as if he was repeating Nixon and China, is questionable. The United States had a strategic and economic interest in turning China on the Soviet Union during the Cold War. What is there to gain from normalizing relations with a Communist nation that needs us more than we need them?
The claim that Obama killed Bin Laden is typical liberal overstatement -- as if Obama pulled the trigger. Bin Laden was found by using Bush’s tactics of enhanced interrogation techniques, rendition, and imprisonment at Guantanamo, which Obama opposed. After the Bush administration’s efforts helped produce Bin Laden’s location, Obama was left with saying "yes" to the mission to take him out.
Deutsch concluded his incoherent rambling with an explanation about why he is not comfortable supporting Marco Rubio, despite his experiential advantage over Obama back in 2008, "It’s not, you can't lump everybody in and say everybody has to be experienced. I'm saying to me this particular candidate to me, he does not read where he's got the weight. You can have weight even with five years experience. I'm talking about this particular candidate."
One wonders if Deutsch would react this way if Rubio was a Democrat. Perhaps he would feel "a different gravitas."
Transcript is below:
DEUTSCH: Okay. I, I, we have to separate, you know we've become in this country a country of sports center watchers that watch the campaign versus truly, truly going deep and saying "okay, I want to imagine this guy right now Putin goes into the next territory. Does his next Ukraine."
SCARBOROUGH: Yeah
DEUTSCH: That guy, that's the guy, a guy who spent a few years in Tallahassee, a guy who has been in the Senate and other than Barack Obama, the last senator we elected was JFK, there’s a reason we don’t elect senators, that's the guy who is going up against Putin.
WILLIE GEIST: But Donny did you feel that way in 2007 when you looked at Obama and he was elected and reelected?
DEUTSCH: You know what I'll tell you, I’ll tell you what I, I’ll tell you what I did (?) when I looked at Obama at that point, for some reason, I felt a different gravitas. He did not have the experience. I’m just--
SCARBOROUGH: Well he sure, he sure didn’t have it.
DEUTSCH: Okay I, for some reason--
SCARBOROUGH: Yeah but you were wrong, weren't you?
DEUTSCH: By the way, no, I was not. I’m going to say one more thing--
SCARBOROUGH: Well hold on a second,
DEUTSCH: No. Can I just one more--
SCARBOROUGH: You told me time and time again that
DEUTSCH: Okay.
SCARBOROUGH: Barack Obama let you down--
DEUTSCH: Okay.
SCARBOROUGH: --because he wasn't ready for the office.
DEUTSCH: Obama has he let (?)--
SCARBOROUGH: He let you down.
DEUTSCH: Okay, Obama, let me tell you what Obama has done before we continue to talk about what a failure his presidency is. I just want to say this, one more time--
SCARBOROUGH: So you’ve changed?
DEUTSCH: Maybe I, no. no. I'll tell you where he has let me down. I’ll tell you where he’s not let me down. Cause if we're grading that presidency, lowest unemployment-
SCARBOROUGH: We’re talking about inexperience
DEUTSCH: Okay. I’m talking about a score card now, a seven year scorecard. Now correct me if I’m wrong about anyone of these things, lowest unemployment we have seen in my lifetime. Health care legislation that is a breakthrough legislation, time will still tell --
SCARBOROUGH: Yeah.
DEUTSCH: – whether this is successful but it’s a breakthrough.
MARK HALPERIN (Time Magazine): But we’re talking about foreign policy and national security I thought.
DEUTSCH: I’m talking about his--
SCARBOROUGH: I could debate this all day--
DEUTSCH: But can I, can I finish my point?
SCARBOROUGH: –and I think you’re wrong. No.
DEUTSCH: No I think you’re--
SCARBOROUGH: This is about inexperience and Marco Rubio--
DEUTSCH: --But I’m talking about a report, one thing is projecting. One thing is a report card. He saved the auto industry. He opened up Cuba. He killed Osama bin laden. Whether it’s his doing or not, we got the lowest -- This is this a very, very successful presidency.
