If MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle is anything, it is that she is consistent in lamenting that voters do not understand that President Biden and the Democrats are not to blame for the country’s current economic woes. During Wednesday’s The 11th Hour, Ruhle told former Democratic Sen. Al Franken that he had the facts on his side, but unfortunately, the voters don’t “feel” that.
After Franken claimed that Democratic tax policies are popular, former RNC chairman Michael Steele briefly remembered that he is, in fact, a Republican, “I think-- the country is a lot less worried about tax policy right now to be honest. I think the more concerned about gas prices and inflation, and—and-- raising taxes does not—doesn’t-- help either of those. So, I think—”
Franken interrupted to declare that voters have misplaced anger about inflation, “I want to say one thing about inflation. What's—what’s-- the inflation rate in Hungary?”
After some back-and-forth, Ruhle interrupted to regain control of the segment by reminding Franken that nobody cares. However, that was more of a lamentation than a critical reference to all of Biden’s spending:
Okay, hold on now. Hold on now. Wait, wait. Listen, Al, you’re absolutely right and right here on this show, many, many nights we go through inflation around the globe. In Hungary, in Brazil, what it is. But the problem is, when your neighbor goes to the grocery store. They’re not thinking about what eggs cost in Hungary. Just like they're not thinking about it at the gas pump. So, you have the facts on your side, but people vote based on how they feel and so you got to address that.
It’s easy for Ruhle to cherry pick examples, but the truth is the U.S. has one of the worst inflation rates among developed countries.
After a commercial the trio returned to continue their lamentations over the Democrats’ midterm messaging. Ruhle asked Steele, “Something that is hugely important or should be hugely important to all Americans is voting rights. Michael, should voting rights, protecting voting rights, be a bigger priority for the Biden administration? Because unfortunately it’s not a top kitchen table issue.”
Steele then reverted back to the MSNBC Republican and declared nothing he said in the previous segment really mattered, “I mean, look, going back to our last segment, I'm sure that Al and I will both agree that we can debate all day long about the price of a loaf of bread, and we can debate all day long about inflation. But, if we can’t vote, if we can't freely assemble, if we cannot exercise the rights that are duly given under the Constitution, none of that ish matters.”
Steele would also suggest that the party he used to lead is motivated by racism, “doesn’t matter what bread costs when you can't get to the polls, when grandma has to take seven buses to go vote because they—they-- restrict her district or they moved all the polling places around, out of her neighborhood because it is largely black and brown.”
As it turns out, MSNBC is the one putting feelings over facts.
This segment was sponsored by Volvo.
Here is a transcript of the July 6 show:
MSNBC The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle
7/6/2022
11:40 PM ET
STEPHANIE RUHLE: Al, if Michael’s is right and as he eloquently put it their messaging “sucks” how do you change that? The event that the president did that today, going out there selling his successes. Is that the kind of thing that breaks through?
AL FRANKEN: Of—of-- course you have to talk about your accomplishments, but also, elections are a contrast, are—are-- who you’re running against. What—what— have Republicans stood for in the last five years and their leader Donald Trump? And we’re seeing, people are watching January 6th hearings, they’re paying attention. We’ve seen some movement in the polls because of that. Right now the generic polling is—is—is-- even. We've got 3-to-4 months until the midterms and that's the time to make that contrast and, you know, if we get the two more senators -- even with maybe one, we can get bills that-- most Americans think that high income people should pay more taxes. Republicans believe that, right Michael, right?
MICHAEL STEELE: Yeah, well, we can talk about that.
RUHLE: Michael.
FRANKEN: I—I-- Well, maybe not established Republicans like you but—
STEELE: We spent—we-spent-- a lot of money.
FRANKEN: -- I bet you Trump supporters want to see that.
STEELE: I’m--I'm-- sure they're crazy enough to follow that line of reasoning, but we’ve put a lot of money into the economy –
FRANKEN: Okay, we’ll talk about that at a different time.
STEELE: Well, yeah, we can, but I’m just saying we put a lot of money into the economy already. I think—I think-- the country is a lot less worried about tax policy right now to be honest. I think the more concerned about gas prices and inflation, and—and-- raising taxes does not—doesn’t-- help either of those. So, I think--
FRANKEN: Let me say one thing.
STEELE: Sure. Go ahead.
FRANKEN: I'm sorry Michael. I want to say one thing about inflation. What's—what’s-- the inflation rate in Hungary? And I know you don’t know because—
STEELE: It's about what it is here.
FRANKEN: No, it’s higher than it is here.
RUHLE: Okay, hold on now. Hold on now. Wait, wait. Listen, Al, you’re absolutely right and right here on this show, many, many nights we go through inflation around the globe. In Hungary, in Brazil, what it is. But the problem is, when your neighbor goes to the grocery store—
FRANKEN: Right.
RUHLE: -- They’re not thinking about what eggs cost in Hungary.
STEELE: Right.
RUHLE: Just like they're not thinking about it at the gas pump. So, you have the facts on your side, but people vote based on how they feel—
STEELE: Feel.
RUHLE: -- and so you got to address that.
FRANKEN: I totally understand that. I do understand that.
STEELE: For such a touchy-feely party, you’d think, you’d get that. I don't understand. I’m confused
FRANKEN: I get that the price you pay at the pump is very, very, very important. What you need to fill up at the tank is an extremely important economic thing. But you talk about Ukraine. The—the-- president’s leadership on that was—was-- tremendous, putting that coalition together and we have to sell the importance of that and I realize that these are maybe complex issues -- the relationship of inflation and the price of gas to Ukraine, but what—what-- else would we do. What else would we do? What else could we have done?
…
RUHLE: All right, then, let's get out of the parlor games and get into the present. Something that is hugely important or should be hugely important to all Americans is voting rights. Michael, should voting rights, protecting voting rights, be a bigger priority for the Biden administration? Because unfortunately it’s not a top kitchen table issue.
STEELE: It should be a big priority for everybody. Starting with the Biden administration, I—I-- contended that the State of the Union, quite honestly, should've been about 90% about democracy. Tying the emerging war in Ukraine to our own freedoms here at, home why these battles matter, the impact that they have. I mean, look, going back to our last segment, I'm sure that Al and I will both agree that we can debate all day long about the price of a loaf of bread, and we can debate all day long about inflation. But, if we can’t vote, if we can't freely assemble, if we cannot exercise the rights that are duly given under the Constitution, none of that ish matters. None of it. Doesn’t matter-
RUHLE: Then why –
STEELE: What bread costs when you can't get to the polls, when grandma has to take seven buses to go vote because they—they-- restrict her district or they moved all the polling places around, out of her neighborhood because it is largely black and brown. So, voting, Stephanie, is fundamental. And it's not just about “oh, we’re in an election cycle”, it is 24/7 all year. You've got to stand on that—on that-- wall to protect it.
