The cast of MSNBC’s Thursday edition of The 11th Hour Reports with Stephanie Ruhle went all out in their praise of President Biden’s alleged “compassion and humility” that, according to them, is so great, Republicans “could never fathom” how truly awesome it is.
Ruhle began by playing a clip of Biden recalling a conversation he had with Sen. Mitch McConnell and claimed that his second instance of freezing mid-sentence was consistent with someone having suffered a severe concussion. Since Biden did not take the opportunity to call on McConnell to resign or make fun of him, Ruhle proclaimed, “People have demanded civility. That right there is as decent and civil as they come. He is staying the course when it comes to bipartisanship and civility.”
She then asked political analyst Juanita Tolliver, “Do you think Americans are noticing?”
Tolliver thought they are, “Absolutely! The president speaks with a level of compassion and humility there that Republicans could never fathom or even convey.”
After arguing that McConnell’s condition puts Republicans in a tough spot given their criticisms of Biden’s age, Tolliver also claimed “But, the way that the president is responding to this, is that normalcy, is that compassion, is that humanity that people did support in 2020.”
After Tolliver wandered off topic and speculated how McConnell’s condition will impact Congressional business, Ruhle turned to The Bulwark’s Tim Miller and wondered, “Civility and decency are long part of Joe Biden's brand. They have been his whole career. How long, Tim, do you think he can maintain and stay on that high road if he's facing Donald Trump in the election?”
Miller was thrilled with the question, “He did in 2020. He's continued to stay on it. I'm just happy you brought this up because it is just such a contrast and I don't think he gets enough credit for it.”
He then rambled on about his displeasure at Senate Republicans for not acknowledging Biden’s supposed greatness, “and it's frustrating to me particularly among, you know, the remaining Republicans who try to, you know, act like they are, you know, are defending of norms, and want civility and want to return to all of that, the kinds of senators that are supporting Tim Scott, et cetera in the presidential race, they never give him credit for this.”
Miller also praised Biden for passing on the “easy” opportunity to “take a cheap shot at Mitch McConnell,” claiming this is how he was able to counter those who “did not think that Joe Biden would be able to achieve the bipartisan achievements that he did at the beginning of his administration.”
Finally, Miller praised Biden for working with potential 2024 rival Ron DeSantis, "Even with someone he’s running against, Ron DeSantis, right now in Florida, you know, they are working together on this hurricane response and there hasn't been name-calling. There hasn’t been threats, he's been saying you've got to be nicer to me if you want to get your money. And that is refreshing and hopefully given more credit than he has."
Does DeSantis get credit for that too or just Biden? Does Biden’s compassion include trying to compare Beau’s death to those killed in Afghanistan? Does it include comparing a small kitchen fire to a devastating wild fire that wiped out entire homes? Naturally, this unofficial Biden 2024 ad did not answer these questions.
This segment was sponsored by Golden Corral.
Here is a transcript for the August 31 show:
MSNBC The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle
8/31/2023
11:42 PM ET
STEPHANIE RUHLE: People have demanded civility. That right there is as decent and civil as they come. He is staying the course when it comes to bipartisanship and civility. Do you think Americans are noticing?
JUANITA TOLLIVER: Absolutely! The president speaks with a level of compassion and humility there that Republicans could never fathom or even convey. Right? And, like, let's be real, they don't like the idea that this is something they're gonna have to respond to for a second time this summer when it comes to Mitch McConnell.
Especially when they're trying to go day after day, to punch and Biden about age, right, this is not something that they want to talk about. But, the way that the president is responding to this, is that normalcy, is that compassion, is that humanity that people did support in 2020.
I do also think that there is a strong reality that when Republicans return to The Hill in the coming weeks, they're still going to be getting questions about this and McConnell's leadership and his fitness to serve. And I think those questions are valid. Especially considering how critical McConnell will be to conversations around government funding, and avoiding a government shutdown. He's the one that is typically the glue in trying to rein in the craziness coming out of the House Republican Conference, and getting something to the Senate that works. And that's going to look pretty different, if he's not up for the task.
RUHLE: Civility and decency are long part of Joe Biden's brand. They have been his whole career. How long, Tim, do you think he can maintain and stay on that high road if he's facing Donald Trump in the election?
TIM MILLER: He did in 2020. He's continued to stay on it. I'm just happy you brought this up because it is just such a contrast and I don't think he gets enough credit for it and it's frustrating to me particularly among, you know, the remaining Republicans who try to, you know, act like they are, you know, are defending of norms, and want civility and want to return to all of that, the kinds of senators that are supporting Tim Scott, et cetera in the presidential race, they never give him credit for this. And, you know it will be really easy to take a cheap shot at Mitch McConnell today, he didn't do that. I think a lot of pundits across all partisan lines did not think that Joe Biden would be able to achieve the bipartisan achievements that he did at the beginning of his administration.
A lot of people thought that was a pipe dream or was naive to think that he could work with Republicans given how radicalized the party had been under Trump and he did that, so I don't see why he wouldn't be able to keep this up and by the way, even with someone he’s running against, Ron DeSantis, right now in Florida, you know, they are working together on this hurricane response and there hasn't been name-calling. There hasn’t been threats, he's been saying you've got to be nicer to me if you want to get your money. And that is refreshing—
TOLLIVER: Right.
MILLER: -- and hopefully given more credit than he has.
