On Wednesday morning, there was night a day difference in the way MSNBC and Fox News covered the gubernatorial race in Virginia as Morning Joe bolstered Democratic candidate and ex-Governor Terry McAuliffe as he attacked Republican Glenn Youngkin. Joe Scarborough even went so far as to compare the GOP nominee to an "illiberal tyrant" who is using "anti-Semitism" in his campaign.
By contrast, while faux-conservative Scarborough ignored recent embarrassments hitting the McAuliffe campaign, the same day's Fox & Friends covered the Democratic candidate storming out of an interview, his poor record on crime as governor, and the possibly illegal campaigning in a Virginia church by Vice President Kamala Harris.
Scarborough began the interview by taunting Youngkin for not coming on the show. The liberal host even played up his allegedly "conservative" credentials to dubiously suggest he would give the Republican an friendly interview:
We keep asking your opponent to come on the show. He won't come on the show -- kind of strange to me. As you know -- you watch this show once in a while -- I'm a small government conservative, I'm a Second Amendment guy, I'm worried about inflation. I'm worried about these big bills in Washington, D.C. You'd think, if he's a real conservative, he'd want to come on and talk about that. Has he been dodging you in Virginia? Is he just scared to speak publicly right now? What's going on with him?
McAuliffe easily hit the softball served to him by accusing his opponent of being afraid to take questions, and went on about Youngkin being reluctant to debate before eventually admitting that Youngkin did, in fact, debate him. After McAuliffe accused Youngkin of having a "tinfoil hat" for invoking wealthy liberal activist George Soros, it was Scarborough who went even further than his Democratic guest in accusing the Virginia Republican of anti-Semitism:
If he's talking about George Soros, that's the sort of anti-Semitism we see in the United States and across the world. That's what -- that's what illiberal tyrants like (Viktor) Orban do in Hungary. They just lie about a Jew -- they pick a Jew out -- George Soros is that Jew -- and so he's -- he's -- he's playing that old anti-Semitic trope as well.
The two continued passing the Youngkin-bashing baton back and forth to one another as McAuliffe accused his Republican opponent of "racist dog-whistling" for making an issue of Critical Race Theory being taught in schools. Bolstering his liberal guest, Scarborough responded: "You said Critical Race Theory is not taught in Virginia public schools. If that's the case, why in the world would he bring up Critical Race Theory? I don't understand. If it's not even taught in Virginia schools, that would seem actually to seem nefarious."
And, even though homicides increased 43 percent under McAuliffe's previous term as governor, his claim that he presided over one of the lowest crime rates in the country went unanswered. In 2013, the year before he took office, the per capita homicide rate was below the national average, but had increased above the national average by 2017. Nationally, homicides had increased 18 percent.
It is also noteworthy that Fox News host Bret Baier has previously stated that he has invited McAuliffe to appear on his Special Report show many times unsuccessfully, demonstrating that the Democrat also turns down tough questioning.
The interview ended with Scarborough challenging Youngkin to let him moderate a debate with McAuliffe that he promised would be "straight down the middle" in spite of the negative tone he had just shown the Republican candidate throughout the segment.
But MSNBC's competitors on Fox New Channel actually showed video of McAuliffe walking off an interview on Tuesday when he didn't like the questions he was being asked. They also addressed the crime issue, and Vice President Harris's improper campaigning in a church.
MSNBC's campaign gift for the Democratic party was sponsored in part by IHOP. Their contact information is linked.
Transcript follows:
MSNBC's Morning Joe
October 20, 2021
8:37 a.m. Eastern
JOE SCARBOROUGH: So we keep asking your opponent to come --
TERRY McAULIFFE, GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE (D-VA): Hi, Joe.
SCARBOROUGH: We keep asking your opponent to come on the show.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: He won't.
SCARBOROUGH: He won't come on the show -- kind of strange to me. As you know -- you watch this show once in a while -- I'm a small government conservative, I'm a Second Amendment guy, I'm worried about inflation. I'm worried about these big bills in Washington, D.C. You'd think, if he's a real conservative, he'd want to come on and talk about that. Has he been dodging you in Virginia? Is he just scared to speak publicly right now? What's going on with him?
McAULIFFE: Yeah, the guy's scared. First of all, he dodged out on the debates -- the famous debate we've had for 36 years -- he wouldn't debate me. He jumped out of all the debates. And the reason is he doesn't want to get asked tough questions.
(...)
Last night he had a rally. I'm doing meetings with small business to talk about minimum wage, family and medical leave, what we need to do on paid sick leave. He has a rally yesterday -- George Soros who of course is the Trump boogeyman. George Soros and I are somehow running this -- I mean, they're all wearing their tinfoil hats -- it's getting nuttier by the day -- but he's an anti-vaxxer -- he doesn't believe in a woman's right to choose -- and he's dangerous for Virginia.
SCARBOROUGH: Well, he also -- if he's talking about George Soros, that's the sort of anti-Semitism we see in the United States and across the world. That's what -- that's what illiberal tyrants like Orban do in Hungary. They just lie about a Jew -- they pick a Jew out -- George Soros is that Jew -- and so he's -- he's -- he's playing that old anti-Semitic trope as well.
(...)
McAULIFFE: And Glenn Youngkin's campaign has been nothing but dog whistles -- racist dog whistles from day one. He talks about Critical Race Theory. It is not taught here in Virginia. It is a racist dog whistle. I am sick and tired of it.
(...)
SCARBOROUGH: This is interesting. You said Critical Race Theory is not taught in Virginia public schools. If that's the case, why in the world would he bring up Critical Race Theory? I don't understand. If it's not even taught in Virginia schools, that would seem actually to seem nefarious.
(...)
McAULIFFE: And it's a racist dog whistle. We need to call things out for what they are. And it's sick -- it's sad.
(...)
McAULIFFE: I'll keep you safe. I had the lowest crime rate of any major state in America when I was governor.
(...)
SCARBOROUGH: Your opponent -- again, he's avoiding us -- he's scared to come on the show. I'm not really sure. I want to ask you right now if -- we're going to ask you again if he would debate you. We'll question straight down the middle for both of you guys, If he will accept a debate on Morning Joe, will you come on the show and debate him here?
McAULIFFE: Anytime, anywhere you want to do it, 24/7 special, I'll do it. He's been invited on -- I think I've done six, 10 shows in the last week. Every single show says the same thing in the end. "We invited Glenn Youngkin, but he refused to come on." You are running for governor. He's got to quit hiding. He wouldn't debate me for months. I mean, it is just insane if you're running for governor. How could you not answer a tough question?
