Beginning an interview with MSNBC Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough on Thursday's NBC Today, co-host Ann Curry wondered: "If you were head of the Republican Party trying to defeat Barack Obama in November-" Scarborough promptly interrupted her: "I'd quit." That defeatist attitude set the tone for the rest of the Obama-campaign-approved segment.
Giving a supposedly "serious" response to Curry's question, Scarborough declared: "I would be asking others to get into the race." Curry teed up Scarborough to make dire predictions of GOP chances in 2012: "But how much longer can this party go without a nominee and still beat Barack Obama?"
Rather than challenge any of Scarborough's premature doom and gloom, Curry simply observed: "It sounds like you're almost throwing in the towel." She then helpfully attempted to bolster the pessimism of the former Republican congressman:
You know, what you're saying sounds very familiar to what – something that George Will wrote about over the weekend for the Washington Post. He was talking about maybe Republicans need to now ought to realize that they're not going to win the White House and they should really concentrate on the House and the Senate. He says, quote, that neither Romney or Santorum, quote, "Has an aptitude for energizing a national coalition that translates into 270 electoral votes if nominated."
Curry then posited: "So it sounds like there – are you part of an increasing number of Republicans who are feeling like, 'Look, look, just change the – just change list here because this is not going to win'?"
Scarborough pushed back only slightly: "I don't think I'm there yet. I don't think a lot of Republicans are there yet...These are dangerous times and I don't think the Republican Party wants to throw in the towel yet."
Wrapping up the interview, Curry remarked to Scarborough: "Hey, Joe, great to have you here, it really is. It's fun to hear your perspective." It's always "fun" when guests toe the liberal media line.
Here is a full transcript of the March 8 interview:
7:10AM ET
ANN CURRY: Well, another person who's very familiar, Joe Scarborough is the host of MSNBC's Morning Joe and he joins us now. Joe, great to have you here, good morning.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: It's great to be here.
CURRY: If you were head of the Republican Party trying to defeat Barack Obama in November-
SCARBOROUGH: I'd quit.
CURRY: Well, okay. But would you be also asking any one of these candidates to get out?
SCARBOROUGH: No, actually – and I'm dead serious – I would be asking others to get into the race. I'd be asking, still be asking Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, Paul Ryan or somebody else. Because the Romney people did something fascinating yesterday. They said basically, "It would take an act of God for us not to win." But then went on and got to the math, where they said they basically have to take 50% of the delegates from here to Tampa to go over the top. With four people in the race, and with chances very good that Mitt Romney's going to lose Alabama, going to lose Mississippi, going to lose Louisiana, going to lose Kansas, going to lose a lot of states over the next week or two, I wouldn't be going around showing that math.
CURRY: But nevertheless, I mean, you talk about these people coming in, these people you would be trying to seek. But how much longer can this party go without a nominee and still beat Barack Obama?
CURRY: It sounds like you're almost throwing in the towel.
SCARBOROUGH: No. If I were throwing in the towel, I would say let's go to Barbados for the next six months. I'm saying if I were the head of the Republican National Committee, I would be on the phone with Jeb Bush and Chris Christie every day and say, "I know you're uncomfortable. I know you don't want to do this right now. I know the timing's not right. But you have a responsibility to your party and your nation to get engaged."
CURRY: You know, what you're saying sounds very familiar to what – something that George Will wrote about over the weekend for the Washington Post. He was talking about maybe Republicans need to now ought to realize that they're not going to win the White House and they should really concentrate on the House and the Senate. He says, quote, that neither Romney or Santorum, quote, "Has an aptitude for energizing a national coalition that translates into 270 electoral votes if nominated." So it sounds like there – are you part of an increasing number of Republicans who are feeling like, "Look, look, just change the – just change list here because this is not going to win"?
SCARBOROUGH: Well, that's how I feel. I think George Will's argument and a lot of conservatives are saying, "We're going to lose the White House. So let's focus on the House and the Senate." I don't think I'm there yet. I don't think a lot of Republicans are there yet.
There are a lot of people who are concerned, not only with how Barack Obama's been spending money over the past four years, but how George W. Bush and Republicans spent money the 8 years before that. Listen, we had a 5 trillion dollar national debt when I left office in 2001, we're at $16 trillion right now. If Barack Obama has another term, we'll be over $20 trillion. We're not that far from having the Dollar getting beaten around like Greece, and Spain, and Italy and other parts of Europe are having their currency beaten up right now. These are dangerous times and I don't think the Republican Party wants to throw in the towel yet.
CURRY: Alright, well, we'll see what happens next.
SCARBOROUGH: Okay.
CURRY: Hey, Joe, great to have you here, it really is.
SCARBOROUGH: It's great to be here.
CURRY: It's fun to hear your perspective, thank you for joining us.
SCARBOROUGH: Thank you.
CURRY: Alright, you can watch Morning Joe weekdays at 6 a.m. Eastern on MSNBC.
