On Wednesday, MSNBC’s Morning Joe was hoping that the Afghanistan catastrophe would “fade from the headlines” just in time for President Biden and the Democratic Party to make a political comeback before the 2022 midterm elections. The liberal wish-casting even went so far as to suggest “more and more people are going to agree with what he did” and eventually give him “credit” for the disastrous foreign policy failure.
“Mika, you know, as you look at those numbers and you look at the numbers right now, post-Afghan chaos, look at the numbers beforehand, 75% of Americans supporting it,” co-host Joe Scarborough claimed late in the 6:00 a.m. ET hour. That declaration came just moments after it was reported that the latest Politico/Morning Consult poll showed public support for withdrawal has plummeted in recent days.
While reiterating his personal opposition to withdrawing all U.S. troops from the country, Scarborough argued voters don’t care: “That said, politically, the further we get away from those chaotic pictures, the more you’re hearing 70,000 are air lifted out, 100,000 are air lifted out, and the further we get away from the story, I suspect that is not going to be an issue that’s going to be driving any voters in 2022 or very few voters.”
Again, the anchor threw around false numbers to bolster that position: “But at then of the day, Joe Biden did what 75% of Americans wanted him to do, he got of Afghanistan.” Though Scarborough tried to clarify that he wasn’t necessarily cheering about it:
...when I say this isn’t going to hurt him politically down the road, I’m not suggesting that that’s a good thing for our country. I’m just saying, you look at these numbers, and in the midst of this chaos, this will be the low point for Joe Biden on Afghanistan. More and more people are going to agree with what he did as we move forward.
His wife and fellow co-host Mika Brzezinski wasn’t so shy about rooting for Biden: “And in the middle of crushing critique, as it was happening, he stood very firm and defiant on his position.”
Early in the 7:00 a.m. ET hour, Associated Press White House correspondent Jonathan Lemire eagerly agreed with Scarborough’s wishful thinking:
But most Americans still agree with him that it was time for the U.S. to come home and his aides have been pointing to that throughout this process. They believe with the evacuation numbers improving by the day, they believe – and if they are able to get people out by August 31st, this is a story that will fade from the headlines. And eventually, maybe not right away, eventually Americans will even give him credit for being the U.S. president that was able to finally end the war, something his predecessors were not able to do.
Lemire lamented: “Republicans right now, they’re trying to seize the opportunity.” He then touted White House assurances to Democrats: “But the White House is preaching patience, and saying, ‘Look, time will tell. We think we’re going to be okay on here, we’ll be talking about something else next year.’”
Remarkably, all of these comments perfectly matched the rosy talking points coming out of the White House. On Tuesday, Politico laughably reported: “...aides and allies have gone from feeling beleaguered to galvanized, taking to social media and the airwaves to let out the grievances about press coverage they’ve been harboring privately since the crisis began, and to make the case that the White House’s accomplishments should get more credit and attention.”
For Biden’s defenders in the press, their best hope is to bury the horrific news coming out of Afghanistan and desperately try to spin the President’s debacle as a success.
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Here is a transcript of the August 25 coverage:
6:53 AM ET
(...)
WILLIE GEIST: So Sam, before we let you go. I know you guys at Politico have some new numbers out, reflecting the president’s job approval during this Afghanistan crisis. We’ve seen some polls that show him hovering above 50%. Another poll yesterday showed him down in the low 40s. What are you guys finding?
SAM STEIN: Well, so that poll yesterday got a lot of attention, it showed him at 41% approval. 55% disapproval. Our poll today is more in line with what has been the case recently. It has him at 50% approval. 48% disapproval. Those are well off his highs, I think it’s undeniably now true that he’s taken a hit over COVID and Afghanistan. On Afghanistan, you can see the numbers right in front of you. Like Joe mentioned early on, there is support for withdrawal. It stays steady. You know, 50% support withdrawal, 39% oppose it. Even after all of that. If you ask people how the withdrawal is going, of course people are saying it’s not going well. We have 67% not going well, 24% saying it’s going well.
But if you dig into these numbers, I don’t know if we have them here. It’s remarkable how people have just lost any appetite for staying in Afghanistan. We asked a question. It says, “Would you support leaving if it means that the Taliban regains control of the country?” It says 47% yes, 39% no. “Would you support it if Al Qaeda was able to come back into the country?” 45% said yes, continue to leave, 40% say no. So I think there’s just – you know, the public has just waned on the Afghan war. They want to get out, even under terrible circumstances. But they still are upset with how Biden has managed the withdrawal.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: Alright, Politico’s Sam Stein, thank you so much, greatly appreciate it.
SAM STEIN: Sure thing.
SCARBOROUGH: Mika, you know, as you look at those numbers and you look at the numbers right now, post-Afghan chaos, look at the numbers beforehand, 75% of Americans supporting it. Again – let me say again, I strongly opposed this withdrawal. That said, politically, the further we get away from those chaotic pictures, the more you’re hearing 70,000 are air lifted out, 100,000 are air lifted out, and the further we get away from the story, I suspect that is not going to be an issue that’s going to be driving any voters in 2022 or very few voters. Perhaps some veterans, rightly angry and upset, that may influence their votes. But at then of the day, Joe Biden did what 75% of Americans wanted him to do, he got of Afghanistan. Again, I’m in the stated minority, so when I say this isn’t going to hurt him politically down the road, I’m not suggesting that that’s a good thing for our country. I’m just saying, you look at these numbers, and in the midst of this chaos, this will be the low point for Joe Biden on Afghanistan. More and more people are going to agree with what he did as we move forward.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: And in the middle of crushing critique, as it was happening, he stood very firm and defiant on his position.
(...)
7:08 AM ET
JOE SCARBOROUGH: And what’s the White House’s concern right now about the domestic fallout of this, the political fallout of these pictures that we see every day?
JONATHAN LEMIRE [ASSOCIATED PRESS WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT]: Well, Joe, I saw you just went through some of the polls there. And certainly the President’s overall standing has taken a hit in the last couple of weeks, due to the rise in COVID cases – though most Americans blame the unvaccinated and Republican governors rather than the President himself – but his numbers have dipped, he’s in charge. As well as, of course, the handling of this Afghanistan fallout.
But most Americans still agree with him that it was time for the U.S. to come home and his aides have been pointing to that throughout this process. They believe with the evacuation numbers improving by the day, they believe – and if they are able to get people out by August 31st, this is a story that will fade from the headlines. And eventually, maybe not right away, eventually Americans will even give him credit for being the U.S. president that was able to finally end the war, something his predecessors were not able to do.
Republicans right now, they’re trying to seize the opportunity. There is vulnerability here. There are certainly some moderate Democrats in particular who worry this could hurt them in the midterms next year. But the White House is preaching patience, and saying, “Look, time will tell. We think we’re going to be okay on here, we’ll be talking about something else next year.”
SCARBOROUGH: Yeah, like the southern border, something like the southern border is certainly gonna be talked about a hell of a lot more than Afghanistan come next fall.
(...)
