Scarborough Scolds Democrat 'Bedwetters' Over One Bad Biden Poll

May 12th, 2023 3:42 PM

Joe Scarborough Eugene Robinson MSNBC Morning Joe 5-12-23 Joe Scarborough is angry at his fellow Biden fans who are scared by the recent Washington Post/ABC News poll showing Biden with a historically low approval rating, and losing badly to Trump in a head-to-head match-up. On Friday's Morning Joe, Scarborough lashed out at what he sees as weak-kneed Dems:

"Some of the Obama people would always talk about Democratic bedwetting. Let me tell you something: all the beds in Washington, D.C. were, were, were wet after that poll came out. Just the, the, the fear and loathing, the tears, the weeping, the gnashing of teeth."  

Scarborough's the macho man, and the doubters are babies. 

The MSNBC host tried to buck up the Democrat base, pointing to subsequent polls showing Biden in better shape. The screencap shows Scarborough emphatically making the point that the bad Biden poll is just "one" poll! Morning Joe is in it for the long haul, and will be fightin' for Biden every day!

He complained about the bedwetters warning "if Joe Biden wins by four percentage points he's going to lose still, the Electoral College. No! No! No! No! No! National polls don't matter!"

Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post repeatedly murmurred his assent throughout Scarborough's spiel. And when Joe was done, Robinson was quick to say, "I completely agree." Eschewing Scarborough's graphic description of Democrats as bedwetters, the more genteel Robinson invoked God: Like I always say, God gave Democrats hands so they could wring them. And again, they're wringing the hands. Over that one poll."

In trying to make the case for Biden, Robinson went so far as to throw his own newspaper at least partially under the bus, saying:

"The Washington Post poll is very good, but every good pollster has an outlier from time to time. And that [the poll showing Biden losing to Trump] is starting to look like an outlier poll."

An "outlier" poll is a euphemism for a poll that doesn't show Democrats in great shape.

Robinson even broke out the hoary old chestnut about polls only being "a snapshot in time." 

If there's another bad poll for Biden, look for Robinson to employ the even hoarier line: "the only poll that counts is the one on Election Day!"

Joe Scarborough scolding Democrat "bedwetters" scare by a poll showing Biden losing to Trump was sponsored in part by Abbvie, maker of Qulipta, GlaxoSmithKline, maker of meningitis B vaccine, Liberty Mutual, Consumer Cellular, Priceline, and UnitedHealthcare.  

Here's the transcript.

MSNBC
Morning Joe
5/12/23
6:20 am EDT

JOE SCARBOROUGH: I just want to circle back, Gene, though. There was a, there was a ABC News/Washington Post poll that came out this past weekend. 

And you talk about -- some of the Obama people would always talk about Democratic bedwetting. Let me tell you something: all the beds in Washington, D.C. were, were, were wet after that poll came out.

Just the, the, the fear and loathing, the tears, the weeping, the gnashing of teeth. What else can I throw onto that pile over one poll? Yesterday, we showed a poll that showed him, Joe Biden, at 43% among adults. I think, I think Alex said, if you really want to do apples to apples, he was at 47% among registered voters--47%.

The poll last week had him at 38%. It also had him beating Donald Trump in a head-to-head matchup. I wonder if we're going to hear about that for a week?

I wonder about this, The Economist/YouGov poll that just came out yesterday, that shows Joe Biden's approval rating at 48%. His disapproval at 46%. Now listen, maybe IIIthat's an outlier. Maybe it's an outlier like the poll last week was an outlier. 

I'm just wondering if we're going to hear about this poll now going into the weekend,with people weeping and crying, or whether Democrats are going to say, wait a second, you know what? This goes up, this goes down. Sometimes Biden's at 38%. Two days later, he's at 43%. One day later he's at 48%. 

I mean, this is, this is going to be a close race nationally. But everything we're hearing about, if Joe Biden wins by four percentage points he's going to lose still, the Electoral College. No! No! No! No! No! National polls don't matter. If you want to know who's going to win, and just add in on this, Gene, go to the suburbs of Atlanta, go the suburbs of Philly. Like, Trump ain't winning there. He's just not going to win there after performances like this. And again: maybe another Republican candidate will win easily there. Donald Trump will lose. 

EUGENE ROBINSON: Yeah, I absolutely agree. I don't see those suburban voters going for Donald Trump. The other night certainly hurt Trump among those voters, as opposed to helping him. 

Like I always say, God gave Democrats hands so they could wring them. And again, they're wringing the hands. Over that one poll. 

You know, we're, the Washington Post poll is very good, but every good pollster has an outlier from time to time. And that'sstarting to look like an outlier poll.

We also should understand that polls are snapshots, literal snapshots of a day or a few days in time. And, you know, things change.