On today's Morning Joe, ex-RNC chair Michael Steele encouraged voters to ignore Joe Biden's undeniable mental problems, and instead focus on his supposed achievements: "Don't worry about whether or not he remembers something that happened 30 years ago. Listen to what he's telling you today."
Scarborough broke in to add "Look in their bank account." He started ranting that "all these rich people that are bitching about how he's a socialist. And I heard another story about it last night! People around the table, this guy that's got millions and millions of dollars, all he's doing is bitching about, oh, Biden's a socialist, he's surrounded by socialists."
He presented this as a myth you learn from watching Fox and Newsmax. Forget his "Inflation Reduction Act" getting buy-in from socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders. Scarborough had the chutzpah to imply Biden is better for capitalism than Trump.
You want to know how Biden's doing? Look at your 401(k). And if you're one of these rich country club types that drive your Ferrari or your Maserati to the country club and bitch about how horrible the economy is. Look at your, your stock app and see how much money you're making every hour.
Because there's not a crazy lunatic in the White House. There's somebody who actually respects the rule of law. There's actually somebody who respects American democracy. And, yes, there's actually somebody that respects American capitalism and what keeps it stable. But these freaks, I'm not exactly sure what they think they're going to get from Donald. But they're going to get none of that.
Replied the sycophantic Steele:
"I couldn't agree with you more. It's that type of evidence that still puzzles me; that people blow through fast to get to the age of Joe Biden."
Scarborough also stereotyped Trump supporters who criticize Biden as rich guys driving their Ferraris to the country club. Surely Scarborough must know that the average Trump voter is more likely to be driving a pickup truck to the high school football game.
There was a bit of oblivious irony on Scarborough's part. He recounted the story of a friend at a dinner party where a very rich man was denouncing Biden as a socialist, but that "because he's a really wealthy guy, nobody at the dinner table was saying anything to him."
In other words, toadying up or being cowed by rich or powerful people is wrong, suggests Joe. But there was Steele, deferring to and praising Scarborough at every turn.
When Scarborough hinted he wanted to say something, Steele stopped himself mid-sentence and urged Scarborough to go ahead. And that there was the praise and the obsequious agreement: "I couldn't agree with you more."
This isn't in any way a "news" program. It sounds like a DNC advertisement. Distract from Biden's glaring loss of mental acuity, and try to shift the focus elsewhere. And before the segment described here, Scarborough mocked Trump over some of his own forgetfulness. Democrats are playing a losing hand if they want to make this a race about the candidates' comparative physical and mental vitality.
Here's the transcript.
MSNBC
Morning Joe
2/13/24
6:11 am ETMICHAEL STEELE: To the point about how these individuals are performing, you are spot on. And you are making the most critical point that the Democrats continue to fail to make about their own candidate.
And that is, don't worry about whether or not he remembers something that happened 30 years ago. Listen to what he's telling you today. Listen to how he's talking about and framing the arguments for this hour, as we're confronting an explosion in Europe because our Republican Senate and House members want to light the fuse for Putin.
Listen to how he's talking about helping the nation recover from COVID, from a downturn in the economy, from a loss of hope and jobs and opportunities. Listen to how he's trying to move the nation off of the authoritarian, anti-democratic behavior of the other party.
And so you do have some very clear contrast --
JOE SCARBOROUGH: -- Hey, Michael?
STEELE: And as you said -- yeah, go ahead, Joe. Yeah.
SCARBOROUGH: Look in their bank account. Why don't they do that, too?
STEELE: Yes!
JOE SCARBOROUGH: For all these, all these rich people that are bitching about how he's a socialist. And I heard another story about it last night!
People around the table, this guy that's got millions and millions of dollars, all he's doing is bitching about, oh, Biden's a socialist, he's surrounded by socialists.
And because he's a really wealthy guy, nobody at the dinner table was saying anything to him. And this, then a woman told me, was telling me about how she said, "Hey. Wait a second, how's Biden a socialist? Well, he's just a --Name one policy? Well. Name one person in his administration. Well, I just know he is. I just know.
Well, he must know because he listens to certain shows on Fox News, or Fox Business, or Newsmax, or something like that.
That's the thing, Michael, that Willie and I talk about all the time. You want to know how Biden's doing? Look at your 401(k).
And if you're one of these rich country club types that drive your Ferrari or your Maserati to the country club and bitch about how horrible the economy is. Look at your, your stock app and see how much money you're making every hour.
Because there's not a crazy lunatic in the White House. There's somebody who actually respects the rule of law. There's actually somebody who respects American democracy. And, yes, there's actually somebody that respects American capitalism and what keeps it stable. But these freaks, I'm not exactly sure what they think they're going to get from Donald. But they're going to get none of that.
So, just look right in front of you right now when trying to figure out, Michael, whether he's up to the job right now. Your 401(k) suggests he is.
STEELE: I couldn't agree with you more. And it is that type of evidence that still puzzles me that people blow past to score the point against Joe Biden on his age.
