Scarborough Elevates Talarico to ‘Obama-esque’ Status After Saturday Night Live Cameo

James Talarico James Austin Johnson NBC SNL 11-7-26

MS NOW is no longer an NBC property, but that doesn't mean they can't break out their joy over what aired on Saturday Night Live. On Monday's Morning Joe, they continued their gushy ride on the Talarico train, insisting again Talarico could be a charistmatic Caucasian version of Obama. 

John Heilemann first fired a starting pistol for 2028 on the morning after the election. As we wrote:

Heilemann reported that a Talarico campaign staffer who worked on Obama’s 2008 campaign told him the Talarico phenomenon 'feels a little bit like' Obama in Iowa in 2008—the caucus win that served as his springboard to the White House.

The show upped its enthusiasm on Monday. After playing the clip of Talarico's SNL cold open appearance on Saturday, Joe Scarborough raved:

I just want to comment on James Talarico coming in and getting that uproarious applause. It really, almost Obama-esque as far as the level of intensity and the support for him.... 

I’ve got to say James Talarico, if you just take one person, he really has emerged. I would say. along with Jon Ossoff or Ossoff’s abilities. I’ve got to say James Talarico, if you just take one person, he really has emerged. As far as just pure star power, it’s really hard to beat what James Talarico has come to mean to the Democratic Party in the state of Texas.

Jonathan Lemire agreed: 

No question. Dems have wanted Texas forever, and they came close a number of times. It was always the white whale, and that guy, James Talarico, Senator Talarico, in his own words. He’s the one who got it done. And certainly, he was gifted an easy opponent to run against, but he’s a star.

Lemire also gave props to Jon Ossoff, and noted that SNL’s mere display of a photo of El-Sayed “was enough for the audience to go nuts.” A pile of leftists showing up to applaud for leftists on a leftist comedy show makes a "star," or multiple "stars."

But at least for now, Talarico is clearly Morning Joe’s man for 2028.

The last time Morning Joe was this ga-ga about a candidate was in 2019, when the crew went fangirling for Pete Buttigieg with the same pale-Obama vibe. 

After Buttigieg appeared on Morning Joe in March 2019, Scarborough later tweeted that he and Mika were “overwhelmed by the reaction,” and that “the only other time in twelve years that we heard from as many people about a guest was after [Barack Obama] appeared on Morning Joe.”

And in April 2019, reacting to Buttigieg’s announcement of his presidential candidacy, we caught Morning Joe breaking out the superlatives for him, adding the previous Kennedy idolatry: “hero; echoes of the Kennedys; very inspiring; witty, and charming, and human, and compassionate." 

Of course, we all remember how winning the crucial Morning Joe primary catapulted President Pete to the White House. 

So, time for Talarico to start measuring the Oval Office drapes!

Here’s the transcript. Click "expand" to read:

MS NOW
Morning Joe
11/9/26
6:00 a.m. ET

JAMES AUSTIN JOHNSON (SNL cold open, Nov. 7, as TRUMP): The election is over now, so I hope you enjoy what you voted for. Jon Ossoff, or as I call him, Pinky Herman. Abdul El-Sayed, or as I call him, Mamdani for men.

And of course, down in Texas, Talafreako.

JAMES TALARICO: That’s Senator Talafreako.  [wild, extended cheering]

Hi, America. I’m James Talarico, the guy, the guy who’s been texting you every day asking for $5.

JOHNSON: In this economy, who can blame you?

TALARICO: But I think, Mr. President, if we can work together, we can make life better for everyday Americans. It’s clear people want something new. They want something different. I’m talking, of course, about SNL’s cold opens. How many of these Trump friezes are they going to do?

JOHNSON: Infinity.

TALARICO: Well, in that case, there’s only one thing left to say. Live from New York [together], it’s Saturday Night!

MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Democratic Senator-elect of Texas, making a surprise appearance on SNL, getting to say the iconic catchphrase at the end of the cold open. That was fun.

. . .

JOE SCARBOROUGH: I just want to comment on James Talarico coming in and getting that uproarious applause. It really, almost Obama-esque as far as the level of intensity and the support for him.

I’ve got to say, Jonathan Lemire, there are a lot of different people that were talked about in this campaign, that were lightning rods in this campaign, but also garnered a lot of support.

I’ve got to say James Talarico, if you just take one person, he really has emerged. I would say. along with Jon Ossoff or Ossoff’s abilities. 

But as far as just pure star power, it’s really hard to beat what James Talarico has come to mean to the Democratic Party in the state of Texas.

JONATHAN LEMIRE: No question. I mean, he’s the guy who did it. Dems have wanted Texas forever, and they came close a number of times. It was always the white whale, and that guy, James Talarico, Senator Talarico, in his own words,

MIKA: The exact opposite of President Trump.

LEMIRE: He’s the one who got it done. And certainly, he was gifted an easy opponent to run against, but he’s a star. Ossoff, clearly a star with a lot of 2028 buzz.

But as I also mentioned, Joe, in SNL during the "Weekend Update" segment, Colin Jost just like mentioned Abdul El-Sayed, like to set up a joke, and they showed his picture. And just showing El-Sayed’s picture was enough for the audience to go nuts.

So there’s a lot of excitement and enthusiasm for these Democrats.