You know it's bad when MSNBC admits liberal media bias. On Wednesday's Morning Joe, Willie Geist explained how different Ben Carson would be treated, were he a Democrat: "He's got an incredible personal story, too, that not enough people know about. I suspect if he were a Democrat, there long ago would have been long, weepy pieces written about him."
Geist continued to highlight Carson's incredible life: "He grew up in poverty in Detroit to a single mother, went on to become one of the most preeminent neurosurgeons in the country... I think people are going to start paying closer attention to Ben Carson."
Morning Joe regular Mike Barnicle could not wrap his mind around the Republican's popularity, sputtering, "You know, he's such a nice man, but I'm stunned at those poll numbers.... I'm stunned." Joe Scarborough agreed: "I am too."
Citing a study by the Media Research Center's Rich Noyes, the website MarketWatch showcased just how little attention Carson has received from the press:
Trump has indeed dominated media, one study found. Two weeks before the GOP debate, Trump accounted for 55% of all Republican candidates' airtime on the ABC, CBS and NBC evening news broadcasts, according to the Media Research Center. Following the debate, Trump's share rose to 72%.
Carson can hardly say the same: In the two weeks before the debate, he had just 0.6% of all GOP candidates' airtime on those evening news broadcasts. He doubled that to 1.2% in the two weeks following the debate — still a tiny number.
Appearing on The Kelly File, Carson explained his rise in the polls:
BEN CARSON: Well, actually, one of the things that helped tremendously was the debate on FOX. When a lot of people who really didn't know who I was had an opportunity to see me and actually hear me speak myself as opposed to how I have been portrayed by many in the media who have their own agendas.
A partial transcript of the September 9 Morning Joe segment is below:
6:26am ET
BEN CARSON: We have over 400,000 donations. And the average donation is only, you know, around $50. You know, some of the letters are so poignant. You know, people on fixed incomes, and they say, you know, "I can only afford to send $25 this month." But they say, "next month, I'm going to send you $25, again. And the next month, I'm going to send you $25, again." And I've got to tell you, I do not want to disappoint those people and I certainly don't want to waste their money.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: Well, that's a different approach. Obviously, we've heard a lot of people talk about the tone being much different, Ben Carson than Donald Trump.
MIKE BARNICLE: You know, he's such a nice man, but I am stunned at those poll numbers.
SCARBOROUGH: I am too. I am too.
BARNICLE: I'm stunned.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Well, he speaks from the heart.
BARNICLE: Look at that! Six percent for Jeb Bush. Four percent for Ted Cruz.
SCARBOROUGH: We've got to invite Ben Carson to come on here.
BRZEZINSKI: Yeah.
BARNICLE: What is going on out there?
SCARBOROUGH: That is a good question. Willie?
WILLIE GEIST: He's got an incredible personal story, too, that not enough people know about. I suspect if he were a Democrat, there long ago would have been long, weepy pieces written about him. He grew up in poverty in Detroit to a single mother, went on to become one of the most preeminent neurosurgeons in the country. Had movies made about his career and life. I think people are going to start paying closer attention to Ben Carson.
BRZEZINSKI: Looms larger.
GEIST: Now, he's said crazy stuff.
BARNICLE: Yes.
GEIST: He compared the Affordable Care Act to slavery and other things like that, Nazism and things like that.
SCARBOROUGH: Compared America to Nazi Germany several times and defended it.
GEIST: Yeah. But he's got a compelling personal story. And like you say, he's got a different tone than any other politician we see on the stage right now.
BRZEZINSKI: Absolutely. Well, he's not a politician.
