The news of Barbara Bush’s passing wasn’t even an hour old Tuesday night when MSNBC host Chris Hayes had his All In panel used the news to malign the current state of the Republican Party. The liberal brought on anti-Trump Republican David Jolly and former Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer (CA) to discuss how the GOP had fallen so far since it’s heyday with the Bush dynasty.
“David, your thoughts about Barbara Bush and more broadly the Bush family and how intersected with the broad trajectory of the party that you call home, the Republican party,” Hayes wondered of Jolly.
Jolly began by noting how “remarkable” Mrs. Bush was during her long life. But he cautioned that “we can't overlook the contrast between the Bush legacy and state of the Republican party today.” According to him, “The reality is, there is not in up room for the dignity of the Bush family in today's Republican party. That's a political conversation that continues to be had within the GOP.”
When it was Boxer’s turn to rip into the GOP, she recalled how gracious Mrs. Bush was but was grateful for her support for the pro-choice movement. “She would do anything for her family but she had her own views and with a twinkle in her eye as her husband had to move to the right on issues such as a woman's right to choose,” she touted.
Hayes turned back to Jolly to get his input on the 2016 election and the Republican Party’s rejection of political family dynasties. “The Bush family and the Clintons each brought rich government experience that as we saw in the last election was largely rejected because of this nativist tribal populism that Donald Trump has sold,” Jolly mourned. “Listen, there are many reasons to condemn Donald Trump's populism tonight and the state of the Republican Party.”
“Senator Boxer, how do you think about the women in the Republican party and the Republican Party that Barbara Bush was part of for so long and where it is right now,” Hayes then wanted to know. Boxer complained that there were no moderates left in the GOP to be found:
Well, there's just hardly any moderates there. David will tell you what happens if you're moderate, if you even talk to a Democrat and what Trump did to the Bush family when he went after Jeb the way he did, so cynically and brutally, was to take a wrecking ball to the history of the Republican Party.
After talking about how she had a right to complain about the state of the Republican Party when she was a Democrat, Boxer said she was saddened by the current GOP. “We had a different Republican Party. And of course, the Bushes were part of that. And it was a big tent,” she whined. “But it was very different then. The Republican party has changed so dramatically. It saddens me.”
It’s sad and disturbing that MSNBC would go out of their way to use the death of a beloved American and member of the Republican Party to smear and divide people during such a solemn moment for the country.
The relevant portions of the transcript are below, click "expand" to read:
MSNBC's All In
April 17, 2018
8:15:49 PM Eastern(…)
CHRIS HAYES: With me now, David Jolly former Republican Congressman from Florida. Barbara Boxer former Democratic Senator from California. David, your thoughts about Barbara Bush and more broadly the Bush family and how intersected with the broad trajectory of the party that you call home, the Republican party.
DAVID JOLLY: Barbara Bush was a remarkable woman. (…) And to your point Chris, we can't overlook the contrast between the Bush legacy and state of the Republican party today. The reality is, there is not in up room for the dignity of the Bush family in today's Republican party. That's a political conversation that continues to be had within the GOP. But tonight we celebrate a truly wonderful and remarkable woman.
(…)
BARBARA BOXER: She was always gracious. But what I loved about her, and what I'll always remember is that she was fiercely independent. You could tell, she was always by her husband's side. She would do anything for her family but she had her own views and with a twinkle in her eye as her husband had to move to the right on issues such as a woman's right to choose, she sent out a lot of signals that “don't worry about it.” She was still there for women. And she did it in a way I can't even describe it. It was charming.
HAYES: You know, it is the course of the Republican Party and the family dynasty she has now overseen for these years, David Jolly. And to Peter Alexander’s point about the Donald Trump running against it. Donald Trump spent months beak calling her son Jeb a simpering duffus over and over and over again. And a lot of that was animated by a certain kind of anti-dynastic feel among the Republican base.
JOLLY: Sure, no, that's absolutely true. Listen, I admit to taking Jeb Bush's side of that argument and not Donald Trump's. The Bush legacy is one of rich experience and qualifications, frankly that contrast existed between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, as well. The Bush family and the Clintons each brought rich government experience that as we saw in the last election was largely rejected because of this nativist tribal populism that Donald Trump has sold. Listen, there are many reasons to condemn Donald Trump's populism tonight and the state of the Republican Party. It is worth, as a nation though, taking a pause to celebrate Barbara Bush personally for her contribution to our nation.
HAYES: Senator Boxer, how do you think about the women in the Republican party and the Republican Party that Barbara Bush was part of for so long and where it is right now?
BOXER: Well, there's just hardly any moderates there. David will tell you what happens if you're moderate, if you even talk to a Democrat and what Trump did to the bush family when he went after Jeb the way he did, so cynically and brutally, was to take a wrecking ball to the history of the Republican Party.
And you know, you might say Barbara, what are your credentials for speaking about Republicans. I'm a lifelong Democrat. But my first big campaign I supported a Republican named Peter Bear for the state senate because he was a great environmentalist. We had a different Republican party. And of course, the Bushes were part of that. And it was a big tent. Barbara was in one side of the tent, her husband was kind of moving toward the right. But it was very different then. The Republican party has changed so dramatically. It saddens me.
(…)
