On Thursday's Morning Joe, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough dressed up his usual Republican-shaming routine with a truly antiquated reference to the old children's-TV series Romper Room, which pre-dated Sesame Street.
It was creepy. It was patronizing. It was peak Scarborough.
Scarborough called out a list of several Republican senators by only their first names (Martha McSally, Cory Gardner, Thom Tillis, Susan Collins, and Joni Ernst) as if they were naughty children and assured them that they would be sorry:
For you Republicans, who are likely going to lose and you know who you are. I mean, we could do Romper Room. And I could hold up a mirror, and talk about I can see you, Martha! I can see you Cory! Tommy, I see little Tommy in North Carolina! I see Susan in Maine! Joni, how are you doing, Joni? How's it going out there?
Unsure how to react, Scarborough’s co-hosts and guests stared blankly into their cameras, and he emphasized his disappointment in the senators, especially Joni Ernst:
I mean, you had a great reputation before you got into Congress. You had a great reputation before you became an apologist for Donald Trump. Do you really want to leave public service being remembered as nothing but a sycophant for a man who can't even condemn white nationalism? Because that will hang over you, all of you, for the rest of your lives.
Clearly angered by women who dare to think for themselves, Scarborough dialed up the baby talk to once again mock Susan Collins: “There is no wringing of your hands, Susan. And saying it was terrible on both sides.” Likely realizing that his threats would not scare the senators, he moved on to discuss coronavirus relief, but it was too late to hide the severe emotional harm that the Republican senators have caused him.
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Read the transcript below:
Morning Joe
10/1/20
6:47:33 AM
JOE SCARBOROUGH: And, you know, this isn't really a surprise at all for members of congress who have watched the show since 2017. We have said the fact that you cling to this man to get you through the primary process is what will actually get you defeated in the general election. That you have got to make a stand against Donald Trump. And they never would do it because they feared their primary vote is too much. And in 2017, it was disastrous for them. What happened in Virginia was absolutely shocking to the Republican Party. In 2018 because they continued to embrace Donald Trump because they continued to embrace a man that kept talking caravans, because they continued to embrace a man who kept making racist statements about Hispanics invading the country, caging children.
This actually led to the largest political landslide in an off year election in the history of our great republic. Republicans were wiped out by vote total in a way that no party had ever been wiped out. Same thing in 2019 in Louisiana. Louisiana re-elected a Democratic governor. In Kentucky, Kentucky, they elected a Democratic governor. And here we are in 2020, seriously, how many times do I have to tell you -- I mean, really I feel like a parent here, how many times do I have to tell you, please don't put your hand on the hot stove. Look, ouch. Ouch. Ouch. You've done four years in a row. Here's the thing. You've only got a couple of weeks now to distance yourself from this man.
For you Republicans, who are likely going to lose and you know who you are. I mean, we could do romper room and I could hold up a mirror, and talk about I can see you Martha! I can see you Cory! Tommy, I see little Tommy in North Carolina! I see Susan in Maine! Joni, how are you doing Joni? How's it going out there?
I mean, you had a great reputation before you got into congress. You had a great reputation before you became an apologist for Donald Trump. Do you really want to leave public service being remembered as nothing but a sycophant for a man who can't even condemn white nationalism? Because that will hang over you, all of you, for the rest of your lives. There is no wringing of your hands, Susan. And saying it was terrible on both sides. You really, actually, have to speak out against this.
