Joe Scarborough used to be a Republican congressman from the conservative Florida panhandle. But after years of inhaling in the liberal miasma of the Upper West Side-Connecticut burbs-Nantucket corridor, in 2017 he quit the GOP.
Could his dream now be to return to Congress . . . this time as a born-again Democrat?
The question arises after Scarborough, on Monday's Morning Joe, said:
"Oh my God: I would love to be a Democratic congressman!"
Granted, Scarborough did so in the context of saying a Democrat could put together a good 30-second ad or stump speech in 2022 based on what Republicans voted for in Trump's tax-cut bill and voted against in Biden's COVID-relief bill.
To put together a 30-second ad, to put together a stump speech, comparing what all Republicans voted for in Donald Trump's billionaire tax cut two years ago, and what they all voted against, lock-step! What they all—straight out of a Dr. Seuss book, people locking arms, these things, and Whoville, and walking step by step by step over the end of a cliff.
It's like no one at MSNBC remembers the GOP gained seats in the House in November.
But still: for Scarborough even to imagine himself in the shoes of a Democrat congressman is revealing. Could Joe be looking for a suburban Democrat district in New York or Connecticut to run in as a "common-sense Democrat?"
How much of a stretch would it be for Scarborough to go full-Democrat? He's already quit the GOP. He rarely has a good word to say about any Republican—other than the Lincoln Project types. He's full of praise for a variety of Democrats, and was openly rooting for Biden in 2020.
Note also how he spoke derisively of "Donald Trump's billionaire tax cut." Bernie Sanders couldn't have said it better!
But Joe, don't be coy. You'll never go back to being in Congress. You're more rich and famous and influential spouting like a Democrat on MSNBC than you ever were as a politician. It's like you're a Democrat congressman, with benefits.
Joe Scarborough loving the idea of being a Democrat congressman was sponsored in part by AT&T, Safelite, and Liberty Mutual.
Here's the transcript.
MSNBC
Morning Joe
3/8/21
6:37 am ET
JAKE SHERMAN: I think that's why the conventional wisdom about the midterm elections, that Republicans are definitely going to take back the House, it's not quite cooked yet, right?JOE SCARBOROUGH: No.
SHERMAN: Again, if these two things are happening: both we're getting rid of this virus that has paralyzed the globe, and we are, and the people feel like the government has done a good job in supporting them in their time of need, that's something that only at this point Democrats can lay a claim to.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: You know, in 2010, early in 2010, I was saying the Democrats had moved too far left. Republicans were going to have a big off-year election in 2010 just because the way the arguments could be lined up. You could look at it, you could see the 30-second ads were going to be lined up.
But, Katty Kay, oh, my God! I would love to be a Democratic congressman or congresswoman. To put together a 30-second ad, to put together a stump speech, comparing what all Republicans voted for in Donald Trump's billionaire tax cut two years ago, and what they all voted against, lock-step! What they all—straight out of a Dr. Seuss book, people locking arms, these things, and Whoville, and walking step by step by step over the end of a cliff. This is, the dynamics of this. If you just look at those two bills—and those are the two most significant bills that have passed in a decade—it lines up very badly for the Republican party politically.
