As the Senate prepared to vote on Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s nomination to the Supreme Court on Thursday, MSNBC MTP Daily host Chuck Todd wondered if she would get more votes if it wasn’t for the “echo chamber conservative media.” Irony is dead at MSNBC.
During a conversation with former Sen. Doug Jones, who is currently the White House’s nomination advisor for legislative affairs, Todd wondered, “How many of these Republican senators do you think, if they didn't think voting for her would get weaponized against them by their—by—by--, you know, some—some-- echo chamber conservative media, would have been voting for her today, just by, based on the conversations you've had?”
Perhaps surprisingly, Jones was more diplomatic. He agreed there were some senators who fall into that category, “but there's also a number that legitimately believe that she has a judicial philosophy that's a little bit too liberal for what they can stand. And then there's some that were just going to be a no, period, because she is nominated by a Democratic president. So, it's really difficult to say.”
Jones also relayed that all senators showed “a lot of respect” and were “very civil” with “very good questions” in private meetings.
Not backing down from his original position, Todd wondered then if cameras, not Jackson’s liberalness, were the problem, “It seems like that, what you're saying is when there's no cameras, things go well. And the minute a camera comes on, it's suddenly political theater. I mean, it’s, I look, I say this hesitantly because I am a sunshine person, I work in a, in this business where, you know, I want everything to be on the record. But would this process be better served if it were off camera, say like the Supreme Court, but maybe just on audio?”
Again, Jones declined to take the bait, declaring there are some performance artists, but that cameras provide much needed transparency. While Todd claims to be all for sunshine, he has refused to discuss his wife's firm's work with Bernie Sanders's presidential campaign even while he interviewed Sanders on his shows.
But, speaking of echo chambers, earlier on Thursday, Andrea Mitchell invited former RNC chair Michael Steele on to suggest that Jackson and Amy Coney Barrett will form “an alliance” on “certain issues.”
This segment was sponsored by Subway.
Here is a transcript for the April 7 show:
MSNBC MTP Daily
4/7/2022
1:27 PM ET
CHUCK TODD: How many of these Republican senators do you think, if they didn't think voting for her would get weaponized against them by their—by—by--, you know, some—some-- echo chamber conservative media, would have been voting for her today, just by, based on the conversations you've had?
DOUG JONES: You know, it's hard to say, Chuck. I—I-- think there are a number in that category, but there's also a number that legitimately believe that she has a judicial philosophy that's a little bit too liberal for what they can stand. And then there's some that were just going to be a no, period, because she is nominated by a Democratic president. So, it's really difficult to say. I do think we—we-- had some amazing meetings and everyone in those private meetings treated her with a lot of respect, very civil, very good questions and we were very thankful for that.
TODD: It seems like that, what you're saying is when there's no cameras, things go well. And the minute a camera comes on, it's suddenly political theater. I mean, it’s, I look, I say this hesitantly because I am a sunshine person, I work in a, in this business where, you know, I want everything to be on the record. But would this process be better served if it were off camera, say like the Supreme Court, but maybe just on audio?
JONES: You know, it's—it’s-- tough to say, Chuck. I do think that the cameras bring a certain dynamic that brings out the worst in some people, there's no question about that, especially if those folks are trying to build a base for higher office. At the same time, we are a country that I think needs to have, be as transparent as possible. I think what we need is a little bit more discipline among those that where, when the lights shine on them, to do a real serious job and not play to those cameras. I think that's the issue and I think voters have as much say on that as anybody else.
