Some people have argued that the revelations that Democratic Virginia State House Susanna Gibson’s history of making pornography should be disqualifying. Others have said it was no big deal, but the weekly panel on MSNBC’s The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle took it a step further by trying to spin her response to revelations as a positive.
The assembled panel was taking turns nominating people who considered to be the week’s MVP and journalist and author of Raising Them Right: The Untold Story of America's Ultraconservative Youth Movement and Its Plot for Power, Kyle Spencer, chose Gibson, "I am going to nominate Susanna Gibson, who ran or is running for a seat in the Virginia State House and –"
Ruhle then interrupted, "Okay, I’m going to guess none of us knows who Susana Gibson are because everyone went—okay, okay, so educate us, educate us, okay educate us."
That Ruhle and her panel might not know who Gibson is only goes to show how much of a partisan bubble MSNBC is stuck in. After Spencer proceeded to explain the story, the dismissive jokes started flying. Correspondent and podcaster Trymaine Lee salivated, "They’re going to get some ads."
Trying to stay somewhat serious, Spencer continued to omit that it is very possible Gibson used her profits from her X-rated videos to fund her "good cause" or her campaign, "She was outed for this her response was basically, leave me alone. I am running, I care about the issues I care about, and what I do with my husband doesn’t matter and I thought this—"
Ruhle then chimed in, "Good on you, Sue!" Humorist George Hahn added, "I want to meet her. I want to hang out with her," to which Spencer also joined, "I know! Don’t you-- I know!"
CNBC contributor and Wall Street correspondent for The Messenger, Ben White also jumped in to add his agreement, "On a serious note to that story, as did somebody I know very well who's going to be watching this show and we talked at length about it, “man way to go."
White, like everyone else on the panel, didn’t see what the big deal was, "I just mean in terms of not being ashamed of who you are for doing something that is not illegal, that is being consumed by adults for adult purposes, not letting someone come and try to scare you."
After Lee asked if Gibson still has a chance, Spencer claimed "it seems like she does -- who knows how this will play out. She’s fighting back hard. Feminists in the region are coming back and supporting her. I think what will be really interesting is what will the suburban voters and Richmond think about people who do this? How much porn do they watch?"
After some more cross talk, Ruhle claimed that the porn-watching habits of Richmond voters is actually a very important point, "because, you know, we watch, whether it's business leaders or political leaders, just sort of, like, clutch their pearls when you talk about things that’s anything sexual. Yet Pornhub, YouTube, these are among the top ten highest trafficked websites in America. So, it’s like, let's just be honest about how people live their lives."
Continuing to miss the whole point, Spencer added, "Exactly, people have sex."
But do they do it on the internet so they can fund their campaign? Not caring about the answer to these questions, Ruhle wrapped up the Gibson portin of the segment, "My gosh, that was an MV—that is an MVP right there."
Of course, if the party labels were switched, the tone would be much more solemn as MSNBC would demand the candidate drop out while deploring that winning elections has surpassed the need to uphold norms and institutions.
This segment was sponsored by Vicks.
Here is a transcript for the September 15 show:
MSNBC The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle
9/15/2023
11:41 PM ET
KYLE SPENCER: I am going to nominate Susanna Gibson, who ran or is running for a seat in the Virginia State House and –
STEPHANIE RUHLE: Okay, I’m going to guess none of us knows who Susana Gibson are because everyone went—okay, okay, so educate us, educate us, okay educate us.
[crosstalk]
RUHLE: Who is this woman?
SPENCER: Susanna Gibson, it turns out, according to the Washington Post, that she and her husband, she’s a Democrat, and this is the suburbs of Richmond and this is a very important seat and a very important race coming up. It turns out that she and her husband have sex and had sex—
RUHLE: I wasn’t ready for this.
SPENCER: --and sold their sexual activities for money online and she--
[cross talk]
TRYMAINE LEE: They’re going to get some ads.
SPENCER: She was outed for this her response was basically, leave me alone. I am running, I care about the issues I care about, and what I do with my husband doesn’t matter and I thought this—
RUHLE: Good on you, Sue!
SPENCER: Yes –
GEORGE HAHN: I want to meet her. I want to hang out with her
SPENCER: I know! Don’t you-- I know!
BEN WHITE: On a serious note to that story, as did somebody I know very well who's going to be watching this show and we talked at length about it, “man way to go.” Look—
RUHLE: Wait, wait, the way you said that, you’re almost implying, like, you’re looking for a side hustle after this.
[crosstalk]
WHITE: No, no -- America is not clamoring for anything like that. I just mean in terms of not being ashamed of who you are—
SPENCER: No!
WHITE: --for doing something that is not illegal, that is being consumed by adults for adult purposes, not letting someone come and try to scare you.
LEE: Does she have a shot though? Does she have a chance?
SPENCER: I mean-- at this point, it seems like she does -- who knows how this will play out. She’s fighting back hard. Feminists in the region are coming back and supporting her. I think what will be really interesting is what will the suburban voters and Richmond think about people who do this? How much porn do they watch?
[crosstalk]
RUHLE: Hold on, but the reason it's important—
SPENCER: Yeah.
RUHLE: -- is because, you know, we watch, whether it's business leaders or political leaders, just sort of, like, clutch their pearls when you talk about things that’s anything sexual. Yet Pornhub, YouTube, these are among the—
SPENCER: Yup.
WHITE: Yeah.
RUHLE: -- top ten highest trafficked websites in America. So, it’s like, let's just be honest about how people live their lives.
SPENCER: Exactly, people have sex.
RUHLE: And she is doing something—
WHITE: Married people.
RUHLE: There you go. Wow!
[crosstalk]
SPENCER: To be watched!
RUHLE: My gosh, that was an MV—that is an MVP right there.
