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Is Joe Scarborough Out of Touch With The Conservative Ascendancy?

By: jimbo51 (Diary)  |  April 21st, 2010 at 11:23 AM  | 

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I have been a big fan of Morning Joe and Joe Scarborough for the last 18 months.  Not so much lately.  It seems like ever since Joe moved to the Upper West Side in New York, he seems a bit to cozy with all of his liberal friends. He appears to be a bit to eager for their approval. 

Joe initially was the Conservative willing to criticize Bush and the Republican’s excessive spending from 2000 – 2006.  Great– I agreed with him.  I even considered him as a possible Presidential Candidate and told him so on a call in to his show six months ago. But not now. For the last six months I have been growing more and more disappointed by what I see as a leftward swing by him and his being out of touch with the ascendance of Conservatism and Constitutional issues for the American people.

For example, he never really gave a sound criticism of the Health Care Bill.  His only criticism was general.  It was a bad bill.  In fact, his most passionate opposition was after the bill was passed.  He never seemed to know what was in the bill.  Like most in the media, no one even tried to read it.  They just asked others what they thought and then picked who they believed.  It seemed to me that Joe believed the Democrats more and portrayed a belief that Republicans were just playing politics. 

That now seems to be his position on Financial Reform.  Joe Scarborough gives no inkling whatsoever that he knows what the language of this bill allows, yet he seems to think that because it says: “Financial Reform” it needs to pass.  What a let down.  I thought he was better than that.

I am alone in what I’m seeing?  Does anyone else see this?  I no longer consider Morning Joe to be one of my favorite political programs. Open thread.

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  • JadedByPolitics

    to a RIGHT of center Conservative such as myself he ALWAYS has been!

  • proudgop

    I see him all the time in city and he is now a true blue Manhattanite

    I think he cares more about keeping his job at MSNBC too

  • http://www.twitter.com/joejharvey joejharvey

    I couldn’t disagree more, respectfully. I also support Joe and sincerely believe in his politics. Joe has been callingout bad behavior and reckless spending on both sides for some time. But he is a strong conservative with a high 100% American Conservative Union lifetime rating. A couple points.

    Joe is friends with lots of liberals. He’s also friends with lots of conservatives. That’s exactly the type of politician we need. Someone who can staunchly disagree with someone but still be polite and friendly. That’s how we teach our kids to treat each other and it’s refreshing to see in our polarized times.

    Healthcare bill. Joe thought it was a horrible bill because it is a massive new entitlement that we cannot afford and it never addressed cost. It was also billed as a cost savings and a job creator. It was neither of those. In fact, on Joe’s show, he put forth a three point plan for healthcare reform that needed to be included to be called reform. Eliminate anti-trust exemptions for healthcare insurers, tort reform, and allow healthcare insurance to be purchased across state lines. The Democrat plan included none of these. I call that substantive disagreement.

    Financial reform needs to happen and Joe supports some guidelines in place. Even most of Wall Street agrees. What is put in place is the issue. Increase transparency in derivatives trading? That’s a good point that Joe supports. It’s also needed so that one firm (cough cough AIG) can’t sell CDS type insurance to 15 counter-parties because the counter-parties would know that the firm could never settle their trades if it blew up. On the show, Joe has also talked about the lack of inclusion of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as indicative of the legislations lack of seriousness.

    Joe represents conservative values and consistently has. Back when it was cool (1994), when it wasn’t (2000-2004), and now that it is cool again. Even Mika Brzezinski (his liberal cohost) openly laughed at Joan Walsh yesterday on TV when Joan said she couldn’t think of any loud liberals. Just because Joe gets along with liberals doesn’t mean he doesn’t push conservative values on his show every day.

    Joe Scarborough is a great example of what Senator Tom Coburn had said the other day, “just because you disagree with someone, that doesn’t make them a bad person.” Joe disagrees with the libs all day without saying they are bad people. That attitude actually changes the minds of the independents we need to win in 2010 and in 2012.

  • jimbo51

    Dear Joejharvey,

    I’ve been a huge fan of Morning Joe — as I said. And I agree with almost everything you said…up to about 6 months ago. At first I wrote it off to Joe being unaware of some of the pertinent facts. One of his lefty guests would go off and Joe would some times not rebut (when he did, he was great). On a few occasions, maybe after getting tons of emails, he’d bring the subject up the next day and rebut. Better late than never, I guess. I know he’s busy but maybe some one could help him.

    On Health Care, you’re right. He did oppose it in generalities. Nobody did a very good job of driving home the specific reasons to oppose it. Actually, Larry O’Donnell, of all people, made some of the best arguments against.

    On Financial Reform, he is just NOT making a case for why this bill as-is should be defeated. I get the impression that if he were in Congress, he would vote for it. Yes we need to regulate derivatives, but do we need a new Government Committee with the power to take over almost any company for almost any reason (read def. of non-financial entities and reasons for gov’t control).

    He often uses Reagan as an example of Conservative Principles but a moderate temperment. I agree whole-heartedly. But even Reagan wouldn’t ait still and take some of the BS that he oftentimes agrees with. When he gets his dander up and sets the record straight, there is NO ONE better. He just needs to do it more often (like he did with Arianna recently).

    I still watch his show, I’m just less of a fan……and I would NOT support a run by him for President where six months ago I would have.

  • http://www.twitter.com/joejharvey joejharvey

    Hi Jimbo,

    This idea of calling people “mushy conservatives” I think needs to be revisited. Or at least the criteria does. Joe Scarborough has had amazingly consistent views. Iin 1994 he was the right-wing firebrand that was voted in during the Gingrich Revolution. In 2000-2004 he wrote a book called “Rome Wasn’t Burnt in a Day” about how “conservative” spending was going to ruin the party (which turned out to be prophetic). Now in 2010, he is still talking about a cautious foreign policy, sustainable domestic budgets, and tamer rhetoric.

    Joe hasn’t been supportive of the government committee that would have the power to take over companies. He may not have suggested significant policy (that I know of) but that’s understandable because it is complicated. The right answers aren’t obvious. But, he surely hasn’t supported the clearly “unconservative” parts of the bill. Believing that some changes need to be made is responsible, because they do, and even the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute agrees.

    You mentioned that he often agrees with BS on his show. I can’t refute a generality like that but you gave a great example of how he went after his FRIEND Ariana Huffington for ripping on Giuliani. This debate, in my opinion, shows a weakness in our side. A person who has consistent conservative beliefs without demonizing the other side gets called, a “mushy conservative” or a “so-called conservative.” And why does he get called this? Because he is friendly with conservatives AND liberals and engages in debates with them. That’s what changes minds. That’s what wins people over to our side. That’s what wins votes.

    I personally like Hannity and Limbaugh. But, I’m also aware enough to know that they are speaking only to people like me who already agree. The value in what Joe does is that he is viewed by and talks with decision-makers who don’t already think like him. He is able to articulate our point of view to people who aren’t going to be listening to Rush or Sean.

    This is the type of conservative we need. Someone who is consistent when the party hasn’t been and has that credibility to speak to liberals and change minds.

  • jimbo51

    Dear JoeJHarvey:

    I like Joe. I just don’t think he’s as Conservative as his 100% Lifetime Rating indicates. You want specifics — three come to mind off the top of my head:

    1) He applauded the Feds raising the mileage requirements for Carmakers (CAFE Standards). I and most free market folks oppose this. Why can’t the market handle this issue. If I want to buy a gas guzzler and can afford it, why can’t I.

    2) Joe has hinted strongly that he is a believer in AGW as good consensus science. ‘Nuff said.

    3) He doesn’t agree that having pro bono lawyers for Gitmo detainees assume policy-making functions dealing with these detainees in the Justice Department is a bad idea.

    Once again I like the guy and agree with most of what you say. I just wish he would be more knowledgeable of some issues and give a passionate criticism of some of these bills that are dramatically increasing the side of government. He’s a media guy now and not the guy to lead the Republican Party out of the wilderness.

    But once again, I like the guy and am a fan of his and Mika’s.

  • http://www.twitter.com/joejharvey joejharvey

    Jimbo,

    Great conversation with you. It is really good to be able to have a serious conversation about the future of conservatism and the spokesman of the party. There are a lot of reasons to support energy dependency (also known as not giving terrorist supporters, ourmoney). I’m not sure about number three.

    I will write up a piece on why I believe Joe is a great person to look to in three areas; domestic policy, foreign policy, rhetoric. I’ll have it up by tomorrow morning.

    Have a good night!

    Joe

    www.draftjoe2012.com