In special pre-New Hampshire primary coverage on MSNBC in the 4 p.m. Eastern hour this afternoon, contributor Mike Barnicle insisted this afternoon that Marco Rubio suffered "more than a Muskie moment" on Saturday with his repetitious exchange with Gov. Chris Christie because the moment "went viral on YouTube."
Yes, Rubio did "have a pretty strong second hour" in Saturday's ABC News/IJReview debate, but "if you go on YouTube, he's got millions of hits looking on various aspects of a 6-minute phase of his life."
"He is now being judged for doing what all politicians do," admitted Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough, noting that folks listening to Rubio from here out will be "picking apart every single thing he says" from his standard stump speeches.
"Marco is going to be held to a much higher – and I will say, let me say – unfair standard because what happened on that debate stage," Scarborough concluded.
The "Muskie moment" of course refers to an incident in the 1972 Democratic primary campaign where Sen. Edmund Muskie supposedly cried at the podium while delivering an emotional speech defending his wife. The show of emotion has since been considered the death knell for the Maine senator's candidacy, which quickly disintegrated after winning the Granite State primary.
MSNBC
MSNBC Live special coverage: The Place for Politics 2016
February 9, 2016; 4:49 p.m. Eastern
JOE SCARBOROUGH: Let's talk about another name we haven't talked about much today. And that's Marco Rubio. Mike Barnicle, obviously, he came in here with the biggest momentum. Everybody's talking about Marcomentum, they're not talking about that now. What do you think Rubio has to do to get out of here without being badly damaged?
MIKE BARNICLE: Well, in order to survive New Hampshire, and potentially prosper in South Carolina, I don't think he can, you get the feeling he can't slip much below fourth. He has been damaged.
SCARBOROUGH: Did he have a Muskie moment?
BARNICLE: Oh, I think he had more than a Muskie moment.
SCARBOROUGH: Do you really?
BARNICLE: Yeah, only because of the social media aspect of it. It happened in the context of a two-hour debate. He had a pretty strong second hour, but it went viral on YouTube. If you go on YouTube, he's got millions of hits, looking at various aspects of a six-minute phase of his life.
SCARBOROUGH: Yeah, you know, also, Willie [Geist] not only did it impact him there, he is also being judged for doing what all politicians do, which is delivering the same stump speech. But now they're picking apart every single thing he says. You go, wait a second, we've heard him say that for four years. Have I ever told you about my Earl Hutto story?
MIKA BRZEZINSKI, deadpans: Oh, my god! Please don’t tell it right now.
SCARBOROUGH: I mean, we all, I mean, every politician has the story. But Marco is going to be held to a much higher, and I will say, let me say, unfair standard, because what happened on that debate stage.
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