What's up with these Morning Joe regulars who had cultivated something of a benign image suddenly turning nasty?
Yesterday, we noted BBCer Katty Kay with a mocking laugh as she suggested to Charlie Sykes that they do a DeSantis post-mortem, "before we consign him to oblivion and forget his name."
Today, it was Eugene Robinson's turn to turn mean. Though Robinson is an ardent liberal, he has something of an avuncular air about him. But both in his current Washington Post column, snidely entitled "The Nation's Gain is Florida's Loss," and on today's Morning Joe, Robinson took nasty swipes at Ron DeSantis as the Florida governor exited the GOP primary stage.
The show quoted Robinson's very strained analogy in his column [emphasis added], "I fear DeSantis will continue using the state as a stage to boost his MAGA profile — just like those awfully high heels on his cowboy boots."
Apparently, Robinson thinks DeSantis should retire from politics altogether: "I fear he is going to go back to Florida. I guess he thinks he's got a political future. I'm not quire sure what that future is. But he's, I think he's going to keep it up. I think that's just bad for, again, you know, the citizens of the third most populous state in the nation."
Even Scarborough, no slouch when it comes to slinging insults, seemed a bit taken aback by Robinson's bile. The segment ended with Robinson's mocking grin as he sarcastically claimed that he was "inconsolable" over DeSantis' departure, scornfully adding, "Ron, we hardly knew ye." Scarborough twice proclaimed Robinson was a "Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist," which these days is another term for liberal.
Who's next? Although Willie Geist has become an ardent Trump critic, he has somehow managed to maintain an affable air. Should we expect Willie, sometime soon, to unload ugly shots at Trump or another unsuspecting Republican?
Here's the transcript.
MSNBC
Morning Joe
1/23/24
6:37 am ETJOE SCARBOROUGH: Let's bring in right now Pulitzer Prize winning columnist at the Washington Post, Eugene Robinson. And Gene, your latest column for the Washington Post, you talk about the fall of Ron Desantis' presidential campaign. You also do not give him a fond farewell. Your piece is titled, "The Nation's Gain is Florida's Loss."
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Yeah, and you say, "It's hard to see what DeSantis might have gained from his presidential run and easy to see what he has lost. His appeal, in theory, was as someone who could deliver on Trump's MAGA policy agenda without all of Trump's baggage.
"But DeSantis proved to be an awkward, wooden candidate who struggled to connect. His best weapons in Florida had been his bluster and belligerence, but he was too timid to use them against Trump.
"As all the failed GOP candidates have learned, primary voters don't want New Trump--not while Trump Classic is still available. A nation's gain is Florida's loss, sadly. I fear DeSantis will continue using the state as a stage to boost his MAGA profile -- just like those awfully high heels on his cowboy boots."
SCARBOROUGH: See, there we go again. There we go again. [Inaudible] mean.
. . .
ROBINSON: But I fear he is going to go back to Florida. I guess he thinks he's got a political future. I'm not quire sure what that future is. But he's, I think he's going to keep it up. I think that's just bad for, again, you know, the citizens of the third most populous state in the nation.
. . .
JONATHAN LEMIRE: My question to you is, it is rare to see a candidacy implode with such swiftness and such vigor as Ron DeSantis did. To the point where I wonder if he's so badly damaged that he hasn't set himself up for 2028, but, rather, you know, this moment has already passed him by, and his political future may be coming to an end.
ROBINSON: I think that's entirely possible, Jonathan. I really do. First of all, he's in office, I believe, until '26, right? And, but he can't run again. I think he is term-limited in Florida. And so, what's he going to do? And then, people are going to remember this campaign. I mean, he did leave an impression. Unfortunately, it was a really, really awful impression that he left, as this, again, sort of awkward guy. You saw the smile. You saw his sort of inability to connect on a human level. That's not good for him. I think that's one of the things people are going to remember.
And also, his inability to choose any sort of lane to run in that made any sense. I think people will remember that. And I just don't know where he goes from here. I really don't.
SCARBOROUGH: All right. Gene Robinson, thank you so much for that --
MIKA: -- Thanks, Gene.
SCARBOROUGH: -- [Facetiously] For that fond farewell. There's a bit of a tear, in, I think, in your left eye. You better check that.
ROBINSON: Yes, I know. I've been inconsolable, Joe. I really have been, since he left. I just, I just. Ron, we hardly knew ye.
SCARBOROUGH: We hardly knew ye. All right. Thank you so much, Gene Robinson, Pulitzer Prize winning columnist Gene Robinson of the Washington Post.
