Folks should appreciate Joe Scarborough and Pat Buchanan more

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

There's a tendency to dismiss them because they are Republicans, but they are two of the only people whose analysis of electoral politics means a thing to me. They are both Republicans who were edged out of the party for being insufficiently doctrinaire, and they both take perverse satisfaction in being gad-flies about politics from a RW perspective... a perspective I don't have, and that is good to understand.

I don't care what they say about policy, but I value their views on practical electoral politics.

For instance: Just now a guest was saying that Republicans if Florida are all about electability and will go for McCain. Scarborough said, "That's like telling Democrats in the 1990s they should vote for Sam Nunn. Republicans just... don't... like... John McCain."

Coming from someone who won a bunch of elections in a very conservative, religious part of Florida, that means something.

He also said of McCain, "If the editorial boards of every newspaper endorse a candidate, that candidate is fatally flawed." A valuable point. The traits prized by newspaper editorial boards, like a serious grasp of the issues or a ciilized tone, are almost never the traits that win elections.

[sniffa]

1. I thought Scar was edged out because he's a murderer

:shrug:

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

2. That has never been considered disqualifying in the Republican Party

[jlake]

4. lol. So true.

[no name no slogan]

19. That's MASS murderers that are not disqualified.

Regular plain-vanilla intern-killers like Scar are off the table.

[LittleClarkie]

7. We'd cry foul if the same evidence we have were thrown at a Dem

hence I have trouble taking it seriously, in all fairness.

[BringEmOn]

18. Gary Condit?

[AndyA]

3. I appreciate them more after I've switched them off.

I can't stand Buchanan's voice. And his sister drives me up the wall even worse. In fact, I think they could be one and the same. Anyone ever see them together at the same time?

And little Joey, tell us about that dead girl in your office. What happened to her?

MSNBC should dump Joey and Bowtie, and give shows to Rachel Maddow and David Schuster. It would be a huge improvement!

[LittleClarkie]

5. They're a notch above the usual Repub pundit. Paleos are more tolerable to me

Joe's coverage of Katrina told me that he knows how to turn around to his own party and say "WTF." I did appreciate that.

[grantcart]

6. i dont think either one of them really were for the war either

[book_worm]

8. Every once in a while Pat makes some sense.

[tabasco]

9. They're assholes and propagandists

and I don't give a damn what they say.

[skooooo]

16. whatever

I've really lost patience with people who are so puritanical that they can't discuss people or issues they don't agree with 100% of the time. Maybe you live in some kind of fairytale world, I don't know. I like listening to a lot of different points of view.

[tabasco]

21. Yeah, I live in fairy tale world where we call liars "liars."

You are apparently one of the people who believe, if one person is telling a lie and another telling the truth, that "the truth must lie somewhere in the middle." The downfall of this Nation will be the multitude of stupid people.

[StevieM]

10. I like Scarborough a lot (eom)

x

[LeftishBrit]

11. Pat Buchanan is a right-wing racist. He defended LePen. Fuck him (nt)

[butterfly77]

12. So is scarborough..

he talks about AA as though we are from some other universe...

[LeftishBrit]

13. Ugh!!!!

As a foreigner, I'm fortunate not to have much knowledge of Scarborough; but I know more about the disgusting Buchanan than I'd like to. He has given too much support to Europaean far-right-wingers and racists, as well as his nastiness at home.

[GalleryGod]

14. The "Cream" of Morning Joe !

Mika!





" I want a SMART woman in a real short skirt.."
Jimmy Buffet

[skooooo]

15. I agree.

Unlike many people on DU, I don't have to agree with someone 100% of the time to find their point of view to have value. Pat is an old-style republican and at least knows how to think and talk about politics. I don't agree with his conclusions all the time, but imo he's worth listening too on a lot of topics - especially politics.

[sandyj999]

17. Well Shoot Me But I Watch Every Morning

I am not so narrow that I can't be open to someone else's ideas. And Mika rocks!

[THUNDER HANDS]

20. Buchanan has taken a shine to Hillary lately

frankly, it's weirding me out.

[Cameron27]

22. Buchanan doesn't like Clinton

anymore than he did before, he just knows that politics isn't a tea party, or a coronation. The same with Lou Dobbs, who called Obama, precious ROFL.

[DemCam]

25. He's an odd realist

[hisownpetard]

28. Me, too. It's absolutely weird to hear him defending her every word!

What do you think the story is?

[Robbins]

29. Reason

He knows she unites the Republicans,and Hillary has likabilty problems.That Is why he pumps up her,and calls Obama a loser.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

23. "The traits prized by newspaper editorial boards"

"like a serious grasp of the issues or a ciilized tone, are almost never the traits that win elections."

A serious grasp of the issues is something I've been waiting for in a candidate in this election and a quality I prize a great deal. That's a sad commentary on the state of politics in America today, at least to me. But alas, it's probably accurate.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

24. My candidates tend to lose

I like those Gore, Kerry, Tsongas types.

[Jamastiene]

26. Gore didn't lose.

It was highway robbery.
x(

[NJSecularist]

27. I like Scarbourough and ESPECIALLY Brit Hume

Those are my two favorite conservative TV hosts.