Joe Scarborough's Secret to Success: Play Nice
By Nikki Schwab, Washington Whispers
It's his secret to TV and radio success: Joe Scarborough doesn't yell at his guests. "I would have guests on like Barbara Boxer or Maxine Waters or Barney Frank or other Democrats who I knew when I served with them in Congress, and I didn't shout at them," the former Florida Republican congressman says. In fact, the host of TV's Morning Joe and radio's The Joe Scarborough Show says it's because he genuinely likes them. His best example: a trick he used to play on Waters. "I used to always come up to her on the House floor and I would hug her in the middle of a big vote because the C-SPAN cameras were rolling," Scarborough slyly admits. "She would scream, 'Get away from me, Joe, I'm going to lose votes in my whole district, get away from me.' "
Scarborough and his Morning Joe cohost Mika Brzezinski entertained a youngish and "tripartisan" (that's Republicans, Democrats, and independents, according to Scarborough) crowd last night at the National Press Club to promote Scarborough's new book, The Last Best Hope. He delved into some of the failures of the Republican Party while touting a hands-off approach to gay marriage and abortion from the federal government. "Why do we small-government conservatives want the federal government involved in gay marriage and OBGYN issues—why can't we be consistent?" he mused. On the gay marriage issue, he was able to slip in his dead-on impression of MSNBC colleague Chris Matthews. "I was trying to explain this to Chris Matthews, and Chris just kept going," says Scarborough, inserting Matthews's rambunctious line of questioning. "Finally, I say, 'Chris, my man, you seem a little too wrapped up and obsessed with gay men.' "
Even with the void of fresh Republicans to run against President Obama in 2012, Scarborough demurred when asked that million-dollar question: Would he ever run for president? "My wife says no more politics for me."
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Tags: Barbara Boxer | Barney Frank | Chris Matthews | MSNBC
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Reader Comments
Gloria
Gloria! You are a serial hater of anything closely Republican or Conservative. If you took this story and substituted the name "Brian Williams" for Joe Scarboough you would be in love with the article! Why is it that liberals are the quickest to accuse and the slowest (if ever) to admit they are wrong! They're never wrong! At least according to them. We need good leaders, not people who are interested in "buying" voters. And don't label me a GW Bush lover. I have no love for the man. We need leadership as a country and we're not getting it!
Joe Scarborough is Riding the Coat tails of the President
I watch Joe and Mika most mornings. In my opinion, he is the craftiest, most opinionated journalist on television. Like Shawn Hannerty, we know where he stands. But Joe, tries to be so crafty. It shows when someone doesn't agree with him. He chides and sticks it to President Obama as often as he can. Of all of the journalists, he throws the lowest blows because he does it often at convenient times and he tries to ridicule him. He really knows there is nothing to ridicule; but,When another journalist says negative things, he tries to higlight them. Even gets angry with Mika, when she tries to be fair.
I see you Joe...you are not nice and you are not fair. It is without a doubt; that you will try to bully this away. The truth is the light. You are jealous and your nose will grow more if you keep lying. No disrespect. If you can't take the hit don't click the mouse.
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