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Joe Scarborough Tag

On today's Morning Joe, Joe Scarborough said that "I had multiple sources last night telling me that an independent with the backing of a lot of Republican money is going to launch today." None of the other panelists, including the well-connected Mark Halperin, had heard that. Scarborough continued: "several good sources told me that people, Republicans from, let's just say #NeverTrump land found somebody and they're going to put good money behind him." Scarborough said it would be someone "French-like," i.e., like National Review author David French whose name was floated not long ago before withdrawing.

We reported yesterday on Joe Scarborough's statement that Republicans, conservatives and so-called right-wing bloggers had been contacting him to ask about Donald Trump's "mental health." Scarborough himself called Trump "unhinged." Joe took things a significant step farther on today's Morning Joe, saying that Republicans have been contacting him, asking themselves "is Donald Trump a sociopath?" Scarborough was careful to state "I didn't say this, but this is what everybody is saying." Scarborough dropped the s-word in the context of hammering Ari Fleischer, former press secretary to President George W., over his lesser-of-two-evils support of Trump.

On Morning Joe, in the wake of recent comments by Donald Trump including his criticism of the Gold Star Khan family, Joe Scarborough says that he has been contacted by Republicans, conservatives and what the media would call "right-wing bloggers" to inquire about Trump's "mental health." Scarborough says "everybody" is talking about it. Scarborough went on to say "I've known him for a decade, never seen him act like this before. It's unhinged, not the Donald Trump I've known for over a decade. I never have seen anything remotely resembling this type of behavior from a guy who I've known and liked and called a friend."

As we reported yesterday, in her Fox News Sunday appearance, Hillary Clinton blamed "professionals" on whom she was "entitled to rely" who “made the wrong call” by sending her classified material. Appearing today on Morning Joe, Hillary Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook continued to blame others, whining that the emails containing classified materials came from "long-time tenured State Department professionals." But as Scarborough and others on the panel pointed out, Hillary forced others into sending her classified information in an improper way because she only maintained email on her private server.

Of all the metaphors he might have picked to praise Hillary Clinton, Joe Scarborough chose the most unfortunate one: that of "brain surgeon." Because to many people, Hillary brings to mind none other than Nurse Ratched, that cold and domineering figure who subjected one of her charges who wouldn't fall in line to . . . a lobotomy. On today's Morning Joe, Scarborough actually said "why don't we try actually hiring a brain surgeon who's been operating on brains instead of chopping down trees for the past 30 years?" Scarborough put the words in the mouths of Hillary supporters he imagined, but was clearly expressing his own sentiment.

Couldn't Joe Scarborough have waited until after Barack Obama and Joe Biden gave their DNC speeches tonight before he began gushing over them? Apparently not. On today's Morning Joe, Scarborough, pre-lauding Obama's speech-to-be, said "you know when you're watching a great movie . . . and you can see where it's going, and you sort of start smiling?" But it wasn't just Obama's as yet unspoken speech that had Scarborough excited. "You look at that lineup: it's absolutely extraordinary," enthused Joe. In addition to Obama, tonight's line-up consists of Michael Bloomberg, Tim Kaine and Joe Biden. Yes, when it comes to oratory that will bring people to their feet, set their pulses racing and forever claim that they were there in the hall that night, there's nothing like Mike Bloomberg bragging about the day he banned the Big Gulp.

Today's opening segment of Morning Joe was one—long—gush-fest over First Lady Michelle Obama's speech to the DNC last night. The apotheosis of adulation came from Joe Scarborough, who said that the speech "reminded me of Ronald Reagan." Scarborough also had an "America love it or leave it" message for those who think our country needs to be made great again: "we are the last best hope for a dying world. If you can't get behind that message as a Republican or a Democrat, then let me buy you a ticket to another country." Wonder if Joe offered Michelle a ticket out back in 2008 when she said that "for the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country?"

Last night, I emailed our Legal Insurrection leader Bill Jacobson to say I was counting on Joe Scarborough to have his finest moment this morning in light of the fiasco of the failure of the FBI to recommend the indictment of Hillary Clinton. This morning, Scarborough rose to the occasion. With significant support from Mika Brzezinski, Morning Joe's opening segment was one long blast at Hillary -- for doing what she did with her email and lying about it -- at James Comey -- for failing to indict -- and at President Obama -- for putting his thumb on the scale on Hillary's behalf. There were many noteworthy moments that you will find in the video montage we've assembled. One highlight: Scarborough says that while he doesn't question Comey's integrity, "I question his courage."

In 1964, Republican Barry Goldwater suffered a devastating landslide loss to LBJ. Aside from his home state of Arizona, Goldwater carried only five other states, all in the Deep South. Goldwater amassed only 52 electoral votes, to Johnson's 486. But even that paltry performance will look "extremely successful" compared to the thrashing that is in store for Donald Trump in November -- if you believe Joe Scarborough. On today's Morning Joe, after reviewing Trump's disapproval numbers with various demographics, Scarborough said "Barry Goldwater is going to look like an extremely successful candidate." Interestingly, Nick Confessore of the New York Times disagreed, arguing that the American electorate is so polarized that LBJ-like landslides are impossible today, and that the candidate of either party has a guaranteed base of 48%.