A Christmas Gift for Joe Scarborough: A Mirror of His Own Hypocrisy
Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough recently praised President Biden and House Speaker McCarthy for their responsible actions in reaching a deal on the debt limit. However, Scarborough’s recognition of maturity seems laughable considering his own contribution to the discord in politics through name-calling and promoting division.
Joe Scarborough just declared it’s time for America to wake up and acknowledge that sometimes, things are not as bleak or catastrophic as they seem. While praising President Biden and House Speaker McCarthy for their “grown-up” behavior in reaching a deal on the debt limit, Scarborough condemns those who he claims are “promoting discord, division, hatred, and viewing political opponents as sworn enemies.” However, Scarborough’s own words and actions suggest that he himself is a leading perpetrator of the political toxicity he decries.
The same man who labeled his political opponents “fascists” and let his show’s guests claim that democracy is in danger because of Republicans, Scarborough now criticizes those who engage in such polarizing activities. It’s ironic that he criticizes cable shows where commentators are “paid a lot of money” to paint everything as dire, when he himself earns a reported $9 million annually doing exactly that. Similarly, his wife and co-host, Mika Brzezinski, receives a substantial sum for her own critiques of Republicans and conservatives.
Given his Baptist upbringing, Scarborough would be familiar with the Sermon on the Mount, which warns against hypocrisy: “first cast out the beam out of thine own eye.” Perhaps Joe Scarborough should consider his own role in the political discord he condemns, and who knows? Maybe that Christmas-gift mirror he suggested would be useful for some personal reflection, too.
Back in January, Scarborough mocked Kevin McCarthy for negotiating with his own Republican caucus, yet praised him for being an adult in negotiations with Democrats. It seems Scarborough’s idea of responsible behavior is only applicable when it benefits his preferred party— a double standard that undermines his newfound appreciation for unity.
It’s no surprise that Scarborough’s discussion of Washington “grown-ups” is tainted by his own partisanship and hypocrisy. Perhaps the next time he claims to champion harmony in politics, Joe Scarborough should first address the beam in his own eye.
