Joe Scarborough rips O'Donnell repeatedly (at least between 6 a.m. and 7:15)

[MattyGroves]

While Chris Matthews salivates over the inevitable (in his mind) O'Donnell victory in November Joe Scarborough picked up the argument baton from Rove this morning and ripped into O'Donnell non-stop during the early part of the his show.

In a nutshell, Joe and pretty much most of the 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. guests called out O'Donnell (or McDonnell/McDonald? as Joe repeated called her) on her apparent issues with telling the truth (juxtaposed with her statements about how she wouldn't lie even to Hitler).

Most of panelists admitted that a barage of attacks on these issues could backfire given the real economic issues in play (even Keith's guests said as much last night). However, they were in agreement (even the starstruck Pat Buchanan) that if a middle-age fat white man had the same issues O'Donnell does that he would be called to task repeatedly and probably wouldn't have survived the primary.

I know Joe's considered a tool but it's interesting to see Matthews act like an uncritical teabagger while Scarborough takes the opposite tact.

Yes, he's probably being petulant that she wouldn't come on his show but it made for interesting viewing.

[chelsea0011]

1. Chris Matthews has me scratching my head over his belief that O"Donnell will surprise

The turnout was so small, the primary results are almost insignificant. Voters will want to hear her positions, and I'm not sure, besides having God helping her, she has any that are explained anywhere. Her victory speech certainly didn't explain anything.

[MattyGroves]

2. The only thing I can figure is he's basing his comments on the enthusiam factor

He repeatedly calls O'Donnell young and fresh (even through she's only a few years younger than Palin and is pretty much Palin redux).

That said, he seems to feel that a barrage of criticism on her will only fire up the teabaggers more and give them greater motivation to get out and vote.

On a similar line, the panel on Morning Joe today did say that being a woman may help O'Donnell turn repeated attacks on her character into an negative for the Dems whereas a middle-aged, white male would have a harder time deflecting said charges.

[karynnj]

5. Here's my hypothesis

Chris Matthews really has an elitist view of what the regular people think. There are various comments that he has made where he will say that i like (...), but that will not be appreciated by the people in (whatever area he things sufficiently plebeian)

He would be insulted if someone suggested that HE would vote for X because he/she is attractive, but that seems to have been his raction to Palin and now O'Donnell. There is a huge difference between getting her background out there and "criticizing" her.

[elleng]

6. Matthews is unreliable, w bad judgment, always was, always will be.

I only watch, these days, when I have to (like, couple minutes before Keith!)

[truebrit71]

4. Chris Matthews has repeatedly shown himself to be a complete idiot in matters such as these...

..She will get slaughtered in the election, no two ways about it, but by then Mattehws will have found something else to splutter on about..

[JamesA1102]

3. Then he had the "Young Guns" on and

let them spew their BS.