Jewel Woods

Joe Scarborough Needs a Hug!

Submitted by Jewel on Fri, 03/13/2009 - 07:11.

A version of this commentary appears on my blog at the HUFFINGTON POST

Joe Scarborough (AKA "Morning Joe") has a problem.

According to a recent commentary, it's a problem has to do with the “unbridled hatred” spewing from the keyboards of many readers of THE HUFFINGTON POST.

However, when he ignored how President Obama's call for a "new style of politics" was inextricably linked with a "new style of masculinity", Joe revealed a more basic problem.

What made President Obama special in the hearts and minds of many Americans was that he offered radical break from "old style masculinity" and not just "old style politics". A masculinity characterized by a profound sense of responsibility to protecting the humanity of those he disagreed with.

I mention this point from the outset because one of the main reasons why it is difficult for many Democrats, Liberals, or Progressives to hear a word Joe Scarborough has to say, has nothing to do with "blind partisans", but rather how utterly painful it is to watch Joe interact with guests and the co-hosts on his show.

Watching Joe Scarborough interact with guests and co-hosts on "Morning Joe" is like watching old clips of Bill Clinton answer questions about Monica Lewinsky; Clarence Thomas testify during his Senate confirmation hearings; or George Bush attempt to explain policy or legislation.

It makes you feel awkward, and more often than not, leaves you with a feeling that you have been witness to some abuse of power.

In fact, if you have watched the show for any length of time, you probably knew that it was only a matter of time before Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski was going to serve-up a verbal "smack-down" to Joe – not for his " stunningly superficial" knowledge of international affairs- because of the persistent disrespectful manner in which Scarborough interacts with his daughter Mika.

Poor Mika often just sits there, waiting for her turn to speak while Joe goes on and on and on with his monotonic diatribes and expressionless facial gestures- if there is such a thing - and at the very moment when poor Mika starts to wade in with her well-formulated comment- there Joe goes again.
How much is a father supposed to take?

Am I accusing Joe Scarborough of un-leashing tongue inflicted rants, and lambasting his guests the way Fox's Bill O’Reilly did against Congressman Barney Frank? No! Am I suggesting that he is a closet-sexist based on the way he interacts with his female co-host? Not at all. I have no reason to believe anything but that Joe Scarborough is a decent man who earnestly believes in his country.

What I am suggesting, however, is that he appears to be a man that confuses playing the part of the "loyal opposition" with bullying behavior. A type of bullying behavior that is different from the over-the-top, fiery, and disparaging rhetoric of a Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh.

In his commentary, Joe talked about all the things that he had done on his show to foster a bi-partisan atmosphere that encourages diversity of thought. And how now was the time to debate a litany of policy issues that are affecting this country. Finally, he talked about carrying Bobby Kennedy's directive to “question initial assumptions.”

Yet, he seemed oblivious to the fact that "effective" communication at its core is about sending and receiving information clearly. In other words, what your parents told you when you were a child still remains true: How you say something is just as important as what you say.

It is not enough to point to a diverse guest list as proof of a commitment to being open-minded. Even Bill O’Reilly occasionally has guests on with differing points of view- that just makes for good TV drama. And it certainly not enough for Joe Scarborough to demand that we as a nation talk about welfare, banking, alternative energy and other major issues affecting this country, when it appears that he does not care how he is treating people in the process.

To be fair, not all Republicans confuse playing the "loyal opposition" with being oppositional. CNN's Ed Rollins appears much more measured in his public interactions with others. Even MSNBC's Pat Buchanan seems to offer a more balanced sensibility- except of course, when a black woman persists with making her point and he chooses to tell her to " Shut Up" on national TV. Therefore, the Republicans, or Conservatives in general do not have a monopoly on bullying behavior.

More importantly, Democrats and others on the Left have been just as guilty of participating in bullying behavior. Men on the Left, in particular, have been notorious for equating a critical perspective with nauseating and insufferable personalities. Just look at the bravado, and braggadocio in the Black Power movement, the Communist movement, and even the Environmental movement.

What we need from all men, from Rush Limbaugh to Keith Olberman, is a model of masculinity exemplified by our current president.

I do not believe that Joe Scarborough wants to be bully any more than I believe in ridiculous comparisons of him to McCarthyism.

I just believe that he is stuck in traditional modes of masculine behavior that put him at risk.

So when you see Joe Scarborough (AKA Morning Joe) give him a hug, tell him to relax and not be so erect.

Let him know that when he, the self proclaimed "Loyal Opposition" truly embraces a "new style of politic", based in part on a "new style of masculinity", not only will he, his guests, and the co-hosts on his show be better off, but that Democrats will be, as well.