One has to wonder: Do Joe Scarborough's constant slip-ups prove he is shilling for McCain, or is he just incompetent?
Actually, there's very little doubt in my mind, because the errors are always in McCain's favor.
The latest occurred this morning. I don't have a transcript, so this is just a paraphrase. They were talking about a recent poll [UPDATE: see correction below] that shows Obama up by only two points, within the margin of error (43-41).
More below.
Scarborough said something like: Obama's up by only two. What's wrong with his campaign? It's never that close this late in Michigan. The Democrat should be way ahead.
Well, to be honest, I am somewhat disappointed, in general, that Obama's not further ahead, given the pathetic campaign McCain's run, and the pitiful state the country is in under Republican rule. But let's examine Scarborough's statement.
"This late?" It's July! Neither candidate has even been officially nominated yet. It's more than a month before the conventions. It's a truism of American politics that most voters don't even pay attention until after labor day.
"It's never that close in Michigan?" Pardon me, Mr. Scarborough, it was that close 4 years ago. Kerry barely won the state 51-49 -- official results here.
And while Gore won by a bit more, it certainly wasn't a landslide -- 52-47 (here).
So Scarborough is trying to make Obama look unprecedentedly weak, and make the election look unprecedentedly close. It just doesn't wash. And Scarborough knows better; he's a former Congressman and knows all about polls and the American political landscape.
I guess this is just another example of liberal media bias.
UPDATE: I linked to the wrong poll -- a commenter downthread corrected me. Thanks. Here's the correctlink,to the Quinnipiac poll.
This doesn't chang the substance of my report.