MSNBC's Joe Scarborough: 'Nobody looked good on the debate stage'

Joe Scarborough

It was a "dull," "plodding" Democratic debate in Iowa this week in which none of the six candidates came away looking particularly good, according to MSNBC's Morning Joe.

The panel on Morning Joe weighed in Wednesday on the latest Democratic debate, and Joe Scarborough once again didn't come away feeling great about it.

"Nobody looked good on the debate stage last night," Scarborough said, noting that "everybody" he's been talking to has come to the same conclusion. "It was probably everybody's weakest performance."

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Analyst John Heilemann, meanwhile, concluded "it was a dull and plodding debate" that didn't fundamentally change the race and for the most part will "quickly fade from memory."

Later, Scarborough concluded the "whining and whimpering" Democratic candidates are "still not ready for prime time," which should "send a chill up Democrats' spines." He was particularly bothered by the focus in the debate on the 2018 conversation between Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.); Warren has claimed Sanders told her a woman couldn't be elected president in 2020, which Sanders denies.

"Our government, and everything that we have believed that it was striving to be, is at risk, and Democrats are debating what somebody may have said on the telephone two years ago," Scarborough said. "Kids are watching the show this morning, so I can't tell you what I think that is. I'll just say, that's messed up." Brendan Morrow

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.