Have you ever wondered, given how much Joe Scarborough despises Donald Trump, if there were any Democrat Scarborough wouldn't support over the Don?

Scarborough went a long way in answering that question on today's Morning Joe, saying:

"If Mike Pence were president or Bernie Sanders were president, I'd worry much less than if Donald Trump were president."

Scarborough went on to say that he believes that Madisonian democracy, checks and balances, and the separation of powers would ensure that "we could survive four years of somebody who's very conservative or very liberal." The key, according to Scarborough, is that both Pence and Sanders respect "constitutional boundaries," whereas Trump, in Scarborough's view, does not. 

So, since Scarborough prefers Bernie Sanders over Trump as president, might he push the envelope even further? Sadly, Ilhan Omar's out of the running, not being a natural-born citizen [but hey!—constitutional amendment, anyone?]

Rather than Trump, how's about a President AOC, Joe? Or why not Rashida Tlaib as Commander-in-Chief? Just how far would Joe go in his fearless defense of democracy? None of this recognizes that the "Green New Deal" or other socialist takeovers of the economy aren't respectful of "constitutional boundaries." 

Scarborough claimed that there are "quite a few Republicans I've talked to that like the authoritarian streak in Donald Trump. They like the strongman approach." I must be running in the wrong Republican circles, not having heard anyone express such a view.

Note: Scarborough's comments came in response to a New York Times column by David French, the Never Trumper guest on the show, entitled, "To Save Conservatism From Itself, I Am voting for Harris." French's reasoning is that if Trump is defeated, "conservative Americans will have a chance to build something decent from the ruins of a party that was once a force for genuine good in American life."

That's a perfect summation of the MSNBC Republican. Here's the transcript.

MSNBC
Morning Joe
8/13/24
6:17 am EDT

WILLIE GEIST: You've got a new piece out for the New York Times,  David, titled "To Save Conservatism From Itself, I Am voting for Harris." 

. . . 

"I'm often asked by Trump voters," David writes, "if I'm still conservative. And I respond that I can't vote for Trump precisely because I am conservative. The only real hope for restorin ga conservatism that values integrity, demonstrates real compassion and defends our foundational constitutional principles isn't to try to make the best of Trump, a ma who values only himself."

"If he wins again, it will validate his cruelty and his ideological transformation of the Republican party. If Harris wins, the West will still stand against Vladimir Putin, and conservative Americans will have a chance to build something decent from the ruins of a party that was once a force for genuine good in American life."

. . . 

JOE SCARBOROUGH: I, I have explained to people before, I've explained, Katty, when Donald Trump was president, that, that I've always had great faith in America. And, and many people say--and they do--many people say that I'm too optimistic, I'm, I'm, it's too glass-half-full. 

But my feeling has always been that Madisonian democracy rounds off the sharp edges. That's why I said, when Donald Trump was president, and people come up to me and go, oh, you just, you're, this is all about, you know, ideology. I said, no, no, no. You don't understand. I said, it's about respecting constitutional boundaries. I'm, I'm fairly confident that everybody from Mike Pence to Bernie Sanders would, would respect constitutional boundaries. 

And if Mike Pence were president, or Bernie Sanders were president, I'd worry much less than if Donald Trump were president, because, again, Madisonian democracy, checks and balances, separation of powers, that rounds off the sharp edges. 

We could survive four years of somebody who's very conservative or very liberal. Our problem here is someone who just doesn't respect constitutional boundaries. And brags about being authoritarian to his supporters. 

And, you know, the truth is, I agree with David. There are a lot of people who think that this is like Clinton versus Dole in 1996. But there are quite a few Republicans I've talked to that like the authoritarian streak in Donald Trump. They like the strongman approach.