Maddow, O’Donnell Mock GOP Gov Reynolds’s SOTU Response

The Democrat Party often wonders why it can’t compete with Republicans in rural midwestern states. They will see the rhetoric of their cable television network and understand why. Moments after Iowa Republican Governor Kim Reynolds finished her response to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O’Donnell mocked her. 

Maddow’s initial reaction started off level-headed with the MSNBC host accurately saying that politicians of both parties have struggled in giving the State of the Union response because of the contrast with the pomp and circumstance of the President’s speech in the House chamber: 

It is one of my most challenging jobs in national politics. Even if you’re a good speaker, it is hard to go after the State of the Union. Because the staging contrast will make you seem diminished. It is not easy to be Governor Reynolds. 

That was where Maddow’s decency ended. She then attacked Governor Reynolds’s performance “I will say it is traditionally thought that the opposing party’s State of the Union response is sometimes seen as a testing ground or maybe even a springboard to national ambitions. I don’t think that will — I don’t think there’s any risk of that this evening.”  

 

 

After that moment of incivility, Maddow thought the best person to bring on would be fellow MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell who is known for his vitriolic commentary. 

O’Donnell attacked Governor Reynolds by bringing up a past GOP State of the Union address by Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio: “the difficulty for this speech for Republicans and response has actually been dramatically lowered since the threshold was set by Marco Rubio. That was because she said that there had been no water accidents. During this speech.” 

It is not a way to gain rural support by attacking a former swing Iowa Governor. 

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To read the relevant transcript of this segment click “expand”:

MSNBC State of the Union
3/1/2022
Eastern, 10:46:59 

RACHEL MADOOW: This is President Joe Biden’s official Republican answer to tonight’s state-of-the-union address. It was Kim Reynolds from Iowa, the governor. That is one of my most difficult jobs in national politics. Even if you’re a good speaker, it is hard to go after the State of the Union. Because the staging contrast always makes you seem diminished. It is not easy, Governor Reynolds. It is a tradition that opposition party’s response to the state of the Union is seen as either a test ground, or a way for the country to get started. It doesn’t seem like it will. I do not believe there is any chance of that happening this evening. Joining us here in New York is our colleague Lawrence O’Donnell, Lawrence, it’s great to see you.

LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: Great to see you. Rachel: You are correct. Since Marco Rubio established the threshold, it has become significantly easier for Republicans to deliver this speech and have received a much more positive response. 

[Laughs]

O’DONNELL: She cleared that because there were no water accidents at all. She spoke during this speech. She said quite a bit, but the final headline was that she agreed with Joe Biden and the strength of the union. This is what the result was.

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