Joe Scarborough usually runs roughshod over Mika B on "Morning Joe". Willie Geist rarely disagrees with a major point that Scarbourgh offers. Pat Buchanan is a regular analyst on the show. Thus, there is little real variation in points of view that occurs or most of the show. Scarborough's opinion rules.

Former NY Giant running back Tiki Barber has been filing in as a co-host this week while Willie Geist has been on vacation. I have been pleasantly suprised that on occasion he does offer a contrasting opinion to Scarborough and does not let Scarborough silence him.

Scarborough was not on the show today, so Mika hosted. John Edwards was a guest in one segment. Mika had danced around the meaning of Sen Clinton's statement about her suport among White working class voters. Edwards gave a mild response. Barber bluntly asked Edwards if he thought that Sen Clinton was sayng that Obama could not be elected because he was Black. Edwards was then able to answer that he did not think that was what Clinton thought. In fact Edwards was able to go further and say that he knew that Hillary did not think  that was true, because of past conversations that he had with Sen Clinton.

Barber's bluntness allowed Edwards to give his point of view on a sore point with many who have a negative view of Sen Clinton because of past comments she has made that appeared to be racially-tinged. Neither Mika,Willie, or Scarborough would have been that direct with Edwards. In fact, Scarborough may have tilted the response by ridiculing those who felt that there might be race-baiting going on in the Clinton campaign. Barber's directness was a pleasant change from the usual bias that rises from the Scarborogh show.

Edwards could give his response to a question posed in point blank fashion. Viewers could form their own opinions about Edwards analysis. Barber would be an excellent replacement for Geist who seves no purpose other than being Scarborough's yes man. Barber would also provide something missing from early morning and prime time cable news shows, ethnic diversity.

Blogger Chino Bianco provided these numbers from USA today in an earlier post by flufferwink entitled Hillary Clinton Says Only Whites Matter

The vote percentages given to Democrats and Repiblicans in recent elections are as follows:

1984 Walter Mondale 90% Ronald Reagan 9%
1988 Michael Dukakis 90% George H.W. Bush 10%
1992 Bill Clinton 83% George H.W. Bush 10%
1996 Bill Clinton 84% Bob Dole 12%
2000 Al Gore 90% George W. Bush 9%

Notice which Democratic candidate got the lowest percentage of African-American votes?
william Jefferson Clinton got < 90% of the Black vote both times.

Our first Black President was the runt of the Black vote getting litter. Did the Clintons see thes numbers and feel thay could jettison the Black vote?

Sen Clinton is getting (GW) Bush League numbers of Black support. Would neglecting the Black vote have been a working formulae in November if African-Americans stayed home and Clinton relied on working class Whites and Latinos?

Just food for thought.

This weekend, MSNBC ran an hour-long "Special Report" on Rev Jeremiah Wright and Barack Obama hosted by Dan Abrams. The report aired the weekend before Primary voting in Indiana and North Carolina. Abrams rehashed the stories that MSNBC had run repeatedly on its news shows the previous two weeks. There was nothing special about the "Special Report".

MSNBC happens to be the home of Nazi apologist and part-time racist Pat Buchanan. It occurs to me that Rev Wright would provide just the balance MSNBC needs to atone for its repetitive use of Pat Buchanan as a credible political analyst. MSNBC was the home of Dan Savage, a racist homophobe, in years past.

Rev Wright would not remain silent if Buchanan told him to shut up, as Pat did to African-American MSNBC analyst Keli Goff during an appearance on the Dan Abrams show several weeks ago. Abrams remained silent, offering no objection. It was Rachel Maddow, another guest, who voiced opposition to Buchanan's outburst.

Mr Buchanan was a full fledged supporter of the GOP's Southern strategy. Rev Wright could detail how viewpoints like Buchanan's stoked the fire in some of Wright's sermons. I think MSNBC's ratings would skyrocket.