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Morning Joe: Attacking Obama's Legacy Is 'Insanity' for Dem Candidates

'I'm wondering why people who want votes from Democrats spent all last night trashing Barack Obama'

August 1, 2019

MSNBC Morning Joe hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski ripped Democratic candidates for criticizing former President Barack Obama's legacy in the second Democratic debate, calling that approach "insanity."

The pair pointed out that Obama is still very popular among Democratic voters and questioned the wisdom of ripping the former president's achievements. Last night, candidates blasted Vice President Joe Biden for defending the Affordable Care Act, not opposing Obama's deportation policies, and not opposing the Trans Pacific Partnership, which Biden even said he would renegotiate instead of signing.

"I'm wondering why people who want votes from Democrats spent all last night trashing Barack Obama saying support of Barack Obama's signature plan, the Affordable Care Act, the greatest step forward toward universal health care in the history of the American republic, I'm wondering why they were trashing that," Scarborough said.

"It is insanity, my friends."

Brzezinski pointed out that support for the ACA is what helped Democrats win back a majority in the House of Representatives in 2018.

"I'm so confused," Scarborough continued, arguing that criticizing Obama's popularity and electoral achievements plays into Republican hands.

"They're trashing his immigration policies which Donald Trump and the Republicans attacked and used to elect Donald Trump as being too conservative," he said, describing the approach as "bizarre."

"Just judging from what I've seen and what I've heard since that debate, a lot of the Democrats are pretty pissed off and saying if you're thinking you're getting my vote by trashing Barack Obama's legacy, you've got another thing coming," Scarborough concluded.