Joe Scarborough Walks Off MSNBC’s “Race To The White House” After Exchange With Rachel Maddow

Update from MSNBC spokesman Jeremy Gaines to Huffington Post:
“Joe didn’t walk off. He chose not to participate in the final couple of minutes of the discussion because he felt the conversation didn’t fit his role as a political analyst.”

Previously:
Did Joe Scarborough walk out of David Gregory’s show “Race to the White House” Thursday night on MSNBC? It seems that way by the video below. Joe was a panelist on the show along with Air America’s Rachel Maddow, CNBC’s John Harwood and former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford, Jr.

The panel was discussing the effect of Sen. Obama’s personal and professional relationships on his campaign when Rachel and Joe disagreed. Joe started to challenge Rachel’s argument that relationships only become an issue when a political opponent makes them an issue, but she cut him off, “Let me make my point and then you can dismiss me.” She then finished with an example of a McCain campaign co-chair in Florida’s bathroom activities.

After a commercial break, Joe prefaced his rebuttal to Rachel’s point by saying “I don’t engage in Crossfire-type debates and certainly I don’t want to talk about what people do in bathrooms.” When he finished speaking, and after David Gregory had shut Joe vs. Rachel down, John Harrow came on camera. Then, viewers can hear Joe taking off his microphone (2:47 into the below video). When the panel picture came back, no Joe.

Watch Rachel and Joe make their points, hear Joe unplug, and then (after a jump) see the panel after Joe has gone:

Pictures of before and after:

Popularity: 2% [?]

I’d love to see it, but after clicking, double clicking, reloading, I still can’t see the video.

I couldn’t see the video either

She is a true jewel, a rarity of rationality in the media. Lets’ hope they don’t destroy her.
~old74

Sorry can’t agree to disagree. Joe behaved very badly. He was disrespectful and tried to be a bully and it did not work. Rachael was right on the money. He deserved to be slapped in the face. Maybe one day these good old boys will start behaving like the real gentlemen. Maybe lessons from Bill Moyer would help.