The Joe Scarborough of 2013 might be surprised to learn that the Joe Scarborough of 2014 is seriously considering a 2016 run for the White House.
The Daily Caller reported Sunday that executives at MSNBC believe the “Morning Joe” host is weighing a 2016 campaign. But just several months ago, Scarborough dismissed the idea out of hand on national television.
“No, absolutely not,” Scarborough said in a November 2013 appearance on NBC’s “Today,” when asked directly whether he will run for president in 2016. “I’ve got a 10-year-0ld daughter. She said she’s got to get out of high school before I do anything like that.”
WATCH:
Of course, Scarborough would hardly be the first politician to say they weren’t going to run for an office, only to turn around and declare their candidacy.
On “Morning Joe” last Thursday, Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol even predicted to Scarborough’s face that the former Republican congressman would enter what is expected to be a very crowded Republican primary field. (RELATED: Joe Scarborough believed to be taking the idea of a 2016 presidential bid seriously)
“He’s a former elected official. He’s got a real following out there. He’ll fill the Jon Huntsman lane,” Kristol said, explaining why he thinks Scarborough will jump in.
Scarborough playfully bantered with Kristol about the idea, but did not again reject it.
No word on how Scarborough’s 10-year-old daughter feels about her father’s reported change of heart — or whether she is on the Ronan Farrow-accelerated track to graduate high school before her 13th birthday.