On the Monday MSNBC broadcast of “Morning Joe,” Joe Scarborough challenged media outlets and observers who say the Republican Party will soon broadly support gay marriage, arguing that they fundamentally misunderstand political realities in several conservative areas of the country.
“I wonder how many of these people that support it from Washington or New York, or from state capitals across the country, have ever campaigned in western Iowa, have ever campaigned in South Carolina in the Greenville-Spartanburg area, have ever campaigned across north Florida. … What candidate can win in western Iowa, can win in the Greenville-Spartanburg area, can win in north Florida if they come out and support gay marriage nationally and support immigration reform?”
Scarborough admitted at the end of the segment that some Republicans are softening their tune on gay marriage, but maintained that they will not suddenly abandon their opposition to the practice.
“This rush to marriage equality among the electorate is — at least among the Republican base — a mirage. It’s a lot of wishful thinking from people in Manhattan. … I think there has been, over the past month or two, sort of this tidal wave coming from national media saying things are changing overnight. They don’t change overnight.”