Appearing on almost any MSNBC program probably won’t translate into voter turnout for the Republican presidential candidates, but most of them have made a point any way to visit the set of “Morning Joe.”
Of the 10 White House hopefuls who have officially launched their campaigns, eight have appeared on the political talk show hosted by Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski. MSNBC is the decidedly left-leaning cable news outlet, and a Pew Research survey found in 2014 that 75 percent of “consistent conservatives” name the channel as the “most distrusted” source for information.
But “Morning Joe” sits unique among MSNBC’s other more liberal programming with its reputation as the show for New York and Washington’s political elite.
“‘Morning Joe’ is the one morning show that focuses solely on politics and its audience is the D.C. political bubble,” said one veteran political operative whose job is to assist in developing media strategy for Republicans. “So, it’s the one show that all the political operatives and all the D.C. people watch every morning.”
The candidates’ willingness to appear on “Morning Joe” is remarkable, given that the show’s format is more unpredictable and less friendly toward Republican candidates than programming on Fox News. (Sean Hannity’s primetime show on Fox has been a coveted platform for the candidates hoping to reach his vastly conservative audience.)
The political operative said the appeal of “Morning Joe” to a Republican presidential candidate isn’t the hope he or she might reach potential voters. “It’s the ability to drive a narrative for the day,” he said. “You know the reporters, the chattering class, the operatives, the politicians watch that show in the morning, so it’s another way to drive news for the day.”
“Morning Joe” has been an early stop for most of the still-growing GOP field of White House hopefuls.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz appeared on “Morning Joe” in March to discuss his positions on tax reform and foreign policy a week before he declared himself as a candidate.
In mid-April, nearly a month before Carly Fiorina officially announced her campaign, she went on the show and engaged in what was, at times, a tense back-and-forth with Brzezinski over the candidate’s aggressive swipes at Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who announced his candidacy in April, made headlines in late May, when he said on “Morning Joe” that some Republicans are responsible for the emergence of the Islamic State.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee announced he would make a second run for president on May 5. He appeared on “Morning Joe” last week.
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum on May 27 also said he would make a second run for president. Two days later he went on “Morning Joe.”
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham announced his campaign June 1. He appeared on “Morning Joe” three days thereafter.
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Santorum’s Republican competitor in 2011, announced his on June 4. The next day he went on the show.
George Pataki, former three-term governor of New York, was on “Morning Joe” on June 2, five days after he announced his long-shot campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.
The only two Republican candidates who have yet to appear on the show are Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson.
“Morning Joe” has been as successful on the Democratic side. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, both of whom are candidates for the party’s nomination have been on in recent weeks and Lincoln Chafee, former governor of Rhode Island, is scheduled to appear on Wenesday. Perceived frontrunner Hillary Clinton, however, has not been on the show.
“Morning Joe has built a long track record of being a place where both Republicans and Democrats go to make news,” said an MSNBC spokeswoman, “and we’re proud that the show continues to attract key newsmakers from both sides of the aisle.”
This story has been updated.
