MSNBC’s Joy Reid welcomed senior political analyst Matthew Dowd to Wednesday’s edition of The ReidOut to attack former President George W. Bush and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for committing the grave political sin of not endorsing Kamala Harris. For Dowd, Rice just wants to pal around at The Masters, while Reid argued that people like them “don’t want the country to succeed.”

The background for the segment was not only that people like former Rep. Liz Cheney have endorsed Harris, but a Politico article from Jonathan Martin that argued that a Harris win would be a short-term setback for the GOP, but would put the party in a better position in the long-term if it could rid itself of Trump. He alluded to some anonymous Republicans who were sympathetic to the argument.

“And Condi Rice is one of those people. Where is she? Where is George W. Bush? Where are these Republicans who used to be the center of the party? They're so quiet, Matthew,” Reid huffed.

MSNBC’s chyron referred to Dowd as a “Fmr. Republican Strategist,” a fact he was happy to exploit, “Well, I have to tell you, there's so many people in the last ten years, as I know you have, have disappointed you in their inability to show leadership in a moment in time when all Americans should care. Two of the most that I've been disappointed are, are two people I've worked with: Condoleezza Rice and George W. Bush.”

It is impossible to take Dowd seriously. The reason he left the party wasn’t Donald Trump, it was Bush because, according to him, Bush was just too much of a right-winger. Dowd was also a Democrat before working for Bush, so he was never a strong, principled conservative.

Still, Dowd claimed, “George W. Bush and Condoleezza Rice both know better. They know Donald Trump. They know the damage he’s doing to the country, they know what he's done to the Republican Party. They know all that.”

Dowd then claimed to have some insight into Rice’s motivations. It isn’t that, despite whatever concerns she may have about Trump, she is still not a Democrat, but rather, “My guess is, for Condoleezza Rice, she likes to wear that green jacket down at The Masters in Augusta, where she can walk around with all her other buddies and sort of say and act like she's nonpartisan and just here for America.”

He concluded by repeating himself, “But at this moment in time, those two who I know are probably to me the most disappointing in leadership in this country.”

Circling back to Martin’s article, Reid claimed that such Republicans are, “actually counting on Vice President Harris winning and then stopping her from being able to accomplish anything. Thinking that, ‘ah-ha then we'll get the House and Senate back.’ That's the most cynical crap I’ve ever heard. They don't want the country to succeed. They want Trump to go away, go away. That's not how it works.”

Speaking of cynical, Reid not only demands that Republicans actively support the Democratic candidate, but Democratic legislation should she win. That’s just old-fashioned partisanship dressed up in flowery language about saving democracy.

Here is a transcript for the September 4 show:

MSNBC The ReidOut

9/4/2024

7:23 PM ET

JOY REID: And Condi Rice is one of those people. Where is she? Where is George W. Bush? Where are these Republicans who used to be the center of the party? They're so quiet, Matthew.

MATTHEW DOWD: Well, I have to tell you, there's so many people in the last ten years, as I know you have, have disappointed you in their inability to show leadership in a moment in time when all Americans should care. Two of the most that I've been disappointed are, are two people I've worked with: Condoleezza Rice and George W. Bush. 

George W. Bush and Condoleezza Rice both know better. They know Donald Trump. They know the damage he’s doing to the country, they know what he's done to the Republican Party. They know all that. 

REID: Yeah.

DOWD: Why do they not? You know, somebody would have to interview them and ask them directly why they don't speak up and say something in the course of this. My guess is, for Condoleezza Rice, she likes to wear that green jacket down at The Masters in Augusta, where she can walk around with all her other buddies and sort of say and act like she's nonpartisan and just here for America. 

But at this moment in time, those two who I know are probably to me the most disappointing in leadership in this country.

REID: Yeah, and we don't have time, but we could go on about the rest of that article saying that they're actually counting on Vice President Harris winning and then stopping her from being able to accomplish anything. Thinking that, “ah-ha then we'll get the House and Senate back." That's the most cynical crap I’ve ever heard. 

DOWD: Exactly.

REID: They don't want the country to succeed. They want Trump to go away, go away. That's not how it works. Matthew Dowd, thank you very much.