Soledad O’Brien takes down himbo Gov. Rick Scott (r-FL) over guns

Florida repugican Governor Rick Scott went on CNN’s Soledad O’Brien’s show today to talk gun control.Dear Lord, what a himbo. I’d never seen Rick Scott before.  He’s really dumb.  I mean really dumb.  But I’ll give him credit.  He was called on to discuss the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre, and gun control, and he was handed his three talking points (by the NRA?), and just kept repeating them and repeating them, with the same Stepford look on his face throughout.
Unflappable, certainly.  Because there’s nothing inside his head?  Most assuredly.  I’m surprised we didn’t hear an echo.
And of course, knowing the repugicans, they’ll probably start pushing Scott’s name as president or vp any day now.  Nothing gets repugican voters hot like a politician with a deficient IQ.
To her credit, CNN’s Soledad O’Brien, once again, calls out her guest on their BS.  Still, I’d have liked to see her take one single gun control issue, say background checks, and ask Scott, should we do X on background checks, then if he goes off topic, say, no, I just asked you about background checks, yes or no. He might still demur, but that would have been the final step in showing that the guy is just an idiot.
I wrote out most of the transcript to the video.  It’s good evidence of just how bereft of any ideas, or arguments, the pro-gun types really are.

RICK SCOTT: I think the right thing, what we ought to do, is do what you’ve been doing.  That’s, respect these families in this community. Second, what I’ve done in this state, is ask every one of our schools to go back and let’s look at our safety precautions  And let’s make sure every parent feels comfortable.  I talked to families up in Connecticut, and I talk to families around Florida, some of them  were very, they really had to think about sending their child to school, so I think that’s the next thing to do. There’ll be plenty of time now to think about, if there’s something we oughta do with, is it mental illness issues we oughta deal with, things like that.

Friendly Soledad.

SOLEDAD O’BRIEN: So what would you support in terms of legislation, if it in fact comes to that. I mean do you believe that there should be stronger gun laws?  You’re well-supported by the NRA, and historically they have not supported that, so how far would you be willing to go.
RICK SCOTT: As you know, I support the Second Amendment.
SOLEDAD: Me too.
RICK SCOTT: I believe in the Second Amendment.  But look, what I want to focus on right now is the families, make sure our schools are safe, in our state we’re at a 41 year low in our crime rate. But I think whenever anything happens like this, let’s just step back and say ‘what can we improve?’
[Dead silence - Soledad frowns, checks her notes, which is always a bad sign...]

Concerned Soledad.

SOLEDAD: Well, you know, I understand people often say that, in the wake of a tragedy, “Let’s wait.” And I actually think I’ve now covered enough of them that we’ll wait until we bump up against the next tragedy, and there will be one, there’s no doubt about it
[Rick Scott, same Madame Tussaud's look on his face as before.]

Annoyed Soledad.

SOLEDAD: So, I would like to hear from elected officials, what are you willing to change?  Your daughter, you talked about her, she’s a teacher.  I mean, is your answer, “let’s arm the teachers?” [Soledad goes on to ask if his answer is to not make semi-automatic weapons available, or maybe do something to improve the background checks?] Where does it start, what are you comfortable doing?
RICK SCOTT: I think right now, what we ought to do be doing, is let’s talk about all those issues, and let’s think about what we can do to improve it.  But here’s what I think about.  One, it’s just like, I’ve been to law enforcement funeral deaths in our state, and your heart goes out to those families, and then afterwards you say, okay, what can we do to improve, in Florida, we’re doing the right things right now. We’re at a 41 year low in our crime rate.  But I always want to sit back and say, so what could we do better? And that’s what I want to think about with this.
SOLEDAD: Okay, I think, with all due respect, you’re not going to answer my question…

Incredulous Soledad.

SOLEDAD: ….because, I guess, I just want you to tell me what you’d be comfortable to support, and I get it, it’s going to be part of a conversation, but I think there have been a number of things on the table and I don’t feel like you’re telling me, you know, should people not be able to buy those high-capacity magazines? Some people suggested that.   What thing are you willing to say would be a good start, that you would bring to the table in any conversation about gun control?
RICK SCOTT: Well, you know, my approach on things like this is the one, respect the families….
[Watch Soledad's face as Scott repeats himself, saying nothing, for the umpteenth time]

“You are dead to me” Soledad.

RICK SCOTT: … mourn their losses, make sure our schools are safe, and then start the conversation and listen to Floridians. What I do every day is travel the state, almost, pretty much every day, and listen to Floridians and get their ideas, and then come back based on those ideas of what we can improve.
SOLEDAD: Well, I hope all those conversations turn into meaningful legislation somewhere down the road, before I get to go out and cover another tragedy of which we’ve now done a bunch of them.
RICK SCOTT: We don’t want another, we can’t imagine this happening to our families.