Joe Scarborough Finds Out That Bashing Conservatives is Not The Key to Riches

Former GOP congressman and current MSNBC host Joe Scarborough has won favor with the left for regular bashing of conservative icons like Rush Limbaugh. However, the attention he's gotten for GOP bashing has not made his products more desirable (exclusive report from the Radio Equalizer):

For "Morning Joe", the backstabbing has officially backfired.

Over the past several weeks, this site has been tracking the attempt by MSNBC's Joe Scarborough to make money bashing his former friends in any and every available public venue. With a new book to peddle, could attacking onetime colleagues from his conservative days fuel sales? New data from the publishing world, as well as radio and TV, provide the answer.

To promote the release, the former GOP congressman turned radio and TV host appeared on left-leaning television shows such as The View and did interviews with the New York Times and Newsweek. Each time, he was quick to bash Rush Limbaugh, Karl Rove, Newt Gingrich, and other key conservative figures.

In recent years, Scarborough has found that turning against fellow Republicans could be good for the pocketbook, securing him the morning gig at MSNBC and a syndicated talk show airing on WABC / New York and elsewhere.But in new data released late this week, Scarborough has struck out in every category: TV, radio and publishing. His widely-touted The Last Best Hope: Restoring Conservatism and America's Promise has bombed, selling just 6432 copies since its 9 June release, according to new Bookscan figures. At Amazon, it has already dropped out of the top 100, currently ranked 166.

By contrast, conservative author Mark Levin remained in first place after three full months, according to Bookscan, selling another 35,595 units to push closer to a possible one million sales mark in the weeks and months to come.

There's more on his TV ratings here.

In a curious irony, Scarborough was first elected to Congress in the GOP conservative sweep in 1994. Rush Limbaugh was declared an honorary member of that GOP class because his efforts on the radio, combined with Newt Gingrich's Contract With America, resulted in the massive win that swept the Dems out of power in both houses and gave the GOP control in the House for the first time in 40 years.

Scarborough left congress to pursue a career in broadcasting, but couldn't make it as a movement conservative. He had to play the moderate right-wing bashing role.

How's that working out for you, Joe?