Buchanan: Clinton's raised voice is one "every husband in America ... has heard at one time or another"

On the February 26 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe, political analyst Pat Buchanan asserted that when Sen. Hillary Clinton "raises her voice, and when a lot of women do, you know, it's -- as I say -- it reaches a point ... where every husband in America ... has heard at one time or another." Co-host Mika Brzezinski replied: "Oh, Pat, you're lucky you're not in the studio, I'm telling you." Buchanan laughed and said: "I know that's a sexist comment ... but there's truth to it! ... There's truth to it." He continued: "It's very difficult for women to reach those kinds of levels effectively, as it is to make them sort of a rally speech. They're not good at that."

Brzezinski then said:

BRZEZINSKI: There is something so wrong with what you're saying, and what I fear is that the effect may be exactly what you're saying because of this double standard that people can't hear strength from a woman without using the B-word, and quite frankly, if that is what people are going to take away from this, it just seems to me as, well, everything that the Clinton campaign is arguing then.

Earlier in the segment, Buchanan had stated: "[I]t's very tough for a woman. You see two men going back and forth at each other, you say, 'Boy, they're really going at it.' ... And you see two women or something, and say, 'Boy, what a catfight this is.' "

On the January 23 edition of Morning Joe, while discussing the January 21 Democratic presidential debate with an all-male panel that included co-hosts Joe Scarborough, Willie Geist, and correspondent David Shuster, political and social commentator Mike Barnicle said of Clinton: "[W]hen she reacts the way she reacts to [Sen. Barack] Obama with just the look, the look toward him, looking like everyone's first wife standing outside a probate court, OK? Looking at him that way, all I could think of ... was this fall, if it's [Sen. John] McCain that she's facing, McCain is likable. She's not." All three MSNBC hosts laughed at Barnicle's comparison of Clinton to "everyone's first wife standing outside a probate court," with Scarborough interrupting Barnicle by laughing loudly before saying, "I'm sorry. Go ahead."

From the February 26 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe:

BRZEZINSKI: This is on the front-page of these major newspapers. USA Today: "Obama now seen as more electable." And "Obama's support" -- on the front page of The New York Times -- "grows broader, new poll finds." So, this is something that Hillary Clinton has to take on. Her back's against the wall. Pat Buchanan, looking ahead to tonight -- you know, last week, you said she needs to do something, but now I'm not sure you agree with what she's doing.

BUCHANAN: Well, not necessarily. But I do think tonight's going to be the second Ali-Frazier fight, quite frankly.

GEIST: Yes, yes.

BRZEZINSKI: Yeah.

BUCHANAN: It'll really -- I'm really looking forward to it. This could be a very climactic event in the political career and certainly in the presidential campaign of Hillary Rodham Clinton. We're all going to look at whether she handles herself the way she did at the end of the Texas debate or whether she's gone back -- basically she's going back into battle. I think what she's got to do is very -- is very simple.

She has to separate herself from Obama, to raise real doubts in the public mind, because this is going to be a very large audience for this debate, about whether Barack Obama is really ready to handle the foreign policy of a nation at war in two countries and which could be at war in more. Raise questions about that without making herself look like a -- frankly, a strident political attack dog, if you will. So, it's a very, very tough thing. And as Mika -- as you've mentioned correctly, we've talked about it -- it's very tough for a woman. You see two men going back and forth at each other, you say, "Boy, they're really going at it."

BRZEZINSKI: Yeah.

BUCHANAN: And you see two women or something, and say, "Boy, what a catfight this is."

BRZEZINSKI: Well, and you know, and that's what's so unfair.

And Willie, I know you have a question about the polls; we'll get to that. But you know, you think about what she said over the weekend -- the sound bites that have been isolated -- and imagine those coming from the mouth of a male candidate, and he'd look strong and aggressive --

BUCHANAN: Sure.

BRZEZINSKI: -- like a fighter. And what's happening here with Hillary?

BUCHANAN: Well, it's the -- well, frankly, it's the voice, to be -- look, Barack Obama's got a very deep voice. He can go out, he can use mockery and ridicule, and it comes off very smooth and pleasant. But when she raises her voice, and when a lot of women do, you know, it's -- as I say -- it reaches a point --

BRZEZINSKI: Yeah, OK.

BUCHANAN: -- where every husband in America --

BRZEZINSKI: You know what?

BUCHANAN: -- has heard at one time or another.

BRZEZINSKI: Oh, Pat, you're lucky you're not here in the studio, I'm telling you.

BUCHANAN: [laughing] I know that's a sexist comment, but it is --

BRZEZINSKI: It totally is!

BUCHANAN: -- but there's truth to it!

BRZEZINSKI: Yeah, but --

BUCHANAN: There's truth to it. It's very difficult for women to reach those kinds of levels effectively, as it is to make them sort of a rally speech. They're not good at that.

BRZEZINSKI: OK.

BUCHANAN: She's very good at the debate --

BRZEZINSKI: Uh-huh.

BUCHANAN: -- the debate format.

BRZEZINSKI: There is something so wrong with what you're saying, and what I fear is that the effect may be exactly what you're saying because of this double standard that people can't hear strength from a woman without using the B-word, and quite frankly, if that is what people are going to take away from this, it just seems to me as, well, everything that the Clinton campaign is arguing then. So, I don't know. I mean, I'm --

GEIST: Mika, I don't argue with you.

BRZEZINSKI: I have to speak for women.