MSNBC’s weekend shows devoted a number of segments to Joe Biden’s “you ain’t black” gaffe, but it all sounded like DNC-TV. Biden might be admonished briefly, but then the question turned to Democrats maximizing their minority turnout. No Republicans would be invited to discuss Biden’s missteps. 

In particular, the hours hosted by anchor Alicia Menendez, the daughter of ethically challenged Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) were heavy on Democratic guests whom she actually pressed from the left on appealing to the radical Democratic base and advocates for illegal immigrants.

On Saturday afternoon, during the 4:00 p.m. Eastern time block that she hosts, Menendez gave Biden campaign advisor Julie Chavez Rodriguez a forum to react to the criticism against Biden. When asked about the “enthusiasm gap” among younger voters, ,the adviser touted Biden’s “a Catholic — he’s a man of faith — he’s someone whose leadership is really guided by that. And that’s something that really speaks to our families. He’s also someone who was a single father, raised two boys as a single parent.”

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Biden was a single parent for about five years. Then Menendez, a former anchor for Univision’s Fusion channel and a co-founder of the amnesty lobby Define American, expressed concern from the left: 

ALICIA MENENDEZ: There’s also been a commitment to a comprehensive immigration proposal with a pathway to citizenship on day one. As you know, immigration groups have been burnt by promises like this before. What will the Vice President actually do to get this done?

No attention was given to whether the nominee would need to appeal to voters outside the Democratic base. 

On Sunday afternoon, also during the 4:00 p.m. block, Menendez spoke with liberal MSNBC contributor Zerlina Maxwell and Democratic strategist Emmy Ruiz about the Biden gaffe. She even included a clip of Florida Democratic Congresswoman Val Demings arguing that blacks should still vote for Biden. MSNBC contributor Zerlina Maxwell said “Well, I think this is a completely expected scenario where Joe Biden is making a gaffe, and we all have to scramble to clean it up.” She said it underlines why Biden needs a black woman as a running mate. 

Ruiz claimed Republicans were using the Biden gaffe to try to stop minorities from voting:

EMMY RUIZ, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: You know, I think they’re playing politics. They’re taking his words — many times out of context — for impacting and depressing the vote for the Latino community — for young voters — for black voters. I mean, that’s part of the reason, for example, they have gone as far as changing so many laws to literally keep our communities from voting and making our voices heard.

This hour in particular was heavy on Democratic guests as there were segments devoted to other issues. After New Mexico Congresswoman Deb Haaland appeared in a segment to discuss the high rates of Covid-19 illness in Native American populations, Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro was given a forum to complain about the Trump administration deporting illegal immigrants more quickly than usual during the pandemic.

Menendez — in typical fashion for MSNBC journalists — did not bother to specify that those being deported are illegals as she set up the segment:

ALICIA MENENDEZ: Migrant children are bearing the brunt of harsher restrictions as reports show unaccompanied migrant children have been deported at quicker rates. And immigrants in family ICE detention centers have reportedly had to choose between releasing their children or staying together in detention indefinitely.

She set up Castro with this softball: “Congressman, we’ve read a lot about this policy called a binary choice where these parents are being asked to make what is an impossible decision of whether they release their child without them or they stay in detention facilities with them where they know that the spread of Covid-19 is a real threat. What are the questions that you want answered from the administration?”