'Is this a parody?' GOP lawmaker's attack on Talarico's manliness backfires spectacularly

An interview with Texas Democrat James Talarico, who is running for a seat in the U.S. Senate, was temporarily derailed on Thursday morning over a report that the Republican Lt. Governor of the state doesn't think he's “manly” enough for the state.

After the producers of “Morning Joe” displayed a less-than-flattering picture of elderly Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in a black mockneck and jacket, co-hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough could barely speak as they laughed at the photo.

“He says you're not manly enough to actually — this guy says you're not manly enough to represent the people of Texas," Scarborough said. "And he's concerned about your Low T levels! Your manliness. Oh, yeah. Is this, is this a parody?”

As all three laughed, Scarborough asked his guest if he understood "their obsession with low-T.”

“I had to look it up,” the smiling Texas Democrat replied.

He then got his own dig in, adding, “Guys my age aren't really worried about that kind of thing.”

Talarico then spoke seriously.

"People are really tired of this kind of professional wrestling in our politics,” he said. “These old guys who are lathered up in their fake tans, throwing these corny nicknames at each other. People are wanting serious leaders who are going to get this economy back on track, who are going to start to lower costs, who are going to start to raise pay. And people are catching on to the fact that these corny nicknames don't lower the cost of groceries, don't lower the cost of of prescription drugs, don't lower the price of gas.”

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