This segment on MSNBC is so utterly ridiculous and substance-free, it should be banned from K-12 schools as junk food.

Steve M. has already laid out the argument for what we can expect media to do to Hillary Clinton, particularly in a contest with Scott Walker. He'll lose, but not before media does their damnedest to trash Hillary completely in the general. If she wins the nomination she MUST win the general election.

So here we have Li'l Luke Russert, who isn't even qualified to call a Battlebots match, opining on what a daring "experiment" Scott Walker is embarking upon.

What I've heard is that if he in fact makes it through this primary process, his focus is really going to be on the Midwest, sort of son of the Midwest. He's going to try to compete in Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, states where Democrats have done very well at the presidential level over the last few elections. Gonna' focus on this older whiter electorate in those states as opposed to the Colorado, Virginia and Florida.

Walker, it's a heck of an experiment, a heck of a gamble, but if it turns out to be right, it's a heck of an opportunity for this GOP to completely rebrand themselves in the Midwest.

So I said to myself, "Self, what happens if we give Iowa, Ohio and Wisconsin to Walker?"

The answer? He loses. 278-260.

Sorry, Li'l Luke, but I don't even think Walker would win Wisconsin, and he sure as hell isn't going to win Minnesota. Also? Pennsylvania is not in the Midwest. Just sayin'.

And how daring is it to focus on old white voters anyway? Seriously, tell me how this is a great "rebranding strategy" for Republicans, who are mostly old white voters.

Molly Ball, however, was right there to agree with him because this is what pundits do when they call horseraces. Thank heavens they're not doing Tour de France predictions.

Absolutely. I think as a matter of political strategy, I think the Midwest is Republicans biggest opportunity. It's the place where the demographics are changing the most slowly. A lot of these states are older and whiter and losing population, as opposed to the other states that you mentioned that are rapidly becoming more diverse and growing in population.

That "older white voter" strategy isn't really working out that well for Republicans in years with Presidential elections. It's entirely the wrong strategy, but don't tell this panel that. They're all in for the old white bigot demographic.

Can we possibly get some thoughtful commentary from people who actually, you know, think?

(Entire transcript via Heather for anyone that cannot watch the clip above.)