Scarborough: Obama wasn't ready to be president, was 'glorified state senator'

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough on Tuesday said "Barack ObamaBarack Hussein ObamaPatagonia files suit against Trump cuts to Utah monuments Former Dem Tenn. gov to launch Senate bid: report Eighth Franken accuser comes forward as Dems call for resignation MORE wasn't ready in [his] opinion to be president" while stating he was just "a glorified state senator" during a discussion on "Morning Joe."

The conversation was prompted by the speculation dominating cable news this week that Oprah Winfrey might be entertaining a run for the White House after her well-received speech at the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday night.

After The Washington Post's Eugene Robinson said he wouldn't underestimate Winfrey as a candidate, Scarborough made a comparison to another TV star who ran for president as a political novice — Donald Trump.

"So much of what you have just said could have been said about Donald Trump two years ago. Always underestimated. He had mad political skills on a bizarre level that few of us understood at the time. He knew how to connect with people and look where we are," Scarborough noted.

"There are so many great things personally about Barack Obama, even though so many of his policies drive me crazy," the former GOP congressman continued. "But Barack Obama wasn’t ready, in my opinion, to be president. He was, as I said, a glorified state senator."

"If Barack Obama stayed in Senate for a term and actually learned the frustrations of Washington, he would have been a much better president in my opinion," he added.

"I know a lot of Rubio people hate me because I was so hard on Marco RubioMarco Antonio RubioRyan pledges 'entitlement reform' in 2018 Richard Gere welcomes lawmakers' words of support for Tibet Dem lawmaker gives McConnell's tax reform op-ed a failing grade MORE. But if Marco Rubio runs in 2020, guess what, Marco has been in Washington," Scarborough concluded.

"Marco understands the frustrations of Washington. And Marco is not doing what Barack Obama did and so many other people are doing, 'I’m getting elected to the Senate and now I’m going to run for president of the United States.' It’s hard."

"As George Bush said in the debate where he couldn’t complete a sentence, it’s hard."

Scarborough in 2017 announced on an episode of Stephen Colbert's "The Late Show" that he was leaving the Republican Party in protest of President TrumpDonald John TrumpHouse Democrat slams Donald Trump Jr. for ‘serious case of amnesia’ after testimony Skier Lindsey Vonn: I don’t want to represent Trump at Olympics Poll: 4 in 10 Republicans think senior Trump advisers had improper dealings with Russia MORE.

“That’s not a party that Ronald Reagan can associate with; it’s certainly not a party that I can associate with,” Scarborough concluded. “And listen, I want lower taxes; I want less regulations; I want a more competitive economy; I want the government taking less money from me. But not at this price," he told Colbert.

Winfrey, 63, a TV host, producer and philanthropist, has denied she will seek the office. But the spirited speech during the Golden Globes has refueled widespread speculation.