Why do you keep trying to put your words in my mouth? If that's what I wanted to say I would have said it, but I didn't. I get that you want me to see things how you want me to see things but I don't, so how about just taking my words at face value?

Again, Joe isn't dumb, he's not being manipulated, and he absolutely knows who and what he's inviting onto his show and what affect they will have both in the broader media and to his critics and fans, Joe is just being a greedy self serving fuckwad, and it's working well for him so far.

You can underestimate your enemies on your own, but don't try to force me to make the same mistake you're making.

Clever isn't intelligence, you can be average or smart and not clever. You can also be a bit dumb but also a bit clever. They are 2 qualities that can interact but are nonetheless separate.