Chris Matthews on Hillary Clinton - Part III

27 November 2007


From 1994:

I hate her. I hate her. All that she stands for.

Today:
Matthews: Let's go back to women with needs. Women with needs are Hillary's great strength. Women who don't have a college degree, women who don't have a lot of things going for them. May not have a husband, may have kids, have all kinds of needs with day care, education, minimum wage. Will Oprah help with them to move to Barack Obama?

Julie Mason Houston Chronicle: Well, they're looking more for issues than they are for a celebrity endorsement. I don't think it's a celebrity endorsement from Oprah or from Bill Clinton, not that he's a celebrity, but you know what I'm saying. I don't think they move votes. I think they bring attention, I think they bring TV cameras, but those particular women are more concerned with health care and other issues than they are with what Oprah says ...

Matthews : (angry, nasty) OK let's get straight. Don't ever say Bill Clinton doesn't bring votes. If it weren't for Bill there wouldn't be a Hill. The idea that he doesn't give her star quality is INSANE

Julie Mason: (startled) I'm not saying he ...

Matthews: He IS her star quality.

Julie Mason: I'm not saying, he doesn't bring votes but if you were undecided...

Matthews:(abrupt) Ok. ... Thank you Matt.

Julie Mason:... I don't think Hillary..er Bill Clinton ...

Matthews: I know I caught you off guard there.

Julie mason: ...would bring you in.

Matthews: I was too tough on you there, but I know I'm right. Anyway, Matt ... just like Hillary I know I'm going to win.

Part I: "Chinese" Clapping
Part II: "I hate her"

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yeah I saw this. I honestly think Chris Matthews doesn't really care so much about positions and who's the best candidate to lead the country, he likes the whole game aspect of it. Even if it's someone he doesn't like, if they pull off some grand political tactic, he'll be praising it for how it effects the game.

I know a lot of people are turned off by this, but that's actually why I like him. I already know who I support and why, I don't need positive reinforcement from a tv pundit, but I do find the political game pretty interesting, no matter what sides are involved.

Samuel Brainsample said...

"I honestly think Chris Matthews doesn't really care so much about positions and who's the best candidate to lead the country, he likes the whole game aspect of it. Even if it's someone he doesn't like, if they pull off some grand political tactic, he'll be praising it for how it effects the game."
I think that this is 100% correct, and I hope that Hardball viewers realize this.

However, I have to say that it turns me off. Cable news at this point is dominated by "political strategists" who talk about the game aspect of a campaign. If I had a dime for every time I heard the phrase "Will this hurt or help Hillary?"...

As an undecided voter, I would like to see more coverage of WHAT the candidates' stances actually are, and what distinguishes them from each other. I'd also like to see some evaluation of those positions. As it stands, it seems like these programs are designed to help inform the candidates more than they are designed to help inform the voters.

If you want a campaign strategy television show, that's fine by me. But I think that this kind of coverage should be far more rare (maybe just a late-night show that actually calls itself a campaign strategy show).