Matthews: 'Media Will Try To Destroy Her' But Palin Can Win GOP Nod

July 7th, 2010 7:37 AM

An unexpected prediction, and an even more surprising admission from Chris Matthews this morning . . .

Appearing on Morning Joe, the Hardball host predicted that Sarah Palin would seek the Republican presidential nomination, and painted a path to victory for her.  In a moment of candor, Matthews admitted that "the media will try to destroy her, of course."

Matthews made his comments in the course of a pre-taped Mojo Midterm Exam segment that aired on today's Morning Joe.

Matthews saw a scenario in which evangelicals would sweep Sarah to victory in the Iowa GOP primary. She would lose New Hampshire, but put in a respectable-enough showing to move on to South Carolina, where her game-changing endorsement of Nikki Haley would pay dividends.  The fight would then move to Michigan, where Matthews says Palin "beats the hell" out of Mitt Romney, whom he curiously described as "not a politician."

Then came Chris' flight of frankness.

CHRIS MATTHEWS: [Palin] maybe gets an early knockout.  That's how I see her winning. An early knockout's the way she can win. The media will try to destroy her of course, but if she goes early, wins early, I think she can win it before anyone can stop her.

Note Matthews' blase "of course" appended to his observation that the MSM will try to destroy Palin.  He takes it as a given that everyone knows the liberal media have it out for her.

Question: does Matthews envision himself participating in the media effort to "destroy" Palin?