Michael Steele Exposes Chris Matthews' Hypocrisy On GOP Presidential Candidates
For weeks MSNBC's Chris Matthews has been complaining about the lack of declared GOP presidential candidates.
On Tuesday's "Hardball," former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele exposed Matthews' hypocrisy concerning this matter marvelously demonstrating that once any of the possible candidates formally enters the race, the avowed liberal commentator is just going to trash him or her (video follows with transcript and commentary):
CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: This is the strangest thing in the world. The Reagan library debate was supposed to be,. like, now. That`s gone until next September.
MICHAEL STEELE, FORMER RNC CHAIRMAN: Right.
MATTHEWS: The Fox thing is supposed to be in, what is it, South Carolina? It`s supposed to be --
STEELE: May 4th, right.
MATTHEWS: -- in a week or two.
STEELE: Right.
MATTHEWS: There`s no real front-running group of candidates like we`ve always had before. Why are these big names pulling out, first of all?
STEELE: Well, I --
MATTHEWS: Why`d Barbour pull out yesterday?
STEELE: Well, I --
MATTHEWS: Why`s Pence thinking about something else?
STEELE: Well, I --
MATTHEWS: Thune everybody thought would be the dark horse. Your thoughts.
The above came early in the lengthy opening segment of Tuesday's "Hardball" with the following coming a few minutes later:
MATTHEWS: Well, Steve, the big difference between -- that`s a fair comparison except for one thing. Back when Bill Clinton was smart to run early, running in `92 and winning, George Herbert Walker Bush was about 91 percent in the polls. He had just won the Iraq war. He looked like Winston Churchill -- though he ended up getting beaten in `45. He couldn`t be beaten.
This president is running, when he bounces to the top of his bounce, around 50. Sometimes he gets above it. This is a winnable race, depending on conditions. Why do you think, as an analyst watching the Republican side, these guys are all Chicken Littles? They`re all bopping across -- yes, they can`t -- it`s not my year, I don`t know, I don`t think I got the ID. When`s going on here?
For the most part, this is what Matthews has been saying for months. Minutes later, Steele attempted to address Matthews' concerns:
STEELE: Look, you`ve got a very strong conservative base that`s active in the GOP nominating process, and I think that a number of those who are announced already, like a Tim Pawlenty and certainly a Newt Gingrich, can galvanize that base --
MATTHEWS: Oh, geez!
STEELE: -- around a set of ideas.
(LAUGHTER)
STEELE: Look -- no, you --
MATTHEWS: You think Newt Gingrich is fit to be president of United States?
STEELE: Wait a minute. Wait a minute. See, you`re assuming --
MATTHEWS: Give me a break!
STEELE: You are assuming --
MATTHEWS: Newt Gingrich president of the United States?
STEELE: Wait a minute. This is not about your personal peeve with Newt Gingrich --
MATTHEWS: No, it`s not about my peeve.
STEELE: -- or your views about Newt Gingrich.
MATTHEWS: Look at the rap sheet --
STEELE: This is about --
MATTHEWS: -- on the guy.
STEELE: Wait a minute. Hold up. This is about a Republican nominating process. Now, if you want to talk about a general election campaign or strategy, that`s something else.
MATTHEWS: OK.
STEELE: But you`re talking about a Republican -- you asked me about a Republican nominating process, and I`m giving you the square deal here.
Plainly evident, Steele was beginning to see the hypocrisy. Matthews was expressing what is obviously a bogus concern about why more Republicans haven't tossed their names into the presidential ring because he's trashing those that either have or appear destined to do so.
This became even clearer moments later:
MATTHEWS: Michael, do you think America`s in peacetime right now?
(LAUGHTER)
MATTHEWS: Are we in peace? Just an objective -- we`re all objective people here now. Are we in peacetime right now? When you look around the world --
STEELE: No, no. No, Chris.
MATTHEWS: OK.
STEELE: To answer the question --
MATTHEWS: I know somebody who believes --
STEELE: -- we are not in peacetime.
MATTHEWS: -- that we`re in peacetime. He wrote an op-ed, which you re-edit a couple of times and (INAUDIBLE) people help you with them and you get them right. But after a lot of deliberation and editing, here`s what Mitt Romney wrote in an op-ed in "The Manchester Union-Leader" up in New Hampshire. Quote, "Barack Obama`s facing a financial emergency on a grander scale, yet his approach has been to engage in one of the biggest peacetime spending binges in American history." And when questioned on the use of the word "peacetime," his spokeswoman said he meant to say -- well, he didn`t say it, it was written down -- since World War II.
Is this up there with Jerry Ford and Poland has been liberated? I mean, is this one of those delusional statements that really disqualifies a guy from even thinking about running the country?
STEELE: No, it does -- no, no, it does not. And you know, Mitt Romney is one of those serious individuals who`s looking to run for the nomination --
MATTHEWS: Well, explain.
STEELE: -- who I think will put on a good race and you cannot -- you cannot hold him -- you cannot hold him to that. I mean, that`s just an editorial mishap and you move on.
MATTHEWS: So if he were president of the United States and he said, We`re enjoying peacetime in his inaugural address, you wouldn`t take that as a problem.
STEELE: Pardon me?
MATTHEWS: If he said this during his inaugural address or his acceptance speech, would it be a problem then? At what point does missing the reality of our time -- we`re on four war fronts right now. We`re fighting in Pakistan. We`re fighting in Libya --
(CROSSTALK)
MATTHEWS: Everybody knows this. We`re fighting in -- we got 100,000 troops fighting in Afghanistan.
STEELE: Chris, it has --
MATTHEWS: We got half that many fighting in Iraq, and this guy thinks we`re living in peacetime. That`s a problem.
STEELE: Right. And President Obama thinks there are 57 states. What`s your point?
MATTHEWS: Oh, OK.
(LAUGHTER)
STEVE MCMAHON, DEMOCRAT STRATEGIST: Listen, this is just --
STEELE: What`s your point?
(CROSSTALK)
MATTHEWS: One is a misstatement. The other one --
STEELE: OK, so give me a break.
MATTHEWS: -- is a misreality. Go back to Steve McMahon --
STEELE: Oh, yes. Oh, I -- oh, is that how this works, one`s a misstatement and the other`s a misreality?
MATTHEWS: I just think one guy --
(CROSSTALK)
MCMAHON: Please.
So, moments after bashing Gingrich, Matthews went after the GOP candidate many believe to be the presumptive favorite. With this in mind, when Matthews presented some candidates that he thinks would be viable, Steele was having none of it:
MATTHEWS: OK, let me run through a couple of names just to run this because I don`t -- think there`s a point here. And my point is that people that could be president aren`t running. I think in a different year, Jeb Bush could have a great run for president. I don`t think this is his year, necessarily. I think Chris Christie`s got something. I think he`s a hotshot. I think he`s verbal. He knows how to talk like East Coast guy, quick and smart, and he`s interesting.
STEELE: Right.
MATTHEWS: And that separates him from Pawlenty --
STEELE: Right.
MATTHEWS: -- and it separates him from Romney. He`s interesting. Thune I think has the look of a rangy Westerner.
STEELE: Yes.
MATTHEWS: He`s got sort of the cowboy manner, and he`s clean as a whistle and he`s the new kid on the block and he might just knock the president off. Pence --
STEELE: Oh, yes.
MATTHEWS: -- is not exactly the happiest guy I ever met in my life, but he seems to approving -- he seems to fit with the sensibility of the party, which is not having a good time anyway. The guys who are not running look like good candidates, Michael. I tell you this --
STEELE: Of course they do, Chris --
MATTHEWS: -- New Gingrich is never going to --
STEELE: -- because they`re not running!
MATTHEWS: -- be president of the United States. These guys you have on your list -- Tim Pawlenty`s not going to be president. I don`t think Mitt Romney`s going to be president.
STEELE: OK.
MATTHEWS: Do you?
MCMAHON: I like -- I like the field. I like the field that they`re running right now.
STEELE: I -- I -- look, I --
MATTHEWS: Michael, do you think any of these guys running --
STEELE: Yes.
MATTHEWS: You said when we started tonight --
STEELE: Yes.
MATTHEWS: -- when your IQ was popping about 10 minutes ago before you got beaten down by me, you had a smart thought. Somebody`s going to come in this race like Bill Clinton came into the Democratic side --
STEELE: I do. I believe that.
MATTHEWS: -- back in `92. So who do you think`s going to be your Wendell Wilkie, the guy that comes in and wows you?
STEELE: I don`t -- I don`t -- I don`t know who that person -- in all honesty, I don`t know who that person is just yet, but I do believe that that is something that`s very true. I was saying going back to my days as chairman that I think the dynamics of this time and this race will allow someone to come in that will surprise people. At one time, I thought it was Mitch Daniels. It still may be. We`ll see if he gets in. I don`t know.
But this is the point. You guys are sitting there in your comfort zone with this race right now and because of the people who aren`t running you think should be running. I guarantee you that if any on that list were running, you`d be eating them alive --
MATTHEWS: OK --
STEELE: -- just like you`re going after Tim Pawlenty and Gingrich now.
MATTHEWS: Well, Michael --
STEELE: So let`s -- let`s call it what it is, all right?
Bingo. All this carping and whining by folks like Matthews about why more Republicans haven't entered the race is total nonsense for the reincarnation of Abraham Lincoln could appear tomorrow and everyone on MSNBC as well as the rest of the liberal media would attack him just as they are Bachmann, Gingrich, Palin, Pawlenty, Romney, and Trump.
So, let's do call it what it is: getting Barack Obama reelected.
- Noel Sheppard's blog
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Comments
All leg tingly as usual
Submitted by Tomorama on Tue, 04/26/2011 - 9:04pm.
I watched this POS's show tonight and the few Republicans he has on all get the same treatment, he asks a question and before the answer is given, he intterupts all the time,
Matthews is a pu&&y, he is saying nice things about the ones that are not in and hammers the ones that are in.......
JUST LIKE STEELE SAID.
Yeah, just like Ms Madcow said, no agenda here.......................................
24-7, except when the prison shows are on.
I don't know if there is anyone.........
Submitted by GregE on Tue, 04/26/2011 - 9:11pm.
.......on TV "news" who likes to hear himself talk more than Matthews does.
A lib would jump in here and say ......"oh yes, O'Reilly is worse." Nope, not even close.
O'Reilly's Not Worse
Submitted by Caringwhiteguy on Tue, 04/26/2011 - 9:34pm.
He just has a different way of being a pompous ass.
Caringwhiteguy---
Submitted by matthewdean on Tue, 04/26/2011 - 9:48pm.
that was a good one !
MD
Matthews cannot shut up. He
Submitted by kg on Wed, 04/27/2011 - 9:23am.
Matthews cannot shut up. He ask a question and when the guest starts to answer Matthews rambles on with false assumptions. Again they try to answer but Matthews rolls right into two more questions. Yet again the guest tries to answer the new question and Matthews cuts him off and makes more false assumptions and then asks his pawn to take over. Matthews does not cut the pawn off. On and on it goes. About that time you have no option than to just change channels to stop the noisy racket.
"DumbAssity of Dope"
Why didn't Steele...
Submitted by MichiganMan on Wed, 04/27/2011 - 12:24pm.
Why didn't Steele say "Hey Chris, shut the hell up and quit interrupting me and I will answer your ridiculous question"? or something to that effect. No need to be polite when your "host" is being rude.
"Oh, yeah?"
Submitted by Chris Norman on Tue, 04/26/2011 - 9:21pm.
Matthews is down to having Republicans on his show so he can taunt them. This is like to some kid saying his dad can beat up some other kid's dad. They should rename his show "Playground - with Chris Matthews".
I would pay money to see the Hermanator on Prissy Tingles' show
Submitted by Dave. on Tue, 04/26/2011 - 9:22pm.
LOL - Prissy would be a pile of human hamburger in a puddle of goo by the time the segment ended.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Pat Buchanan to Chris Matthews: "You're supposed to be a journal
Submitted by im41 on Tue, 04/26/2011 - 9:23pm.
Matthews makes an a$$ out of himself again.
Is obama relying on Americans being masochistic?
Submitted by MidAmerica on Tue, 04/26/2011 - 9:42pm.
All the Presidents men think all they have to do is run the obama of 2008 again and he's unbeatable. November 2010 was just a fluke.
We must keep in mind we've only had obama for a little over two years. Wait till there's another two years of misery at home and chaos worldwide because of a lack of leadership. The country is in a bad mood now and they won't vote for more of it.
Bring on Newt
Submitted by pbthinker on Tue, 04/26/2011 - 9:54pm.
Newt Gingrich would eat Matthews alive. Talk about someone not being on the same intellectual plain, Matthews couldn't even ask Newt a significant question, let along think of a follow-up. I watched Newt debate Saint Mario Cuomo and believe me, it wasn't close. Even Mario had to say that Newt was an excellent spokesman for his party and positions.
If someone like Matthews can't recognize Newt for the thinker that he is, and only wants to bring up personal stuff, he's a loser. I'm not sure Gingrich can overcome the personal stuff, but I would never, ever, demean his intelligence and thoughtfulness. I don't know who will win the nomination but I'd like to suggest that, whoever it is, they ask Newt to be their designated debater. Newt Gingrich would have President Obama on his knees begging to go home, after about 20 minutes. Obama would be so much out of his league it's pathetic because, whatever you want to say about Newt, he is a thinker.
By the looks of the ignorant Smirk on Tingles' face,
Submitted by djwolf12 on Tue, 04/26/2011 - 9:56pm.
the segment title & the guest, I think Chris Matthews thinks he is getting away with calling Steele a POS. Well I am calling him out on it.
It's a diversion ...
Submitted by metaphorsbwithu on Tue, 04/26/2011 - 10:00pm.
Matthews and the MSM will use this tactic over and over again for one reason ... to distract people from looking at Obama's RECORD, which is infinitely more telling than any perception of his opponents.
Vilifying and demonizing Obama's opponents are basically all those on the left have.
I'm surprised that the focus
Submitted by Satchmo on Tue, 04/26/2011 - 10:01pm.
I'm surprised that the focus wasn't put on Matthews' confessing his belief that people with Southern accents are stupid.
I would love to hear one of
Submitted by Snappy on Tue, 04/26/2011 - 10:02pm.
I would love to hear one of his guests just keep on talking while Mathews talks over him and just start calling him a punk. At some point he is going to hear what the guest is saying and he will have to ask him what he said... and then the guest will say he called him a punk for not letting him answer the question he asked.
Libutard 'news' personalities
Submitted by Slyrr on Tue, 04/26/2011 - 10:13pm.
Libutard 'news' personalities love friendly audiences because it allows them to taunt and insult their guests, and the guest (in large measure) has to sit there and take it. That's liberals love lawyers. They also use their proceedings to taunt and insult people, and now allowing them to defend themselves. They also love hollywood, because it allows them to concoct wild fantasy worlds where their ideas reign supreme and always work - without that pesky thing called 'reality' ever questioning them or spoiling their fun.
They're the same way with political policies. They love being in charge so they can appoint themselves the enforcers of the perverted and twisted laws that they write.
'For behold, he has his friends in iniquity, and he keepeth his guards about him, and he teareth up the laws of those who have reigned in righteousness before him. And he enacteth his own laws, after the manner of his own wickedness; and those who do not obey his laws, he will send his armies upon them, and if he can, he will destroy them. And thus an unrightous king doth pervert the ways of righteousness...'
huh?
Submitted by michiganruth on Tue, 04/26/2011 - 10:18pm.
"you said...when your IQ was popping about 10 minutes ago before you got beaten down by me, you had a smart thought"...
???
boy, that Matthews thinks he is one sharp cookie, doesn't he? yeah wow, Chris, I HAD a point, but your articulate brilliance made me lose my train of thought....let me just sit here and bask in the glow of your intellect.
Michael Steele is no Einstein, but I think he can hold his own against Spittle McTingles.
Steele nailed this worm good
Submitted by Galvanic on Tue, 04/26/2011 - 10:42pm.
I watched the show as Steele shot Matthews right in the face (If we can use that metaphor in the so-called 'post-Tuscon' world).
First, Matthews misrepresented Ford's quote. In the debate with Carter, Ford said that he didn't think Poles thought they were dominated by the USSR --- it was a stupid and costly statement, but Ford never claimed that the Poles were liberated.
But then Steele shoved Obama's "57 states" quote in his face, and Matthews tripped over his tongue trying to explain why that was 'different.'
That should end up in the Top 25 Greatest Hits in 2011.
Matthews disqualified Romney
Submitted by deerjerkydave on Wed, 04/27/2011 - 12:37am.
Matthews disqualified Romney over whether we're in a peace time. I wonder if Matthews did the same for Obama when he accused out troops of "air raiding villages and killing civilians." Nope, instead Matthews got a thrill up his leg.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrW4fOGIMVY
------------------------
"The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the Federal Government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State Governments are numerous and indefinite. -James MadisonTechnically Romney was right
Submitted by Master-of-Disaster on Wed, 04/27/2011 - 3:32pm.
There has been no declaration of War that I am aware of. We are engage militarily but there was never any declaration of War from Congress that I am aware of. Korea and Vietnam were not technically wars either. Congress has ducked one of its only constitutional duties since WWII. I was in the military for over 20 years and although I served in several combat zones at one time or another, Congress never declared any of them wars. Now, if you ask me, since I was shot at by some piss ant insurgent/terrorists (also known as illegal combatants) it was every bit a war. We are at war and have been for decades, but the politicians have been able to avoid their responsibilities just to gain power and assure their re-election. But what do I know, I am certainly not as smart as Tingles McScrewy there, or even Micheal Steele I guess.
BREAKING: Obama releases long-form birth certificate
Submitted by Jer on Wed, 04/27/2011 - 9:08am.
Born on small island in the Pacific.
Jer
Thank God
Submitted by bkeyser on Wed, 04/27/2011 - 9:19am.
The ramifications of ineligibility would have been catastrophic for this nation. See ya Trump.
Jer,
Submitted by Dave. on Wed, 04/27/2011 - 9:22am.
You mean it wasn't a stable in Bethlehem?
LOL - Well darn.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Dave...Reactions continue to pour in:
Submitted by Jer on Wed, 04/27/2011 - 9:33am.
World Net Daily craps in pants. Immediately lays off three-fourths of staff.
Trump takes full credit for forcing release.
Here's a copy of the certificate.
Jer
Sorry, Jer, but it is clearly a forgery.
Submitted by SickofLibs on Wed, 04/27/2011 - 9:44am.
I have analyzed it in Photoshop at 1500% and have discovered the safety background in the middle is much softer than the border area, while the halo artifacts surrounding the type indicates over-sharpening... the simultaneous softening and sharpening indicate the document is a crude re-creation. The delineation is an obvious rectangle.
Remember you heard it here first.
The conspiracy lives!
Submitted by Jer on Wed, 04/27/2011 - 9:56am.
Long live the conspiracy. As soon as bkeyser confirms your findings, I am offering my services to the birther movement pro bono.
Jer
Thanks, Jer but I'll pass on the pro bono thing.
Submitted by SickofLibs on Wed, 04/27/2011 - 10:01am.
I've yet to see you make a convincing argument here at NB in the three years I've been around ;)
Sorry, SoL, but you get what you pay for.
Submitted by Jer on Wed, 04/27/2011 - 11:00am.
F. Lee Jer.
I think the issue is also in
Submitted by Satchmo on Wed, 04/27/2011 - 10:32am.
I think the issue is also in regards to "natural born citizen". Place of birth is a bit immaterial. The bottom line is whether or not he meets the Constitution's criteria for president.
Thank God....errrr Trump
Submitted by Master-of-Disaster on Wed, 04/27/2011 - 3:37pm.
Well at least that is settled so........did the Fed collapse today? I was busy working and getting ready for my other work since I have off from my third job today and didn't have time to notice the country collapsing into a fiscal disaster...???? Anyone? Bueller? /sarc