Matthews Smears All Other GOPers in the Race as 'Crazy,' Huntsman Replies: 'Thank You'
MSNBC's Chris Matthews on Friday interviewed 2012 presidential candidate Jon Huntsman and smeared the rest of the Republican field as "crazy," asserting that the Utah Governor is the only "sane" choice. This prompted Huntsman to reply, simply, "Thank you."
The Hardball anchor knocked Michele Bachmann as "looney tunes" and wondered how Huntsman could "sit next to a person who says there shouldn't be any taxes and have a reasonable conversation with her?" [See video below. MP3 audio here.]
Huntsman merely replied, "It's the primary phase of this campaign. All voices ought to be heard." Matthews pressed, "Who would be a better president? Barack Obama or Michele Bachmann?" The ex-ambassador to China dodged, "Don't get me into that game."
At one point, the journalist gushed, "You know what I want to say to you? Thank you for your service. Thank you for your service, for being the same man in the Republican Party. It reminds us there's actually someone who has their feet on the ground."
Huntsman accepted the statement as a compliment: "Thank you."
Matthews piled on, "And thanks for being crazy, as you put it, in other words, sane in the Republican Party."
The Republican presidential candidate, who is polling at two percent nationally, beamed.
A transcript of the exchange, which aired at 5:42pm EDT, follows:
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CHRIS MATTHEWS: Who would be a better president? Barack Obama or Michele Bachmann?
JON HUNTSMAN: Don't get me into that game.
MATTHEWS: I'm asking.
HUNTSMAN: Don't get me into that game.
...
MATTHEWS: But you've been surrounded by loony tune arguments. I mean, Michele Bachmann said we shouldn't pay any taxes. How can you sit next to a person who says there shouldn't be any taxes and have a reasonable conversation with her?
HUNTSMAN: It's the primary phase of this campaign. All voices ought to be heard.
MATTHEWS: The primitive phase.
HUNTSMAN: I mean, look at the Democrat Party. Same thing. All voices are heard and then it's winnowed down.
MATTHEWS: Anyway- You know what I want to say to you? Thank you for your service. Thank you for your service, for being the same man in the Republican Party. It reminds us there's actually someone who has their feet on the ground.
HUNTSMAN: Thank you, Chris.
MATTHEWS: We all think we like you. We won't destroy you by saying you're doing well, because that'll probably kill you. Tell your friends to come over. We'd like to see some of them, too.
HUNTSMAN: Will do. Of course.
MATTHEWS: Those guys you hang around with on debate nights. Thank you. Very impressive, governor. I'm very familiar with Utah politics. You were a great governor, and enormously popular out there. I think you did a fabulous job as a United States ambassador to China. Thank you for your service.
HUNTSMAN: Thank you, Chris.
MATTHEWS: Thank you for coming to Hardball.
HUNTSMAN: Appreciate it.
MATTHEWS: And thanks for being crazy, as you put it, in other words, sane in the Republican Party.
[Huntsman smiles broadly.]
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Comments
Now who is this Bob Huntsman
Submitted by d1carter on Fri, 10/21/2011 - 6:41pm.
Now who is this Bob Huntsman guy...?
LOL....That's His Problem!
Submitted by Blonde on Fri, 10/21/2011 - 6:44pm.
His name is Jon, not Bob.
No matter....he's a DINO, and not long for this race.
Classic comment.
Perfection.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
"His name is Jon, not Bob." I
Submitted by d1carter on Fri, 10/21/2011 - 6:46pm.
"His name is Jon, not Bob."
I know...LOL.
I know you know (I know)
Submitted by Blonde on Fri, 10/21/2011 - 8:06pm.
LOL, that's why it was such a fandamntastic comment, d1.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
he is the best gop candidate
Submitted by dmacleo on Fri, 10/21/2011 - 6:53pm.
that the D N C has given us ever :)
and the entire time he's getting that stamp of approval
Submitted by kata on Fri, 10/21/2011 - 6:45pm.
he's thinking : @(*&! I should be running primary against Obama.
His 2% pole numbers speak for themselves...
Submitted by bigdaddy on Fri, 10/21/2011 - 7:12pm.
...he really needs to be drated by the Donkeys to primary against Oblamer. He speaks Chinese and everything. Who else do we know that can say "Can we have mo' money?" in Mandarin?
Another poster who only cares about SOME debt
Submitted by Unsane on Sun, 10/23/2011 - 9:47am.
Isn't it great and refreshing to know that if we simply pass a law prohibiting THE EVIL CHINESE from holding ANY Treasuries that it will solve EVERYTHING and then we can run up as much debt as we want?
Remember: debt is GREAT, debt is WONDERFUL, and debt should be celebrated, unless THE EVIL CHINESE hold as much as a single Series EE bond.
"CONSUMED DEMOCRACY RETURNS A SOCIALIST REGIME" - Slayer, "Fictional Reality", from Divine Intervention (1994)
Huntsman, MSLSD's future RINO Political Contributor and HATER
Submitted by djwolf12 on Fri, 10/21/2011 - 7:24pm.
of all things Conservative, proves WHY he has only 1% of the national Republican vote.
Huntsman should know......
Submitted by GregE on Fri, 10/21/2011 - 7:25pm.
..........that he is the only non-"crazy" one in the race now, and if he got the nomination, he would become just as crazy to people like Chris. Any Republican knows this is how it works.
I bet in 1765 after Stamp act
Submitted by jkwtrading on Fri, 10/21/2011 - 7:55pm.
I bet in 1765 after Stamp act was enacted, the patriot said there should be no taxes and the Tory said you are crazy.
A Useful Idiot
Submitted by BMorgan53 on Fri, 10/21/2011 - 8:24pm.
Even though Huntsman has ZERO chance of becoming the Republican candidate, Tingles is kissing Huntsman's A$$ to add some aparent gravitas to his campaign. Should the unthinkable happen, and he becomes the candidate, Tingles will be just as quick to begin kicking Huntsman's A$$.
Hopefully this jackass in an elephant suit won't survive...
Submitted by Dave. on Fri, 10/21/2011 - 8:40pm.
...the first round of primaries.
He'd be better off running as a dem.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Huntsman Obama's GOP pick.
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Fri, 10/21/2011 - 8:53pm.
Huntsman Obama's GOP pick.
Matthews KNOWS...
Submitted by DumbCanuck on Fri, 10/21/2011 - 10:52pm.
...that Huntsman doesn't have a snowball's chance, which is why he is so energetically endorsing him. He knows the GOPs aren't going to pick him as the nominee, so I'll bet he's already writing his script for the general election: "Those insane repub's picked [enter candidate's name here] when they rejected a great guy -- the only SANE guy in the field -- Jon Huntsman! What were they thinking? They're INSANE, I tell you..."
We all know where Matthew's allegiance will lie if by some miracle the snowball does survive, and Huntsman does get nominated (which everyone on the planet knows that he won't -- including Huntsman.)
The height of disingenuity (is that even a word?) on the part of Matthews.
Is there any more reason to eliminate a candidate as a viable option than an 'endorsement' from tingles? Matthews was right on the money on that point.
BTW... Did you guys notice the non-endorsement endorsement too? 'I don't really want to endorse you, because I know that will probably destroy you, so I won't endorse you, but you're a hell of a great governor, and an incredibly sane guy in an insane field of candidates.'
Oh, the spin... THE SPIN!!! It's twisting my head off!
"There... Are... Four... Lights!"
thanks Jon
Submitted by michiganruth on Fri, 10/21/2011 - 11:03pm.
I'm all for the big tent philosophy, but seriously: why is Jon Huntsman still a Republican? there is apparently nothing about the party's philosophy he agrees with, and now he's admitting that he doesn't really like any of his GOP colleagues either.
of course he's Chrissy's favorite Republican. just like David Brooks is Chrissy's favorite "conservative columnist" and Barack Obama is Chrissy's favorite "moderate Democrat."
Pres and VP
Submitted by WestHoustonGeo on Fri, 10/21/2011 - 11:07pm.
The way I figure it, Gingrich would be a "Cheney-like" VP for Cain. That should - in the public mind- fill in all the gaps of foreign policy and "statesmanship" that Herman is supposedly lacking. I wouldn't vote for Newt for the top spot. He could do a lot in the VP position with Cain that would make things happen.
Much as I like Rick Perry, I don't see it in the stars for him. That's OK - I like him as my Governor and I hope he will continue in that capacity.
In Matthews speak...
Submitted by freedomguardian on Fri, 10/21/2011 - 11:15pm.
"We all think we like you. We won't destroy you by saying you're doing well, because that'll probably kill you. Tell your friends to come over. We'd like to see some of them, too."
I hope your the candidate that will face Obama in 2012 because we don't want him to face a true conservative who stands on principle. We really think you're a looser but we won't attack you until you become the nominee. Now I hope we, I mean they, pick you. You'll stand the same chance as McCain.
These communists think the can pick our candidate again! Yeah right! Not this time around!
Herman Cain for President 2012!!!
The fact that Huntsman would be
Submitted by Boudin on Fri, 10/21/2011 - 11:25pm.
Seen in the same room as Chrissy means he has no chances at being the Rep for the Right.
McCain/Palin
Submitted by Tidy Bowl Man on Sat, 10/22/2011 - 9:07am.
What happened the last time we nominated a mushy, kiss the press's a**, saddle sore fence riding apologist for the Republican party? The "Maverick"? This guy still sticks his finger in the air to see which way the Dem party blows. There was no excitement last voting time around, hold your nose and vote for Sarah and vote against the other guy. Now it looks like history has taught us nothing. Romney/Cain is being bandied about? I can't stand it! Those who don't learn from their past are bound to repeat it.
Well, Matthews just cost
Submitted by jessieH on Sat, 10/22/2011 - 10:05am.
Well, Matthews just cost Huntsman a shot at the Presidency.
Spineless and unworthy of the nomination
Submitted by NotFondOfLibs on Sat, 10/22/2011 - 7:29pm.
John Huntsman's reply to Chris Mathews is spineless and cowardly and good enough evidence to show he is unworthy of the Republican Party nomination. It's one thing to go into the camp of the enemy but it's also another thing to sit there and let someone smear your fellow party members. Huntsman is gutless and won't get the party's nomination in 2012 or any other year. If Huntsman cannot defend his fellow Republicans, he ought to get out of the race right now.