Waiting for election results on Tuesday, MSNBC's Chris Matthews blurted, "Can I sound a bit like a Marxist here?" [MP3 audio here.] The Hardball host, along with Al Sharpton and Rachel Maddow, was highlighting previous midterms.
Speaking of Bill Clinton and 1998, Matthews asserted, "I think everybody knew that he was involved with Monica [Lewinsky]. Everybody knew he was BS-ing the country. But they also thought that Congress overreacted." Comparing the Democrats relatively good showing that year to a possibely bad night in 2014, Matthews proclaimed, "Can I sound a bit like a Marxist here? Because people accuse [me of] this. I really do think economics drives almost everything. In 1998, the economy was doing really well."
Earlier in the day, MSNBC's Joy Reid admitted she didn't "know" what "good news" would be on Tuesday.
A transcript of the November 4 exchange is below:
6:23
[Talking about '98 midterms]
CHRIS MATTHEWS: And Bill Clinton, I think everybody knew that he was involved with Monica. Everybody knew he was BS-ing the country. But they also thought that Congress overreacted.
MADDOW: Yes.
MATTHEWS: I think that's the way people voted. They said, "Enough already. You made your point. Censure the guy and shut up." Basically.
MADDOW: And that drove his approval ratings to the point where it turned that midterm election from what history suggested it might be.
MATTHEWS: And can I sound a bit like a Marxist here? Because people accuse this. I really do think economics drives almost everything. In 1998, the economy was doing really well. Just like if you want to look at Nixon's problems, of course there was cover-up of Watergate, but there was tremendous stagflation. People were feeling terrible. People will forgive a president who is effective.
