While being interviewed on Friday's “Today” show by Meredith Vieira, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews attempted to explain the rationale behind a bizarre question he posed to Republicans the night before at the debate he moderated. Matthews had asked the presidential candidates: "Seriously, would it be good for America to have Bill Clinton back living in the White House?"
Republicans laughed in unison, with Mitt Romney retorting: "You have got to be kidding."
On the May 4 "Today," from the site of the debate, the Air Force One Pavilion at the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California, Matthews defended his question:
"I thought they all agreed they didn't want Clinton back in the White House. I thought that was an interesting response. Because, I thought, you know, Republicans are having a hard time uniting and one thing they unite around is they don't want the Clintons back in the White House. And yet when you say, 'What do you think about Bill Clinton back in the White House?' they all sort of guffawed. Well, that's a particularly Republican response.
"If I offered that same question up to Democrats or independents, it would be kind of mixed on the independent side, and on the Democratic side they would be cheering like mad. So, it really is this sort of a cultural question about the Clintons that becomes so iconic. 'Do you like the Clintons? Do you viscerally like them?'"
Other conservative bloggers have weighed in perplexed at Matthew's ludicrous question:



















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Why would anyone want someone
May 4, 2007 - 11:20 ET by ThisnThatWhy would anyone want someone back in the White House who never could garner even 50% of the vote? Why doesn't Matthews admit that Clinton was never as popular as he and his liberal cronies believe; that his policies endangered America; that he has the moral compass of a billy goat; and that he is a person you could never, ever trust?
Thisn, I don't know what a bi
May 4, 2007 - 11:31 ET by ForeverOnTheRightThisn, I don't know what a billy goats moral compass is but it has got to be better than Slick Willy's. After all a billy goats behavior is based on a goats nature. Willy who should be in control of his nature, not his nature in control of his willy. This should be especially true of a president.
OK, Chris, ask the Dems at th
May 4, 2007 - 11:23 ET by SouthJersey1953OK, Chris, ask the Dems at the next debate how they would feel about Bush Senior back in the White House...
Mitt's "You have got to be kidding" was the correct answer.....
"You can lead a man to Congress, but you can't make him think." - Milton Berle
I think asking about Jeb Bush
May 4, 2007 - 11:44 ET by Conservative BluesI think asking about Jeb Bush would be enough to bring about a revolt from the Dems. Chris Matthews would probably have as hard a time saying Jeb's name as the Fonz did saying the word wwwrrrrroooo...
Why did Romney continue aft
May 4, 2007 - 11:24 ET by JDWWhy did Romney continue after, "You have to be kidding."
JDW
News media: Scoreboard for terrorists
. ..yeah the laughter and tha
May 4, 2007 - 11:37 ET by bigtimer. ..yeah the laughter and that answer still has me laughing thinking about it...
They all just should of continued laughing loudly until tears were coming down their faces..., moving with their arms as if pushing the question away... and saying move on in between their laughter...now that would of been a sound bite plus....
Matthews simply showed himsel
May 4, 2007 - 12:49 ET by Gat New YorkMatthews simply showed himself not only to be a hack political operative and anything but a journalist, but also an absolute moron. Just imagine the stupid questions he would have come up with during the JFK/Nixon debates: Senator Kennedy, do you claim that your father was a speculator of spirits and not a bootlegger? - actually that would have been a good question.
I skimmed through the mater
May 4, 2007 - 13:44 ET by JDWI skimmed through the material and this confused me at first, I was expecting sen Clinton's name.
JDW
News media: Scoreboard for terrorists
I am actually glad Matthews
May 4, 2007 - 11:31 ET by MightyMouthI am actually glad Matthews brought this up. IMHO, Hillary Clintons' run for president violates the "spirit" of the presidental term limit. Anyone agree?
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
MM, LOL...sounds danged good
May 4, 2007 - 11:38 ET by bigtimerMM,
LOL...sounds danged good to me!
The 22nd Amendment Sectio
May 4, 2007 - 11:50 ET by MightyMouthThe 22nd Amendment
Section 1. No person shall be
elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has
held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of
a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the
office of the President more than once.
BT, we should tell her to: read it and weep BroomHilda!!
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
MM,I agree with you seriously
May 4, 2007 - 12:01 ET by bigtimerMM,
I agree with you seriously...the only reason I am laughing is because nobody is going to follow the Constitution...especially her.
I know she was President.
...she will not be again...unless there is a serious third party split, but the way she is going she is not even going to make it in the primaries...she ought to hide away for months, but not enough brains to do that, being the smartest woman in the world and all....
Someone should have asked Ma
May 4, 2007 - 11:35 ET by mattmSomeone should have asked Matthews if he's ever sought counselling for his obsessive lust of the ex-president.
Mathews
May 4, 2007 - 11:53 ET by Mulligan22Many of the questions were such drivel. Is this the best we can get from the MSM? It's sad.
I say for the next Dem debate we have it on Fox with Limbaugh, Savage and Coulter asking the questions.
First question. Mrs. Clinton will you be pardonig terrorists like your husband did with the FALN?
Second question. Mrs. Clinton whats the best stain remover for dresses?
good one Mulligan. These a
May 4, 2007 - 12:48 ET by USA4freedomgood one Mulligan.
These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc.
Ronald Reagn- 40th Anniversary of D-Day
So all of you understand Ma
May 4, 2007 - 12:08 ET by In ExcessSo all of you understand Mathews' frame of mind - he asked Tancredo:
...''Congressman, Bill Clinton back home (in the White House)?''
What? And repeat the Clinton grief for families!
May 4, 2007 - 14:17 ET by Gary HallWell, here was the response. All you have to do is quote a media favorite - a popular progressive economist, Dean Baker (CEPR). Baker in describing the Clinton administration's economic bubble [stock market bubble] of the late 90's said:
Romney could have added to his, "youv'e got to be kidding" comment by adding, "Why in the world would we want to subject the American people to such financial suffering again?"
If (God help us all) Hilly is
May 4, 2007 - 16:45 ET by Del DolemonteIf (God help us all) Hilly is elected President in 2008, I'll delay booking my one-way ticket to Bhutan long enough to watch Chris on MSNBC. I've never seen a TV anchor have an orgasm on the air before, and probably never will again.
I think most of you know wher
May 4, 2007 - 16:50 ET by ucI think most of you know where I stand on 22 Amendment >> MM nice to see someone else on point.
Question is Hardball politics at its best since this field of Republicans should be running against Clinton (Bill) years and having Hillary as a candidate makes it near impossible for MSM to call such unfair. Just a Matthews shot across the Clinton bow. Someone please point this out to Chris Matthews.
What an unconscionable Presidency it was. Naming this guy "Ambassador to the World" after his eight years just partying on while real issues called? Is this the type of people we want all americans judged by an associated with?
This isn't Bush's war but maybe it is Clinton's. 37% eh?
Time to dig up the old post 9/11 red and blue news articles and magazine show spots. >> Time to show how MSM almost never (I mean almost never and am still just trying to remember a single case otherwise) allowed any blame to be put on Clinton policies. MSM stuck to "it happened on Bush's watch" so we don't have to cover anything about Clinton and his people other than their backsides. And, so almost always Clinton folks and even Stephanopoulous got to ride down easy street and let the public opinion turn against Bush - so what. Really don't think GS didn't get to put out unnews.
Any Clintonite's reading abov
May 4, 2007 - 17:10 ET by ucAny Clintonite's reading above comment should make note to themselves to check their own ranks. Some of the brains that brought success to Clintons haven't been with Clintons for years and are not with Clintons now. We really should do a survey. There should be no assumption that Hillary can live up to even her perceived past.
The night before, on his ow
May 4, 2007 - 18:48 ET by motherbeltThe night before, on his own show, Matthews asked a Republican this (paraphrasing): You said that you don't think Republicans are always right and Democrats are always wrong. Give me an example of when Republicans have been wrong.
This man LONG AGO gave up his credibility as an even remotely even-handed journalist.
What a freakin dumb arse.
May 4, 2007 - 21:37 ET by GregEWhat a freakin dumb arse. I didn't watch enough to hear him ask that question of the candidates, but that's a pretty good example of his complete bias. Why ask that? It serves no purpose whatsoever in the reason for the debate in the first place, which is to get the candidates views on issues that affect the country for which they are running for president. Can these questioners ever be serious for an entire debate and understand what it's for? What an idiot.