In Thursday’s installment of head-scratching lines uttered by MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, the Hardball host proclaimed that it’s “[c]hilling how good” Joe Biden has been as Vice President and informed guest and AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka that his very appearances on television causes him to be “in a good mood when you come on this show.”
The pair were concluding their one-on-one interview when Matthews brought up the discussion of who Hillary Clinton should select as her vice presidential running mate and so he gushed that he’s “looking at Sherrod Brown and I think he's a perfect running mate for Hill.”
“Ohio has kind of a tough guy atmosphere about him, he's an Ivy Leaguer but doesn't play it up too big, luckily for him. He seems like a regular labor guy. He's one of your guys,” Matthews added in comments that shouldn’t surprise NewsBusters readers (since he once asked Brown to sing to him).
Trumka adamantly agreed but seemed concerned that Republican Governor John Kasich would appoint a replacement to Brown’s seat if Clinton won, but Matthews chided him for not “think[ing] big here.”
Turning to the current Vice President, Matthews urged Trumka to “think about it” because it was “[c]hilling how good he's been as a VP and he’s a totally loyal guy.”
Upon thanking Trumka for his appearance, Matthews blurted out this head-shaking profession of affection for Trumka: “You get me in a good mood when you come on this show. I like this labor feel around here.”
The relevant portion of the transcript from MSNBC’s Hardball on June 30 can be found below.
MSNBC’s Hardball
June 30, 2016
7:09 p.m. EasternCHRIS MATTHEWS: I'm trying to think out this Democratic ticket. You know, and Kaine has had bad press the last few hours. He may get, he may well get by it., but I'm looking at Sherrod Brown and I think he's a perfect running mate for Hill. I have been saying it for a year. Ohio has kind of a tough guy atmosphere about him, he's an Ivy Leaguer but doesn't play it up too big, luckily for him. He seems like a regular labor guy. He's one of your guys.
RICHARD TRUMKA: He’s a great guy.
MATTHEWS: Wouldn’t he be a great running mate?
TRUMKA: He's a champion of working people.
MATTHEWS: Wouldn't he be a great running mate for Hillary?
TRUMKA: He’d be a great running mate. There's one down side to it. If he left, you have a Republican governor that would replace him with a Republican.
MATTHEWS: But you got to think big. Richard Trumka, you got to think big here. You got to go for the mandate. You got to go for the mandate. Not squeak it out one vote at a time. Anyway, I agree about that but I think he would make a great ticket.
TRUMKA: So do I.
MATTHEWS: Hillary needs a great ticket, not just her. You got to put that thing together. Like Biden. Wasn't Biden great? Think about it.
TRUMKA: He is.
MATTHEWS: Chilling how good he's been as a VP and he’s a totally loyal guy. Anyway, and a lot of people would like to see him as president. Anyway, Richard Trumka, thank you.
TRUMKA: Thanks for having me, Chris.
MATTHEWS: You get me in a good mood when you come on this show. I like this labor feel around here.
