On the eve of Virginia General Assembly elections that could shift the balance of power in the upper chamber from Republicans to the Democrats, MSNBC Hardball host Chris Matthews did Virginia Democrat Terry McAuliffe a solid by donating an entire segment as a platform for the Old Dominion governor to urge liberal members of the audience who live in Virginia to get to the polls tomorrow.
Of course, perhaps it was only fitting since the governor's wife donated a couple thousand to Kathleen Matthews's campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. Bethesda magazine's Louis Peck reported last month that "Dorothy McAuliffe, the spouse of current Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, donated $2,000" to the former journalist's campaign.
Suffice it to say, nowhere during the interview nor the introduction did Matthews mention the donation as a matter of full disclosure to the audience at home.
What's more, the interview itself was a veritable home-run derby with McAuliffe slamming trite liberal talking points out of the park after every softball lobbed by Matthews.
Here's the full transcript (emphases mine):
MSNBC
Hardball
Nov. 2, 2015; 7:16 p.m. EasternCHRIS MATTHEWS: Joining me now from Richmond is Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe.
Terry, it’s great to have you on. Governor. I’m sorry. I have to get used to your greatness, but it is important to get it right. You know, I'm impressed by your guts at going at it for gun safety in a state that is Virginia. What's changed?
Why do people now open their ears and hearts to the idea of keeping bad people from getting their fingers on guns?
Gov. TERRY McAULIFFE (D-Va.): Well, you know, Chris, when I ran for governor this was a top topic for me. I talked about it every single day. It's important.
Here in Virginia we have one of the worst tragedies ever at Virginia Tech, 32 individuals were killed. 17 injured. We just had a tragedy, two journalists killed on live television. Enough is enough.I'm tired of the politicians bought and paid for by the NRA. It's time to stand up, it’s time to do something about it. It’s time to shut the gun show loophole down. It’s time for background checks. So I'm trying to do that through the legislature. That’s why everybody who’s in Virginia watching, please make sure you vote tomorrow. I need one seat to get control of the senate, and we can pass common sense gun laws here in Virginia.
As you know, in Virginia we’re considered a source state. We saw last year thousands of guns that were purchased in Virginia went to other states and were involved in a crime. We need to shut it down. Gun show loopholes need to be stopped. Everybody should go through a background check. And we need to make sure we get people elected to office who support these goals. Common sense.
MATTHEWS: How do you get the gun owner, the guy or woman who believes in the Second Amendment fully who does do hunting and does load their own shells and takes a real interest in it, reads all the magazines, how do you get that person to say, you know what? Nuts and criminals shouldn't have guns?
McAULIFFE: Well, I think we're there, Chris. Eighty-five percent of Americans according to the Pew Research say that we should have background checks. Listen, I'm a gun owner. I own three guns. I just took my two boys hunting last weekend. But, you know what, I went through background checks.
All we’re trying to do is say to individuals, issues with mental illness, domestic abuse, there are individuals who should not own firearms. This is common sense. And that's why I did an executive order. I just banned all hand guns, no open carry in any of our state office buildings. We have 60,000 Virginia state workers who go to our state office buildings every single day. They need a safe environment. So I took action. Individuals in Virginia today, if you have a protective order against you, you cannot purchase a firearm. But guess what? You can still own one.
So I'm going to work with our attorney general to work with our prosecutors and the judges to say no, no, if you've got a protective order, you can't buy one. But guess what, if you've got one, you need to hand it in. This is common sense. This is why elections matter.That's why I the senate here, I need one vote. Common sense, I’m trying to push the Medicaid expansion: $2.4 billion a year we’re forfeiting in Virginia.
MATTHEWS: I know, that's a loss. Good luck with that.
McAULIFFE: Common sense, K-12 investment. Our economy is booming. When I became governor, I inherited a large deficit. You know what, we just turned that into the largest surplus in Virginia history. Our economy today, 4.3 percent unemployment. Lowest in the southeast of the United States of America. We’re creating jobs.
But part of my job as governor is to keep our community safe, so, I have been a voice day in and day out for common sense gun restrictions. I ran on this issu, I brought it up last year. But what happens here in the legislature, it’s 7 o’clock in the morning, with no recorded vote, it dies in a committee. I need to have one chamber that can work with me to pass it and then we can get some leverage and get common sense things done. I'm trying to be a problem solver to move Virginia forward.
MATTHEWS: Let me ask you about your state and its power in our country. Not just economically – and it is a booming state – but in electoral power. I was watching, you probably watched too that great documentary done on Mitt Romney after he lost. He actually looked pretty good in that documentary.
McAULIFFE: He did.
MATTHEWS: And there he is watching it election night and he goes, God, I'm even in Virginia, that means I’ve lost Ohio. I love it, I didn't think he was that shrewd politically to see the way the states calibrate. Your state is a bit to the right of Ohio. It seems to me if Republicans can’t get, they need Ohio to win. They never won without it. If they don’t get Virginia, they’re not going to get Ohio. Does that make sense to you? Your state’s really one of those key deciding states.
McAULIFFE: I think we’re one of the five or six key swing states. Republicans cannot win the White House if they don't win Virginia. We are going to win Virginia, it is a true swing state.
MATTHEWS: I agree with you.
McAULIFFE: Hillary’s going to be the next president of the United States.
We’re working very hard here. Why? Common sense. But Virginia has always been a strategic state. But you gotta remember Chris, when I ran for governor, I broke a three-decade trend. Whoever wins the White House, the other party wins the governor's mansion. I carried in my lieutenant governor and my attorney general. First time in 24 years Democrats swept.We control all five statewides. And President Obama has carried this state twice. The problem tomorrow I’m dealing with tomorrow is this is an off, off, off year: no statewide, no federal candidates. That’s why I’ve been barnstorming the state to say if you want common sense, pro-growth, move our economy forward, common sense gun restrictions, the Medicaid expansion, please come out and vote tomorrow.
MATTHEWS: And congratulations on beating that pattern of buyer’s remorse. You’re right. Every other year, it always seems that the year after a presidential election, Virginia goes the other way.
Terry McAuliffe, governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Good luck tomorrow in the [State] Senate races.
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