A clearly worried Chris Matthews attempted to rally the Democratic Party to avoid a midterm massacre, openly suggesting that the party's goals should be "angering" voters with "scary" Republicans. On Thursday morning, the MSNBC anchor conceded that the U.S. Senate will go Republican in November. By Thursday night, he pivoted, lecturing Democrats: "...You can give the angry voter out there something really scary to vote against, a direction to really direct his or her anger." [See video below. MP3 audio here.] "Time to attack," roared Matthews.
Jumping from issue to terrifying issue, the Hardball host hyperventilated, "Want something else to fear? If the Republicans get the upper hand this fall, women's health care, Roe v. Wade, which that Florida Republican who just won plans to repeal." Matthews suggested, "You can warn people what the Republicans will do if they really clench power, how they're hell bent on cutting entitlements."
Playing the race card, the journalist fumed, "Just wait until the Republicans get finished with their plans to slam the doors on voting access for the minorities of this country and some other folks."
Chiding African Americans who may not vote in the off-year elections, he snapped, "They'll know the price of a lost election."
Later, while talking to the Washington Post's Eugene Robinson, the host bizarrely insisted that this is the "year of the House of Cards." Referring to the show's villainous protagonist, he continued, "Frank Underwood's going to take over if you don't vote." Of course Underwood in the series, Underwood is a Democrat.
On Wednesday, Matthews concluded that voters may lash out at overly smart Democrats who are too "complex."
A partial transcript of the march 13 Hardball is below:
5:00pm ET
CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: Time to attack.
...
5:01
Or -- or you can give the angry voter out there something really scary to vote against, a direction to really direct his or her anger. You can warn people what the Republicans will do if they really clench power, how they're hell bent on cutting entitlements. That's their term for it. Yours might be Social Security and Medicare because those benefits of yours under Social Security and Medicare make up $7 in $10 of entitlements.
Republicans are dying to get at those entitlement programs, and if you're retired or headed toward it, that Republican goal of cutting them is definitely something worth voting against. Want something else to fear? If the Republicans get the upper hand this fall, women's health care, Roe v. Wade, which that Florida Republican who just won plans to repeal. Voter suppression? Just wait until the Republicans get finished with their plans to slam the doors on voting access for the minorities of this country and some other folks. They'll know the price of a lost election. And that minimum wage hike, watch it die if the Rs get complete control of Congress. They've promised to kill it.
And could it be time for the Democrats to put out word that these elections in November are not just a chance for angry people to dump all over Barack Obama, but their a chance to hit you where you're weakest?
...
5:11
MATTHEWS: I think it's the year of House of Cards.
ROBINSON: If you don't come out and vote, this bad stuff is going to happen. I think that -- that–
MATTHEWS: Frank Underwood's going to take over if you don't vote.
