The MSNBC crew on Monday night were in full Donald Trump trashing mode. While Chris Matthews hailed the “brilliant” Hillary Clinton and declared the race “over,” Howard Fineman lectured that Trump delivered the “worst debate” performance ever.
Appearing in the early moments of Tuesday morning, Fineman declared, “This was the worst debate performance I have ever seen. As a debate.” He added, “But just as a debate performance, it was you awful. In every respect, it was awful. Hillary wiped the floor with him in this debate.”
Worst debate ever? Worse than Admiral Stockdale? Worse than Al Gore’s sighing? Later, the global editorial director of the Huffington Post delighted in what he saw as Hillary Clinton’s condescending tone: “She was treating him like a 7-year-old. She had the sort of elementary school teacher patience for a kid for whom the elevator did really go to the top floor.”
Fineman’s MSNBC colleague Matthews earlier in the night enthused that the “brilliant” Clinton hit a “home run.”
A partial transcript is below:
MSNBC
9/27/16
1:03amHOWARD FINEMAN: I just got finished writing my piece for the Huffington Post in which I said having covered debates in person, traveled to the mall since 1988, this was the worst debate performance I have ever seen. As a debate. Okay? We can argue about whether debates really matter anymore.
CHRIS MATTHEWS: I think they do.
FINEMAN: I agree with you.
MATTHEWS: One hundred million people were not wasting their time.
FINEMAN: I’m a romantic. I agree. They do matter. But just as a debate performance, it was you awful. In every respect, it was awful. Hillary wiped the floor with him in this debate.
1:34am ET
HOWARD FINEMAN: Can I put one note of caution here. He got clobbered in this thing. As I said, she completely wiped the floor with him. But most of what we have been talking about is how poorly Donald Trump did and how he missed his chance here. The fact is that I'm not sure the country wants to vote for Hillary Clinton. Okay? She still has — to me, she still has to make that case.
MICHAEL STEELE: I agree.
FINEMAN: She still has to make that case. He set himself back tonight, but people do want change. I think they do want change. And you say, Chris, never tell the American people that they don't have a choice.
1:37
FINEMAN: She did not hide her amusement at his confusion. So, that was charming. She did have the tone just right.
MATTHEWS: That’s what I think!
FINEMAN: She was treating him like a 7-year-old. She had the sort of elementary school teacher patience for a kid for whom the elevator did really go to the top floor.
