As The Hill media reporter Joe Concha reported on Sunday, Hardball host Chris Matthews was the latest target of the so-called Bernie Bros as they demanded MSNBC fire him for a comment he made about their dear leader, Senator Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) win in the Nevada caucus. According to Matthews, Sanders’ blitzkrieg through the first three states, and his increased momentum, reminded him of the fall of France to the Nazis and the call the French prime minister made to the U.K. to say “it’s over.”
Speaking of the effectiveness of the Sanders campaign thus far in consolidating the “liberal and very liberal” voters in the Democratic Party, Matthews commended the radical socialist. “Bernie, on the other hand, did his job. He got more than a majority, more than a majority of that 67 percent. That is the name of the game. It is pretty much over, unless that changes,” he said.
That seemed to trigger Matthews’ memory regarding recently reading about the fall of France:
I was reading last night—Brian [Williams], I know, you’re a history guy too. I’m reading last night about the fall of France in the summer of 1940. And the [Prime Minister] Reynaud calls up Churchill and says, “it's over.” And Churchill says, “How can it be, you got the greatest army in Europe? How can it be over?” He said, “It’s over.”
He further lamented about how he “had that suppressed feeling. I can't be as wild as [James] Carville, but he's damn smart, and I think he's damn right on this one.” Matthews mentioned James Carville moments earlier and admitted he agreed that Sanders was going to get ripped apart in the general election because of his radical views.
“I'm with Carville all the way in terms of the dangers of what lies ahead in November, I’m very much aware of them. They're sitting on so much op-research on Bernie, what he said in the past about world affairs. How far-left he is,” Matthews warned. “They're going to make the most of that in terms of world politics. They’re going to kill him. But I think it's a little late to stop him, and I think that’s the problem.”
Matthews also bemoaned how former Vice President Joe Biden was unable to consolidate the “moderate” lane of the Democratic Party:
All Bernie ever had to do, and he’s done it beautifully, is get a majority of that, and he's up to the mid-30s. If you get half of 67 you're into the mid-30s. And that’s where he’s gotten a little better. Biden, his only prayer was to consolidate a third of the vote, this moderate and conservative. And he got nowhere near clearing that field. Nowhere near. That's split up four ways now. And so, with new people come in, Duval Patrick came in, he didn’t make it, Bloomberg is in, he's probably going to survive a bit longer because of his money. But that field wasn't clear.
“The only way Biden could win in that one-third of the vote that is either moderate or conservative is to sweep it, he got nowhere near,” Matthew huffed.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
MSNBC’s Nevada Caucus: Decision 2020
February 22, 2020
5:25:40 p.m. Eastern(…)
BRIAN WILLIAMS: What is going on here, and is this any way to pick a nominee?
CHRIS MATTHEWS: Well, I don't think so. But this is the way we're picking this one and it looks like Bernie Sanders is hard to beat right now.
I'm with Carville all the way in terms of the dangers of what lies ahead in November, I’m very much aware of them. They're sitting on so much op-research on Bernie, what he said in the past about world affairs. How far-left he is. I’m not sure how far-left he is, but, they're going to make the most of that in terms of world politics. They’re going to kill him. But I think it's a little late to stop him, and I think that’s the problem.
By the way, if you look at the pattern, it's dynamic. Bernie won the popular vote in Iowa, he won it again in New Hampshire, it looks like he's going to win it here when they finally get a vote. Bernie's been winning consistently, and I think it's mathematically understandable. Every time we poll, every time Steve and everybody polls, two-thirds of the Democratic vote, two-thirds of the people who call themselves Democrats are either liberal or very liberal.
All Bernie ever had to do, and he’s done it beautifully, is get a majority of that, and he's up to the mid-30s. If you get half of 67 you're into the mid-30s. And that’s where he’s gotten a little better. Biden, his only prayer was to consolidate a third of the vote, this moderate and conservative. And he got nowhere near clearing that field. Nowhere near. That's split up four ways now.
And so, with new people come in, Duval Patrick came in, he didn’t make it, Bloomberg is in, he's probably going to survive a bit longer because of his money. But that field wasn't clear. The only way Biden could win in that one-third of the vote that is either moderate or conservative is to sweep it, he got nowhere near.
Bernie, on the other hand, did his job. He got more than a majority, more than a majority of that 67 percent. That is the name of the game. It is pretty much over, unless that changes.
I was reading last night—Brian, I know, you’re a history guy too. I’m reading last night about the fall of France in the summer of 1940. And the general, [Prime Minister] Reynaud calls up Churchill and says, “it's over.” And Churchill says, “How can it be, you got the greatest army in Europe? How can it be over?” He said, “It’s over.”
So, I had that suppressed feeling. I can't be as wild as Carville, but he's damn smart, and I think he's damn right on this one.
