Doing a postmortem of the Jodi Ernst's inaugural "Roast and Ride" event this weekend in Iowa, MSNBC's Chris Matthews has positive things to say about Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wis.) as a strong contender for next January's caucuses in the Hawkeye State, namely that he had mixed it up with his network colleague Ed Schultz in the recall election and come out on top.
Here's the relevant transcript:
MSNBC
Hardball
June 8, 20157:39 p.m. Eastern
CHRIS MATTHEWS: I believe that the battle for Iowa has begun. It's going to be won by a Midwestern -- as it often has been -- and that Midwesterner's name is Scott Walker. Because he is culturally evangelical. He's a real executive. He has a manner which is quiet, but he was the guy that beat Ed Schultz and the labor guys, he knows how to fight. But he wins in a kind of Midwestern way. He's not a big talker like Chris Christie. He's not an East Coast guy. He's very much Midwestern.
[...]
7:42 p.m. Eastern
MATTHEWS: Well, I think Ed Schultz, my colleague, and the labor unions, probably didn't intend it, but it probably in a weird way gave him a boomerang opportunity, right? They tried to recall him and it didn't work and he comes back and all the sudden, he's there. He's Lazarus!
While the suits at MSNBC may love to pretend that their on-air talent -- no matter how liberal and partisan --are simply journalists and commentators observing the political scene, not actors on the stage, we know otherwise. Kudos to Chris Matthews for admitting to it in a moment when he let his guard down.
