Matthews, Carlson suggested Democrats who don't applaud Bush speech will "look bad," which will be "good for the Republicans"

Summary: On Hardball, Chris Matthews and Tucker Carlson suggested that the Democrats will "look bad" if the Democrats "sit on their hands" and don't applaud President Bush during his State of the Union address while "the Republicans stand up and roar."

On the 5 p.m. ET hour of the January 30 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews, host Chris Matthews and Tucker Carlson, host of MSNBC's The Situation with Tucker Carlson suggested that if Democrats at President Bush's January 31 State of the Union address "sit on their hands dramatically" while "the Republicans stand up and roar," the Democrats will "look bad" to the American public, and "[t]hat's good for the Republicans."

During a discussion with Carlson and MSNBC chief Washington correspondent Norah O'Donnell, Matthews asked: "Will there be a moment where the Democrats sit on their hands dramatically and the Republicans stand up and roar?" When Carlson replied, "There always is, absolutely," and asserted that "it is shocking to people who don't follow Congress," Matthews asked: "Do they [the Democrats] look bad when they don't [applaud President Bush]?" Carlson responded: "I think they do," adding, "I don't think the public likes that." Matthews later asked: "Suppose the president says, 'I'm gonna make my tax cuts permanent,' and the Democrats sit on their hands. That's good for the Republicans, right?" Carlson replied: "Yeah, probably so."

From the 5 p.m. ET hour of the January 30 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:

MATTHEWS: Will there be moments -- I want to get back to substance, but I love the visual because I think it is a television event now. It's a studio audience, basically. Will there be a moment where the Democrats sit on their hands dramatically and the Republicans stand up and roar?

CARLSON: There always is, absolutely. I think people are always surprised by -- and every year, not just this year -- but they are always surprised by how partisan it is. I don't even think most people at home know that the parties sit in different places. I mean, I think it is shocking to people who don't follow Congress that one side, you know, won't respond at all to the president, and the other side goes crazy.

MATTHEWS: Do they look bad when they don't?

CARLSON: I think they do. I mean, I'm not shocked by it; I've lived here a long time. But yeah, I don't think the public likes that.

MATTHEWS: Suppose the president says, "I'm gonna make my tax cuts permanent," and the Democrats sit on their hands. That's good for the Republicans, right?

CARLSON: Yeah, probably so.

—J.B.