Matthews: "Who would win a street fight ... Rudy Giuliani or President Ahmadinejad"
On the May 2 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, host Chris Matthews asked Mike DuHaime, campaign manager for Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani: "Who would win a street fight ... Rudy Giuliani or [Iranian] President [Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad, who would win that fight?" Matthews said that the fight would take place "over in Queens somewhere ... a dark night, it's about 2 in the morning. Two guys are out behind the building, right?" DuHaime responded, "I am putting my money on Rudy on that one." Matthews added, "If [Giuliani] wins that notion, he is the next president."
Although this assertion was conditional upon Giuliani "win[ing] that notion," Matthews has previously touted the viability of Giuliani's candidacy without equivocation. On the July 18, 2006, edition of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Matthews predicted that "the next president of the United States will be Rudy Giuliani."
Throughout the interview, Matthews left unchallenged various claims by DuHaime that Giuliani has a "tremendous record" as "somebody who will keep us free from terrorism and safe from terrorism." DuHaime said, in an apparent reference to the September 11, 2001, attacks, that Giuliani "is somebody who has been tested in times of great crisis and obviously come through with flying colors." He also said that Giuliani "has certainly demonstrated an ability to do the job ... in times of terrible crisis."
However, as Media Matters for America has noted, in the book Grand Illusion: The Untold Story of Rudy Giuliani and 9/11 (HarperCollins, 2006) Village Voice senior editor Wayne Barrett and CBSNews.com senior producer Dan Collins cited several of what they presented as Giuliani's terrorism-related failures before, during, and after September 11. Barrett and Collins wrote that when Giuliani heard about the disaster on 9-11, his "original destination" was the "much-ballyhooed command center he had built in the shadow of the Twin Towers," in the 7 World Trade Center (7 WTC) building (Page 6). However, when Giuliani arrived, then-New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik "decided it was too dangerous to bring the mayor up to the command center he had so carefully and expensively built" (Page 340). In settling on the downtown location, Giuliani "overruled" warnings from Howard Safir, a previous police commissioner, and Lou Anemone, chief operating officer of the New York police department, not to put the command center at 7 WTC and rejected "an already secure, technologically advanced city facility across the Brooklyn Bridge" (Page 41). Later on 9-11, the 7 WTC building collapsed.
Although Matthews did not ask about these failures, he is familiar with criticism of Giuliani's role before 9-11 and in response to the attacks. The day before DuHaime's appearance, HBO host Bill Maher told Matthews that "the reason why [Giuliani] was on the streets that day is because his office was blown up," and said, "All of the experts told him to move the command-and-control center out of the World Trade Center. He put it in the World Trade Center." Maher added: "He's not a terrorism fighter. He has no credentials in this. In fact, he failed the one time he had an opportunity, just like [President] Bush."
Matthews is scheduled to host the Republican primary debate on MSNBC on May 3.
From the 7 p.m. ET May 2 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:
DUHAIME: He is a tremendous leader, somebody with a tremendous record both as an economic conservative and somebody who will keep us free from terrorism and safe from terrorism. And I think how the debate goes, you will be in more control of that than I will.
MATTHEWS: You're -- well, I don't think I'm in control, because I really do think I can interview the candidates as a group and see whether they go to battle with each other. I'll tell you one thing without getting into specifics, because I want to keep some of this under wraps, but clearly, your guy's the frontrunner, and it must not be a surprise to you that he's taking some incoming these days.
DUHAIME: Well, I think, you know, this is a long campaign, and the American people and Republican primary voters are going to get to see all of the candidates over time. And I'm confident that when they see Mayor Giuliani and his record, they are going to be -- he is going to be a Republican that they are going to be proud to support.
This is somebody who has cut taxes, cut spending, been a true supply-sider as mayor of New York, took one of the -- took a city that many called ungovernable and did a great job cutting crime, getting people off of welfare. And obviously this is somebody who has been tested in times of great crisis and obviously come through with flying colors.
MATTHEWS: Is he going to like it if the other candidates take a shot at him tomorrow night, here?
[...]
MATTHEWS: Is he meaner and tougher than the other candidates?
DUHAIME: I do not know about -- you know, I don't want to necessarily compare him to the other candidates, but this is somebody who has certainly demonstrated an ability to do the job and not shrink away in times that are very tough and situations that are tough in places that -- problems that many people see as ungovernable, and certainly in times where his -- certainly in times of terrible crisis. This is somebody who is certainly tough enough to get the job done. I am certain of that.
MATTHEWS: Who would win a street fight? Rudy Giuliani -- just think of a street fight now over in Queens somewhere. It's a dark night, it's about 2 in the morning. Two guys are out behind the building, right? On a vacant lot. Rudy Giuliani or President Ahmadinejad, who would win that fight?
DUHAIME: I am putting my money on Rudy on that one. I think Rudy is the -- I think Rudy will take that fight.
MATTHEWS: If he wins that notion, he's the next president. That's one to look for. Who is tougher than Ahmadinejad? Because he is our biggest worry right now.
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"somebody who will keep us free from terrorism and safe from terrorism"
Can't wait to hear the details on that proposal.
(sigh)
Dumb.
Well I am just shocked!! What possible deep-seeded motivation does Matthews have in instigating some fight here beteen Rudy and Mahmoud? This is outrageous!!
Please Chris, stop this all too serious tone of your program and return to the days of entertaining, political junkie fed hypotheticals. This is just beyond the pale.
I heard this exchange...Matthews was really cracking himself up.
This whole exchange may sound innocent enough to you or I, but there are hoardes of Americans out there that really respond to this dumbed-down, testosterone-infused view of politics. MMFA may be acting in knee-jerk fashion this time, but you can't tell me that this is good for the country. Any time testosterone is introduced into politics (see Bush's flight suit, "Mission Accomplished," and "Bring 'em on") it typically ends in embarrassment.
Trust me, dumbing down the media to reach the "Cops" audience is not a great idea. It may work for Republicans, so you'll probably continue to see this nonsense until the 2008 election.
Either way, if Rudy's wearing pumps, I may have to give the nod to Mahmoud.
I think it's here only because of how dumb it is. (sigh)
I think it's here because it goes to Matthew's fawning support for Guiliani and how unfair and merit-less it is, in this website's eyes........and this clearly is more proof of that (eye roll, and double sigh)
Tommy,
Come on, don't you think CM is about the silliest “ political analyst “ you’ve ever seen. Not just this inane statement, but with serious issues at stake and he wants to talk about things like women's clothes and the pee smell in NYC. I try to remember that these cable "news" people aren't the news men of my youth, but geezy louisy how much lower will political discourse sink to. Between the completely stupid talk of CM and others and the lying and name calling ala Bill O'rielly they have taking political analyses to new lows, and they make a gazillion dollars doing so. What a racket!PS
This is more fawning over Guiliani's manliness. Chris adores men and a certain type of man in particular. The ones in my opinion that are wanna be macho men. I am not alleging any sexual component to this at all. There are strait men who prefer men to women in every other aspect of their lives except the bedroom. I've met men like this and I feel real sorry for their wives, they aren't usually good companions.
Lynn,
I have no idea about what type of men Matthew's prefers, I will leave that up to those interested.
Of course, this is silliness, and all the more reason for it to be left out of here and repeated anywhere. It's typical Matthews and his political junkie mentality, throwing around silly notions just to fill airtime.......this is absolutely unworthy of any misinformation label, of any kind.
....it is yet another example of CM's bias. He does indeed prefer a certain type of politician to others and they are usually wanna be macho men and they are usually Republican. What you end up with is a silly news analyst giving enormous amounts of air time to promoting a specific type of candidate and consequently a certain political philosophy dominates his show. I am no genius and even I can understand that. The thread is valid.
Lynn is right. Try to imagine Edward R Murrow, or Walter Cronkite talking about a streetfight between a foriegn leader and a candidate or talking about how a president shined with a sunny nobility and maybe you will see the problem
Hardly, Murrow and Cronkite were television anchors/news resporters in an altogether different era. Matthews is a cable television commentator who gets paid to be provocative, give his opinion, and feed political junkies what they come to his program to see.
Your comparison is silly.
Hey Mr. Smarty Pants,
Edward R. Morrow had shows where and he offered news analysis, opinion, and pop culture pieces. His shows were indeed the predecessors of these broadcast monstrosities we have on on cable news now. Morrows shows:
TELEVISION SERIES1952-58 See It Now (host) 1953-59 Person to Person (host) 1958-60 Small World (moderator and producer)
RADIO Hear It Now (host and co-producer), 1950-51.
Now you owe Solon and I an apology, although I won’t hold my breath waiting on you Mr. Smart Pants.Tom,
If you don't believe there are Americans out there who respond to this "My president can beat up your president" nonsense, then you've never been to Texas.
You have to hand it to Matthews, though. He's trying his darnedest to reach that 18-to-34-year-old-uneducated-roid-raging-white-male-with-an-interest-in-politics demographic.
Yeah, but if that fight were in dark alley in Tehran, would Tweety sing a different tune?
"Raging Bull" Rudy in a fifteen round split decision?
It's a tough one. Giuliani is ten years older, but Ahmedinejad is like five feet tall.
Are kicking and biting allowed?
Kicking, biting & hair pulling are allowed.
Since Giuliani has too few strands on his head for Ahmadinejad to get a grip of, to keep thing fair Rudy will have to wear a dress & heels.
While technically permitted by the rules, I believe the two combatants in question have a gentleman's agreement forbidding such tactics. (See Guy Mezger vs. Jason Fairn, UFC 4.)
That aside, Mahmoud takes this one. Forged in the nuclear fires of Iran and raised on a steady diet of performance-enhancing oil, Ahmadinejad is also well known as an ex-pro wrestler and street fighter who is especially good with knives.
Ahmedinejad is a magical war monger. And he's wiry.
I could take Ahmedinejad but of course he can't bring any nukes to the fight, those are the rules.
will someone please tell me what rudy did september 11 that was so great. and please explain in detail dont generalize.
what did he do that was so heroic!!!!!!!! except hold news conferences . any mayor would have done that giving updates. GUESS WHAT THATS HIS JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!
drsfinance20034900, Rudy G. lied. He said that everything would be okay. Of course, he didn't know if that was so, but that's what people wanted to hear because they couldn't bear the uncertainty of further attacks. In telling them the sweet lie they wanted, he was hailed as a hero. Plus, he didn't skitter into the Earth like Bush and Cheney, so relatively, he seemed brave.
Holly,
Why is attempting to calm down your city as mayor after a horrific attack that devastated your residents and the world, by trying to reassure people in the face of such violence, why is that considered a "lie"?
Tommy, my observation isn't political. Rudy did what he was expected to do.
He did what FDR, who is one of my heroes, did, in asserting, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself."
Both assertions are pretty lies. In 1944, there was a whole lot more to fear than fear and on 9-12, no one could say that everything would be okay. Both Rudy and FDR said what the people wanted to hear. And it did calm them, but in both cases, it was a pretty and perhaps necessary lie.
That may be true, but a lie it is not. It may be pandering optimism, and empty reassurances.....but that's to be expected in crisis mode. It has it's purpose at that moment.
If you compare Rudy and GWB on that day. At least RG stood the ground and was there, as a leader should be, granted, but again compare that type of leadership to BushieCo's team, who felt it was better to take the Pet Goat reading Prez on a plane ride.
I will give props to Rudy for that day, but certainly the street punk Matthews hopes he is is bullsh*t.
Yep, I agree. It has its purpose.
It's akin to a parent answering this question: "Mommy, will Lassie be waiting in Heaven for me?"
With this: "Yes, Darlin', he will. He'll be waiting and his tail will be wagging."
Such lies are told for love.
Holly, just a minor point... but Lassie was a girl. That is, unless they lied about that, too. ;>)
Irony, here's the irony: Lassie was played by a boy! Truly.
What Rudy did on 9/11 was to take on the role of surrogate president. He was the face & the voice of America... but only because our chickenhawk president - Dubya' - was busy flying around the country in search of a hole to hide in. Bush disgraced himself & his office with a shameful display of cowardice. Rudy was on the scene, & so received credit for incarnating an image of calm & order. Unlike Bush, he didn't run screaming like a little girl.
Its debatable how actually heroic his actions were. The President's actions obviously set the bar so low that anything short of sobbing & muttering "we're doomed... doomed I say" looked good in comparison. RUDY DID WHAT HE WAS SUPPOSED TO DO! I do give him credit for that, but I wouldn't vote for him at gunpoint.
I really hate to say this, but the president has an obligation to survive if the nation is under attack. Remember, at the time we didn't know if this was just the first wave of attacks. Air force one has essential command and control equipment and presumably (though I wouldn't bet my life on it) the bunker where Bush was headed does also. Hopefully the leaders of congress were keeping their heads down also. If we do suffer a more generalized major attack in the future, I would expect any president to head for the hills.
I personally believe that Bush is a swaggering bully and a coward but when the survival of the country may be at stake, our leadership must protect themselves. Various "undisclosed locations" are set up with essential "command and control" and media centers where our response can be directed and the public rallied.
Having said that, not only am I grateful that those measures proved unnecessary, but immensly thankful that we didn't have to rely on that idiot to direct a response to a truly cataclysmic attack or other disaster. The Katrina response demonstrates that the effect of the disaster would have been multiplied.
While I do concede that you presented a very reasoned response to my post, I still have to disagree with you, Uneasyone.
The 1st responsability of a leader in a national crisis is not simply to survive, but to LEAD! America needed to hear from its president. I remember feeling deeply perplexed that tragic day that Dubya' wasn't appearing on our television screens to rally us at such a critical moment. They could have stashed Darth Cheney in a secure location in order to assure leadership continuity (as they indeed did).
I couldn't imagine this same disappearing act occurring if FDR had been the president on 9/11. Or Harry Truman. Or Ike. Or JFK. Or Lyndon Johnson. Maybe Nixon. But not Ford. Or Carter. Or Reagan. Or Bush the Elder. Or Clinton.
No, I think this was a moment... THE moment... when Dubya' revealed his true nature & fled like startled lizard. Katrina should not have come as a surprise to any of us, because he had already shown us where the American people stood in his priorities.
And where the troops stand now.
We should impeach this coward now.
DRSFINANCE:
The REAL question is what Rudy did to "fight terrorism" BEFORE 9/11. What had he set up by 9/10? It seems he tried to coordinate some of the first responders, but he put the nervecenter IN THE TWIN TOWERS. This, of course, INSURED chaos. Now, if this is an example of his wise decision making, America cannot stand much more of that type.
As to 9/11 itself, what he DID was what any and every other mayor of a city would do in the event of a disaster. He viewed the damage, he tried to reassure the citizens, and he sought out news cameras. Somewhere in the middle of all this, he managed to piss off the firefighters.
OK, Giuliani and Ahmedinejad verus Mini Ditka?
oops, versus
"Okay, if Barney the Dinosaur and Big Bird had a back alley brawl, who would win? Remember, they're both big. And sure, Big Bird is bigger, but Barney has that low center of gravity. Big Bird has the reach, but Barney has the hops. So, who would win?"
THAT WAS MY AUDITION TAPE TRANSCRIPTS FOR MY OWN SHOW ON MSNBC. AM I HIRED?
I'd have to go with Big Bird. Snufalufagus would back him up.
Barney would just have a bunch of creepy, annoying kids hanging around him.
Well, Rudy would whip out his feather boa and strangle the poor little guy!
What is Chris's problem? Male menopause? Mid-life crisis?
Maybe he should just get into the ring and do a few rounds with Mickey Rourke...
What this nation needs to know is who would win a beard growing contest. Even having never seen Rudy unshaven, I'd still say he'd win.
"Who would win a street fight?"
"Who would win a street fight?" Amazingly dumb question... I used to have some respect for Chris Matthews as a journalist but he has declined rapidly. I think Tucker Carlson could take him in a street fight.
If Rudy DID win this imaginary street fight, you can bet that Tweety would be there gushing praise upon him & giddily feeling his muscles.
MESCAL:
The "madam" who has provided phone contacts for those wishing for "sexual fantasies" ... what a horror if Matthew's name appears.
We already KNOW the list of his sexual fantasies. Bush in a codpiece. Rudy street brawling.
The unanswered question is, did the madam provide MALE sexual fantasy facilitators, into domination and wearing costumes with crotch-enhancing straps?
I think this is the first time, in my opinion, that Media Matters posted something a little unnecessary. This is very strange, stupid, and pointless from Matthews, and doesn't really do much to advance the conservative agenda.
well, I guess it's here because it is a false conservative axiom that the US needs a big strong man with a big penis to run things. Which is why they have to constantly remind everyone about the girly man democrats and their hair stylists. It just aint true. There are extremely brilliant PR minds behind all these themes. The same sort of people who convinced the world that is the very definition of cool to inhale the byproducts of a burning poisionous plant.
A better question is, "Who would win in a relevancy brawl? The answer: neither. All the spectators would leave after seeing that neither contestant brought anything to fight with.
cheers,
Matthews is such a child, he couldnt even get through the debate tonight without letting his bizarre obsession with the Clintons take over- "would you like to see Bill Clinton living in the White House again?" Jesus- I wish just one of the candidates had responded "I suggest therepy, Mr. Matthews."
When he's not kissing Rudy's butt, he's inventing ways to bring up the Clintons. Get a life, Chris.
If Rudy insists on fighting while dressed in drag, the Iranian dude has to wear a Burqua.
I think I want see them have a food fight. Clothing options?
Why wasn't Matthews constructing these imaginary "street brawls" when Bush and Cheney and Karl Rove were being promoted by Limbaugh and Hannity and Kristol?
All SIX are bloodthirsty warriors ... from their armchairs. All SIX had ample opportunity to prove their warrior prowess in a REAL war with REAL enemies and REAL fighting ... and for the HONOR OF THEIR NATION!
All SIX declined, wimped out, refused to allow themselves to be placed in harm's way.
THIS is the deception that is rightwingerism. Total fiction in rhetoric which seeks to obscure the TRUTH: These rightwingers are personal COWARDS ... [i.e. faced with an ACTUAL streetfight, all six would collapse in tears, soiling themselves]. So they have to be DEPICTED IN FANTASY as fighters and warriors. Disgusting.
Amen to that, Tex. Their willingness to imperil other people while their history of hiding from danger also disgusts me.
....and you have a poster of Xena the warrior princess with Hillary's head photoshopped hanging over your bed, right?
wow, you folks are truly amazing..
And your comment actually makes no sense at all.
Someone's a little thinned skinned when they have to confront the truth.
What a transfiguration, to go from a cowardly youth to a ballsy old man. Only a neo-con could pull it off with a straight face.
And the kicker is these clowns are adored by those who are in favor of others doing the dying today, while they man their keyboards.
I think that if they were to have a street fight, and beat each other to a pulp, heck, the whole world would win on that one.
Letter sent to Chris Matthews @ HardBall:
With All Due Respect Sir, Are you on DRUGS????
"Rudy Giuliani or Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who would win that fight?"
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a Ex-Mujahadeen fighter!! He would KICK RUDY's BUTT!!!
Rudy MIGHT win a Drunk contest or the Philanderer Extraordinare [sic] title but a Street Fight?!?!? Not a Snowball's chance in H...!!!
And just out of curiosity sir, is this the kind of political debate that we are to have in the future??? Wether one politician can "Beat Up" another as the basis for who should be the next US President???
I say, I can beat you in a Street Fight, and If I do, YOU should give up your show to me!! I think that America Wants TOUGH Newsmen, and you Sir, ARE NOT. You're a weak flabby {and to quote a favorite person of your's} Girlie Man!.
I hereby throw down the gauntlet, I Challenge you to a Nationally Televised Street Fight, for who should be the Host of "Hardball" But since at heart, you are a died in the wool ChickenHawk-ChickenS*&t, I doubt you'll take me up on my challenge.
What Say You Sir????????
On the May 2 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, host Chris Matthews asked Mike DuHaime, campaign manager for Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani:
"Who would win a street fight ... Rudy Giuliani or [Iranian] President [Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad, who would win that fight?" Matthews said that the fight would take place "over in Queens somewhere ... a dark night, it's about 2 in the morning. Two guys are out behind the building, right?" DuHaime responded, "I am putting my money on Rudy on that one."
Matthews added, "If [Giuliani] wins that notion, he is the next president."
All I have to say is one thing. Beck is a certified card toting, flag waving loooooonatic.
That's all Falks!
That's an EASY one Ahmadinejad would break that little closet case, effeminate, cross dressers neck in minutes. Next.
I guess we need to consider having a president who has a heavy weight title. This seems to be a right wing inspired trend in broadcasting. I think it would be a good idea to legalize dueling. Then when these idiots start with this tough stuff they can be challenged to prove their own bona fides. What qualifications does Matthews have to be on TV? Shouldn't he be expected to be the top dog in cage fighting or something if he wants to comment on politics?
I can see it now... President Mike Tyson
The truly sad thing about that concept is that it would result in RAISING THE PRESIDENTIAL IQ!