Chris Matthews: Covering McCain campaign's problems is the "worst part of my job"
On the July 10 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, discussing that day's shake-up in Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign -- in which several high-profile aides left the campaign -- host Chris Matthews said, "Let me -- let me be -- let's get into the really worst part of my job, which is to talk about what happens if he does continue to sink."
Matthews went on to assert, "You know, if you look at it on paper, here's a guy who's more seasoned than the current president, President Bush. He's got more military experience. He's been around a long time in terms of national responsibility. He's been a patriot, of course." Matthews added: "He served his country brutally as a POW. He's always been honest and respected in the media. He has all the pluses in the world of a sort of a, you know, an Audie Murphy, if you will, a real war hero. It's not working."
Matthews said that during Republican debates, McCain was "miniaturized by standing among 10 Republicans, a man of his seasoning and vintage to have to go out there and stand between [Tom] Tancredo and Duncan Hunter and all these new guys." NBC chief foreign correspondent Andrea Mitchell agreed, adding, "You're on to something, Chris. If he was standing with Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, you know, just a handful of guys, stacked up against them, his experience in foreign affairs, his experience in the Senate, I think, would really dominate a debate."
From the July 10 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:
MATTHEWS: I'll try it with Andrea. You know, if you look at it on paper, here's a guy who's more seasoned than the current president, President Bush. He's got more military experience. He's been around a long time in terms of national responsibility. He's been a patriot, of course. He served his country brutally as a POW. He's always been honest and respected in the media. He has all the pluses in the world of a sort of a, you know, an Audie Murphy, if you will, a real war hero. It's not working.
MITCHELL: It isn't working. And I wouldn't count him out if -- except for the money factor because now, everything has piled up. And this race is so extraordinarily expensive that it's hard to imagine how he can compete. We've seen already how Mitt Romney was able to pull ahead of some of the others just by putting ads up. And John McCain --
MATTHEWS: Well, one of his top guys was talking to me --
MITCHELL: -- doesn't have that kind of money.
MATTHEWS: I'm sorry. One of his top guys was talking to me on the phone today, and we -- it was off the record, but I think he's out elsewhere making the same point, which is this burn rate. He's using up his money too much. Is that a problem?
MITCHELL: And that could have something to do with what we saw today, the staff shakeup. These are the people who were in charge of the money, and they were obviously spending it on the wrong things or spending too much, or there's another story there. But there's some concern, clearly, about the way this campaign is organized.
CRAWFORD: You know, they rejected --
MITCHELL: -- I do know that --
CRAWFORD: They rejected this, but I think the idea of him quitting the Senate and showing he's fully in this race is not such a bad idea. Now, that was rejected --
MATTHEWS: Didn't help Bob Dole any.
MITCHELL: Oh, I don't know. This --
CRAWFORD: That was rejected, but --
MITCHELL: This man's life is in public service. How could you imagine him quitting the Senate?
MATTHEWS: He's not giving up --
[crosstalk]
MITCHELL: I mean, he's such a long shot for the presidency.
[crosstalk]
MATTHEWS: Andrea, you and I are in the same boat. This man wants to be Barry Goldwater, a senator for life from Arizona. He does not -- it's one of the reasons why he wants immigration reform. He wants to get some Latino votes down there. He doesn't want to be known as the Republican Party that doesn't like Latinos.
MITCHELL: And he believes in it.
MATTHEWS: He's taken a very liberal position. Well, he does believe in it. But also, it's good politics for a guy like him.
CRAWFORD: My point is there's a real feeling he's not fully in this race. He only held two fund-raisers in the first quarter. That's been part of his problem. He hasn't really been committed to fundraising. So his commitment to the campaign is in question.
MATTHEWS: There he is. Look what we're watching -- this is so instructive. Andrea, we're watching him just a moment ago, sort of get -- do one of -- what they call the mike check for one of these debates. I think he's miniaturized by standing among 10 Republicans, a man of his seasoning and vintage, to have to go out there and stand between Tancredo and Duncan Hunter and all these new guys.
MITCHELL: You're on to --
MATTHEWS: I don't think it works.
MITCHELL: You're on to something, Chris. If he was standing with Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, you know, just a handful of guys, stacked up against them, his experience in foreign affairs, his experience in the Senate, I think, would really dominate a debate.
MATTHEWS: Yeah.
MITCHELL: But by having to, you know, debate everybody else in that lineup, it becomes much more difficult to stand out.
CRAWFORD: Well, he's going to New Hampshire this weekend, so we'll see if he shows us something a little different.
MATTHEWS: Let me -- let me be -- let's get into the really worst part of my job, which is to talk about what happens if he does continue to sink. Andrea, who wins? Who picks up the McCain vote? Does it all go to Fred Thompson, his friend? Does it go to his fellow maverick, Rudy Giuliani -- or not exactly fellow maverick, but a man who he has some things in common with, Rudy Giuliani?
The other right-wing media mogul you should worry about
Palin's book and Obama's bow: a media week to forget
Media Matters: The Palin chronicles
When my sisters were little girls, they were in love with David Cassidy. They'd write letters to "Keith," and were devistated when The Partridge Family went off the air.
This is worse.
Poor McCain. All that's left of him is, figuratively, a pile of bones. What would you expect when Republicans (or anyone) Eat Their Own.
Republicans themselves were, after all, the ones who told us that McCain had an illegitimate black child with a prostitute; that his wife had Mafia ties; and that he might be crazy as a bedbug after his stint in the prison camp in 'Nam. How awful it must be for McCain to live with the knowledge that he sold his soul to George W. Bush, especially now... realizing that he probably won't get to be the 2008 Republican nominee now, either.
But what's truly awful--an indictment of the crass stupidity of a portion of the American electorate--is that so many American voters actually took to heart the content of the Republican whispering campaign against McCain that was waged in South Carolina during the pre-2000 election primaries.
I think you're jumping the gun in calling McCain out. We all know that McCain doesn't like to raise money. That's why he's so far behind.
McCain put himself in the political ambition cage of 'waiting his turn,' ever since Bob Jones University, and SupremeRacist Bush royally screwed him there.
One by one, the Royalfascist enabler crowd wearing the red R, is going to realize it is sure to their own demise -- every. time. stabbed in the back -- by Bush.
Be a Bush friend: Fry. End.
It's hilarious the way Chris loves John. It's interesting that when you get a Republican with any admiriable attributes they get slathered with uneven gobs of praise. He is more seasoned that W.??? Wow! That IS impressive. McCain's biography is impressive. He showed incredibly rare grit surviving his ordeal in Vietnam. He's been widely recognized for this from the right and left. But it seems that because of this he's rarely judged evenly for his current leadership. He's been dead wrong on Iraq for years. This is what is costing him his campaign. Sorry for your heartbreak Chris but the country not supporting a guy so obviously wrong is not a tragedy. I don't seem to remember Sad Chris being particularly upset when John Kerry's service in war was dismissed and smeared by the way. Not that Kerry suffered on the level of McCain but you'd think such a fair journalist as Mr. Matthews might have been a little bit more wary of the Swift Boat mafia.
Now, I'm not going to cite anything because I'm not sure I'm right, but I'm pretty sure Chris Matthews, like most non-Fox offiliated members of the MSM was pretty openly critical of the Swift Boat attacks on John Kerry. That's not to say they were righteously indignant to the point where they wouldn't play the ads again and again, but I'm almost positive Matthews looked at it with a pretty critical eye. He was pretty anti-Bush by the time that election came around. Remember, he was the one Zell Miller challenged to a duel because in part because of the way he treated Michelle Malkin when she implied Kerry intentionally injured himself.
he became a joke after his market stroll in baghdad. and he looked a little unstable singing that song about "bomb bomb bomb iran". get over it chris, your stud muffin is not going to make it.
They are starting to show him in 2000 with his Straight talk express bus, probably thinking we could bite into that.
Though I disagreed with John McCain on almost everything, I had a great deal of respect for him in 2000. He seemed a man who told the truth as he saw it and let the chips fall where they may. He showed grit and integrity in calling out the "agents of intolerance."
I began to have my doubts when he tacked and lowered his sails, supporting the man who'd sent out the dogs to attack his character and family. He lost any possibility of my support when he tacked further and sucked up to the Talivangelists. The stroll through the souk and "bomb-bomb-Iran were two stakes through his heart, as far as I'm concerned.
The greatest failing was to suck up to BushieCo after Rove and the boys had their fun with his honor in South Carolina. Almost karmatically, after that, he was bound to go down.
Don't cry for him, Chrissie Matthews.
McCain-Finegold, McCain-Kennedy.........what the hey..................
>>>>>>>>FLUSH<<<<<<<<
I'm actually gonna say why is this here. It doesn't bother me if Chris supports McCain or my brother Spike. I only have issues with partisan questioning and clearly baited or slanted questioning.
But I do take issue with Chris trying to compare McCain to Audy Murphy. They are no way in H-e-double toothpicks close.
I agree, Snoopy.
McCain = War hero? Yes, absolutely.
McCain = Audie Murphy? You have GOT to be kidding.
In reality, who's to say whether Audie Murphy was really Audie Murphy?
Personally I find Tweety's man crushes somewhat disturbing. He should keep them in the context of his private life
You think Matthews was hurting over McCain...I thought he was gonna cry tonight when the head of the New York City Firefighters Union took Giuliani over the coals.
Chris was flabbergasted. It was kinda funny.
I like Matthews, but sometimes I gotta admit he can be a jerk.
Yeah, I saw that segment too. It was kinda pathetic to see him respond, "But Giuliani bought you thermal cameras." Definitely a "You Forgot Poland" moment if there ever was one.
Matthews is a joke
Matthews is a joke, but that would explain his awful ratings.
If I hear Tweety say Maverick one more time, I'll, I'll, I'll, send him a strongly worded e-mail. He is as irrelevant as all the rest of the talking heads in pointing out who and who is not a viable candidate this early in the race.
McCain is out, so Tweety will need to find another hero. I had respect for John McCain also, that was gone when he started parroting Bush. His stroll through the Iraq market and his comments afterwards convinced me that he was not only out of touch about the Iraqi war but out of touch period.
worst part of his job is his incessant shrilly high pitched voice when interrupting his guests. I turn to judge Judy, she also interrupts the plaitiff's but does that with some form of class.
I thought McCain selling out and shamelessly licking evangelical ass was the problem. In reality the problem lies in the people he stands next to on a debate stage. I guess that’s why those high-powered TV news people get the big bucks.
Pssssst, Tweetie --
the WORST part of your job is dreaming up man-crushes on WEASELS. Sorry, Tweetie -- we goes by pukie cores, 'n yer core is too pukie fer us average slobs.
The WORST part o' Tweetie's job -- HUUUWAARRRKKK! CHOOOOAHHH!! CHUAALLPPPP! BLECHHH!!! Jeezis, I shoul'na had da damn fish!
---"... the really worst part of my job"---
Somebody please give Matthews the smelling salts. He has to do his horrible, million-dollar job for a couple of days before he can limo back to his beach house in Nantucket.
Chris Matthews has serious man crushes, as noted above. He should wear Depends on air, to minimize accidents during great emotional angst. Next move would be to take him out of this strenuous job and let him valet for one of these "gods". That's how irrelevant Matthews has become in the objectivity area.
Realize that McCain, like a number of vets, heroic or not, still has not discovered that wars are a racket...that the military industrial complex must be fed so the public is manipulated by the moneymen to keep conflicts going. Dry up the profit out of war and it will be gone.
He may be sincere about his Iraq stance, but it's clear he has kissed up to Bush and the right wing because of his personal ambition. Then, there is his comment to aides about not wearing sweaters that make him look "gay"...often a little homophobia amongst the right wingers as well.
As for Matthews: he really needs therapy and to be on silence for a few weeks.
I can,t remember who he was interviewing but I caught the show when he started slobbering on himself as he was talking.That was the strangest thing. I,m quite sure others caught that show. I know if I had done that around my co-workers they would have said something to the effect have you thought about taking some time off or maybe they wouldn,t be so subtle and just start running away from me.
I realize Matthews is just rambling for most of his show and trips over his own tongue quite a bit, but;
"He served his country brutally as a POW"
How do you serve brutally? Does "serving" sound too gentle and submissive, that Chris had to beef it up for his man?
John McCain is a nice man and he is a good Senator; however he lacks managerial experience running a State, City or business. We all have to remember that the President of the United State is the CEO of the US Civil Service and the Military. I am leaning toward Rudy Guiliani Mitt Romney. We need a man with strong managerial skill to clean up this mess that George Bush is leaving behind.
Tom Gerosolina
We need presidents that aren't trying to be kings. Bush definately is trying to be the re-run of the King George the colonies rebelled against. Gulliani has the same temperament as anyone who has followed his career can attest. Romney ran for gov. as a moderate pro-choice candidate, and now has adopted hard right policies to further his political ambition.
Unfortunately, "double guantanamo" Romney, and "radio confusion on 9/11" Gulliani would further Bush's disastrous policies on military force, environment, and crony capitalism.
I don't get it. McCain's a loser from the start--he's a rightwing crank with no credentials to be POTUS. He's like the rest of the sorry Rethug party candidates: a hypocrite, a liar, a nut-job on the economy and social issues. He was never a viable candidate as he got whipped by Daddy's little war-criminal in the primaries...and remember--Daddy's little war-criminal never won either election...as the Congress proceeds, more of the criminal cabal's activities in election fraud will be revealed and perhaps, we can send them to Gitmo and sort out their crimes later while we purge all those hired during the Bush Crime family's occupation of the WH and then remove all appointments as well (just based on how Thomas, Scalia, SAlito and Roberts perjured themselves during the confirmation hearings should do the job...)
wow .. what a bunch of republican mavericks... bush, mccain, rudy... let's throw bob dole in there, too.wait... what's that music I hear?? ...
Who is the tall dark stranger there? Maverick is the name. Riding the trail to who-knows-where ...maybe chris should watch more-current westerns.
Can you imagine Chris getting all teary eyed when war hero John Kerry took some punches?
You can bet whoever the Con nominee is, Chris will be calling him a maverick. On the Democratic side, he'll focus on haircuts.
Matthews is a travesty: a craven, destitute, twittering, pile of crud.
McCain lost my vote when he went to bed with the same people who torn him down in 2000. I guess Matthews has fallen in love with McCain just like he fell in love with Bush in 2000
From now on Mcain will remain mainly in disdain
In disdain...