On the January 24 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, Bloomberg columnist Margaret Carlson said that Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) “seems like an authentic person to me, not enough of which Democrats have.” Carlson added: “Like, you might be able to call Jim Webb, and he'd come over, and he'd be able to fix the washer and your sink, like he's a real guy.”

Carlson's comments were reminiscent of CNN correspondent Christopher Lawrence's November 7, 2006, characterization of Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) as “a different kind of Democrat” because Tester is “a farmer; he's a get-your-hands-dirty kind of guy,” unlike “urban, elite Democrats.”

From the January 24 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:

KATE O'BEIRNE (National Review Washington editor): And the party has a new favorite Vietnam vet in the person of Jim Webb. You know, they don't --

MIKE BARNICLE (guest host and MSNBC political analyst): What did you think of his speech last night? You both watched it, tell me what you thought.

CARLSON: I really like Jim Webb. He seems like an authentic person to me, not enough of which Democrats have. Like, you might be able to call Jim Webb, and he'd come over, and he'd be able to fix the washer and your sink, like he's a real guy. You know, Republicans just like their losers; they let them run again, they have seniority. Democrats do not like anyone who's lost. And they just kick them out. I mean, you don't get another chance.