For Chris Matthews to put his job on the line to go after Romney he must know something we don't

[NNN0LHI]

TV talking heads are always worried about getting canned and blackballed from the business for saying the wrong thing on air. Even Rachel Maddow pulls her punches. They all do. But Matthews didn't pull any punches today. He threw a roundhouse.

He must have some really disturbing inside information about Romney to take a chance with his paycheck and career like he did.

Has anyone else thought about this?

Don

[Kingofalldems]

1. Let's hope.

Hopefully the Dems have a something saved for post nomination.

[NNN0LHI]

5. I doubt it came from the Dems

It has to be so rock solid it came from a Republican to do what he did.

Don

[get the red out]

12. rMoney has been working on that too

rMoney has alienated the Ron Paul supporters lately and I'm sure any Republican with any rational thinking ability left. So it is entirely possible that a Republican has a hand in this.

[spanone]

2. the last few weeks matthews has been aghast at the republicans bullshit

i've seen it on his daily show....he used to kiss the ass of anyone who would come on his show...not anymore

he appears tired of the lying and the bullshit...

kudos to him

[ailsagirl]

7. YES--huge kudos to a very competent host!!

[uponit7771]

33. I think it's the voter suppression, listen to the guy when he talks about it

[janlyn]

3. Bellyful

I don't necessarily think so..I think he is just as fed up as the rest of us for the BS the RW slings on air everyday...

It's about time someone called them on it!!

[PatSeg]

15. That's the reaction I had

I think he heard one mouthful of BS too many and just couldn't contain his disgust anymore. I noticed that he sat there quietly for a long time before he responded, then he "went off".

I believe he said what a lot of TV journalists have been thinking, but were afraid to say out loud.

[hifiguy]

25. I think Matthews has reached what I call the Popeye Point

with the Repigs. He's had all he can stands and he can't stands no more.

[pscot]

4. What did he say?

[BumRushDaShow]

8. It's in reference to him on Morning Joe this a.m.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021209416

[Amy6627]

56. Wow! That was spectacular! n/t

[grasswire]

6. maybe Newsroom has shamed him n/t

[ohheckyeah]

44. That was my first thought.

You know that show has got to sting.

[yardwork]

9. Tweety periodically gets fed up. He threw Michele Malkin off his show for swift-boating Kerry.

Every now and then Tweety does the right thing.

[emulatorloo]

10. He SERIOUSLY hates it when the GOPers pull the "Obama is foreign" bullshit.

I ass-ume this is what you are talking about:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=1209416

[OffWithTheirHeads]

11. I'm beginning to think HBO's "Newsroom" is having an effect.

We are begining to see some of the talking heads grow a pair.

[TeamPooka]

16. i think you are correct about Newsroom

[grantcart]

18. Yep and they want to make sure that when this is all played out in HBOs movie

of the campaign 4 years from now on, they are captured on the right side of history.

[Lil Missy]

13. Who says his job is on the line?

It's not hard to see Romney the way he really is - a snake oil salesman. Nor is it hard to see all the race baiting going especially strong right now. Mathews called them out for the sleezebags they really are. They don't even try to hide it anymore.

[BumRushDaShow]

22. It's because we've been there before

and saw the results - http://voices.yahoo.com/chris-matthews-keith-olbermann-demoted-msnbc-1912772.html?cat=2

[Hamlette]

42. I think things are different on MSNBC now.

In 2008 Mathews was still playing both sides. He said nice things about W and had hammered Gore and Clinton in their day. He drove me nuts and I gave him up for a number of years.

He's been especially hard hitting during Obama's years. With the exception of the Catholic church's position on birth control, I don't remember a time when I disagreed with him in the last 3 plus years. He does not say the dems do the same thing and he takes down the GOP whenever he can.

My issue with him is I don't like the fights he picks and sometimes I wonder if he is a well informed as I'd like. I'd have gone after Pribus for the welfare lies more than the lame birther "joke". But at least he made both points. And the rumblings are that the GOP convention is going to rely heavily on the Obama is a scary black man who wants to give your money to lazy black people meme. If so, we all owe a HUGE debt of gratitude to Mathews for bringing this up early in the convention. Might make them think twice about playing the race card since someone recognized it for what it is.

My state, Utah, asked for the welfare waiver (other states did too). Trust me, we are the reddest state in the union and the governor is just a shade this side of tea party. The head of the TANF (welfare) office is the same. And we wanted the waiver so we could help TANF people graduate high school or get a GED because we believe it is nearly impossible for a single mom to get a job that pays enough without one. And if the job is low paying, we pick up the child care bill forever which is more expensive than helping her get a GED in the first place! (TANF reauthorization only allows 8 hours per week of education to count toward the 30 hours per week work requirement. That was NOT in the original welfare reform as signed by Clinton but came later. Under Clinton's plan we could allow them to go to school up to high school degree level. So Mitt's lies are triple fold on this one. And both people in my state who wanted the welfare waiver are mormon so there is some tension in that aspect too.)

[Lil Missy]

61. No similarity there. Two co-hosts were demoted for sniping at each other on the air.

Has nothing to do with Mathews calling out a slimeball for GOP race-baiting tactics this morning. I doubt Mathews got in any trouble at all. If you hear of anything let me know.

[NNN0LHI]

26. Remember Phil Donahue?

[ladjf]

53. I remember him well and I was pleased that he had a political show. However, I watched it

several times and to me it was clear that Phil just wasn't prepared to participate in a hard hitting political arena. He performed like a "deer in the headlight" fossil. (I'm older than him, by the way.)

[Lil Missy]

62. Yes, I do. What's your point??

[Jamastiene]

40. Remember Dan Rather?

Any one of them who bucks the corporate message gets demoted or outright fired. He could very well lose his job over this.

[Lil Missy]

60. MSNBC is no longer a wholely owned subsidiary of the GOP.

They haven't taken the video down either.

[Graybeard]

14. Sure would love me some October surprise.

There have been rumblings here at DU that the Obama campaign has held back some blockbuster, game-changing facts until closer to Election Day.

You might be right.

[Greybnk48]

17. He's fundamentally a good man, that's why.

And that's hard for me to say because I've almost hated him since he took up with Dubya *. And I hated his relentless attack on the Clintons and his ass-kissing Coulter.

IMO I think he doesn't want to be on the wrong side again like with *, but maybe I'm naive. I also think Tweety is principled and would not say something he didn't agree with. After all, he's a product of the civil rights movement as are many of us.

This time he's right, but sometimes he's wrong (Dubya).

[librechik]

19. Brokaw saved his ass for MSNBC by saying he disagreed w Chris

but then he admitted that the repub primaries had been full of "stuff"--he meant racist crap, which he should have said clearly instead of getting all vague.

[monmouth]

20. I'm sure Matthews' ratings are way above Scar's. He's got a lot of pull, been there a long

time and has seen many producers and other suits come and go. Tweets will be just fine..

[Johonny]

21. Not sure his job is on the line

pretty sure other Republicans will not be quick to go on his show for a while. They don't always mind these type of things because it allows them to play the victim. Reporters afraid of access don't do this type of thing, but Tweety probably doesn't care if that idiot ever goes on his show and after this week neither does MSNBC. He's gone off before and they always come back to his show because he is an inside the beltway type person. Really the only one at the station.

[aquart]

23. His job was not on the line.

[julian09]

59. Chris WAS Msnbc

Long before Olberman, Madow, Sharpton, Big Ed, Lawrence were there. We can thank Olberman for the left leaning programing, answer to FOX. Current TV is doing the same. I miss KEITHs commentary and input in this election season.

[jillan]

24. I think Chris was finally DOING his job.

[hfojvt]

27. putting his job on the line?

That right there is a DUzy.

He's being marketed as a liberal attack dog now (he was on the other side back in 2000 and 2004 and even 2008 (if Hillary had won the nomination)).

He just ran an ad for himself, and you think that puts his job on the line?


edit: p.s. I am not sure he did our side any good either. To me, it seems like he is gonna seem just like a loudmouthed arrogant liberal angrily shouting down the opposition.

[phleshdef]

28. Why is it everytime Chris does something like this, people act like its the first time?

Matthews is occasionally wrong headed sometimes and occasionally damn near heroic other times. This isn't the first time, nor will it be the last time that he totally eats some right winger's face over something that really offends him.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

30. I love it when he says "It's the DEMOCRATIC party sir!"

And whatever tool like Ron Christie just sits there and acts like they don't know what he's talking about. The same thing today was done to Rince Penis.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

29. Risking his job?

I wouldn't go that far.

Seriously, who the fuck is Rince Penis? He's not anyone of import, just the head propaganda clown.

[flamingdem]

32. Tweeters must have seen him as a convenient target

that wouldn't get him into too much trouble.

Plus, he's probably seeing how the base loves it when they school a wingnut

[Lil Missy]

48. They might give him a raise!

He's not going to lose his job.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

31. I think he just despises Romney, like he hates Cheney

I think he just couldn't keep it in and didn't even think about it. You could tell that Matthews' anger was rising the more that Prepuce The Dickhead flashed that smug smile at him. I sense a real palpable hatred in him for the corporate raiding dipshit Romney.

[Baitball Blogger]

37. He does make it personal.

I always got the impression that he disliked Gore, more than he liked W.

[Enrique]

34. Matthews helped get Donahue fired

Last edited Mon Aug 27, 2012, 01:45 PM - Edit history (1)

this on the other hand was not a risk for him. What Matthews said today, Maddow and Chris Hayes, at least, said already over the weekend.

on edit: i just watched again and I think Matthews should get a ton of credit.

[UTUSN]

45. Yip, I saw him snake bite DONAHUE, here's the story:

How Tweety "Executed" DONAHUE on MSNBC.

Tweety was on his book tour for another one of his "books" (large type, wide spaces between lines, blank half-pages). It was in the jingoistic hysteria in the run-up to the illegal Iraq attack. The book was about supposed "Americanism" -- an American Civ 101 ripoff about books and movies and cultural stuff that are essentially American (think, "The Great Gatsby&quot . So Phil welcomed him as a colleague and peer on Phil's show for the full hour to plug the book. From the moment he appeared, there was a strange, deadly snake look in Tweety's snake eyes. Phil was walking around the audience, apparently not sensing anything, while Tweety was motionless, following him only with his eyes. Phil brought up something or other questioning blind, kneejerk jingoism, and Tweety STRUCK! He started out with venom dripping, "You see, THIS is EXACTLY what's wrong with YOU Liberals: You are NEGATIVE about this country, you find NOTHING good about it," and on and on. It took awhile before Phil figured out what was happening. Later, Phil, devastated and spent, was sitting at the table with Tweety and, weaker and weaker, did some of his trademark shoulder shrugging and arm waving. Tweety delivered the coup de grace, "What's THIS (mimicking the movements)??!! What's with the --APE-- movements???!" Days or a week or two later, Phil's cancellation was announced and took effect.


*********Now, Tweety was great this morning, and has been good on us for a year or two, but he *does* have a history.

[Submariner]

55. Matthews sucks. Tweety was a huge Dubya suck up during shock 'n awe

"We're proud of our president. Americans love having a guy as president, a guy who has a little swagger, who's physical, who's not a complicated guy like Clinton or even like Dukakis or Mondale, all those guys, McGovern. They want a guy who's president. Women like a guy who's president. Check it out. The women like this war. I think we like having a hero as our president. It's simple. We're not like the Brits."

(MSNBC's Chris Matthews (asshole), 5/1/03)

[senseandsensibility]

57. Saw that live with his cohort Fineman

who's on there now with tweety. They both gushed disgustingly about chimpy in his flight sight. It really was one of the worst things I've ever seen on TV, and I hope both of them never live it down.

[Baitball Blogger]

35. It must mean that some trending poll is going in our favor.

[randome]

36. He's just a righteous dude regardless of what he may have been in the past.

He's righteous NOW. That's what counts NOW.

[railsback]

38. If anyone knows anything about 'code words'

its Chris Matthews. He's talked extensively about Reagan's Southern Strategy over the years, and you can tell he's highly pissed that the GOP are being so blatant about it now while the MSM is shrugging their shoulders about it all.

Matthews should go on a mini-tour: The late night circuit, Maher.. just make some noise outside of the Hardball studio.

[flamingdem]

41. GOOD IDEA. I wish he'd go to all the voter suppression states and make a stink!

I wish I wish

[DefenseLawyer]

39. I think the giggle in response was just more than he could bear. n/t

[Hamlette]

43. me too

although he was on a roll before that, Pribus laughing made it worse. It's what the GOP always does though. Laugh it off and we'll get away with it.

[HopeHoops]

46. I saw the clip. He was obviously pissed about the bullshit and made it VERY well known.

[D23MIURG23]

47. I don't think that is a necessary condition to account for Chris Matthews behavior.

I think he and others are getting fed up with the way conservative politicians treat them for one thing. The GOP has had a starve and intimidate strategy in place for dealing with media people since Bush, and Romney is no different.

The GOP has also developed a basic contempt for the truth that media people might want to take issue with.

In short, we know plenty of things that should be capable of motivating this.

[SoCalDem]

49. I wish we Dems would reciprocate.

There is NO WAY on earth for a dem going on Fox to change any minds..

It only managed to legitimize Fox.

They should have been shunned ages ago so they would stand out as the republican network that they are.

We act as if partisanship started recently.

Europeans have a partisan press, and as long as no one pretends to be "fair & balanced", people are able to determine what is correct and what is bs.

People who believe bs, will always believe bs, so having an occasional democrat show up to play the part of chew-toy for the host, does NOTHING of value.

Totally unbiased news is only possible when you aim a camera, add some sound, and just let it run.

And even then, the choice of what to show, can contain bias.

To pretend otherwise is nonsense.

I prefer a media that chooses sides, and then tells the best truth they can..and lets the audience decide with their clickers

[Logical]

50. I think you are way over analyzing this. n-t

[Lint Head]

51. I think the ham handed ignorant ideas of the right wing has reached a boiling point

for "thinking" human beings. I think there will be more of this. Romney has yet to really pop his cork and I think he will.

[randome]

52. If I could pray, I would.

[craigmatic]

54. He periodically does stuff like this. It doesn't mean anything.

[sarcasmo]

58. He was tearing Newt a new one and Newt tried to laugh it off.

[Cleita]

63. As a beltway insider, is he having cocktails and sharing information with Harry Reid?

Well, maybe smoothies. I don't think Harry does cocktails. Remember Reid dropping that little gem about Romney's taxes? I wonder if he shared it with Chris.

Intriguing. I don't think his paycheck is on the line or Rachel and Ed would have long been gone.