Matthews: Hillary needs to "get rid of the kneecapers that work for her," & offer a positive message

[Hart2008]

"What she has to do is get rid of the kneecapers that work for her, these press people whose main job seems to be punishing Obama or going after the press, to building a positive case for her," said Matthews. "Her campaign slogan right now is don't get your hopes up. That won't work in America. You can't diminish Obama and hope that you will rise from the ashes."

Asked why he believed Clinton had gone negative, Matthews again struck an antagonistic chord about the campaign's media operation.

"The kneecapping hasn't worked. Her press relations are lousy," he said. "If all you do is intimidate and punish and claim you'll get even relentlessly, people of all kinds of politicians -- and in all fairness, the press -- human reaction to intimidation is screw you. That's the human reaction. Don't tell me what to say, and that has been their whole policy. We're going to win this thing. Get out of the way."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/15/matthews-calls-clinton-pr_n_86812.html

Since all the Hill Hounds here hate Matthews, the response here should be interesting.


:popcorn:

[C_U_L8R]

1. Case in point...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4603886

That strategy is going nowhere fast.

[Enrique]

2. I don't hate Matthews, but his commentary on Hillary is useless

because of personal issues. :-)

[Medusa]

19. You know, I just read the very same sentiment about Joe Klein

Kill the messenger? Is that the new HRC official meme?

These people DO know the Clintons. A little too well it would seem. I believe it's called b-a-g-g-a-g-e and the Clintons have plenty of it. Get used to it if she's the nominee because it's all we'll here from now until November from pundits and the politicans alike.

[Enrique]

24. Dick Morris knows the Clintons even better

and his commentary is even more useless.

[Hart2008]

47. But why do the Clinton's hire all these Republican political strategists?

Dick Morris, David Gergen, and Mark Penn.

Why do the Clinton's love to hire these Republicans?

That question never gets answered here!

:wtf:

[Cosmocat]

51. Bottom line - they run like republicans ...

That is why the repukes hate them so much ... The Clintons, more so than any other dems, played the game the Rs defined, and beat them at it ... They spin, they fire back, they lay underlying negative themes ...

Fact is, had Kerry or Gore had their balls, they would have won their races ...

They WOULD have cleaned up on this year's field had Obama not come along ... Him personally, as well as his TONE and message ...

He just is a bad matchup for their game ...

Her message - "I will not be swiftboated" and "I have been attacked for 15 years and am still standing" and "I know how to battle them" ...

His message - "We are not liberals, we are not conservatives, we are americans" ...

The Clinton machine has been geared from day one to win a republican style race ... Maybe 4 years ago, maybe 8 years ago, it would have worked ... But, with the country kind of sick of "conservatism" and their way, with people wanting to get a reprieve from it all, Obama's message and style is trumping the Untouchables style of "if you are in a knife fight bring a gun" mentality ...

Mathews painful personality quicks and pathology aside, he was right ...

Every time the Clintons have gone negative it has boosted Obama ...

[psychopomp]

53. Great post

:thumbsup:

[KittyWampus]

56. Kerry & Gore WON but since Clinton crony, Terry McAuliffe didn't bother addressing election theft

or bother building party infrastructure, neither candidate had the back-up system to deal with election theft when it happened.

I'd also say Kerry and Gore didn't prevail because they relied too heavily on the screwed up Clinton model of relying on JUST enough states to win. But then, what other options did Kerry/Gore have when the DNC under the Clinton's failed to strenghten the party across the country.

I do believe Hillary has waged an old-style campaign.

Voters and the press are sick of the Clinton narrative.

[Cosmocat]

60. I don't debate ...

your points ...

Again, though, had Gore or Kerry been more willing to go bloody knuckle it likely would have turned out differently ... What election theft there may or may not have been, it relied on the margin being close enough ...

I do agree wholeheartedly with the 16 state strategy point, which Hill is replicating this turn ...

[Carolina]

52. yeah and who hired that toe-sucking tool

for Bill's campaign? Hillary. She sure knows how to pick 'em.

[Lerkfish]

25. look past that and determine if the message is accurate

her negative attack strategy is turning people away from her in droves.
when she loses, as she should, people need to learn from this mistake.

[liberal hypnotist]

3. Fortunately, I'm a grateful recovering Hard Ball watcher.

One month ago I swore of Chris Matthews. In a perverse way, I watched him because I didn't like him or what he said. Then one day, I decided not to watch him or the other "pundits". He is not allowed into the house under any circumstances. I am turning back to the major networks like ABC, NBC and CBS when I need to dislike someone. But, most of the time I get my news from the internet.

Whatever, Matthews says is the dribbling of a sick, sad, narcissist and life-long nerd. Recovery awaits!

[Captain Hilts]

4. I swore off him about a year ago. nt

[ginnyinWI]

45. He's a Beltway boy.

If you want to know what they are thinking inside the bubble which is Washington, D.C., then he's your boy. But so often his thinking bears no relation to what regular Americans think.

[LoZoccolo]

5. He's right! n/t

[ElsewheresDaughter]

6. since when did DUers started listening to and liking Tweety...I must have missed that memo

[tishaLA]

8. I remember quite a few of us who did during the Plame

stuff and Tweety's aggressive stance against Rove, Libby, et al.

[carlotta]

12. Then Tweety must be positively apoplectic

...that his man-hero Wilson is solidly, enthusiastically supporting Hillary.

[miceelf]

28. Perhaps

Like most people, tweety is right some of the time and wrong some of the time.

He's right about CLinton. He was right about Plame and Rove.

He was wrong about W.

He's wrong about the machine winning.

[theboss]

7. "Don't get your hopes up" is a great encapsulation of her position

Sometimes Matthews is clever.

[Hart2008]

37. Or maybe, "No, you can't." n/t

[Oskie]

9. CM is a knee-capper himself. Totally biased...and thinks he's so

savvy about politics. He admitted on air to voting for BUSH in 2000. That's savvy? He didn't see that sniveling frat rat corporate puppet for what he is? Now CM slams HRC any chance he can and heralds BHO as the new fresh wave of change. "CHANGE" has been a campaign tactic since the 1800s. Look if BHO gets in, fine. But except some sneaky Repubs and corporatemeisters to have their way... just like if HRC if she's in. But this gooey-dooey illusion that Obama supporters spout is silly, and dangerous. Let's get some truth back in the picture. And don't fall asleep regardless of who gets in. Power corrupts. It's human nature. Stay wake.

[K Gardner]

10. "The human reaction to intimidation is screw you". I heard that last night

and actually agreed with one thing Tweety said. This is something the Clintons obviously have not learned yet.

[Hart2008]

18. Looks like he is answering the Clinton's threats to MSNBC about him.

Matthews:"Screw you Billary!"

[Cha]

33. That's a one true thing and no matter

who said it..it remains true. I imagine there's quite a few reporters who the bushites bullied who will be having some celebrations when 1-20-09 rolls around.

It also rings true that the clintons are not learning anything as this campaign season has progressed. Is mark penn hoping to keep on thowing shite and hope something sticks? In the mean time destroying any credibilty the clintons had left?

Ever since Iowa they jumped on that slippery slope of diving into the faux smears and jeers underbelly of politics. And, when were the plants in her town halls? Was that before or after Iowa?

[K Gardner]

40. I'm thinking the plants were before Iowa, but gads zidzi, I've lost track

of all the crap they've pulled this time. Rather than learning anything, they seem to be ramping up the same tactics that have backfired previously and hoping they'll work at Mach V Warp Overdrive. Don't they realize, most people are laughing.. or jeering ? You're right about destroying the last of their credibility. Its really too bad. I don't see much of a legacy for either of them unless they find some dignity, and soon.

[Cha]

41. They could renounce their worldly possessions

and join a monestary and I would believe them after they'd been there awhile.

Love the avatar!

[WRPendleton]

11. brave words from Tweety

Hasn't the Bush Admin been ramming things down their throats with hardly a complaint for years now? You'd think they be used to it. Note I don't mean this is an excuse for Clinton's campaign behavior but rather a lament that the press corps seems only seems to have a urge to "fight back" when it's Hillary or some other Democratic politician.

[Stephanie]

13. That is their M.O. Get out of the way. Nothing can stop us. Get on board or else.

She has strong-armed local NY pols, but they are starting to peel off.

[Hart2008]

38. Threats only work for so long.

Without some positive reinforcement, the punishment needs to keep increasing to get the previous result.

The longer Hillary's campaign nose-dives, the more superdelegates she will lose.

[BeyondGeography]

14. The inevitable post-Shuster reaction

Tweety's saying it, and a lot more MSM'ers are thinking it.

Never pays to overplay your hand with the press.

[Medusa]

20. Which is why HRC's insistence that he be fired

and the president attacking Olbermann for using the Pimp term re Gen. Patreaus wasn't the best idea the two of them have ever had. The more you stir something, the worse it generally smells. You'd think that they'd know that by now. And the press can make you or break you.

[backscatter712]

15. For once, I agree with Tweety.

Clinton's campaign has been bullying, dishonest and sleazy. Is it any wonder that voters are flocking to the candidate that acts like a gentleman?

[Beacool]

16. Not only do I no longer watch MSNBC,

I also don't watch CNN and Fox News. If it's not on C-Span or PBS, I ignore it. I'm not enough of a masochist to give more viewership to networks who have decided that one candidate walks on water and whose every act should not be questioned, while relentlessly bashing another candidate who I think is infinitely better than the anointed one.

[nomorewhopper]

17. i like tweety and russert! am i out of the club? :D

I don't get MSNBC on TV, maybe that's my problem. so i don't watch him on a daily basis. but i do tune into tv.msnbc.com at times to listen to some of the discussion about the campaign.

i must say that i enjoy listening to tweety.

does that make me a bad person? i hope not!

[Hart2008]

35. OH! You're a bad, bad puddy tat!

By only listening you miss the anvils falling on Sylvester's head all the time.

So, maybe that's the issue here?

[yardwork]

21. Are you defender of Tweety? Do tell.

:popcorn:

[Hart2008]

29. When did Tweety ever need anyone to defend him?

Tweety always gets the best of those bad puddy tats:

Tweety is, for the most part, a good-natured character happily spending life in his cage or a nest. However, when a cat or other adversary threatens him, he can become downright malicious and devious, even kicking his enemy when he's down.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tweety_Bird

O8)

[MadBadger]

22. He's right. Fire Mark Penn!

[SIMPLYB1980]

23. When Obama fires J.J. Jr.

[NMMatt]

30. Haaa... no way... keep Penn, he's the best thing that happened to the Obama campaign! -nt

[Freida5]

26. MSNBC needs to be professional journalist reporting the news not being the news.

[Orsino]

27. Never, ever take Matthews' advice on anything. n/t

[Barack_America]

32. Why not, we've got some Clinton supporters eating up the advice of a McCain adviser...

word-for-word in a thread about Obama's economic plan. Why would a McCain adviser lie about Obama?

People around here will believe anyone as long as the message is in agreement with their preconceived ideas.

[No Blood for Hubris]

31. Yeah, Clinton should do that, Chrissy-boy, and you should bite me.

Why doesn't that sexist weasel shut up?

There's a rumor going around that Chrissy-boy's ball-and-chain is a big Clinton donor.

Every day must feel to Chris like he's being knee-capped, eh?

[NYCGirl]

44. Not a rumor. Look it up here:

http://newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?st=MD&last=Matthews&first=Kathleen

[ieoeja]

34. If Matthews ain't got enough tits to take the hits.

Then he shouldn't be attacking her as much as he does.


"Tits?" I chose tits in place of "balls" as a show of feminist solidarity. And because it rhymed. But mostly to poke fun at Matthews' machismo. In doing that I risk the ire of the GLBT contingent, but I should hope they would recognize that this isn't an attack on Matthews' gender/sexuality, but rather his machismo act. I believe the latter is a valid target for criticism.

[Hart2008]

36. Are you saying Matthews needs to be an alcoholic with man boobs to criticize Hillary?

Or that only women are allowed to criticize her?

[Karmadillo]

39. Matthews is a liar who smeared Al Gore and helped give us two terms of GW Bush.

That he is cited with approval on DU says volumes about the dominance of rightwing thought in American life.

http://mediamatters.org/items/200711210004

Ignoring own history of smearing Gore, Matthews claimed "Gore got himself in those problem areas" and repeated smears

Summary: On Hardball, Chris Matthews stated: "Al Gore, he's the one who said he created the Internet. He's the one who put out the word that he was the subject or the role model for Love Story, that he pointed the country's attention to Love Canal. He stuck himself into that story." Matthews concluded: "Gore got himself in those problem areas by vanity and showing off and trying to make himself cool." Matthews' comments echoed debunked falsehoods that were spread by the media, and Matthews in particular, during the 2000 presidential campaign.

more...

[Danger Mouse]

42. Chris Matthews complaining about Hillary???

Say it ain't so!!!

[McCamy Taylor]

43. MSNBC is playing "Brokered Dem Convention" This is sound advice. But why offer it now?

After all these months of attacking Hillary as a Bitch?

Answer: Obama just passed her in delegates. So now they want her to catch up.

MSNBC stands for McCain's Supporters NBC and they want Hillary and Obama neck and neck.

[Seabiscuit]

46. CM can kiss my ass until he chokes

on the effluvium I'll be passing his way.

My way of thanking him for all the vomitus he's spewed into countless living rooms over the years.

[TexasObserver]

48. If Hillary got rid of all the knee cappers in her campaign, all that would be left is Chelsea

She seems like a decent enough 27 year old, but the rest of that sordid crew is beyond redemption.

[Hart2008]

49. When all else fails, Hillary will send her out with tire iron too. n/t

[TalkAgain]

50. He is so right...And that's Obama will destroy McCain in the general!

[Freida5]

54. Matthews is Mr. Kneecap, His career is destroying people. What a wimp

[Hart2008]

55. Sorry, but who has he destroyed?

I want to see your list...

:wow:

[Freida5]

57. I didn't say he was very good at it.

[Hart2008]

58. Then it's not much of career then if he never destroyed anyone. n/t

[Evergreen Emerald]

59. Kerry / Gore / Clinton

And he helped to put Bush in Office. Who has he destroyed? The media helped Bush and Cheney destroy America

[Hart2008]

61. Matthews destroyed Kerry, Gore and Hillary? I find that hard to believe.

The MSM gives the Bushes and Cheney special treatment for sure, and they are responsible for much of what has happened in the past 20 years, but I wouldn't lay all of that on Matthews.

Matthews worked for Tip O'Neil at a time that there was a Congressman named Al Gore. He obviously knew Gore very well. I suspect that his vote for Bush had something to do with that relationship, and his views of the DLC. I am not excusing him for voting for Bush, but I wouldn't equate that with "destroying" other Dem's, like Carville telling Newsweek Hart couldn't keep his pants on in '87.

I would submit that Matthews is a Hubert Humphrey Democrat and represents a larger segment of the electorate that still consider themselves Democrats but objects to the modern Democratic party's views on social issues such as abortion, gay marriage, etc. When the party fails to distinguish itself sufficiently from the Republican party on economic issues, these people tend to vote Republican. Likewise, when the party failed to put forth anyone with the stature to confront Junior on his so-called "war on terror" these people went with a President who made them feel safe. If you want the party to regain the Presidency and take the initiative with a progressive agenda, you first need to understand people like Matthews and why they voted for Junior.

[Araxen]

62. The big difference

between the two

Clintons: Repubs vs Clintons

Obama: It's about all of us, there's no need to fight with the other side. They'll see the light under my presidency.

Big differences