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The overwhelming shallowness of Chris Matthews, continued

August 18, 2009 5:19 pm ET by Jamison Foser

NBC's Chuck Todd, a few minutes into a discussion with Chris Matthews about health care polling:

When you actually give them the president's plan, a majority approve of it, when you lay it out.

Well, that would seem to be a pretty key point, wouldn't it?  That polling showing a lack of support for health care reform is based on a lack of understanding of it, and when it is spelled out for people, they approve of reform?  

And yet Matthews and Todd quickly moved on, with Matthews asking why Democrats don't just give up already and pass whatever Chuck Grassley and Joe Lieberman want.  Matthews doesn't seem to think the policy merits matter, doesn't seem to think informed public opinion matters -- he just wants Congress to pass a bill with the words "health care" in it.

Tags: MSNBC, Chris Matthews, Hardball, Chuck Todd

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    • Author by Bad News (August 18, 2009 5:26 pm ET)
      1 3
      Mr. Foser, i have said it before and i will say it again "i like Chris Matthews"
      Before you condemn him you should walk a mile in his Shoes.
      It was Chris Matthews that made a fool of Michelle Bachman.
      You should give Chris a little credit & lets not forget Mr. Matthews was once a Policeman.

      Speak truth to power.


      Mr. News
      Report Abuse
      • Author by ReasonAndResolve (August 18, 2009 5:41 pm ET)
        6 1
        Matthews is worthless. Bachman would have stepped in it without Matthews yelling at her.

        Matthews is far more interested in his own opinions than those of his guests.


        Matthews is a worthless tool -
        he always comes off like a fool.
        He interrupts each guest
        while he beats his own pale chest.
        He's no deeper than a child's splashing pool.

        Truth doesn't need a voice.

        Mr. Reason
        Report Abuse
    • Author by retrohip (August 18, 2009 5:41 pm ET)
         
      i used to watch chris matthews every day. in the last two years it has been about once a month. i do wonder sometimes where he is coming from. when chris allows air time to pat buchanon i turn him off. what does he tell his wife and kids about how he allow's pat or joe scar spiel there racist screed. he should be ashamed of himself. lawrence o'donnell or david schuster at least have a backbone. matthews is just an overpaid bully.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by bruce1ace (August 18, 2009 5:47 pm ET)
        4
      Why should opinion polls matter? Only the elected officials get a vote on this and they already know (or should) what plans are good and what plans are cost effective and so forth.

      Opinion polls are meaningless unless the people actually get a vote on the issue which they don't in this case.

      So don't blame the polls when/if this thing falls apart. The politicians know exactly what they are doing.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by shaggles (August 18, 2009 7:37 pm ET)
        1  
        I disagree. Well sort of. We shouldn't govern based on the current whims of the public (although that's certainly what the Reps seem to think we should do as far as healthcare goes-people are 'angry' so we should drop it.) But President Obama was elected in part because of his position on healthcare reform. And that included his plan for a public option (which according to this poll a large number still support.) Along with his election the Democrats made strong gains in both the House and the Senate. It's not beyond reason to suppose that people voted for the Democratic Senators and Congressmen based at least in part on the notion that they would follow the lead of the de facto head of their Party and enact meaningful healthcare reform.
        Report Abuse
      • Author by wookie (August 18, 2009 7:41 pm ET)
        4  
        If public opinion didn't matter the Palinites wouldn't being working overtime to convince you that Obama wants to turn Granny into Soylent Green. The point is to embarass the Dems with lies so that they can't get anything done.
        Report Abuse
        • Author by bruce1ace (August 18, 2009 8:33 pm ET)
          1 1
          My point being that the Democrats in congress know what the truth is and instead of fighting back they are doing simply what they want to do anyway under the cover of some right-wing liefest.

          If this was important enough to Democratic leadership they would get it done because the screamers in opposition didn't vote for those people anyway.
          Report Abuse
          • Author by walstib (August 19, 2009 10:17 am ET)
               
            Agreed. The Dems are acting like pussies.

            Who cares what the GOP thinks and how loud the dead-enders cry?

            Put the Public Option in the bill and ram it down their throats.

            If they had any real balls they'd just go ahead and pass a single-payer system but...

            PASS THE BILL - F the GOP
            Report Abuse
        • Author by shaggles (August 19, 2009 11:22 am ET)
             
          Mmmm. Soylent Green.
          Report Abuse
    • Author by hardindr (August 18, 2009 6:00 pm ET)
      2 2
      Does this mean that Media Matters will finally stop putting videos that praise Chris Matthews on its front page?
      Report Abuse
      • Author by craig98607271 (August 18, 2009 6:17 pm ET)
        2  
        what is that once a year?
        Report Abuse
        • Author by hardindr (August 18, 2009 10:37 pm ET)
            1
          Actually, it happens all the time, hence my complaint.
          Report Abuse
          • Author by Easy to refute wingnuts (August 19, 2009 8:23 am ET)
               
            And you provided so many examples to back up your claim, too.

            Wait... no, you didn't.
            Report Abuse
            • Author by hardindr (August 19, 2009 9:30 am ET)
                 
              Okay, let's try this http://mediamatters.org/search/index?qstring=Matthews

              Here we go!

              http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200907290041

              http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200908180044

              http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200908170033

              http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200908030054

              http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200908020003

              http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200907310041

              http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200907300039

              http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200907290051

              These are just a few. I don't understand why Media Matters is so schizophrenic about Chris Matthews, alternately praising and damning him. It's just confusing...
              Report Abuse
      • Author by shaggles (August 18, 2009 7:41 pm ET)
        1  
        Occasionally Tweety gets it right. Media Matters should stop pointing that out just because he's wrong most of the time.
        Report Abuse
        • Author by shaggles (August 19, 2009 11:23 am ET)
             
          That should read 'Media Matter should not stop pointing that out...'
          Report Abuse
    • Author by AdalineOrtwo (August 18, 2009 6:58 pm ET)
         
      Matthews is a tool.

      When Joan Walsh of Salon mag. went on his show and exposed his hypocrisy in the firefighters issue, he lost what little credibility he had left, imo.

      His sexist, moralizing and neanderthal views are obvious in his pontificating questions and frankly, quite tiresome. I no longer watch his program.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by curmudgeon (August 18, 2009 7:39 pm ET)
         
      What does Chris Mathews care? He gets his medical insurance though NBC. Screw the rest of us.
      Report Abuse

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