Chris Matthews: Sarah Palin Is Going To Run For President, I See Her Winning The Nomination

After listening to Chris Matthews spend the better part of 2007 and 2008 making questionable (frequently offensive) remarks about the candidacy of Hillary Clinton it is a bit hard to swallow hearing him cheerlead Sarah Palin as the GOP’s strongest candidate for the presidency.

Nevertheless, that is what he has been doing recently, and never more so than this morning on Morning Joe when he ran theorized how Palin might easily with the GOP nomination in the 2012 primaries.

She has the power that Oprah Winfrey had in the beginning or still has in popular culture. I think Sarah’s going to run for President. I see her winning. It’s very simple…she wins in Iowa because the Evangelicals will vote for her. One woman against for or five guys. She goes to New Hampshire, decent second or third, she shows at least, doesn’t get killed. She goes to South Carolina, wins down there, goes out to the big challenge in Michigan where she’s already staked her claim for her book tour. Takes on Mitt Romney who is not a politician and beats the hell out of him there. Maybe gets an early knock out.

The key is an early knock out according to Matthews, who also notes: “the media will try to destroy her, of course.” Not the Matthews media apparently! It is of course a wonderful thing that the world can discuss a female candidate without making mention of nutcrackers or witches. What is less wonderful is the fact that thus far there has been precious little discussion of whether Palin is qualified to be president beyond her personal charm. Which, ironically is the exact opposite challenge that faced Hillary Clinton: no one doubted her bona fides, they apparently just had some issues with her lack of Oprah-like charisma.

I remain unconvinced that Palin is actually interested in a presidential run beyond hearing the cablesphere chatter about the possibility. That Hillary Clinton will ever make another stab at the Oval Office is even less likely. That said, all this discussion about whether Palin is a viable candidate in 2012 is making me wish there were some way to stage a debate between the two. Speaking of which, Matthews concedes that Palin would like lose to Obama in the general election because she wouldn’t hold up in the debates. Watch below.

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