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Chris Matthews On Being A Media Bogeyman To The Right: ‘I Love It!’

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In an interview with Mediaite Tuesday evening, Hardball host Chris Matthews, talked about his place in the media landscape, saying his is a “fact-based, heat-seeking” show. Asked about his status as a media bogeyman with the political right, Matthews took to the title with relish.

“I love it,” he said, adding, “Gandhi was right. First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they attack you, and then you win.”

Toward the end of an MSNBC book party to promote Matthews’ new tome, Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero, I managed to corral the author for a brief interview about his book, how it applies to current politics, and a few other topics.

In this clip, I began by asking Matthews about the current media landscape. He said, I like to go where the fight is,” and called Hardball a “fact-based heat-seeking  show,” observing that he likes “to start the show with dessert, the hottest story. Not necessarily the big news story, but the hot story that engages people.”

Over the years, Chris Matthews has become a lightning rod for right-wing critiques of an “in-the-tank” media, and his now-famous observation of then-candidate Obama’s inspirational qualities, in which he said, “I felt this thrill going up my leg,” has become a taunting mantra for them.

I diplomatically tried to ease into whether Matthews is cognizant of his status as bogeyman to the right-of-center media, but he dug into the question with relish.

“I love it,” he said, adding, “People tell me Mark Levin quotes me, I love that. Gandhi was right. First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they attack you, and then you win.”

While he enjoys the scorn, Matthews was careful to note that his critics haven’t gotten into his head. “I hate to break their hearts,” he said, “but I don’t even know about it. I hear about it occasionally. It’s fun.”

Here’s the clip of that portion of our interview:


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  • Anonymous

    Yawn…Tingles acts like he is important. So does Tommy!!

  • Anonymous

    “I love it,” he said, adding, “Gandhi was right. First they ignore you,
    then they laugh at you, then they attack you, and then you win.”

    I guess that works for all the right wing pundits that get attacked by the left? Or does it not work that way?

  • Anonymous

    I always preferred “The Spitter”.

  • Anonymous

    Not a bogeyman at all . Just comical , like his colleague Al Sharpton .

  • Busslug

    We fear Chris Matthews in the same way Canadians fear chupacabra. Not even on our radar.
    In fact, he only makes our “job” easier.

  • Anonymous

    Whoever asked the question is a moron.  He’s not a boogey man.  He’s a moron.  Tingles there is just a moron.  There’s nothing funny about it, there’s nothing that’ll lead him to be a winner.  It’s just sad.

  • Anonymous

    Yeah, I don’t think of him as a “bogeyman”.  He’s more of a cartoonish caricature.  I don’t think very many of us on the right takes what he says too seriously.  Tribalism!  Racism!  Birthers!  After a while, it just becomes kinda humorous.  

  • BR

    Fact based heat seeking show”      HAHAHAHA    Tha’ts one of the best ones that I’ve heard in a long time!

  • Moderate

    Not to worry Chris, Tommy still loves you.

  • Anonymous

    No, first your are a reasonably respected and responsible newsman, then you cream your pants over a candidate, then you spend the next three years shitting your pants nightly on your TV show that is more carnival of the bizarre than anything newsworthy.

  • Kimberly

    The right’s “bogeyman”? I thought that was George Soros. Chris Matthews?? Please. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a conservative person or blog express any kind of fear over Matthews.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Dronetek-Bulk-Vanderhuge/100000918732763 Dronetek Bulk Vanderhuge

    When you call Matthews a “boogyman”, you’re implying that criticism against him is unfounded. Have you EVER described any of the talkers on the right of being “boogymen”? I highly doubt it. 

  • Mia

    I think we’re still on “laughing at you” phase… they way he goes there’s no reason to ever stop laughing at least in this lifetime. Tell me Tommy, did he spit all over you during your “interview”?

  • Go Navy
  • Michelle

    Yeah right!!  Tingles, think you are a huge joke, not a boodeyman!  Stop giving yourself so much credit. 

  • Sean68

    Win what?

  • Sean68

    He forgot his uncanny ability to hear “dog whistles” that aren’t even there–or rather, file that under frivolous, bad faith accusations of racism.

  • Michelle

    In an interview with Mediaite Tuesday evening, Hardball host Chris Matthews, talked about his place in the media landscape,

    Would someone please tell Tingles that his place is at the bottom of the barrell.  I think even “Resist We Much” is beating him at this point. 

  • Maryann

    Chris Matthews is a troll who slanders those he doesn’t like and ignores the crimes of those he approves of, FTB

  • Anonymous

    HA, a certain somebody is drastically overestimating his worth in the political arena.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_EOTQDJK7LUU43OZGQDCXABKJQM patrick m

    Is Tingles still on TV ?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/David-William-Loeffler/1666677695 David William Loeffler

    Mostly, unless he’s brought up by Levin or on Newsbusters he’s not worth a jot.  He’s irrelevant.

  • Anonymous

    So we are suppose to take a man serious who admits basically he could care less about our country, the only thing important is to trash anyone on the right and be a cheerleader for anyone with a “D” after their name?

    Years ago I use to have respect for Matthews, even though I knew he he was a Democrat. It’s clear he has been bought out by the Socialists. Apparently money is much more important to this piece of scum than the future of the country. I fear the media far more than the Democrat Party.

  • Hetoimasia

    No, because it is generally a one-step process with those fools. Laugh at them.

  • Anonymous

    He’s an ASS HAT, period!

  • Paul Durham

    no one thinks of you as a “bogeyman,” They think of you as a living joke.

  • Anonymous

    I thought “the spitter” was Barney Franks….actually, he probably doesn’t spit.

  • Canat

    Mark Levin doesn’t quote you Chris, he makes fun of you!!!  What a joke you are…..

  • Anonymous

    You have no soul.

  • Anonymous

    I can feel the love you all share for your boggyman!!!

  • Anonymous

    He has more credibility than the Gold Line hawking con men on the right.

  • Anonymous

    To be fair to Tommy, the left has so many “bogeymen” on the right that he prolly assumes we’re afraid of what Matthews does.  We’re not.  He’s as influential as a pimple on my backside.  Pointing out that he’s a race-baiting nut does not equal “bogeyman”.  Sorry, Chris, you’re just not that important.  

  • Anonymous

    Yeah,
    Six days a week!

  • Anonymous

    Bigger than you?

  • Anonymous

    Tingles is a punky little freak. Lost his manhood at Choate…didn’t really mind.

  • Anonymous

    No need to kick his ass

    He kick his own ass every time he talk

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Adrianne-Georgia/1274643336 Adrianne Georgia

    This guy is such a blowhard.  I hope he knows that nobody watches his show, or his network for that matter.

  • Anonymous

    You weren’t the first person to say that, I’m sure you won’t be the last.

  • Anonymous

    Then they attack you and he wins

  • Jason

    No shit. Hey Matthews, Conservatives can do math, unlike your ilk. We know less that .0001 % of the people who vote in this country actually watch your stupid show.  Were all laughing at you. You’re a joke. If we saw you in the street, we would collapse in laughter. 

     

  • Jason

    I stay up at night trembling at the notion of the country being taken over by the 4 mental patients who watch this idiots show on a daily basis.

  • Anonymous

    Chris your biggest bogeyman is your ratings- they suck just like you!

  • Anonymous

    Oh, you must be that viewer he talks about- the one who is really stupid and ugly!

  • Jason

    He did imply that at some point he will “win”.  I’m pretty sure in his own mind that means finishing 18th in the 5 pm time slot, just behind spongebob squarepants.

  • Jason

    Sharpton is certainly more articulate. The race baiting award is up for grabs though.

  • Jason

    6? They gave that shifty queer a weekend show of his own, or did he try to hook up with a little boy and get caught by Chris Hansen?  

  • Jason

    The media(minus FOX and a few newspapers) and the Democrat Party are intertwined at this point anyhow. It’s been like that for years, but it’s being ramped up even more lately.

    Honestly, I don’t know how Democrats ever lose a major election in this country. It’s baffling.

  • Anonymous

    Being Homophobic is gay!

  • RACE BAITING@6 RESIST WE MUCH!

    Nobody caught this part ?  he said, “but I don’t even know about it. I hear about it occasionally.

  • Anonymous

    Sorry…it works both ways for both or it doesn’t. You don’t get to pick and choose.

  • psnthru

    Where else can one go to see the biggest bunch of loosers in the media. MSMBC is a virtual freak show of liberal morons. I have the channel blocked so some of my relatives don’t switch the channel while their visiting. What a scary network!

  • http://twitter.com/temi227 brenda watkins

    Who is Chris Matthews?

  • Anonymous

    You’d have a better chance of seeing him in a bar.

  • Anonymous

    Poor Tommy.  Realizing that Chris would be nobody’s boogeyman, he decided to create his own bogeyman to make Chrissy feel important.

    Way to go Tommy!  We should all try to make the insignificants of the world feel better about themselves.

  • Anonymous

    Riiiight.  The guy is obsessed with what people think of him.  That said, I don’t think he’s anyone’s boogeyman.  It’s just that he is so easy to mock.

  • Anonymous

    Looks like Matthews is on the bottle again.  Have another drink Chris.  And wipe that spittle off your chin.

  • Jason

    So is defending Chris Matthews like he’s your boyfriend.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Brian-Kirkland/100000195274498 Brian Kirkland

    Oh Please. Chris Matthews is the political equivalent of a jock sniffer. He “likes” whoever is leading the polls on a given day, Republican or Democrat. He was crazy about Bachmann. He thinks Cain’s is interesting and has something special. Sarah Palin? He was effusive about her. He liked Rick Perry when he was on top. He never tears these people apart because he wants to be able to get close to them, which is more important than giving an honest opinion about these idiots. National prestige and money are the only things he cares about.

    He just likes the Machiavellian nature of politics and revels in being close to it. Did you hear him doing his book tour calling Kennedy “Jack”, as if he knew him? And let’s face it, Kennedy was no prize; nevertheless, the hero of every Catholic boy of a certain age.

     And his commercials, telling us that Obama is ok are condescending and offensive. As if he needed the constant endorsement of a Caucasian to be legitimate.

    Matthews is the strangest thing on television.

  • Anonymous

    Maybe some day he will actually get more than 50,000 people to watch the show. 

    As far as his “facts” go…that’s a joke, right? He jumps on every anti-right wing story he can get his hands on. 

  • Anonymous

    That’s hilarious. I don’t know about it, but I hear about it. Makes about as much sense as his show.  

  • Anonymous

    Ok now I’ll get personal.

    IS STONEPARK YOUR BOYFRIEND?

  • Anonymous

    I’m sure!

  • Jeff

    Don’t you think it’s gut-busting hilarious that these delusional, queer people (i.e. Chrissy M., Chuckie Sheen,etc.) actually think they’re “winning”? It makes for some of the greatest humor one could possibly ask for……..and for that, I thank the liberal establishment and their “winning” ways!!!! Seriously, you can’t make this sh!t up……………LMFAO!!!!

  • Anonymous

    “Chris Matthews has become a lightning rod for right-wing critiques of an “in-the-tank” media, and his now-famous observation of then-candidate Obama’s inspirational qualities, in which he said, “I felt this thrill going up my leg,” has become a taunting mantra for them.”

    Tommy Christopher fails – or forgets (you call it) – to bring up Matthews colloquy with Joe Scarborough where he (Matthews) said that “My job is to do everything I can to help Obama succeed.”

    When a journalist – even a commentator or opinion type – says that their job is to “do everything” to help a President succeed, then they’ve completely betrayed their principles, however small, as a journalist.  

    Why Mr. Christopher failed to raise this remains a deep dark mystery that others need to explain.

  • http://www.facebook.com/bruce.kennedy3 Bruce Kennedy

    God knows you’re insignificant. That makes you eminently qualified to make such statements. You know…”it takes one to know one”.

  • Anonymous

    M moonbats
    S spouting
    N nothing
    B but
    C crap

    That “thrill” has gone to Matthews’ head. 

    He’s had a “thrillbotomy” and there’s no cure!

  • Anonymous

    Yuk, yuk, yuk.  Let me guess, you’re a Christian?

  • Anonymous

    Well, now that conservatives have conquered math (basic addition I would guess) you should  give science a try.

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