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Chris Matthews Says President Obama ‘Should Be Recruiting An Army’

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In an interview with Mediaite Tuesday evening, at an MSNBC book party to promote Matthews’ new tome, Jack Kennedy: Elusive HeroHardball host Chris Matthews talked about how his book applies to current politics, and had some harsh criticisms for President Obama. Contrasting the President with the Kennedy brand of back-room loyalty brokering, Matthews said that President Obama “should be recruiting an army.”

I got to yesterday’s book party an hour and a half early, so I was able to dive into the middle of Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero, beginning with the chapter entitled “Hardball” that I’d heard Matthews talk about on his show. The book, aided by never-before-seen research materials, is an absorbing read, and that chapter interested me particularly for its resonance to current politics. I was stunned by the similarity of Kennedy-era wholesale politics to the chummy horsetrading I’ve seen the past few years. Matthews’ book shrinks the larger-than-life Kennedy saga down to a compelling, close-quartered immediacy.

Tuesday night was the first time I’d met Chris Matthews, and if I didn’t know better, there’s no way I would believe the guy is 65 years old. If caffeine and cocaine were to have a baby, it would grow up to be Chris Matthews. He worked the party non-stop for hours, rarely sitting, and after all of that, still had the energy to barely let me get a word in edgewise.

We talked about the back-room politicking in that chapter, and Matthews sharply criticized President Obama for failing to develop those kinds of relationships, for not talking to Democratic senators, and for “sending everybody home” after the 2008 election. “He doesn’t have anybody on his side because he doesn’t spend time recruiting an army,” Matthews said. “He needs troops.”

Matthews also talked, briefly, about Mitt Romney, whom he won’t quite declare the eventual nominee, as he’s not ready to count out Herman Cain. “He’s got problems that he has to deal with, but if he can offer up some persuasive damage control…”

Much of that depends on how the story comes out, though, Matthews noted. “What is the worst case? He tried to use his power over an employee for sex? If that’s true, he’s got big problems. If it turns out he told a joke? I think people are very practical about these things. I don’t think it’s disqualifying.”

Here’s the balance of our interview:

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  • RACE BAITING@6 RESIST WE MUCH!

    “The Spitter” meets “The Dog Whistle”

  • http://www.facebook.com/tony.westover Tony Westover

    He didn’t write it, he used a ghostwriter.

  • RACE BAITING@6 RESIST WE MUCH!

    Boy he got PISSED about that !

  • Anonymous

    If Sarah Palin used a military metaphor like this, MSNBC and CNN would run stories about it all week long, and then accuse her of responsibility for a shooting in Arizona.

  • Anonymous

    “If it turns out he told a joke? I think people are very practical about these things. I don’t think it’s disqualifying.”

    Matthews should hope so.  Remember his little joke to Erin Burnett?  

    “Could you get a little closer to the camera?  Come on in closer. No, come in — come in further — come in closer.  Really close.  Just kidding! You look great! Anyway, thanks. Erin, it’s great to — look at that look. You’re great.  No, you’re beautiful. I’m just kidding. I’m just kidding. You’re a knockout. Anyway, thank you, Erin Burnett.  It’s all right getting bad news from you, even, OK?”

    http://crooksandliars.com/2007/08/13/chris-matthews-creepy-crush-on-erin-burnett

    (Linking to Crooks & Liars so the lefties won’t think I’m making it up.)

  • http://twitter.com/MarkH76248 Mark H

    Why the heck doesn’t MSNBC replace all these liberal trolls on primetime (Matthews, Sharpton, Fat Ed, Madcow and Crazy Larry) with their RERUNS of LOCK-UP which for the record scores three times better ratings

  • Anonymous

    “ If caffeine and cocaine were to have a baby, it would grow up to be Chris Matthews. ”

    Figured he was a hophead .

  • RACE BAITING@6 RESIST WE MUCH!

    Creepy

  • Michelle

    I thought that’s what the unions were for?

  • Anonymous

    Matthews is making a curious historical analogy here that I don’t understand at all.

    First, the record is pretty clear that despite all of the “backroom” talk or “horsetrading” that JFK engaged in that much of his program was bottled up by the Senate. It wasn’t until after his death, for example, that the civil rights legislation he sent to Congress was able to get passed. That was because of LBJ’s ability to “horsetrade” as much as it was over the President’s death. I’ll also note that while in the Senate that JFK had very little influence and no record of legislative accomplishments. He was quite sick on many occasions and was considered more of a “loner” in that body than a pol (the writer Allen Drury said that Kennedy was “smart but distant”).

    Second, JFK’s thousand days was, as the historian Richard Reeves characterized it, a “crisis presidency.” From the disaster with Khrushchev at Vienna to the Bay of Pigs to Berlin to Mongtomery to Diem to Gagarin and the “Space Race” to the Cuban Missile Crisis, JFK had to deal with one crisis after another. If you look at his record, very little was accomplished legislatively.  

    I have no idea, frankly, why Matthews is using the Kennedy presidency as an example for anything that Obama or any other leader today could follow. Other than, I guess, to sell a book.

  • Norbit

    Was Kennedy a Marxist too? 
    lmao

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ULKC2YMPT7NA7LAK2S32Q65PQY ruth gretzinger

    exactly what I was thinking. but gosh felix, I’m sure that Matthews meant it in only the most civil of ways.

  • Pete pitt

    “What is the worst case? He tried to use his power over an employee for sex? If that’s true, he’s got big problems.” But Matthews fawns of Bill Clinton isn’t that exactly what he did.

  • Anonymous

    I thought he already had one, the Velvet Mafia, isn’t it?

  • Jason

    Tommy, were you able to keep your pants on during the entire interview?

  • david r

    I wonder how long Tommy had to stand in line to get Matthews’ autograph.

  • Nancillarypeloslinton

    “He tried to use his power over an employee for sex? If that’s true, he’s got big problems.” Hey everybody! Remember when Rev. Jesse Jackson committed adultery and fathered a child out of wedlock. Nobody touched that when he ran for the Presidency in 1988. Jesse Jackson – Adulterer.

  • Considerate Liberal Pedophile

    But not just any army. It can only consist of Transexuals, homosexuals, colored’s, moo-slims, pee-doe-files, lesbians and closeted tailgunner Christine Mathews as it’s “general”. White heterosexuals need not apply.

  • Considerate Liberal Pedophile

    An episode of Lockup starring Matthews, Sharpton, Fat Ed, Madcow and Crazy Larry all incarcerated would get huge ratings.

  • http://www.davidjkramer.co.cc// DavidKramer

    Hehehehehehehehehehe

    5 people read Mathew’s book, it would figure that Tommy was one of the five.

    Hehehhehehehehehehhe

  • http://www.davidjkramer.co.cc// DavidKramer

     I guess h u m m er is not allowed. Did you hear when Jesse told one of his workers to give him a h u m m e r or else? I guess that does not make the news nowadays.

  • SayyyyyWhat

    Chrissy ‘Tingles & Thrills’ Matthews…ROTFFLMFAO. What a doofus.

  • http://www.davidjkramer.co.cc// DavidKramer

     Mathews would spit on someone’s grave to sell something. What else do you need to know?

  • http://www.davidjkramer.co.cc// DavidKramer

     Sorry, I never said this.

    He is vile, but I never posted this.

  • Anonymous

    Tommy, your such a good lap dog you hack!!

  • http://gregingleright.weebly.com/ Greg

    Mr. Matthews is an interesting man… Sometimes wrong but always passionate and honest. Look forward to reading the book.

  • Rruhs83

    last time visiting this site, if i wanted a george soros viewpoint i would just go to moveon.com

  • Sean68

    Two experts on white racism in conversation. I’ll bring the soy sauce.

  • http://www.facebook.com/chasrmartin Charlie Martin

    No, and after he wanted to cut taxes, expand national defense, and push civil rights against the Democrat’s in Congress, you’d have thought he was a Republican shill for Wall Street.

  • http://www.facebook.com/chasrmartin Charlie Martin

    Now, seriously, Tommy, don’t you find anything just a little creepy about Matthews wanting Obama to “recruit an army” to keep the Presidency?

    Have you read anything about Venezuela recently?

  • Anonymous

    It’s too late for Matthews; that “thrill” has reached his brain!

    An army!  If you mustered all of MSNBC viewers, you may have enough for a platoon, but there would never be enough to form an “army.”

    Oh, does Matthews’ new book come with a box of crayons?

  • Tina Rocha

    Does Mathews or his colleagues understand that we won’t
    forget this? Does he realize that progressives have ruined any chance they at
    once had? Does he realize that moderate Democrats including me are leaving in
    droves re-registering as Independents? Does he realize that the only thing OWS
    will do is get folks maimed and/or killed and realize there will be no changes to
    our overall capitalistic system? No? Then let’s see some OWS activity in
    conservative areas. If you want to get the word out this would be the way to do
    it if you’re serious about the movement but noooo, you folks hit your own safe liberal
    geo-demographic. C’mon out wimps. Let the rest of America exercise their first amendment
    rights collectively, no? Our own Democratic precinct has been shuttered for 6
    months. Mathews, your job is secure because a Pug is going to be elected and
    should that Pug be able to reverse the insidious condition of the economy? The
    only time you’ll even see the Oval for decades is by invitation only if that.
    This pea under the shell game you folks are playing is clearly obvious to the
    majority.   

  • Anonymous

    Now Jesse has a Gay man suing him for harassment.  Jesse- covering all the bases.

  • Anonymous

    Don’t forget Obama’s Colorado Springs speech where he said he “wanted a national security force as big and powerful as the U.S. Military— Obama -July 2,2008

  • Anonymous

    He did say he wanted his own private army, in 2008, and I thought that the worthless TSA Scum were his Army?  It would fit, Obama is Worthless and TSA is Worthless, both only causing Americans problems.  Oh well, only a little over a year to go before the Failed NonAmerican is kicked out of the Oval Office!

  • Hyperbolic Chalkboard

    palin never even does interviews with anyone other than fox…i dont even see her on hannity any more..rift maybe?

  • Hyperbolic Chalkboard

    Lefties won’t think you are making it up, they would look it up before spewing ignorance like you, conservatives

    anyway..Chris has his misogynistic moments…but trust me…you guys do it too…EVEN MORE 

    http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/mccain-ladies-feud-glenn-beck-145139093.html

    (Is Yahoo Liberal?)

  • Hyperbolic Chalkboard

    Yea and add some rightwingers in there too…Hannity and his buttboy Levin could have some gay story arc..

  • Hyperbolic Chalkboard

    Wow…you have some fantasy. “Colored’s??” …and you ask why the mainstream media call the GOP racist.

  • Anonymous

    Matthews is a media whore. He flip-flops daily on his weird opines. And how the hell does this doughy fraud know what Obama is doing behind the scenes? I guess Obama should just add a bootlegger father, brothers and sisters and millions to his “army” since JFK had the same privilege. Pathetic.

    Remember, Matthews said that “Everybody likes this president. Except for some wackos on the left” – 2003

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