Chris Matthews Show Panel Tackles Inaugural Speech: Will Obama Offer ‘Uniting Theme’ To Divided Country?

The panel on The Chris Matthews Show Sunday discussed possible strategies for President Obama‘s inaugural speech this week in light of the great speeches of presidents past. “Will the president offer a unified theme or a laundry list in this inaugural?” Matthews asked.

Liz Marlantes of The Christian Science Monitor felt that Obama would in fact “try to find some kind of uniting theme to bring the country together.” But, she said, what makes inaugural speeches great is that “the presidency was great.” So, “in a way,” she said, “it’s what the president does.”

Matthews noted that Obama himself is not a “unifying factor” because many on the right “hate his guts.” John Harris of POLITICO agreed but said “both our parties in Washington today feel firmly” that they are right. They feel like “the other side is not just wrong, but they’re evil.”

“That’s where you have the sort of irreconcilable conflicts that describe our politics today,” Harris added.

“Can he reach the country over the head of this divisive political class?” Matthews asked.

Political reporter Kasie Hunt said she thought Obama will “have the opportunity to do that,” but Howard Fineman disagreed. “I don’t think he’s going to use the entire speech on inauguration day to try to bridge all of the cultural and social divide in the country,” Fineman said.

“I think he has a to-do list,” he added. “I think he recognizes that he needs to redeem the promise of his presidency.”

Fineman also noted that Obama may realize he’s “not going to be able to bring over” the “Tea Party people.” The president is “better off ignoring” them or “bringing them along by circumstance” than “trying to woo them with rhetoric,” he said.

Watch the clip below, via NBC: