The Republican Party, CNBC/MSNBC, and that spittle-flecked caveman
On Tuesday, the GOP’s presidential candidates have a choice: Suck up and roll over for the liberal media establishment. Or grow some balls and fight back for once. Not. Holding. Breath.
The candidates will be appearing on nutroots cable TV’s MSNBC for a debate in Dearborn, Michigan. (Update clarification: It’s running on CNBC first, then MSNBC.) Why they are bothering to show up on a network with basement viewership is beyond me. Even more puzzling: Why they would bother to show up for a debate co-(im)moderated by spittle-flecked Chris Matthews.
As Erick Erickson at Red State notes:
The Democrats will not participate in a debate with Fox News hosts, lest they be asked difficult questions. Nonetheless, the GOP will have yet another MSNBC debate on Tuesday with Chris Matthews, who offered these choice words last night:
“[The Bush Administration has] finally been caught in their criminality,” Matthews continued, although he did not specify the exact criminal behavior to which he referred. He then drew an obvious Bush-Nixon parallel by saying, “Spiro Agnew was not an American hero.” Matthews left the throng of Washington A-listers with a parting shot at Cheney: “God help us if we had Cheney during the Cuban missile crisis. We’d all be under a parking lot.”
You know, I will be gravely disappointed if the GOP candidates do not make an issue of this at the debate.
If the GOP candidates are too chicken to take on Chris Matthews before a live television audience on Matthew’s gross bias, they will have disgraced us all.
Chris Matthews is flogging a book and trying to keep his little-watched blabberfest afloat.
He’ll say anything. He’ll smear anyone.
He’ll slime military families.
His abject ignorance is no obstacle.
The Beltway has the deleterious effect of dulling its prominent denizens’ sense of outrage and self-respect. Time after time, Matthews has embarrassed himself with his boorish behavior. Yet, respectable conservatives in Washington court him, embrace him, fete him, cocktail-clink with him, and apparently consider him a completely acceptable “moderator.”
The GOP presidential candidates have spent millions to prove they identify with ordinary voters in the heartland. It wouldn’t take one cent to show up on Tuesday and put Matthews in his place.
Will they?
The operative phrase when it comes to observing Beltway Republicans is this:
Lower your expectations.
The guys at Newsbusters agree with me, citing past GOP disappointments and missed opportunities. Ken Shepherd writes:
I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were Erick, if the performance from the candidates who attended last week’s PBS/Tavis Smiley debate are any indication. That debate, which NewsBusters executive editor Matt Sheffield and I attended in person, was a sop to the left with every question skewing to the left and/or putting Republicans on the defensive for real and perceived slights by the GOP against black voters over the past 142 years — one questioner insisted that no Republican president since Lincoln did anything of lasting positive benefit to black Americans.
Yet at no time were any complaints registered by the debate participants about the solidly left-wing skew of the questions, nor of how moderator Tavis Smiley once called President Bush a “serial killer” for his presiding over numerous executions when Governor of Texas.
While the nutroots have their Democrat presidential candidates in the collective palm of their hands–all boycotting Fox News debates and singing from the Kos/Media Matters/MoveOn.org hymnal–grass-roots conservatives hoping for a kick-ass candidate seem hopelessly out of luck.
For once, I’d love to be proved wrong.
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- Keith Burgess-Jackson » All Fred, All the Time
- Off His Meds Again Chris Matthews Claims: Cheney, The Criminal, Is After Me | Stuck On Stupid
- PAXALLES
- Offensive? Really? » Comments from Left Field
- Yes to MSNBC, but no to the Hispanics and the African Americans? « Cowardly political musings…
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Categories: 2008 campaign, Chris Matthews, GOP
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aj sending
case2 cases of miracle grow to the GOP.ot-
Nite everyone, Game Time!!!!
Go Angels!!!
I am beginning to wonder about the Republican’s spherical objects that are sometimes red and bounce….
If Giuliani can keep off the phone he may become irked enough to shove this ignorant partisan’s assumptions back up his butt.
Republicans are going to lose in ‘08 unless they can prove to their constituents that they are willing to fight.
With truth on their side (or at least more truth), the Republicans should be setting the rules, not following the Democrat’s rules.
Matthews is a petulant boor, a peevish prig and not a worthy republican’ gig. Tell him to pack sand and get outta the band. He’s a tuba-headed fool and definitely not cool.
The distance from the White House to the Republican base is large. From the Republican Party to the base it is larger still. And sad to say, from the “respectable conservatives” to the base, it is the greatest distance of all. This is why I cannot get excited about the current Republican candidates. If by some miracle (on the order of the parting of the Red Sea) the Republicans win, we can be confident that the new president will turn into an instant Rino as soon as the oath is given. And we know the all too many “respectable conservatives” along with the usual Rinos will be feverishly advising him to reach out to the Democrats, to grant Shamnesty, and to spend and spend. Sure, toss a rhetorical bone to the base every now and then, but otherwise ignore them.
Looks like another debate not worth watching. We need a real conservative candidate to stand-up and put Matthews in his place, but I’m sure not holding my breath on this one.
Actually, I think it might be worth watching. It will certainly show us whether ANY of them has any courage left. Unfortunately I am rather pessimistic but we can always hope, I guess.
Whos Chris Matthews?
The GOP should demand for Matthews to be replaced with Olbermann. Call out the Dems for running from FNC and demand that Media Matters/dKos/Moveon.org start their first string moonbat. If they’re going to rig it, you might as well remove any pretense of fairness.
I expect the GOP candidates to rollover faster than Ned Beatty in Deliverance.
MM went over to the dark side, and now has a MACBOOK. And now this:
This week has just been dandy!!!!!!!!!
I’ll watch the clips on Hot Air or Fox. The full “debate” would be too much to bear; my stomach is still churning from the FruitFest in SF
My challenge to the G.O.P. candidates:
If you don’t have the balls (M.M.’s word Mr. Webmaster, sir) to boycott this debate then at least show a little testicular fortitude (my words) and call Chris Matthews on his criminality comment.
Do that and you’ve got my vote.
You n me both, I am sick and friggin tired of voting for the least of two evils, I want a real Conservative candidate!
That said, when taken in the overall context, the quality of nearly all (you know who it is I’m leaving out) of the Republican candidates individually is better than any of the Democrats.
The best they have isn’t the quality of the next to the bottom Republican runner.
The difference is I don’t want to win, I want a John Bolton-Barry Goldwater Conservative.
Whoa there! Richard Wagner and John Philip Sousa are rolling in their graves (the latter at 120 beats per minute.)
Cuban missile crisis?!?!? What Chris, are you purposely bringing up JFK to remind us of that Vietnam quagmire he got us into?
I saw the headline and thought, more Geraldo?
My mistake. Different spittoon.
Mr. Meatpie, Sir! Is there anything you want to add to this list?
Well, hopefully if Duncan Hunter was reading my advice in a previous thread about Old Glory, he’ll step up to the plate this time.
My additional advice, if he does, is to bring a plastic, ala Gallagher, dropcloth along with him to avoid the spittle spewing he’ll induce
Man up, Repubs. Make a joint statement tomorrow, tell Chrissy and MSNBC to shove it, and cancel the debate. Get on message. Call the media out for the Democrat tools they are. Get in the freakin’ game or STFU.
They need not attempt to please the crazy left and they should not attempt to please the religious right either…..they need to tell us what they will do to keep taxes down and seat Federalist Judges then we keep our money and the Court can give States back their intended rights.
http://www.theconservativevoice.com/ap/article.html?mi=D8S3F1L00&apc=9001
If they do appear, they should appear for one reason only: a takedown of the MSM. Why just create sound bites to be used against you?
I’m not holding my breath whatsoever.
They should all watch Bill O and his Sharpton / Jackson interviews and then do just the opposite…Jesus what a farce this whole thing has become.
“Not. Holding. Breath.”
I’ll be happy when the One. Word. Followed. By. A. Period. Then. Another. Word. fad goes away. Some might call that a ‘meme’ but I hate that fad term too. *sigh*
Back to the subject, I would love to see the GOP serve up some payback to Chris Matthews, but it won’t happen. GOP politicians love the media attention, so they won’t bite the hand that feeds them, even if they’re being fed crumbs compared to the democrats getting fluffy cake with delicious creamy icing.
Great…now I talked myself into a late night snack.
How many mother lovin’ debates have there been this year anyway? 37? And how many more will we have to endure?
Do they have to debate on every public access channel? It seems like they’ve (both parties) been running for office for the last two years. And none of them get me all squishy inside! I don’t know who stands for what anymore.
I think I’ll just write in Ted Nugent for the primaries if they don’t get their act together. Then I’ll skip on down the ballot and concentrate on the local elections.
We need leadership. We need a meat eating, disemboweling, flesh ripping Grizzly and we get Winnie the Poo and the friggin’ Care Bears. I want someone that would say “What kind of stupid question was that Chris?” I want someone that will dispense with niceties. Not call the other guy his esteemed colleague. I want someone that will point his thumb over at the other guys and say “These guys couldn’t lead a track team out of a burning outhouse”. I want someone to say at a press conference “Hey, Obama why are you ashamed of that flag?” I want someone that if elected President, would throw a chair at Helen Thomas! I want someone that would REALLY intimidate Hillary Clinton at a debate, not like that crap in NY! We have a bunch of empty
sacksuh… I mean suits running against a bunch of empty heads.Fasternu 426
Rock and roll!!
Fasternu 426, you are clearly describing this man for 2008. He’s said there’s no way he’ll win, we know this, but shake things up…he can do that in spades.
Of the current field, I still think Huckabee is the most principled…by a mile, and I think that counts for alot.
Anyone see the Fred and Jeri interview with Hannity? Yowsa. Not pretty.
I’m gonna get behind Savage though, that guy is the man.
Guess its time to place two..to denote a micro pause emphasis between words..
I can’t get Savage here where I am. When he’s on they turn down the juice on the local AM station and I can’t get him up here in Hooterville. I’m a big fan of Savage’s!! When I was a cop I used to listen to him in the patrol car.
So far Huckabee is the one I like best, but he needs to let ‘em drop and get busy.
This is one of the most important elections EVER. The future of the US is really in the balance. We need someone to stand up against the Jihadis and Mexico! America First! We didn’t become great by being squishy! They mistake kindness for weakness. America was built by hard men and women that made hard choices. People like Chris Matthews would die if they had to make a living like the rest of us. They are so isolated from the world with no one that would tell them things like “Blow it out yer pie hole Chris!” Same for the politicians. They don’t come from the real world. They are too insulated. This is a reason I believe in term limits. These guys get to Washington and get a free ride for life if they choose, or don’t screw it up.
I will gift $20 dollars to the candidate who slaps down Chrissy first.
$20 bucks to the candidate who slaps down Chrissy best
$20 to the best Ron Paul smackdown.
OT– Did anyone else notice there are girls kissing in the pajamas ads in the sidebar???
oh come on MM. This will be the first time we get to see Right Said Fred in Action…of course, he could boycott it so that he still won’t be in a debate. And will Alan Keyes show up and how what will he actually bring to the debate.
I’m all for ignoring this; however, if you’re a lower tier candidate, like Hunter, you need all the exposure you can get. Sure he couldbe the first one to say “No thanks, D-bag” to Chris Matthews, but if others follow his lead then he’s not going to benefit from any extra press.
Folks like Tancredo and Hunter need this as it gets them free air time and if they don’t show and the bigs do, then they’re officially toast.
When it comes to the House and Senate, I say we elect the biggest meanest guy and make ‘em rassle!. Be like the Taiwanese Parliment. A Senatorial cage match? If they’re in there putting knots on each other’s heads, they can’t be spending our money. It would make C-Span a lot more fun to watch. I’d buy tickets to see John Cornyn from Texas get Harry Reid in a suplex!! SLAAAAM! I got your Robert’s Rules of Order right here! Press conferences would look like this!
With this being Fred Thompson’s 1st debate will make it worth watching.
Fred Thompson will RIP Chris Matthews a new ___ hole.
After that it’s going to be followed by one upsmanship from the other candidates.
THIS DEBATE is the one worth watching for Fred Thompsons attendance alone!
The GOP want open borders too. This is the unsaid problem. Like the Dems, they want to flood the country with illegals. Of course their goal is short term greed. The Dems know that they can deconstruct America with illegals. Their goal.
“God help us if we had Cheney during the Cuban missile crisis. We’d all be under a parking lot.”
not suprising that the bonehead matthews has such a slanted view of recent history. Had JFK not called off the planned bomber air support during the bay of pigs invasion in 61, there would have never been a castro owned cuba. JFK brought the nearest nuclear confrontation on himself by being a nice guy during a freedom fight. Had Cheney been prez during bay of pigs, many more Cubans would be alive today.
Wanted to comment, but aj and d1 said it all.Good call,guys.
MM, you criticized the Dems for being too chicken to debate on Fox News, but then criticize the Repubs for doing exactly what the Dems don’t have the balls to do.
I agree with you most of the time, but i’m sorry to say, this seems a bit hypocritical.
Why should we be afraid of the big, bad, Chris Matthews? Fear he might ask an “unfriendly” question? Why lower ourselves to the level of the “boo, hoo, it might not be ‘fair’” Dems?
I thought we were supposed to be the tough guys.
Mr. Duncan!! Ms. Davidson!! HELLO! Are you looking?! Are you reading!! We’re being ignored!…and you want more money?!
As a strong Mitt Romney supporter and contributor, I have sent this story to Mitt. I agree 100 percent with Michelle. This guy Mathews is a former Democratic operative and might as well still work for the DNC. He really turns be off. I can’t stomach the guy. He never goes into listening mode, he’s a motor mouth.
This debate is a waste of time because MSNBC because almost no ones watches that low class network.
You’re missing the point. The Dems are avoiding Fox News, because, while they’ll be treated respectfully, they’ll be asked tough questions. Their claims that it will be a biased debate are false, and they know it. They’re just afraid of being asked questions that no one in the Democrat-controlled main stream media will ask them. You know, like “What’s your plan for Iraq?”
Chris Matthews and MSNBC, on the other hand, have demonstrated that they are actively working as unpaid Democrat Party operatives. We don’t have to wonder if he’ll be unfair, we can expect it. His questions won’t be tough, they’ll be asinine and designed not to illicit information, but to make Hillary Clinton’s poll numbers go up. Brit Hume, who would moderate a Fox News debate, has NEVER said the kinds of things about Democrats that Matthews says nightly about Republicans.
Having Chris Matthews moderate a debate of Republican candidates is like having Bill O’Reilly moderate a debate of Dems. They aren’t newsmen. They host OPINION shows.
I just emailed this to the Chairman of the RNC.
Now then, I feel a little better. Now, the Mrs. and I are off to the Shenadoah Mountains for the day. Need to get out of the DC insane asylum to regroup.
This makes for a very good test of the Republican candidates. If I were on the podium and asked a question by Matthews, I would respond. “Before I answer, I have a question for you. ‘Why do you hate Republicans?’ And if I don’t get a straight answer from you, I am passing on any questions from you. Further, when it is my turn to speak, I will base my response on what I hear from my fellow Republicans and what I hear from the Democrats currently running for the Presidency.”
Let’s see Matthews spin that on.
If I turn the channel to msnbc (which is rare), and hear the voice of Chris Matthews, I will quickly change it. He has the loud, high, whiney voice which is almost as irritating as his talking over his own “quest” (victims). I don’t know why anyone would take him seriously (or how he even has a job). As far as Republican candidates. I can’t think of one worth voting for. These are not real debates anyway, just opportunities for sound bites. I will get interested in debates when INDEPENDENTS have a voice.
Are you sure about this part?
Fasternu 426. You just made my day. A cage match might just shake things up abit. Hahaha.
Also I think Michael Savage best describes the person to fit the bill for 2008. We need someone with the gonads to stand up to the PC crowd and put this country’s best interests first. Save the USA, Savage for 2008!
Hi everyone! This is my first time posting on this site but you guys have provided me with hours of entertainment and I mean that in a good way.
A suggestion, if I may. Why don’t we email the candidate of our choice, who will be participating in the debate, and respectfully ask them to consider the opinions of us peons in the real world especially regarding this “debate”.
Since I am leaning towards Giuliani I am sending him an email explaining why I am interested in his campaign, explaining my agreements and disagreements and letting him know that I will vote for the guy who stands up to lying, pandering, partisans in the media like Matthews.
If you can’t get your message out, you will end up like President Bush.
I have no confidence in any of these candidates. I think Newt was our best shot,alas, he is not running.
I wonder why they’re going to show up for that jerk’s debate. But I guess they don’t want to look like girlie men as the dimocraps do for not showing up on Fox.
As for Matthews, he’s a clown. I loved when Zell Miller said he wished it was the 1700’s and he could challenge Chrissy to a duel. We all know who would have won that one and it wouldn’t be the fair haired big mouth.
Welcome Vince! Let us know what you hear from Rudy. I am on the fence about him myself.
MM: “Or grow some balls and fight back for once.”
Some species of quadruped reptiles (i.e. lizards) have the innate ability to regenerate missing parts. For example, if the tail is cut or pulled off, it will grow a new one. Unfortunately, our GOP Congresscritters do not have that ability. In fact they are missing so many body parts, it’s a wonder they’re still prancing around:
spine
guts
brain
balls
eyes
ears
/feel free to add your own to this list
Michelle, I agree with your position, and if the candidates in question were aware not participating in the MSNBC debate would deliver a been their, done that, and we are not going to take it any more message, they for sure would not be there. Putting a finger in the eye of MSNBC may not be much but it has legs. Hopefully they know stupid is as stupid does (and is not insane doing the same disastrous thing and expecting a different outcome).
Haven’t they already had a debate with Matthews and weren’t the questions completely asinine? Didn’t Mitt get asked what he hated about America? Or how about the hoe would you feel about Bill Clinton back in the White House question?
How about we just have a Fred vs. Alan Keyes debate, since we know what everyone else will say. I guess Hunter can be there too, since he’s the best of the bunch and needs more PR.
This excessive multitude of “debates” is already over the top. Nobody is watching and nobody cares. Why would any serious candidate ever show up for Matthews? Sound bites don’t substitute for serious discussion of the issues and Chris probably won’t even allow decent sound bites.
You people do realize that if the candidates make the slightest peep about Matthews’ bilious rhetoric, the Treason Media will report it as another example of fascist Republicans trying to squelch dissent of the truly patriotic people who question this illegal war of choice to enrich Bushitler’s cronies, right?
It’s nice to dream of a world where someone will answer the first question, regardless of subject, with, “I hope the voters at home are aware of the fact that we are here ready to accept questions from a former Democrat operative who has called the Bush Administration criminal and claimed that Vice President Dick Cheney would’ve cause da nuclear holocaust if he had been President during the Cuban Missile Crisis. When questioning the candidates of his own party, he threw them softballs about how great it would be to have Bill Clinton back in the White House.
His party refuses to debate on Fox News Channel because they are afraid they won’t be treated fairly, but we Republicans are willing to come on Mr. Matthews network even though we know he will not be fair or balanced and shares in the same anti-war, anti-military attitudes that have led the Democrats to join with the radical MoveOn.org in calling a decorated general a traitor and are trying to silence the voice of the highest-rated talk show host in the country on the basis of a lie about two words. Thank you.”
Too bad it will never happen.
Because the top Stupid Party candidates skipped the Tavis Smiley “black rage” debate, it made the party look like racist cowards as evidenced by the thrashing they got on Bill Maher’s show last week.
Any one notice that the only people who seem to have balls in the Republican party are women?
I have given up hope that Romni or Guilliani are going to take it to the Libs and confront them with their lie, their sedition and treasonous ways. I really had hope that one of them, at some point, would say something to make up for all that Clinton, Obama and Pretty Boy’s wife has been sayiong and doing that are so transparantly obscene and are lies, but if I were to hold my breath any longer, I am afraid I would just turn a funny blue color.
My last hope now is for Fred to basically ram all their lies, anti-American statements, defeatist attacks and seditious movements right back down their throats. I guarantee that if Thompson were to do just that, not let Matthews off the hook, not play nice or pander and stick it to the entire Left-Wing then you will see him jump so far ahead of everyone in the polls, including Hill as well as break records in fund raising that it will make all the pundits’ and talking head’s spin like tops come Wednesday morning. It would leave the Dems in a lurch, immediately on the defensive in a way they could not easily return from. Once he were to open up on them, he could easily just keep at them, never giving them a chance to recover. the Right would have someone with cajone`s, the media would turn the atention away from the Democrats and we would finally have someone worth getting excited about.
I don’t really think it will happen. The Right is still too timid and afraid of coming out swinging. They are going to hand this election, and the defeat of our country, over to the DEms on a silver platter.
Unless someone takes them on full force, we do not have a snowballs chance in Hell of winning and this will have been one great big waste of time and money.
Erick Erickson:
You know, this little idea, this little point which always gets lost in the larger discussion it generates, is so absolutely, tremendously important. It’s the strongest weapon right now because while the American people may not always absorb the nuances of theoretical legislative policy, everyone understands cowardice.
As always, though, our guys on the right never see the real message even when it’s given to them on a silver platter. HOW CAN WE EXPECT THE DEMOCRAT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES TO MANAGE A COUNTRY AND PROTECT US FROM EVIL WHEN THEY’RE AFRAID OF A SIMPLE AMERICAN TELEVISION NEWS NETWORK? WHAT ARE THEY HIDING? WHAT ARE THEY RUNNING AWAY FROM?
That’s the message for right now. Period. Keep it simple and hammer it home a million times. If only our guys weren’t so media-pathetic they could use this one point to run the Dems absolutely into the ground and get them into a corner: face tough questions or look like cowards to even their staunchest supports.
But alas, alas…. yet another amazing opportunity being lost by our guys who get the facts right but are too geeky to know what to do with them…
…. as usual.
The Republican Party refuses to take on the mainstream liberal media, which is why they lost the 2006 elections–not because of Iraq or Katrina. They constantly allow liberals in the media to control the debate, and they never fight back. Asking the obnoxious liberal Chris Matthews to moderate a debate is typical.
This is why the Republican Party’s pleas for funds goes straight into the trash. I’d much rather give money to conservative Catholic organizations, such as orthodox religious orders of nuns and priests, that are actually taking on the liberal establishment than Republicans who are kissing up to liberals in the media and losing elections because of it.
Sorry to drift but I have to revisit the Matthews/Malkin dustup from the Swift Boat days. On CM’s show, MM cited the SB book as saying one of JK’s wounds may have been “self-inflicted” and then CM proceeded to scream at her over and over “ARE YOU SAYING HE SHOT HIMSELF ON PURPOSE?!” (prompting Olbermann to blog ‘never prouder of you, Chris’). CM had it in his mind that “self-inflicted” meant “on purpose” and there was a miscommunication between CM and MM such that his confusion was never cleared up. I just have to ask … did he ever figure out his mistake? Did he apologize? Did he invite MM back onto his show? As an aside, it’s a wonderful example of how an erroneous thought can first get lodged in the mind of the liberal and then infused with emotion so that it has no chance of becoming dislodged. Also how liberals seem happier to steamroll their adversaries rather than win in the arena of ideas. The guy is annoying.
What I’d really like to see is the ‘Rats taking heat for ignoring (traditionally) conservative venues like AFP’s Defending the American Dream Summit.
Wish you or Bryan could’ve been there.
MM….
Sometimes, as polite as we may try to be, direct words get the message across!!
I think we should get those testicles people sometimes hang on the back of their trucks, attached to the hitch, and send them to the GOP. Here’s a site:
http://www.mistercojones.com/?gclid=CMTa67n1_Y4CFTtbIgodEHUjug
Rio
Semper Fi!