Chris Matthews: GOP Strategist Has "Forked Tongue"

On Hardball Tuesday, Chris Matthews urged Barack Obama to be bold in his policy choices. When a Republican strategist disagreed, the host told him he spoke with a "forked tongue." Raw Story reports:

"It seems to me that he's got one chance to get everything done," Matthews stated passionately on Hardball. "Ronald Reagan taught everybody that. Get it done the first year or don't talk about it. ... He's got to do it. He can't say, 'I'll put it off till after the year after next.' ... Do you think this guy can survive as president if all he does is do a little tax cuts and push SCHIP?"

Matthews put the question of boldness to two political strategists, Democrat Steve McMahon and Republican Todd Harris, but neither one seemed to respond to Matthews' implication that Obama needs to do something visionary to fulfill his promises.

"Doing something dramatic and bold on the economy I think is something they're very interested in doing," McMahon began. But he also insisted that "the middle decided this election and the middle of the country -- the swing voters -- are waiting for him to address their economic concerns."

"Big doesn't need to be conflated with liberal," Harris commented. "I think it's important that people not lose sight over what this election was and what it wasn't. What it was was a historic victory for Barack Obama. What it was not was a wholesale realignment of American politics to the left."

"You guys are so -- you speak with a forked tongue, Todd!" exploded Matthews.

Watch:

Comments

[Obama4change]

It took 8 years for Bush to destroy this country and now people want President elect Obama to fix it before he even gets in office. It is going to take time. Be patient people.

[GrainneKathleen]

I say be bold Obama! Don't worry about whether what you ppromised was center right, left, liberal, conservative, etc, etc. Enough with the labels; Obama is pragmatic, extremely intelligent, and warm-hearted; that is the man a great majority of the country voted for, and his programs are the ones we want in place. All these warnings from the neocons are their pathetic attempts to hold onto what little power they have. Of course we don't want Obama to overreach the way Clinton did. Bot Obama is a problem-solver and knows we will need to put new programs in place that fill the needs and concerns of the majority, including those in poverty. Bold does not have to mean partisan; it can mean ingenious, efficient, and effective - like the way Obama has run his campaign and his transition.

[saltpeter]

It's Roosevelt time, this is the way politics works. When the pendulum swings too far one way, it swings far again the other way. And HELLO TODD, it's hardly a slight moderate swing when they House and Senate also picked up a good number of Democratic seats. There is much to be done to undo the failed conservative overreach of the Bush administration. There is NO SENSE in prolonging these policies just as to not offend the neo-cons. Memo neo-cons: you loss. You don't get to make the rules anymore. You have not Obama to blame for that but for your power grab that led you down all the wrong avenues from Iraq to deregulation of the market, all of which blew up in your face. Bring it on Barack, engage in bi-partisanship with real conservatives like Hagel and Lugar who have shown a willingness to call their own party out for it's failures but avoid the neo-cons wingnuts. The one thing Obama needs to take away from the Clinton administration is that there is a difference between a conservative and a neo-con. A conservative seeks to do friendly battle with liberals. A neo-con seeks to annihilate liberalism. Never trust a neo-con with progressive policy.

[ohioan73]

Center-Left is a far more accurate description of America. It has NEVER been center, right, or center-right. If it were, we'd be a totally different nation. The religious far right would have an easier time spreading their philosophy if it were. The right refuses to acknowledge they are a fringe group the same way a rejected stalker refuses to acknowledge a restraining order. Very sad.

[1drumbum]

Or a Bush adminstration official refuses to acknowledge a supoena!

[JTyroler]

You have to admit, some of the Republican "strategists" that have appeared on MSNBC probably couldn't come up with a strategy to run charity raffle much less a campaign. They're spokespeople.

[JiminNC]

Those goobers see the same red-blue "change" map that we see ... they know or they are lobotomized.

[burpgun]

Two terms that are used by Obama that have been missing from the Washington Vocabulary for too long-Deliberate and Smart. To illustrate the point, Obama took along time to pick his Vice-President! He was smart and deliberate-weighed all his options-took in the plus and minus aspects of his choice and chose Joe Biden as being the most compatable with his envisioned administrative goals and aspirations. He surprised even the Republican "Think Tanks" as Bob Bennett admitted that it was a gutsy choice. McCain , on the other hand, needed someone to counteract Obama's celebrity status, possibly pick up the Hillary and women's vote, and energize his Conservative Base. I don't think that McCain will even state that his choice was deliberate but I have to admit that it was smart in the sense that she did enegize his campaign and put the press spotlight on his campaign and off of Obama! Long term results are controversial and it may have been better had McCain been more deliberate! In conclusion, Mathews should also be more deliberate in his thinking as far as how much and how fast changes should be made!

[MaynardGK]

Radical big actions on the economy have already been taken to greatly benefit
the banks, which despite charging a gangster's ransom and profiting greatly
on the consumer's tendency to spend optimistically, have gone bust in their greed.
Relief of consumer debt should be a big part of stimulus, and relatively costless
in the wake of the banking bailouts.
A national bank should be set up,
1. seizing AIG, fannie Mae, anything else in debt that much to Uncle Sam.
2. Proceed to bank with the public, including unsecured debt.
3. Interest on these should be systematically reduced as payment history is successful.

[JenMI]

I love Todd Harris...H­e was one of the few Republican talking heads who saw the writing on the wall, was able to admit it, laugh at himself when challenged on his spin and he came back day after day with a smile to appear on Hardball. Matthews..­..apologiz­e and give him his due credit. We won so quit beating a dead horse.

[arjuna108]

Yes, there is no reason for a journalist to point out when someone is lying. That would be like, well, journalism, or as Jen refers to it "beating a dead horse." Maybe Matthews didn't know truth was dead. Send him a memo.

[JenMI]

Matthews..­? love him but he's a pundit with a view...pun­dit does not always equate with truth.

[HallStyle]

This country has always been center left. The Repubs have just done a great job of spreading their Propaganda. BUT This year it was just to many negatives against them. They need to think long and hard about there future or they want have one.

All the Demographics FAVOR the DEMOCRATS. Rising Hispanic Population sided with the Democrats. The expanding need for MASSIVE SOCIAL PROGRAMS favors the Democrats. The DESIRE TO END THE WAR favor the democrats. THE FIRST MINORITY PRESIDENT FAVORS THE DEMOCRATS.

THE COUNTRY IS CLEARLY CENTER LEFT.

http://www.hallstyle.blogspot.com

[JohnBilt]

Exactly... If the country is center right, John McCain would be President-Elect.

[Smith808]

I think most of his guests should just file for unemployment before appearing on his show.

[MarciL]

"What it was not was a wholesale realignment of American politics to the left."

Yes, actually, it was and all you Repubs spouting your corporate nonsense won't change that.

[Tyrione]

I'm going to enjoy watching the unraveling of a failed Carter speech writer, later Tip O'Neil staffer turned loudmouth who positioned himself as the modern shock jock of politics.

[OnceYouGoBarack]

Why would he unravel?

[SERGIOUK]

Another scalp to Mathews...­.....

[QuakerBeach]

Chris nailed Todd today. I like the 3 of these guys together - it has made for some really good discussion over the past months. Todd does it want it both ways.

What is going to be hard is that Obama is going to have to spend money to invest in the economy and get people - especially through jobs - back on their feet. Once the economy is jump started, he can move on to the rest of the agenda. Reps are going to jump up and down on his spending - just remind them - what do they have to show for their rampant spending of the last 8 years?