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

[KarateKid]

Well, Chris, you know who the Native Americans were referring to..............

[noamjunior]

GIven that republicans argued that a vote for Obama was for Radical socialism 2 weeks ago, its hard to buy their current argument that peoplev oted for obama becasue they wanted a right-leaning centrists

[JuniorBug]

Your feet are cloven, Todd!

[PT6]

I Agree with Chris!

This guy is a "FORKED-TONGUED" Republican who wants his "Rich Man" TAXES untouched!

Obama needs to be bold and "CUT THE BUSH EXCESSES" which jacked up the budget by 100%!

Obama can CUT $120 Trillion from Iraq!

We are in a Financial Crisis and Obama can Do the BIG THINGS!

[Stilts9]

Mathews kow-towed to BushCo. Now that the wind has changed........

[rw97]

Ronald Reagan taught us nothing. He was an actor. Voodoo Reaganomics and Alan "I found a flaw in my model" Greenspan have created the biggest economic disaster in 80 years.

[rw97]

Is there a Repub who doesn't speak with a forked tongue? Ron WhatsHisName claimed that Palin can be the leader of the GOP ... ha ha ha ... Enjoy the wilderness.

[antiprop1]

Chris Matthews show is interesting but sometimes he should be more judicious with his statements. I have found Todd Harris to honest and informative and shows bravery just to be on. Chris should chill with the, "forked tongue" comment.

[OnceYouGoBarack]

Wrong. It was a beautiful moment and I think I applauded when I saw it live. It's about time someone call the Cons on their outrageous spin.

[TheGay]

One reason I don't buy the "this election was decided by the center, not the left" argument is that when there is a quivering centrist capitulator candidate, the left stays home. I think the center is like one guy I called while volunteering for Obama: he asked BO's position on guns. That was what his vote hinged on. Not health care for all or ending the war in Iraq, but what would happen to his guns. The center is where tiny little issues like this can swing people from one candidate to the other. The base is motivated by campaign pledges that would widely impact people's lives in this country. This election was a referendum on war, tax policy, and the big money that led to Bushite nepotism more than anything else. Big issues. How else were we able to look past the usual superficial issue of race to the matter at hand?

[UWNBM]

And Chris, you speak with tingling leg...you are such a useless, partisan tool...you think that if you lick Obama's a--, that will help you if you decide to run for office in that land of bitter, Pennsylvania...BTW: do PAers like to take abuse that they wanted Obama AND Murtha, despite the insults hurled their way?

[Querent]

In this case, Chris partisan toolship actually HAS a use--- keeping the Republican lunatics from wallowing in their broth of lies. Back to the drawing board, BM.

[Oldbuck]

I get so dang tired of the Republican acting they had nothing to do with the Bush Administration heck they were all for every move he made in the last eight years when he wrecked our economy. Now they want the Dem's to go slow so at the end of four years they can say look the Dem's did not get anything done.

[gazonka]

The republicans are incapable of honest dialog. I hope more journalists start calling them out. Campbell Brown was the only one earlier in the season with any integrity. Matthews is all of a sudden in love with Obama although he has let way too many kool-aid drinkers off the hook in the past when Bush/Rove still had some relevance.

[UWNBM]

Matthews is all of a sudden in love with Obama although he has let way too many kool-aid drinkers off the hook in the past when Bush/Rove still had some relevance.

Matthews has been creaming in his pants for Obama for quite awhile...it's a sickening display.

[Querent]

Don't watch, if you find it sickening. Go back into your catatonic Republican stupor.

[OnceYouGoBarack]

He used to have a man-crush on Bush. Poor Bush, he's now on the outs.

[Carolab]

Matthews just has a crush on power figures.

[hilary916]

Bold action from the left is what's needed to fix this mess, imo

[beckpod1]

These people still don't get it! They said Obama's was a victory for Obama. True, yet truer it was a victory for the voice of america. We said in a clear voice....we want change...you're politics don't work and are destructive to democracy...go away!

[UWNBM]

We are tired of the "change" meme...mere Madison Avenue sloganeering...Obama needs to get to work..and choosing old hands from the Clinton years is NOT change, not that I dislike any of the Clintoinistas, except Rahm Emanuel...

[Querent]

Yeah, we NEED him to get to work. But he is not going to be inaugurated until January 20. Or didn't they note that in the troll talking points?

[OnceYouGoBarack]

It's not a meme, it's a slogan. Please look up the word "meme", when you get a chance in between trolls.

[Jesster]

Oops - I lost track of my original point, Yes Chris, we live in a world where many speak in forked tongues - but frankly (at least as far as I can see) neither Steve McMahon nor Todd Harris have ever been guilty of "drinking the Kool-Aid."