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

[huffy2001]

Watching Smerkonish and Ron Christy on Harball tonight. I love these conservatives! Conservati­ve=backwar­d thinking...never changing...clinging to the past. That's exactly what Christy said. Not Palin's fault they lost...wrong person on top.

All I can say to these guys is keep on thinking this way. Cling to the past. Ronnie lives forever! In the mean time, Obama will lead us into our future.

[PackyJ]

This is an OUTRAGE!
Tweety needs to apologize to ALL forked-tongued Americans.

[proudem]

This is why the repubs lost, at least one of the many reasons. They refuse to believe that other people think differently and that they do not have their finger on the pulse of America. Not all Americans believe that religious ideology, exclusionism, deregulation, unbridled capitalism, tax cuts for the rich, torture, occupation of other countries and bigotry are the direction that this country needs to go. Clearly, many Americans (at least 51% of the voting population) believes in progressive ideas. We believe in expanding freedoms, not limiting them. We do not believe that a group of out of touch white guys speak for us. We do not believe in their patriarical society where the rich and powerful get to decide what is the best for the rest of us. We are capable of thinking for ourselves and we are now in a position to take this country in the right direction that will benefit all.

[MinasTirith]

Remember: An informed, educated, and unafraid electorate is not a sheepish, controllable electorate. The Repubs don't want us to be informed, and appeal therefore only to those who aren't.

With the information explosion, and t he growing power of 'The Internets' fewer and fewer members of that electorate are as easily mislead (Yes, still an abhorrent number, but shrinking). They are a fear mongering party with fewer and fewer people to scare.

The majority of us have seen through the tissue of lies, and have been too informed to scare readily.

So here's hoping that they do indeed keep working the same outdated and outmoded ropes... After all, trying the same failed thing repeatedly and expecting different results, is the ultimate definition of insanity.

Keep up the insanity, Repubs... those of us who want to move forward, will leave you in the past

[proudem]

very eloquently put.

[huffy2001]

Conservative means, literally, to cling to the past and resist change. It's in their DNA. They can't help themselves.

Think about it. They want to cling to the Constitution as written...an antique document that is over 200 years old that supported slavery and denied women the right to vote. The framers, who were anything but conservative (radical revolutionists, in fact) understood the problem with that and crafted a document that was designed to be changed. The beloved Second Amendment, in fact, was a change to the original document.

I think we should change some labels. Start calling conservatives what they are. Backward thinkers. Clingers. Obstructionists. Antiques. Fogeys. Old white men.

And let's stop identifying ourselves as "liberals," or even progressives (which I like, but the pugs have tarnished it, too. Let's think of ourselves as forward thinkers, change agents, new ideas, embracers of the future. Perhaps if we can change our thinking about things we can recapture the agenda and start moving this country forward.

[DrPaulProteus]

In oversimplified terms, In a country so far to the right, we do absolutely need a "lurch to the left" just to get back toward the "center" these guys are all talking about.

[scjk67]

rethuglicans are such a whiners, hence chris matthews is a register republican, and i sense he voted for obama, plus he sees the rethugs are nothing but racial, hate and fear mongering groups that had the ultra-right wing christian extremist befall on the "grand old party" and thats enough to tell all!!!!

[reasonlives]

Matthews is a lifelong Democrap, get your facts straight before posting.

[FloridaMich]

Take the troops home from Iraq and take care of Americans first with Health Care. I'm with Harris on that all the way to the Dr's office.

[ESerafina42]

I realize that this site needs to be funded, but everywhere I go on it I see the same anti-abortion ads. It's getting really annoying.

[jackt51]

Tell me about it! Seems very strange to me onthis site. It' s bad enough on he MSM sites!!!

[chasmader]

I also find it offensive

[ErnestineBass]

I say let the pro-lifers waste their money...if they aren't smart enough to know they'll get little or no traction here, whatever.

[JessWonderin]

Who REALLY is influenced by their ads??? If "frequency" were effective I'd have more Net-Flicks moves than one would watch in TWO lifetimes . . . .

[GenXer]

Could someone start to correct these jokers when they speak like they own values. Obama and progressives do not lack values. Our values are more inclusive, but we believe in honesty, lawfulness, and help to the Poor. What about, "What you do unto the least, you do unto to me also". Christian, mainstream, and liberal. It is just higher on our priority list than many conservatives. Don't let these jokers try to talk like they are morally above us. I am so tired of that, how about anyone else?

[msjimmied]

I am totally with you on that.

[pro america]

I agree.

The GOP is good at moralizing, but they are short on solutions.

The conservatives who are anti-abortion refuse social services to poor women and their children.

How can you force poor women to give birth and not give them affordable healthcare and job opportunities? How can they work when they cannot afford childcare?

[reasonlives]

What have you ever done for the poor, hypocrite?

[whit4brains]

Agreed.

[debb17055]

11.11.2008

GenXer,
I am SO with you on this. I live in the T Repug section of PA and I cannot believe the holier than though messages that came into my inbox from my "friends"?
Never did they consider how I felt about this election; it was just assumed I was on their side. I realized there was no way to try to argue with the Elisabeth Hasselbecks in my life...
I never said, OK, my side won and yours lost. She is relentless and she needs to go to FOX news ASAP, that will guarantee that I never have to witness her ridiculous antics ever again!
Please don't think that I don't do my research before expressing my opinion, and I love give and take between differing opinions, I am just tired of doing all of the homework to refute the lies that are spreading around.
So back at you, anyone else going through this?

[GenXer]

Go
Chris!

[ReggaeFan]

What the heck is wrong with being liberal anyway? Most of what I consider progress has been due to liberal? Isn't liberal being open minded and generous? Who was in favor of women or African-Americans getting the vote? Conservatives or liberals?

[GenXer]

Exactly.
The conservatives want to say we have a failed philosophy, because we have been unable to totally extinguish poverty and injustice. I say democracy and progress are possible because of liberalism. Conservatism is not what is once was, they are not acutually conservative, they are regressive. They have spent the last 29 years trying to undue the progress of the new deal.

[pgurlatl]

What do our opponents mean when they apply to us the label "Liberal?" If by "Liberal" they mean, as they want people to believe, someone who is soft in his policies abroad, who is against local government, and who is unconcerned with the taxpayer's dollar, then the record of this party and its members demonstrate that we are not that kind of "Liberal." But if by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people -- their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties -- someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal."

JFK
Acceptance Speech of the New York
Liberal Party Nomination
September 14, 1960

[msjimmied]

Or gays, or Okay let me stop, I was going to say the polygamists, but that would not be truthful.

[gevan]

Do you think Chris Matthews wants to run the country? Gotta tell Obama he has a new boss.

[msjimmied]

In a word, NO.

[LEODELEONJR]

You go Barack. You do what you want. I cant stand the republicans. I will vote Democrat again.

I will not vote republican ever again.

[Gmoney1]

The repubs lost - they need to accept and acknowledge and don't think they can dictate to the dems - they will be given a voice and consideration - but they don't rule anymore and the majority of us won't be listening anyway - we voted for Obama - take Sarah and go have a long 8 year lunch -

[LarBear]

I hear Republican's referring to themselves as an "OPPOSING PARTY"....

That is the Motto and Mantra of those who put PARTY, before NATION...
If this were about Nation, they would be the Complimentary Party...

Compliment:1 a: an expression of esteem, respect, affection, or admiration ; especially : an admiring remark b: formal and respectful recognition : honor 2 plural : best wishes : regards (accept my compliments)

Complimentary:1 a: expressing or containing a compliment (a complimentary remark) b: favorable (the novel received complimentary reviews)2: given free as a courtesy or favor

This MUST be the Attitude/ Belief of the Democrats also... Enough of the Divineness... Let the Divineness END with the WE the People/ Obama/ USA ticket...

The Wealthy "Got IT' and favored Obama in their Vote... Greed, involving money, or Control, opposes the USA...... What good "Winning" when that involves greed, for Money and/ or Control, when that Greed and Lust for Control, destroys your Home???

[TXfemmom]

The combination of a Congress which was elected overwhelmingly to the Democrats and a Democratic Presidency IS A MANDATE.

As for healthcare, were the correct and right changes made, then it could be done and ACTUALLY SAVE MONEY for businesses and individuals and cost far less. Businesses and workers could pay far less than they currently do to a universal system, and cover themselves and their families if the correct changes are made.

Recently, a friend of mine received the bill for her husband's Open Heart Surgery. The hospital bill was $103,000 for the four days and the surgeon charged GET THIS $73,000. I had to retire from Anesthesia ten years ago, in reality became disabled, but PAYING A SURGEON $73,000 TO DO AN OPEN HEART SURGERY, WHEN THEY OFTEN DO TWO, THREE OR EVEN FOUR A DAY IS ASININE.

We have far too many specialists in some areas and duplication of services and technology and pay far too much for pharmaceuticals and technology, as in as much as fifty percent more for the same drugs and the same equipment as do the other developed industrialized countries in the world. STOP THAT, and make the policies simple to understand, use the same forms, cut the red tape and the need for hundreds of thousands of people to fight with insurance companies and shave 40 to 45% of the costs. POCKET THE SAVINGS. Oh, and the Open Heart Surgeon should get about $7,500 to $10,000 and NOT $73,000 FOR THAT OPERATION.

[genia]

THANK YOU CHRIS MATTHEWS !!!!!!