Chris Matthews On Palin Book Deal: "What An Embarrassment"

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On "Hardball" tonight Chris Matthews sat down with Mike Allen of Politico and Jennifer Donahue of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics to discuss the news that Sarah Palin has signed a book deal. The panel agreed that it's part of Palin's attempt to rehabilitate her image after a disastrous series of interviews during the campaign trail, and Tina Fey's indelible impression of her on Saturday Night Live, gave the public a decidedly unflattering portrait of her.

However, Matthews seemed upset that she had even gotten a book deal in the first place. He opened the segment with this statement:

What is Sarah Palin up to? She's got this book deal; she's obviously not going to write it, they've already announced somebody she's going to collaborate on it. What an embarrassment. It's one of these "I told you" books that jocks do... Why do they do it like this? She can't write; we got a collaborator for her. What do you make of this?

Matthews also worried that a book would "rip the scab off" all the drama that has surrounded her family. Mike Allen agreed with Matthews but said that Palin wants to revisit all those issues in order to put her spin on it. Palin feels she hasn't gotten a fair shake in the media and this is way to correct the record.

While Palin will surely be able to get huge amounts of press when her book comes out, Matthews makes the good point that the questions that haunt you are not the ones that you give an honest if unpopular answer to, but the ones to which you should know the answer but don't. Matthews thinks these will be problems when Palin does press for her new book because she'll be asked questions like "How did you write this book? Did you write it by long hand, on a laptop? Or actually did you not write this?"

Matthews' ultimate advice to Palin is to play to her strengths giving speeches instead of "pretending to write a book."

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Comments

[corte33]

Don't worry about Palin's book. I doubt it will sell in this economy. Or any economy.
I'm waiting for George W Bush to get a book deal. Or Dick Cheney with Karl Rove. Maybe Hollywood will make a movie and call it the "Return of the Three Stooges".

[madisonhack]

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

[EnemyAce]

Even JFK used a ghost writer to pen "Profiles in Courage" so what's the big deal?

[pricespector]

The big deal is that Chris Matthews will never write a bestseller like Palin will.

[Tellecter]

This is a joke. For Matthews to smack around Palin for not writing her book is weak. What about Hillary or Bill's ghost writers? Come on.

[conservativelady]

Neither has a degree in journalism. As someone who might be forced to vote for Palin one day, in the event she is nominated by the GOP, I want her to start acting like she has actually earned something that she has gotten! Enough with the flirting and winking, damn it!!!!

[JJsBride]

Acting like she earned something? Can she earn a brain?

[TXOBAMAGIRL73]

Maybe it will be a pop-up!! Even GWB will be able to read it !!!

[cutesky]

It might even be the ONLY book in the GW Bush Library, that's if you don't count the coloring book.

[ndnndpendent]

Can she generate enough intelligible thoughts to even FILL a book?

[berrycooda]

Who made Matthews an expert on who can and who can't write a book.

If he hasn't already, he would jump at the chance if somebody was interested
enough in him to want a book by him.

Sarah Palin is sure a thorn in the side of the Dems for some reason.

It is nice that they keep her in the news....will sell more books for her.

[doctorwang]

true- being in the news worked wonders for Joe The Plumber's book sales .

[lenoirlady]

Poor old used Joe !

[TXOBAMAGIRL73]

Don't you have to be able to read in order to write or collaborate with someone??..I'm just saying!!!

[barra]

Dullard. just saying!!!

[LiberalForever]

She does need to team up with Prejean. And they both need to work at Hooters.

[jordan3189]

What an embarrassment would pretty much describe matthews.

[LauraVW]

I think Palin's book is going to be huge.

[frantaylor]

Which one is that? She's not writing a book. Someone else is writing a book with her name on it.

[uniquelyme]

If only for a laugh.

[Opygollopy]

She cant speak without winking or lying, she certainly cannot govern, shes a lousy mother, She is a hypocrite who hides behind religion and she is a journalistic graduate who cannot give interviews. That book is going to be about 20 pages. Hardly worth the effort.

She is a sad reflection of women. Actually an embarrassment.

[PeaceSuccess2be]

Well said Opygallopy - the absolute truth. Palin is disgusting and emberassing to me as a woman, a mother, a mother of a disabled child, and a citizen of the United States of America.

[wyldthings]

That's really low. She's been a mayor,chairman of energy commission , Governor. She is raising five kids and has been married to the same man for 20 years. You might not agree with her but then show me your accomplishments. Many of my friends what ever their political beliefs have children that get pregnant,do drugs etc. Come on opyollopy. How have you served you community,Mayor, governor or nurse. I doubt it but a working woman with five kids does and she's vilified by you.

[barra]

Ease up on the bitter pills!

[pk4obama]

Nothing in her book would be important to anyone.....it will be full of lies and misinformation.. and probably not readable...it will hit the 30% off rack two days after it's released......

[AuntiepoppyCock]

A huge load of crap.

It maybe fun if she's angry enough. Palin gets creative like a 3y/o when she gets mad.

[JulieSA]

Matthews' statements are bizarre. How many politicians ever write their own books? At least McCain gives his ghostwriter cover credit and half the royalties. That's a whole lot more than Hillary and most other pols with ghostwriters do.

[gopSTEALSyourTAXmoney]

Your comments are even more bizarre.
More like idiotic!

[december30]

"How many politicians ever write their own books?. . . . "

PRESIDENT BARACH HUSSEIN OBAMA

[UNLVGOP]

Don't forget when he wrote them he was a nobody with like no responsiblities...he wasn't President when he wrote them.

[Saxton]

I wonder if Murdock will share the profits with McCain, who everyone has to thank for bringing this great intellect to the world's attention. I feel a little sorry for the people of Alaska as this woman is probably undergoing major coaching as her handlers are busy crafting a new image that the gullable public will believe.

[Gabblog]

Wow the jealousy and venom from Mathews is more than I can stand...perhaps PAlin can get the same ghost writer BO uses...I once thought Olberman was the meanest talking head on TV, but Mathews moves to the top. Mathews needs to consider Karma, for when it hits him, it will be transparent for all to see and it will be devastating to him.

[Rickfors]

BO can write circles around U.
He doesn't have time RIGHT now to write.
p a l i n SPENT 6 years at a 2 twi community college.
So...
don't even go there with a 'ghost writer.
B.O. is a scholar.
P a l i n IS A DUNCE.

[gopSTEALSyourTAXmoney]

Yeah...
P a l i n,
6 years ant a 2 year community college...

[pk4obama]

She went to 6 different junior colleges .....over 6 years....

[Cubanmom]

Are you kidding..... "Gabblog"? Barack Obama IS brilliant, compared to Palin, who had to attend 5 or 6 colleges before actually graduating. You...... GOPers....... are funny!

[triplets]

For Chris Matthews: Tip O'Neil must be rolling over in his grave. Your behavior does not befit your
mentor.

[PopeRatzo]

Actually, Speaker O'Neill didn't suffer fools either. And Sarah Palin is the very model of a modern fool.

[lenoirlady]

Cris was not a fool, and THAT is why The Speaker kept him SOOOO long on staff. He appreciated his quick and discerning ability to judge people and profit from the lesson. Matthews is a political genius.

[Ringer5150]

Eagledavey, do you REALLY want to compare Palin's accomplishments to Obama's? Five state colleges in four years VS Harvard Law? The only "jobs" Palin held were as a HORRIBLE sports announcer, a sports writer for a paper with a circulation of 30,000 and a job "helping" in her HUSBAND'S company (who do you have to sleep with to get that job?). She never ran a company, or started a business. She ran her town of Wasilla millions of dollars into debt (after redecorating her office). She mocks "community organizer" without acknowledging that Obama eschewed 7-figure NY lawyer jobs to do so; at least HIS community was better off after he left, not millions of dollars in debt for a sports stadium they didn't need.

As far as having the election handed to him "on a silver platter" by a "puppy dog media", that same media was claiming for a year that Hillary Clinton was a "shoe in" and played the Rev. Wright tirade (at which Obama wasn't even present) over and over and over.

Sarah Palin isn't worthy of carrying Obama's carry on bad!

[SoccerNana]

There is absolutely no comparison between President Obama and the lame duck Governor Palin. She has an undergraduate degree in journalizsm, which she did not complete until she was 23 years old from various state schools; President Obama earned an undergraduate degree from Columbia; worked as a community organizaer for a couple of years; applied to law school at Harvard, became the first black president of the Harvard Law Review, and finished timely in three years.

There is no way Palin can, seriously, compare herself with or to Obama.