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

[bronceye]

Wow, next she'll pretend to read one.

[gle helle]

A liability among her followers.

[prankin]

Chris Matthews has turned into a full blow caricature of himself. He is so silly, and makes such amazingly weird comments, that I hope he remains on TV.
PWR

[postman66]

Alaska approval ratings, 85% before election down to 54%. She needs all the help she can get.

[Tulsaslim]

That tells me that about 46% of Alaskans are still waiting for the dog sleds to deliver the news.

[BethBlue]

What a waste of precious trees. I wonder if she'll donate the money from her book to preventing teen pregnancies? Nah, she'll buy another snowmobile and a spear gun...

[smiz]

Chris Matthews; What an embarassment...

[jimrs6]

He's terrible, as is reflected in his declining ratings numbers.

[lmthp]

Ditto. Can only tolerate Matthews for a few moments at a time then have to switch to another station. MSNBC needs to catch up w/ the times and get some intelligent minds out there. Accurately reflect America's demographic and inlcude some racial / gender diversity to headline their own shows. Or at bare minimum replace Matthews along w/Mornin' Joe and Buchanan with Shuster , O'Donnell, or that new guy Rice.

[RRG64]

Not nearly the embarrassment that is Sarah Palin who cannot even complete a coherent sentence.

also, too...

[smark]

I wonder if she will finally take responsibility for her own failures??? Nah, it's always everyone else's fault in her book. Never mind if she never reads a newspaper or magazine to keep up with world events. It's still the media's fault they asked that hardcore question!

[jimrs6]

For all her "failures", she has accomplished a lot more than most of the people who post about her.

[Liberal2]

Ummm, like Mussolini?

[gle helle]

Is it difficult to type with one hand on the keyboard and one under the desk?

[Shwazy]

Not all "accomplishments" are worth celebrating.

[RRG64]

Yeah, on her knees.

[JTCan]

and you know this how?

[winchestereast]

did anyone else hear that every other page would be a center fold?

[faithmarie]

why do we really care about Sarah Palin...the GOP lost the presidential election..can we stop talking about the hillbilly from Alaska now?

[Petesdaddy]

yes, enuff already. no one will buy the book. she and miss california are doomed to the obscurity they deserve after their 15 tacky minutes of exposure.

[sofia]

I'm no fan of Sarah Palin but Matthew's book "life is a campaign" was a joke. Jon Stewart made a fool out of him on the Daily Show and Chris said he did not like that. Now, he is doing the same to Palin.

[mollymac]

There is no comparison between Matthews and Palin. She cannot even speak in complete sentences.

[serindipity803]

Her book will go the way of Joe the Plumbers...few sales and less interest.

[BruceCarson]

Can Palin even read?

[smark]

Nope.

[Begbie]

I'm sure it will be part of a bible study class somewhere. Half off at Walmart.

[Francesca1214]

Still too expensive.

[dezzertguy]

Tingles is always so angry and jealous. Will be interesting to see if her one book sells more than all of his.

[hullflyer]

Chris Matthews is an expert on public embarrasment

[smark]

SP is a pro at embarrassing herself!

[ElectronoftheOne]

I wonder if she will include a chapter about the lynch-mob mentality of the McCain/Palin campaign rallies.