Chris Matthews' Insult to Pennsylvania Voters

Having grown up outside of Philadelphia, I just want to say I really hope Chris Matthews runs for the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, and is humiliatingly obliterated in a Democratic primary (preferably by a good progressive like, for instance, former Rep. Joe Hoeffel).* The sense of entitlement that this blowhard personifies is truly stunning. He's spent his entire life as a principle-free political gossip in Washington - a human embodiment of all that is sick and wrong with Beltway culture. And yet, he really thinks he can just parachute into one of the largest states in the country, buy a mansion in Philadelphia and be a senator on sheer celebrity alone. I mean, maybe he can - maybe politics is now so devoid of meaning that this is just the way it is. But I really hope not.

The difference between, say, a Chris Matthews moving to Philadelphia and running for the Senate and an Al Franken moving back to Minnesota and running for Senate, of course, is that Franken has clear convictions. Franken has never ever been about just getting Al Franken's mug on television - he was a total die-hard progressive, and at points in his career, that progressivism undoubtedly made his media career harder. His run for the senate, then, was about the principles he's been advocating for decades (personally knowing Al, I think it was mostly about that for him, but even his critics would admit it's at least partially about that - whereas you can't with a straight face make the same case about Matthews).

Matthews, on the other hand, stands for absolutely his own career and by extension Beltway culture (and I don't think being for those things is an "ideology" or a "set of principles" in the same way advocating for a set of issues is). He's a guy so completely out of touch with economic reality that he insisted to the New York Times that he and his $5 million salary are not "part of the winner's circle in American life." As the Politico notes, he wants to "fulfill his boyhood dream of becoming a senator" - that is, he doesn't want to fulfill his boyhood dream of enacting universal health care or ending the war or some other cause, his dream is to simply BE a U.S. Senator - and, indeed, it doesn't even matter from where. It's not even his dream to become PENNSYLVANIA'S U.S. Senator - it's just to BE an officeholder.

In that sense, Matthews really does represent the worst in American politics - the antithesis of a community-organizer-turned-state-senator like Barack Obama taking a longshot run at Illinois' seat, the opposite of longtime state legislators and hometown boys like Jon Tester and Jeff Merkley running for seats in Montana and Oregon. Matthews is a wealthy celebrity who sees absolutely no problem with parachuting into a state to use his cash to try to fulfill his boyhood dream of personal self-aggrandizement - and bragging to reporters that even before he has residency in the state he and his family handed down their decision to run to Pennsylvania voters from the Matthews vacation compound in Nantucket.

I mean, come on - are you really going to argue Matthews will run to, say, help save the working-class parts of Pennsylvania decimated by the corporate-written economic policies he's either cheered on or ignored as a pundit? Are you really going to argue that after expressing such fanboy worship of George W. Bush and his "amazing display of leadership" in the lead-up to the Iraq War that Matthews is really deciding to run for the Senate because, dammit, he's just so adamantly opposed to this war?

Really, the entire concept of Matthews for Senate is the metastasized cancer of presidentialism. We worship the president as a celebrity, and now Matthews wants us to simply worship celebrity - any celebrity - as the foundational reason to be elected to any office. To Matthews, the Senate race clearly has nothing to do with Pennsylvania and everything to do with a convenient vehicle to higher status in the city he really represents: Washington, D.C.

It's a cynical insult to Pennsylvania voters - as if none of the state's 12 million residents are qualified for the Senate, as if those 12 million poor souls need the Great Chris Matthews to swoop in from his mansion in Washington, D.C. to save them. What a joke. Let's hope Matthews does run and the Democratic primary makes him the punchline.

* I mention Joe because he's an old friend and was the first solid progressive from Pennsylvania who came to mind - not because I have any inkling that he's even thinking of doing it. In other words, I just mention him to point out that there are lots of good progressives in Pennsylvania.

UPDATE: For a stroll down Chris Matthews' memory lane - and to show you how inappropriate a candidate this guy really is, see here.

Comments

[roshni]

Chris is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. He asked a guest on TV whether Trinidad emigrees were hispanic. I also think we have great talent in PA.

[LadyMing]

I'm not sure if Chris is an insult to PA voters since we elected Rick Santorum. The happiest day for me personally was the day he got sent packing, but that has nothing to do with this blog. The reason I do not want Chris to run is because he is flimsy, he would be like Joe Lieberman but maybe worst. On the other hand he is outspoken and will stand up for what he believes in, but I fear he'll change his mind if something more popular comes along.

[roshni]

Me too - my favorite sticker was Kick Rick Out. He is a really low life form.

[Lechuguilla]

" ... his $5 million salary ..."

What I'd really like to see is a law requiring that the salaries of TV talking heads be inscribed on the tv screen every time these pompous celebrities open their mouths. Boob tube viewers would be a lot less mesmerized with "news" shows if they understood that all of the "news" celebrities make as much money, or more, than famous Hollywood celebrities, professional athletes, or corporate suits.

Lech

[triplbee]

What's wrong with making money? He's not ripping off old ladies or stealing pensions from teachers.

[rockne]

I live in Pennsylvania and the last thing we need is Matthews, who isn't even a good talking head, to represent us in the Senate.

[runal]

chris matthew is from Pennsylvania and worked for jimmy carter and tip oneill. he is someone who cares about america and is not just a tv personality. he should be able to run for the us senate. he's better then specter that's for sure!!

[bayside]

Big mistake Chris,..Ev­erything you ever said praising the republicans will come out and every thing you said critizing dems will come out..Dont quit your day job..

[Hiphopcrates]

How different is Mathews than fellow carpetbaggers , RFK or Hillary?

[roshni]

He's not too sharp.

[triplbee]

He's from Pennsylvania. He's not a carpet bagger. And RFK was raised in New York. He wasn't a carpet bagger either. Now Hillary is another matter entirely.

[magen]

Mathews wants power for power's sake.

What does he stand for besides his career and wallet??

[jgarfw8]

Sirota, you're bonkers. Matthews would be fine. The man talks 20 hours a month on tv & comes away looking better than you ever would. For every offending comment you list you willingly ignore at least as many that contradict your argument.

[CatfishJohn]

I always look forward to your rapier-like essays mr. sirrota...­add in the variable that under the duress of an intense campaign spotlight for a few months, the labile, reactive"Tweety" Matthews might indeed just go a little coo-koo...­.memo to Chris: Richard Petty couldn't make it happen in north carolina for criminysakes and Pa. gridiron hero lynn swann didnt come close with the celebrity approach in Pa.....big mistake guy....

[vegangoddess]

one other thing, Lynn Swann is a 'publican so they don't go over that great in PA as it is do they?

[Grulg]

HAHAHAHAHA­HAHAHA....­.Matthews' hatred for Hillary is gonna come back and bite him in the ass-end but good. I cannot WAIT to see him answer for some of his comments of the year past. Nice going there pallie--you are going to be tilting at windmills. I will be rooting Arlen Spectre here.

[Outofnowhere]

"....he really thinks he can just parachute into one of the largest states in the country, buy a mansion ... and be a senator." Why not, that's what HRC did.

[mikekev58]

And she worked her ass off in upstate NY, and kicked ass in 2 elections.

Please...I give some leeway to CDS-ers, but there's no comparison in any way between Hillary and Tweety.

[janeyu]

prior to kicking ass what connection did hrc have to NY?

[roshni]

Chris has more connection to PA than HRC did to NY, but I still don't want him in politics.

[racetoinfinity]

Ego-trips are always, small, boring, and laughable. (if that's what it is in this case).

[northwesterner02]

hillary pulled the exact same stunt in new york (but worse, she was never from there) and she won. perhaps poitics really is just about celebrity now.

[CalliDem]

She was reelected by 70 ( SEVENTY) % and worked her a## off for the state of NY

[northwesterner02]

that doesn't negate the fact that she did just what Sirota is saying Matthews may do. it's exactly the same thing.

[janeyu]

and that whole running for president thing really helped NY'ers for the past 2 yrs

[Angeltour]

and let us not forget all the misogyny that comes out of the mouth of Chris Matthews..­.the constant negative comments he has made about Hillary Clinton and many of the women who have ventured on his show...you either agree with him or you will be insulted..­.

...let us not forget how thrilled matthews was with bush impersonating tom cruise on Mission Accomplish­ed....

...let us not forget how matthews loves to smooze on Hardball with his self described 'buddies' like Tom Delay and G Gordon Liddy...an­d how matthews loved to humiliate democrats on his show and play softball with his republican buddies when he thought that was the 'cool' thing to do...

Matthews is no Democrat..­.he has no core anything..­.he twists in whatever wind blows his way...