Rachel Maddow thinks Chris Matthews is the best political analyst on TV

[antiimperialist]

Yes, Rachel Maddow thought it was ridiculous for Matthews to say that he would never underestimate Hillary Clinton again, while saying the next day that Clinton was a candidate and a senator only because her husband "messed around".

Yes, Matthews is obsessed with Clinton and Media Matters's research concluded that in a two month period he issued 8 negative statements about Hillary for every positive one.

Yes, he hated Al Gore back in 2000.

But what does it amount to? Read what Maddow said to an AP reporter:

BAUDER (1/12/08): Toward the end of his primary coverage on Tuesday, Matthews remarked that he would never underestimate Clinton again.

After a short night's sleep, Matthews appeared on Joe Scarborough's morning MSNBC show and said Clinton's appeal has always been about a mix of toughness and sympathy.

"Let's not forget, and I'll be brutal, the reason she's a U.S. senator, the reason she's a candidate for president, the reason she may be a frontrunner, is that her husband messed around," he said.

Bam! That quote raced around the Internet and unleashed a fresh round of anger toward Matthews at a time emotions were already frayed.
Joy Behar went on the attack on "The View," saying it felt like men were piling on Clinton.

"I thought it was a patently ridiculous statement to make after having stated so emphatically the night before that he would never underestimate Hillary Clinton again,” said Rachel Maddow, a liberal commentator and "Air America" talk show host who was on the MSNBC set that night.

However, she also said Matthews is the best political analyst on television for his knowledge, quickness and ability to be critical while anchoring a broadcast.

Yes, he's critical allright. 5 minutes of research will help you find dozens of lies and misstatements by Matthews, who IMO is one of the WORST in the business.

"Chris is relatively impervious to criticism," she said. "I think Chris does what he wants."

I'm not taking away the credit she deserves for "standing up" to Matthews the other day...but did she have to screw it up this way?
The message is basically, "you can lie and be biased, but you can still be the best of the best".

Or maybe the AP took her out of context and she never said that. It happens. We have seen reporters come up with quotes out of nowhere.

But if this is true, shame of Maddow, who by the way is said to be close to land a job on MSNBC.


The Daily Howler has a theory:

Maddow has a brilliant personal future—as long as she doesn’t tell the truth about players like Matthews. You can’t do cable, or Meet the Press, while telling the truth about Chris.

[Dogmudgeon]

1. Tweety is pretty savvy, once you get beyond his craziness

That is, his classism and his hate-obsession with Hillary and Bill Clinton.

--p!

[antiimperialist]

3. and his love for Rudy and his hate for Al Gore...

I can already hear the change of tune in DU..."well, you know, Matthews is not THAT bad"...

who would say anything to defend a progressive figure 100% of the time.

[gratuitous]

2. The sad thing?

Maddow may be quite right, which says a lot more about the sorry state of political discourse in our country than I ever could, even at full snark.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

6. My thought as well. Until Naomi Klein has a show, I hold little hope for the "analysts" to be

much better than Tweety.

Although Ms. Maddow is astute and articulate, if she's positioning for an MSNBC show, she'll have to "moderate" her position, just like the rest.


MKJ

[robbedvoter]

7. Bingo!

[tabasco]

4. Is Bill Moyers "on tv?"

Any compliment to Tweety is certainly misguided.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

8. Oops, I unforgiveably forgot about Moyers. Yes, thanks there are still a few

good voices out there in the wilderness.

MKJ

[robbedvoter]

10. Or, how about KO?

[BeachBuckeye]

5. Lets face facts here. Rachel caved

You don't think for a moment that she really thinks Tweety is all that do you? You don't believe that MSNBC didn't warn her not to cross Tweety do you? She caved to pressure. Plain and simple. Thats my opinion and I'm stickin' to it.

[robbedvoter]

9. Unfortunately, yes. She did cross Tweety on the air - with the TPM blaming him

for the NH results. I remember KO became very sarcastic immediately. I am sure he's been in the "principal's office" more than a few times.

[H2O Man]

11. I agree. n/t

[Seabiscuit]

18. So do I. She's being groomed for her own show, and they leaned on her, because

she's been verbally handing Tweety his ass lately.

One thing she said is certainly true: "Chris is relatively impervious to criticism," she said. "I think Chris does what he wants."

Matthews is a media whore's media whore who proudly wears his mendacity on his sleeve.

He's definitely in competition with the Fox and CNN "analysts" for the very worst in the business ever.

OTOH, all the quotes could be entirely bogus. It happens all the time with the repuke controlled media. Until someone actually produces a YouTube video of her mouthing the words attributed to her, I'll reserve judgment.

[H2O Man]

23. I mean I agree

that Mr. Mathews is the nest political analyst on tv today. I understand that some DUers do not like him, and that's fine. I think he is very good, over all.

[Rock_Garden]

12. I can find some charity for Rachel's remarks.

She's doing what she must to get inside the door. Later, when she has the #1 show on MSNBC, she will have a great platform for her views, and Tweety will have moved down another notch.

[Justitia]

13. Damning With Faint Praise. -eom

[Buzz Clik]

14. Although Maddow general trend similarly on political issues,...

I disagree with her on the specifics of nearly everything she says.

This is no exception.

[MadBadger]

15. Well, I agree with her, though best on TV is really not saying much.

[jbnow]

16. Best is a funny word to use but

I don't think her compliment was false.

His personality is odd and he displays it, he shares his opinions too much to be a journalist but he loves politics and knows it pretty well.

I think he was creepier about Gore then he is about Clinton, but I wasn't watching him during Gore's run. I just read some from his shows where he spread lies intentionally.
I put it that way because he was complaining about one of Gore's so called exaggerations/lies and he played a clip...stopping it when continuing a few seconds would put the whole thing in context.
I had to quit watching during 2004, he disgusted me.

Anyway he blurts out dumb things on Clinton, on many people. But when Hillary entered he clearly didn't like her but as debates went on his mind changed before our eyes. He openly admired her performance and campaign. After the debate question of driver's licence in NY that was made such a big deal of and then the campaign started faltering he didn't like her blaming the press and blah, blah.

He changed on bush and rudy and fred before our eyes. It isn't just about popularity of the candidate.
Right now he started loving McCain and Obama (before Iowa) saying he disagrees with almost all of McCain's policies but how much we need someone we can feel proud of. He got a bit misty eyed himself talking about Obama. He loves the game.

I'm getting long and not explaining it well at all, but I get why she doesn't hate him. I unpopularly defend him at times...he knows and loves politics, loves the process, loves people having the say.
But he blurts out dumb things.

But best? Hope not! Well who else is an "analyst". Bill Moyers is in another league but he is a journalist. Keith is just starting to be used as an analyst...a much more professional style and if he is an analyst...he's best.
Wolf? Larry King? Dodd? Tucker? They get used after elctions or debates...they aren't best.

Rachel Maddow is such a joy, I hope we see more and more of her.

[gkhouston]

17. Tweety knows where a lot of bodies are buried, all right.

Which wouldn't bother me so much if he didn't have a shovel behind his back.

[Seabiscuit]

19. Once Rachel gets her MSNBC show, she may just

grab Tweety's shovel, bop him over the head with it, and bury his body.

Figuratively speaking, of course.

:evilgrin:

[gkhouston]

20. No, she's a clever girl. She'll keep her mouth shut and let him bury himself. n/t

[THUNDER HANDS]

21. i don't care how unpopular a sentiment it is, i like Chris Matthews

he's highly entertaining. I'd much rather watch him than have Wolf Blitzer put me to sleep or Bill O'Reilly make my brain explode.

[NYCGirl]

22. I'm with you. He may be nutso, but he's highly entertaining, which is, IMO,

the reason NBC keeps him around. I do think he knows what he's talking about, most of the time.

[antiimperialist]

24. The fact that Matthews is anti-Hillary makes many DU'ers root for him n/t

DU is anti-Hillary for the most part.