Chris Matthews is Right

More and more over the last few months I have been filled with a feeling of pride when watching 'Hardball' daily and the Chris Matthews Show on Sunday.

It is rare that a nationally known pundit of his caliber shows such foresight when analyzing the current political landscape.

The Story - as in what is at the crux of what is happening these days between Clinton and Obama.
The Story - as in what is the correct way to cover the events...

The Story is the story of Clinton campaign sleaze.

When Bill Shaheen came out and talked about Obama's youth drug use, he not only repeated what Obama readily admitted in his book, but made a potentially slanderous statement regarding whether Obama had ever 'sold drugs'.

Without substantiation, this is a serious legal issue. Bill Shaheen knew that there was no evidence for this assertion (as was shown by his subsequent resignation) therefor it certainly qualifies as slander.

Chris Matthews called it right away. The Story on the Chris Matthews Show that Sunday morning was how predictable a Clinton strategy this was.

Here is how it is done in the Clinton/Bush textbook...

1) Take a high ranking operative and get him to make a 'mistake' by saying something underhanded about your opponent
2) Get this operative to apologize and resign
3) Get your candidate to distance themselves from the comment

This accomplishes everything needed.

- The underhanded comment gets coverage and the opponent needs to distract themselves discussing and/or denying the charges
- The candidate is inoculated and thus the 'mudslinging' charge does not stick back on your candidate

Lather, Rinse, and Repeat

Next thing you know, everyone is dispirited with the process, less people vote, and the establishment candidate wins. (Read as Clinton or Bush)

There is also a bigger socio-political issue here with regard to Chris himself and why I believe his is so energized by the Obama campaign.

Chris Matthews was in college in the Sixties and became political in part due to the assassination of Bobby Kennedy and the upheaval of 1968. He remembers a moment on the Tonight Show when Johnny Carson - a normally apolitical figure - was moved by the string of assassinations to urge people to write a letter to the President regarding the control of handguns. He did so, and says that it was this moment in his life that moved him toward public service. The rest is history for Chris Matthews the politico. He then served in the peace corp from 1968 to 1970 in Swaziland and Mozambique and spent many years in politics as a Democrat.

Chris Matthews, a self-professed Roosevelt Democrat, worked as a speech writer for the Carter administration, and served as a top aide to Tip O'Neill for many years.

My point about bringing up Matthews' background is that he, in my view, represents the pragmatic middle of the Democratic party, but he's an independent thinker, strong on defense and fiercely patriotic. He is certainly not from the latte-sipping coastal elites, and is ideologically close to the Reagan Democrats. He is old enough to remember the hope and optimistic message of J.F.K., and as a catholic from Philadelphia - I'm sure was personally disappointed by campaigns and leaders that followed. Over the years, he has seen the Democratic party lose election after election by compromising beliefs - Rooseveltian Beliefs - in order to get elected.

Let me remind the reader

1968 - Humphrey (not McCarthy)
1972 - McGovern

1984 - Mondale (Not Hart, or Glenn, or Biden)
1988 - Dukakis (Not Hart, or Gore)

2004 - Kerry (Not take your pick)

An impressive slate of losers and apologists that were afraid to say what they believe for fear of losing the middle. Afraid to stand too strong on defense for fear of losing the anti-war fringe, but not eloquent enough to convince the patriotic middle. This is exactly what Republicans have NOT done for the last 50 years and it is why they keep winning.

When I see a candidate that I know is honestly stating what they feel I respect them even if I don't agree with them. This is why I can respect Ronald Reagan, G.H.W. Bush and a slate of Republican Presidents. This is also the reason that I do not respect Hillary Clinton.

My point is that if Barack Obama is winning Chris Matthews, he can win the Reagan Democrats and he can win the white house.

The elect-ability argument is clearly won in my mind, and it is clearly in favor of Barack Obama.