Matthews Ditches His ‘Perfect Candidate’ Rudy Giuliani After Drop-Out Announcement
Matthews Ditches His ‘Perfect Candidate’ Rudy Giuliani After Drop-Out Announcement
Last year, MSNBC host Chris Matthews declared former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani to be the “perfect candidate” for president in 2008. However, last night on MSNBC — after reports that Giuliani decided to end his campaign for president following a debilitating defeat in the Florida primary — Matthews jumped ship and began criticizing Giuliani.
Matthews said that the “one thing missing” from Giuliani’s campaign “was a big idea as to why he should be president” because it was only “about the past” and “about 9/11.” Matthews added: “I think Rudy Giuliani never really offered a big idea as to why he would be a great president and I think he made that mistake.” Watch it:
In fact, Matthews has consistently been a Giuliani booster, praising him or his campaign on numerous occasions prior to last night. Some highlights:
– Matthews claimed Giuliani “hasn’t been beaten yet” despite having been crushed in all the Republican primary contests help up to that point. [1/22/08]
– “You know, Mayor, for months now, I think I’ve been one of the troubadours for you out there in terms of your prospects. I have always seen the Giuliani advantage in a party that treasures leadership.” [1/19/08]
– “He’s got the kind of demeanor and the toughness that I think made him a success as mayor and I think will make him a success on this campaign trail.” [11/26/07]
– Matthews said Giuliani is “the person with the best shot to win the Republican nomination. … Rudy is this tough, kick-butt cop from New York. You know he’s not a nice guy. You know he can be an SOB, but maybe that’s what you want on the subway at 3 o’clock in the morning.” [11/6/07]
– “That’s what I began hearing several years ago, that Southerners look to Giuliani as a leader. And Republicans, as we all know, love leaders. Watch for Rudy to surprise the pundits and pull pretty good numbers down in Dixie.” [10/18/07]
– “He looks like [a] president to me.” [5/2/07]
– Southerners “can’t spell his name necessarily, but they know Rudy was a hero.” [3/1/07]
Media Matters has more.
Transcript:
OLBERMANN: Just to underscore that, so that we’re not going to hear that you won’t have Rudy Giuliani to kick around anymore — which we wouldn’t hear anyway, that’s not the man’s disposition. But from the Giuliani campaign comes the official word that there’s no chance of a one-on-one interview with Rudy Giuliani just to protect that —
MATTHEWS: I, perhaps, that might have been a concern. Look I think that — Giuliani — I began to watch his campaign soon after he entered it last year. And the one thing missing was a big idea as to why he should be president. It was all, it seemed to me no matter how much coloration that was tonight about the economy, about the past.
It was about 9/11. Jon Stewart’s joke in reference to him having 9/11 touretts, meaning he couldn’t get through a sentence without burping out the phrase, 9/11. Joe Biden’s reference to the fact that he constructed each sentence with a noun, a verb, and the word 9/11 was fairly telling after a while and I think it was about the past. And I think he really didn’t come.
You know, I think of great athletes that run for public office and they think it’s an autograph tour. It’s about the past. Well, it’s not – people like to get autographs from famous athletes but they want to see what they’re going to do next if they’re running for office and so I think Rudy Giuliani never really offered a big idea as to why he would be a great president and I think he made that mistake.
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Geeze, Matthews is just a performer like all the rest. Give him a break, he’s a self-avowed poltical groupie and junkie.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:26 pmTweety strikes OUT, as usual. my advice is: STFU!
January 30th, 2008 at 5:26 pmI dont know about yall but I never tire of pundits who are always wrong, its like watching a bad reality show.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:27 pmwhen are they gonna swing around and start lovin’ on mcCAVE? …
January 30th, 2008 at 5:27 pm’cause you know they’re gonna…
Actually, I’m a little disappointed! I really wanted to see the billboard montage of JulieAnnie in drag with the caption “the man who would be queen” plastered all over the South!
PEACE
January 30th, 2008 at 5:29 pm“… and so I think Rudy Giuliani never really offered a big idea as to why he would be a great president and I think he made that mistake.
A mistake that you forgot to notice until now, Matthews.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:30 pmNothing’s stopping anyone from doing it anyway. ;)
January 30th, 2008 at 5:31 pmShould have read:
Actually, I’m a little disappointed! I really wanted to see the billboard montage of JulieAnnie in drag with the caption “the man who would be queen†plastered all over the South!
PEACE
Comment by spencers mom — January 30, 2008 @ 5:29 pm
Nothing’s stopping them from doing it anyway. ;)
January 30th, 2008 at 5:32 pmMatthews is becoming more and more a cartoon of himself. This type of “I love you — I never knew you” switcheroo is the sort of gag one finds in sketch comedy.
Or perhaps he’s just wedded to the Rovian principle of Americans’ short attention spans.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:32 pmHa!
Comment by justasking — January 30, 2008 @ 5:28 pm
Ha! Ha!
January 30th, 2008 at 5:33 pmGiuliani’s big idea to be president was the success of 9/11.
Now we are on to McCain’s big idea of success, Vietnam and Iraq and,
Romney’s big idea of success the robust economy.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:34 pmMatthews said … “but maybe that’s what you want on the subway at 3 o’clock in the morning.†[11/6/07]
——————————————–
Maybe there weren’t enough voters who could relate to subways in the wee hours? Matthews really needs to extend his analogies beyond New York City.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:35 pmOne thing missing from MSNBC is why this slimy jackass even has a show…
January 30th, 2008 at 5:36 pmI actually wished Rudy had stayed in through Super Duper Tuesday. I would have loved to have seen his own state diss him.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:36 pm“I think Rudy Giuliani never really offered a big idea as to why he would be a great president….”
Heres a clue dipstick, IT’S BECAUSE THERE WASN’T ANY.
There reichwing tool, is that something you understand?
Buck Fush
January 30th, 2008 at 5:37 pmWell you can’t blame Chris, Mr. Giuliani probably has that great, powerful, manly, old man smell that he cherishes so much. Unlike the many GOPers who follow their gut, Chris was misled by the nose.
I only wonder what McCain smells like, he’s certainly old-man-enough. Maybe Chris should find a way to snuggle his nose into McCains armpit next time he’s a guest — off camera of course.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:38 pmOr perhaps he’s just wedded to the Rovian principle of Americans’ short attention spans.
Comment by missmolly — January 30, 2008 @ 5:32 pm
Americans’ short what? I missed that, there was something shiny over…what?
January 30th, 2008 at 5:40 pmLoyalty only runs so deep (or shallow).
January 30th, 2008 at 5:47 pmTweety kicks Rudy to the curb. Yup, he heart Rudy last year. Then, Tweety was smithered over Aqua Velva Grampa Fred when Fred decided to make a run for Prez. Now, Tweety throws Rudy under the bus for the McCain lovefest.
Tweety is certainly showing his true colors as a journalist. Good luck with Tweety rolling the dice on McCain’s winning the Presidency.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:48 pmBilly Hill, I think your supposed to cook with the propane.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:49 pmTweety needs to find a candidate who wears a flightsuit and a giant codpiece to fall in love all over again.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:51 pmWell you can’t blame Chris, Mr. Giuliani probably has that great, powerful, manly, old man smell that he cherishes so much. -SB
It was the dress I tell ya! =)
January 30th, 2008 at 5:51 pmBorock Whossain O’ Bomba “08″
Comment by Billy Hill
The repukian tard tries out some of that sharp conservative humor….cripes when will they get a clue that they are not funny, they don’t even know how to phrase humor well, much less govern anything.
Nice try Billy, but it’s not working.
Buck Fush
January 30th, 2008 at 5:51 pmTweety needs to find a candidate who wears a flightsuit and a giant codpiece to fall in love all over again.
Comment by Starve-A-Bush_Feed-A-Beaver — January 30, 2008 @ 5:51 pm
He already has his face planted deeply in McCain’s ass. Problem solved. “Rudy who? Sniff sniff. McCain’s ma main man!”
January 30th, 2008 at 5:53 pmWhat would happen if Matthews actually thought for himself?
January 30th, 2008 at 5:53 pmWhat would happen if Matthews actually thought for himself?
Comment by ForTruth — January 30, 2008 @ 5:53 pm
If a frog had wings he wouldn’t bump his ass when he jumped.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:56 pmWhat would happen if Matthews actually thought for himself?
Comment by ForTruth
Blank Stares
January 30th, 2008 at 5:56 pmWHAT?? No post about Chris(and Pat Buchanan)’s man-love for Hillary Clinton? How odd……
January 30th, 2008 at 5:56 pmNow what we really need is someone (I’m looking at you, Olbermann) to call Matthews on this on air and expose him as the bloviating jackass he really is.
Sadly, it’ll never happen.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:58 pmYou know, whether it’s Matthews or Klein, any of these MSM boobs – the bottom line is, they’re completely out of touch with the majority of Americans.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:59 pmMatthews strokes his guests. He’s also been quite complementary to John Edwards, Mike Huckabee and John McCain. He even stroked Ann Coulter’s ego on the show. I don’t take anything he says very seriously, as he’s just going for ratings and trying to make sure that those in power keep coming on the show. Its more “Softball” than “Hardball”, and he knows it.
The one time there was a real tough interview, Matthews was out, and David Schuster conducted it with Rep Marsha Blackburn. After he raked her over the coals for not knowing anything about the Iraq deaths in her district, he was forced by the network to apologize the next day!
Matthews does have his targets- but they’re usually not his onair guests. He loves to pick on Dick Cheney and takes great pleasure in shooting down the Clintons.
January 30th, 2008 at 6:03 pmTweety’s previous mancrush was on a Chimp in a flightsuit. Here’s what he said when Bush had his glorious “mission accomplished” moment:
“He looks great in a military uniform. He looks great in that cowboy costume he wears when he goes West. We’re proud of our President. Americans love having a guy as President, a guy who has a little swagger, who’s physical, who’s not a complicated guy like Clinton…. Women like a guy who’s President. Check it out.”
Chris certainly was “checking out” Bush’s giant crotch in that flightsuit. Tweety’s next mancrush was on Giuliani, followed by his mancrush on Fred Thompson and his manly smell of cigars and Aqua Velva. Oh well, love is fleeting and breaking up is hard to do. On to the next mancrush.
January 30th, 2008 at 6:05 pmI hope Rudy actively campaigns for McCain up to the party nomination and that McCain is crazy enough to let him do it.
January 30th, 2008 at 6:06 pm“Smithered”. I like that verb. Tweety indeed has been smithering Rudy and the other manly men. “Ooooh, Mr. Rudy….”.
January 30th, 2008 at 6:12 pmIf John McCain was president he would be a Depends-able one.
January 30th, 2008 at 6:14 pmOMG! Rudy’s saying he’ll campaign for McCain in California and NY! Yay!
January 30th, 2008 at 6:15 pmIf John McCain was president he would be a Depends-able one.
Comment by Saint Augustine
Will the Republicans be passing on the Reagan mantle or the Reagan diaper to McCain?
January 30th, 2008 at 6:16 pmYou should not hold Tweety accountable for what Jack Welch tells him to say. It is Welch who changes his mind.
January 30th, 2008 at 6:21 pmYeah, we can only hope Chris “do not pronouce the letter R” Matthews develops another crush on whoever the R nominee is, and his streak stays alive.
January 30th, 2008 at 6:26 pmI swear, if another Repub gets in, I’m leaving and permanently moving to the warmest Canadian city I can find.
Chrissy has a major spoogefest over McCrazy and Tom Delay…oh, and Ann Coulter. That’s all I need to know to figure out where his head is.
January 30th, 2008 at 6:27 pm#38 – They’d be passing on Reagan’s mental capacity to McCain.
January 30th, 2008 at 6:45 pmTo paraphrase Orwell, “I never supported Giuliani; I always fought his becoming the Republican Presidential nominee”.
January 30th, 2008 at 7:09 pmCould someone please explain to me:
January 30th, 2008 at 7:20 pm1) why Giuliani gets this flood of hero worship and
2) Why the conservatives hate McCain ?
Heh…BUSTED!
January 30th, 2008 at 7:30 pmSoutherners “can’t spell his name necessarily, but they know Rudy was a hero.†[3/1/07]
January 30th, 2008 at 7:34 pmSouthern Man, is that you!
Who cares who “Colossal Codpiece” Chris has a crush on … or how fast he ditches them when the rest of the Kewl Kids decide they’re dweebs?…
Matthews has got to be one of the stoopidest and shallowest “empty heads” on the cable shows … and that takes some doing.
Cheers,
January 30th, 2008 at 8:06 pmDoes Matthews really think we are that stupid. Does he think we don’t remember what he has said and done?
He is such a hack. I really wish that MSNBC would dump him and let David Schuster have his slot.
January 30th, 2008 at 8:07 pmEveryone has to check out the article “White Voters with a Side of Hispanics†on the blogzine Savage Politics. This is an awesome discussion and analysis on the current Democrat and GOP candidates and their eligibility.
http://www.savagepolitics.com
January 30th, 2008 at 8:10 pmHere is an excerpt: “Tuesday night’s Florida Primary was a very important episode in the drama in which both the Republican and Democrat Parties are unfolding towards the Presidency of the United States. It also dramatically demonstrated the incredible bias that the Media continues to display towards the Democratic hopeful Barack Obama, in spite of all the evidence pointing to his lack of viability. From MSNBC’s Chris Mathews, who openly stated the day before that any Network that decided to report on the Democratic voting results in Florida was proving a “gross†favoritism for Hillary (ironically enough his Network ended up having to cover it nevertheless), to CNN’s pundits, who continuously utilized the exact same rhetoric that the Obama Campaign was spewing to excuse their defeat (â€Beauty Pageant†was their favorite phrase, with all the sexist connotations it implies). All the same, the Florida results in the Democratic side were overwhelmingly favorable to Hillary Clinton, who won a 50% margin, to Obama’s 33%, Edwards’ 14%, and Gravel’s 1%. On the Republican side, it was John McCain who came out victorious with a 36% margin, to Romney’s 31%, Giuliani’s 15%, Huckabee’s 14%, and Paul’s 3%. Let’s discuss each Party’s results and their realistic consequence.
First, we have the very significant victory of John McCain. His candidacy was, from the very start, labeled as a failure due to his unpopularity amongst most “base†Republicans, much of it owed to McCain’s overwhelmingly dubious record on Conservative issues. His notorious tendency to side with multiple (highly despised) Democrats on issues like Immigration, Bush’s Tax Cuts and other measures, have always been enough to marginalize him from even the “moderate wing†within his Party. Still, when the Florida Exit Polls are analyzed, they reflect many unexpected re-alignments in his favor. Evangelical/Born Again Christians voted for John McCain in a 30% margin, in comparison to both Romney’s and Huckabee’s 29%. This may seem like an insignificant difference, but when you also consider that the majority of non-Evangelicals (Catholics, Atheist, etc.) also…†Find the rest of the article at http://savagepolitics.com/?p=64
I feel so sorry for Keith Olbermann every time he has to share a stage with Matthews. He always looks so embarrassed.
January 30th, 2008 at 8:11 pmMatthews: “You know, Mayor, for months now, I think I’ve been one of the troubadours for you out there in terms of your prospects. I have always seen the Giuliani advantage in a party that treasures leadership.†[1/19/08]
Chris misspelled “authority” there. Chris luvs himself his RW authoritarian figures…. Too bad he missed the halcyon era of such; he would have made such an excellent brown-shi… — umm, sorry, “brown-noser”.
Cheers,
January 30th, 2008 at 8:11 pmJohn McCain is in Matthew’s heart now.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/01/29/chris-matthews-to-mccain-youre-in-my-heart/
January 30th, 2008 at 8:16 pm#32 kritter:
He even stroked Ann Coulter’s ego on the show.
He stroked what? on the show?!?!? Oh … nevermind.
Cheers,
January 30th, 2008 at 8:17 pmMatthews is already on the McCain train, offering glowing terms of admiration.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:10 pmOff topic:
Here’s a great source of “anti-troll” arguments.
http://www.rationalrevolution.net/
January 30th, 2008 at 11:57 pmA∞Ω
January 31st, 2008 at 3:07 amI only wonder what McCain smells like, he’s certainly old-man-enough. Maybe Chris should find a way to snuggle his nose into McCains armpit next time he’s a guest — off camera of course.
Comment by ScrewBush — January 30, 2008 @ 5:38 pm
Desperation and Depends.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:28 amIt’s what vultures do: eat the remains of the dead animals.
January 31st, 2008 at 7:31 am2) Why the conservatives hate McCain ?
Comment by MapleStreet — January 30, 2008 @ 7:20 pm
Conservatives hate McCain because, while he easily wins the warmongering category, he isn’t as rabid on domestic issues as the far right would like. For example, he believes that global warming is a threat and thinks we need to do something about it. Also, he takes a realistic approach to illegal immigration instead of the “deport ‘em all” mentality favored by the xenophobes. Both of these issues brand him as a “liberal” with the wingnuts.
January 31st, 2008 at 8:14 amWho gives a rat’s ass? Is Matthew’s supposed to endorse everyone that Think Progress endorses? Is he an elected Democrat? Confused by the slam piece.
January 31st, 2008 at 9:34 amWho gives a rat’s ass? Is Matthew’s supposed to endorse everyone that Think Progress endorses? Is he an elected Democrat? Confused by the slam piece.
Comment by CRM114 — January 31, 2008 @ 9:34 am
I believe the point of the piece was the fickle nature of Matthews. Who he actually endorses or doesn’t endorse isn’t as important. And no — I doubt TP expects that Matthews would endorse a progressive candidate in a gazillion years.
January 31st, 2008 at 2:13 pm