Posted on 10/03/2007 8:37:56 PM PDT by xjcsa
See the video here.
Also, see the transcript here.
Now for the main story:
Jon Stewart Dismantles Chris Mathews
If you have ever bemoaned the turn Matthews -- a former newspaperman -- has taken in recent years, you have to check out what happened on "The Daily Show" on Tuesday night. Matthews called it "the worst interview ever."
By Greg Mitchell
(October 03, 2007) -- You may find this hard to believe, but there was a time when TV gasbag Chris Matthews was a respectable hard news reporter. He worked in Washington, D.C. for the San Francisco Examiner from 1987 to around 2000, and also wrote columns for the San Francisco Chronicle and others. But if you have ever bemoaned the turn his career took as an interviewer/talk show host – or if you just hate the inside-the-beltway mentality of many of our leading press and TV pundits – then you would have loved Jon Stewart’s dismantling of Matthews on “The Daily Show” last night.
I have no idea if there is a back story to this epic confrontation beyond Stewart’s known hatred of loudmouth TV bullying (remember his famous attack on “Crossfire” a few years back?). But what was on the screen right in front of our noses was shocking enough, not to mention long overdue. Matthews, growing angry, called it “the book interview from hell” and his "worst interview ever," adding, "You are the worst."
Matthews accused him of "trashing my book." Stewart said he was actually "trashing your philosophy."
The "Hardball" host was there, like so many others before him, simply to hype his new book, “Life’s a Campaign.” Stewart was after him right from the start. He described the book as claiming that “people can use what politicians do in political campaigns to help their lives. ... That strikes me as fundamentally wrong.” Rather than a self-help book it is really a “self-hurt book, if you will," he added. "Aren't campaigns fundamentally contrivances?"
Matthews agreed, but said you could still learn from successful politicians – like them, you sometimes have to “sell yourself” to get a job or manipulate people to get ahead.
"But there has to be some core of soul in there," Stewart replied. "There's nothing in this book about, 'Be good, be competent.'"
Matthews said THAT book had been written before – and it was the Bible. But Stewart, when he is on his game, can be quick and erudite, and now he pointed out that Matthews’ new book had also been written before – and it was Machiavelli’s “The Prince.” Matthews claimed his book was better than "The Prince."
Stewart then twice called Matthews’ book "a recipe for sadness. ... If you live this book, your life will be strategy, and ... you'll be unhappy."
Matthews, finding himself on the receiving end for a change, invited Stewart to “Hardball,” and "we can play this both ways." Stewart replied, “I don't troll," drawing gasps from the audience.
"You are unbelievable," Matthews said. "This is a book interview from hell. This is the worst interview I've ever had in my life. This is the worst. You are the worst." Matthews accused him of being another Zell Miller but Stewart said that, unlike the former senator, he would not challenge Matthew to a duel.
Sputtering for an explanation, Matthews charged that "you are afraid of me" and there must be something in his book “that you fear."
"Like fascism, I fear fascism," Stewart responded.
This was worth waiting a decade for. You can watch the interview here.
Perhaps we should close with a quote from Machiavelli: "Because how one ought to live is so far removed from how one lives....it is necessary for a prince, wanting to maintain himself, to learn how to be able to be not good and to use this and not use it according to necessity." Now, that's playing hardball.
Thanks PRIMO smack down for Chrissy-Poo
absolutely priceless, Matthew’s best example of listeint to people to get ahead, was Bill Clinton pretending to listen to women in college to get laid.
Too friggin funny. Stewarts Kung Fu was powerful. He came ready to demolish Matthews, and he did.
Even the dismantling of Chrissy can’t make me watch that smug little piece of smegma.
BWWWHAHAHAHA!!
The only problem is that both Matthews and Stewart are dirtbags. Hard to root for one over the other.
See my post 10; it’s available there for now.
Can we get this archived?
Stewart calls The wacko libs fascists L0L and Matthews goes back on his heels L0L
I think someone different reposted it; it may not last long there.
Thanks.
Zell Miller stomped directly on Matthews' diminutive penis in front of a national audience. Matthews sputtered and groveled like the fool that he is. It was one of the best interviews I have ever seen!
the video does not match the article....they were basically laughing and giggling like 4 year olds throughout the interview...there was no animosity in the video as the article makes it seem...it seemed to me like more good natured ribbing...
The video is still up. Go to the link for the transcript...and scroll down the page to the video.
I think Stewart didn’t like Matthew’s sight-gag about his height in the walk-on.
It was prolly the result of a gay tryst gone awry
Matthews' famous last words: "Zell, you're kidding, right?"
that was not “giving Chrissy hell”...that was just two leftists who can mutually laugh off any Pub while goshing over themselves.....
Thanks for reposting.
Don’t know zip about Jon Stewart, except that I thought he was a lefty.
Matthews had that whole interview coming to him! He’s a creep. I normally would hate to see anyone get that kind of treatment, but he deserved every bit of what he got!
The difference is that Jon Stewart never attacked Chrissy’s character or integrity, but limited the commentary to the subject of the book only. Had it been a conservative, he would never have even read the book...or at least he would have taken passages out of context to try to make the author look bad.
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