I know! No one else likes him. Though he's a liberal, I think he lives in the real world and holds Dem and Republican feet to the fire equally. Anyway, he says a lot of good stuff here.....
New Haven RegisterSee?! He may be liberal, but he's got lots o' horse sense.
Steve Higgins, Register Business Editor
April 23, 2003NEW HAVEN — Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC’s "Hardball," began his keynote speech at the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting Tuesday with an admission.
"I was wrong about the war," Matthews said in a booming voice, immediately gaining the attention of 600 people at the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale.
Matthews, who described himself as a liberal, said he thought the Iraqi people would fight American troops, there would be a worldwide Arab uprising, and terrorist groups such as al-Qaida would see "massive" recruitment.
"I thought there would be an Arab revolt, a tremendous uproar," he said. "Nothing happened. I hate being wrong, but I’m glad."
[snip]
Matthews praised President Bush’s handling of the war against terrorism.
"He is simple — good simple," Matthews said. "We’ve had a lot of Democratic candidates who have been really complicated — and disasters.
"Bush is in bed by 9:30 p.m. with Laura — how’s that for a switch?"
Matthews said he doesn’t think Bush will follow in his father’s footsteps as a one-term president.
"He sticks with his deals," he said.
Matthews said Democrats are making a mistake trying to shift the focus of the next presidential campaign to the economy.
"The Democrats will have to debate national security to get into this election," he said. "They have to start talking about the same things Bush is talking about."
The Democrats need to realize that two things have changed, he said — the nation has shifted sharply to the right, and the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks changed the nation’s priorities.
For instance, women — who historically have voted strongly Democratic — have always seen health as a major domestic issue. But now the health issue includes fears of anthrax and chemical attacks.
Foreign policy has become domestic policy, Matthews said.
"This is about our turf," he said. "The war against terrorism is ongoing. Politics will never be the same in our lifetime."
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