Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC’s Hardball and veteran of the Jimmy Carter Administration, offered some suprisingly negative observations about President Obama’s reelection prospects on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, even acknowledging “parallels” between Obama’s situation and that of President Carter in 1979.
“Is the feeling in America today in 2011 much like what you were experiencing inside that [Carter] White House in 1979?” Joe Scaborough asked, “Are there parallels?” Matthews answered that, as in 1979, voters at this point in the election cycle are making decisions about who they’ll support for President in 2012 – decisions that Matthews said are “probably against the President [Obama] in many cases.”
“But really it began then [in 1979], you’re dead right,” Matthews said. “And I think we’re in that period now of decision making.” Matthews then suggested three factors at play in the reelection process. “Conditions – which work against the president; values – which go both ways; and tone, which I think also works against the president.” Matthews then noted that sounding “angry” or “cranky” when talking to voters – “that connects!” Matthews said.
The implication that Obama has sounded insufficiently angry or impassioned recalls Matthews’ argument that Carter lost in part because he failed “to reengage with the American people . . . effectively or combatively” during the Iran hostage crisis. In that context, Matthews’ sounds as if he sees Obama, whom he described as “debonaire” and suggested seems “breezy,” repeating Carter’s mistakes and walking the same path to electoral defeat.
Nevertheless, Matthews’ seems somewhat tone deaf when discussing how to connect with voters. Obama, after all, has sounded very “cranky” of late, as when the president scolded the Congressional Black Caucus at a recent rally. “Stop complaining,” Obama told them.
Matthews offered a series of interesting and informed insights into the presidential cycle, but perhaps he’s too married to the idea that the electorate is “angry” to recognize what has driven the backlash against Democrats – the rapid expansion of the federal government and federal power under the auspices of President Barack Obama.
You can see Matthews talking about Carter and Obama below.
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