MSNBC’s Chris Matthews is making some bold predictions regarding the Republicans taking the Senate and their nominee for president in 2016. According to Matthews, the “big civil war” in the Republican Party is setting the scene for Sen. Rand Paul to be the chosen one in 2016, while the numbers game in the Senate looks to be leaning right this year.
The war of words between Paul and Texas Governor Rick Perry has created a dramatic anecdote for speculators to pick up on. Both Paul and Perry have recently published op-eds criticizing each other’s policy preferences. Matthews noted on Hardball that the situation could be compared to the Chicago convention over Vietnam in 1968.
“Back then it was Lyndon Johnson defending himself against Bobby Kennedy and Eugene McCarthy,” Matthews said. “Today, it’s another Texas hawk defending himself against Rand Paul.”
To further make his point, Matthews referred to a quote by Richard Nixon — who is clearly a credible source for a statement on political favorability. Nixon once told a reporter that “if you ever hear of a group forming to stop X, put your money on X.”
Ironically, it didn’t quite work out for Nixon himself.
“If they are already ganging up on Rand Paul and Perry thinks the smart thing to do is pile on, I say, put a few bucks on Rand Paul,” said Matthews.
Joe Scarborough also addressed the notion of Paul becoming the Republican nominee, but he claimed it is total “fiction.” But it sounds like Matthews is ready to start placing bets.
On Morning Joe Tuesday, Matthews continued his gambling streak with a prediction about the potential majority switch in the Senate.
“I think it’s basically ten state races right now, two Republican-held and eight Democratic-held. All that the Republicans have to do is win five of those,” Matthews stated. “I would bet on them winning the Senate right now.”
