Grace’s Take: Comrade Chris’ Best Moments
I can’t believe it. Chris Matthews has officially “thrown” his last Hardball. The MSNBC host announced last night that he was retiring. It was an abrupt ending to a long and at times hilarious career.
Here are a few of my favorite moments courtesy of Chris.
The Thrill of a Lifetime
While it is often remembered as a “tingle”, the actual quote is: “I have to tell you, you know, it’s part of reporting this case, this election, the feeling most people get when they hear Barack Obama’s speech. My, I felt this thrill going up my leg. I mean, I don’t have that too often.”
There has been plenty of over-the-top praise for President Obama over the years, but Chris’ thrill line still reigns supreme.
President Barack Obama leaves the podium at the conclusion of his final presidential news conference, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017, in the briefing room of the white House in Washington.(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Eric Swalwell’s Fart Heard ‘Round the World
I am not implying that the world watches Hardball. Based on the ratings, that could not be further from the truth. But thanks to the internet, specifically Twitter, the world did hear Eric Swalwell’s fart. *Later, online sleuths surmised the flatulence-like sound was most likely a result of Chris dragging his mug across the desk. Either way, it was pure gold.
A Way with Words
Whether it was analogies, metaphors or similes- Matthews will go down as the Shakespeare of MSNBC. Joy Reid’s time traveling hacker wishes he had Matthews’ historical rolodex. Here are a few of my personal favorites Matthewisms:
While discussing executive privilege with Senator Kamala Harris–
“I think it is sort of like virginity, kinda. Once you start talking about a matter in your jurisdiction and then you say, ‘oh, I’m not doing it anymore.’ You can’t do it once you’ve started talking. I understand that’s how executive privilege works. Once you have given it up, you can’t grab it back.”
He apologized immediately. But you can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube. By the way Chris—that might have been the safer idiom you were looking for.
On Joe Biden running for President—
“He’s going to the Rocky steps at the Philadelphia art museum, the essential blue-collar guy from south Philly. Italian Stallion, the one that never got his shot, finally gets his shot at the title against Apollo Creed.”
In the words of Dwight Schrute, “Comparisons are hard.”
Uncle Joe has thin-skin and a remarkably fragile glass jaw. Comparing him to Rocky Balboa? In the words of Uncle Joe…C’mon man.
Of course, there was Chris’ most recent controversial comparison (that many think led to his sudden “retirement”). Matthews decided to compare Bernie’s win in Nevada to the fall of France in 1940.
“And the general calls up Churchill and says, ‘It’s over,’ and Churchill says, ‘How can it be? You got the greatest army in Europe. How can it be over?’ He said, ‘It’s over.’”
He was right about one thing–it is definitely over, at least for Comrade Chris.
