Chris Matthews Humiliates State Senator Kirk Watson On MSNBC

[phk]

Chris Matthews Humiliates State Senator Kirk Watson On MSNBC

Huffington Post   |   February 19, 2008 11:23 PM
Read More: Barack Obama, Chris Matthews, Kirk Watson, Msnbc, State Senator Kirk Watson, Breaking Media News

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/19/chris-matthews-humiliates_n_87493.html

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Texas State Senator Kirk Watson (D-TX) learned a lesson in preparedness Tuesday night when he was humiliated on MSNBC. Watson was on to talk about his support of Senator Obama alongside Representative Stephanie Tubbs (D-OH), who backs Senator Clinton. Watson has endorsed Obama and writes glowingly of all the things Obama will do for the country, if elected.

But he was unable to answer Chris Matthews most basic demand: "Name some of his legislative accomplishments... name any..." A fantastically awkward mix of dead air, stuttering, laughter and repetition ensued, as Watson could not name a single one. Matthews laid off part way through, it seems at the demand of his producers, but came back around to lay a final blow at the end.

Watch what must be the most awkward clip of the night's coverage:

Kirk Watson, stumping for Obama, was unable to answer Chris Matthews most basic demand, "name some of his legislative accomplishments." A fantastically awkward mix of dead air, awkward laughter and repetition ensued, as Watson could not name one. http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1422253679http://www.brightcove.com/channel.jsp?channel=1178199204


Update: Kirk Watson has written about last night's interview on his website:

    So . . . That really happened.

    On Tuesday night, after an important and historic victory in the Wisconsin Presidential Primary by Senator Barack Obama, I appeared on the MSNBC post-election program. "Hardball" host Chris Matthews (who is, it turns out, as ferocious as they say), began grilling me on Senator Obama's legislative record.

    And my mind went blank. I expected to be asked about the primary that night, or the big one coming up in Texas on March 4, or just about anything else in the news. When the subject changed so emphatically, I reached for information that millions of my fellow Obama supporters could recite by heart, and I couldn't summon it.

    My most unfortunate gaffe is not, in any way, a comment on Senator Obama, his substantial record, or the great opportunity we all share to elect him President of the United States.

[Lief 🗽]

What a ridiculous question. While he should have been prepared, Matthews played gotcha politics and used a Clintonian theme to attack him. Maybe he should have asked the Clinton shill on the left of the screen what some of Clinton's achievements in the Senate were. You know, besides sending thousands of Americans to their deaths.

[Keystone Phil]

LOL 

A "ridiculous" question. God forbid we ask a vocal supporter of a candidate to name an accomplishment of the person they're so excited about.

[Stranger in a strange land]

So what if some state senator doesn't know what Obama has done in the senate? Obama has accomplished more in three years than many accomplish in careers ten times as long, like the ethics reform package and working with the likes of Tom Coburn and Jim DeMint to improve government transparency to fight outrages like Ted Stevens's Bridge to Nowhere.

Also, you've probably noticed this, but Chris Matthews practically worships McCain: he's hostile to Obama because he knows Obama can beat him, and he talks up Hillary because he knows she'll lose to him.

[Sam Spade]

What a ridiculous question. While he should have been prepared, Matthews played gotcha politics and used a Clintonian theme to attack him. Maybe he should have asked the Clinton shill on the left of the screen what some of Clinton's achievements in the Senate were. You know, besides sending thousands of Americans to their deaths.

Quite frankly, that's no excuse.  He should have been prepared.  It's his own fault, not his candidate's.

I also don't get how "describing the legislative accomplishments of the candidate you support" is a gotcha question.  One would hope all Obama supporters here could answer the same.

[Aizen]

Kirk Watson is a moron. This type of thing is damaging to Obama if his supporters can't answer a question like this. Hopefully he never shows his face on T.V. again.

[Keystone Phil]

So what if some state senator doesn't know what Obama has done in the senate?

I ignorance.

[Verily]

Kirk Watson responds:

http://www.kirkwatson.com/media/whats-new/2008/02/20/msnbc-and-me/

[WalterMitty]

obama has no legislative accomplishments. 

so far as i can tell, he hung around the senate for about 3 or 4 weeks before running all over the country writing inspirational books and running for president.

before that he piled up a bunch of 'present' votes in the illinois state senate.

[ThePrezMex]

Also, you've probably noticed this, but Chris Matthews practically worships McCain: he's hostile to Obama because he knows Obama can beat him, and he talks up Hillary because he knows she'll lose to him.

HAHAHAHA! Now Chris Matthews is antiObama! wow... I think any Clinton supporter would say that Chris Matthews has been excessively supportive of Obama. So this was a first.

I'm really concerned that Obama supporters think that nobody can ask a question about their candidate record or stand on issues. Any question about that is a question 'against hope'. If he becomes President, nobody will be able to question him. I'm from Mexico, we in Latin America have seen our share of messianic leaders. The signs that I'm seeing now are starting to worry me a lot.

[Stranger in a strange land]

Also, you've probably noticed this, but Chris Matthews practically worships McCain: he's hostile to Obama because he knows Obama can beat him, and he talks up Hillary because he knows she'll lose to him.

HAHAHAHA! Now Chris Matthews is antiObama! wow... I think any Clinton supporter would say that Chris Matthews has been excessively supportive of Obama. So this was a first.

I'm really concerned that Obama supporters think that nobody can ask a question about their candidate record or stand on issues. Any question about that is a question 'against hope'. If he becomes President, nobody will be able to question him. I'm from Mexico, we in Latin America have seen our share of messianic leaders. The signs that I'm seeing now are starting to worry me a lot.

truth be told, I have some of the same reservations, but I think he can help us get past the divisive politics of the 60s and the boomer generation which have divided, polarized, and immobilized our political culture for so long. That's why I'm supporting him.

That and the fact that I want to escape the bush-clinton cycle

[exopolitician]

obama has no legislative accomplishments. 

so far as i can tell, he hung around the senate for about 3 or 4 weeks before running all over the country writing inspirational books and running for president.

before that he piled up a bunch of 'present' votes in the illinois state senate.

Name some of Clinton's legislative accomplishments.....BESIDES her vote for a disasterious war that has killed thousands of innocents. GO GO GO!

[Lief 🗽]

Kirk Watson responds:

http://www.kirkwatson.com/media/whats-new/2008/02/20/msnbc-and-me/

Oh, Kirk Watson. I'd vote for you to hell and back.

[perdedor]

I guess this would be somewhat more substantial if Kirk Watson's ineptitude was actually relevant to Obama and national politics. Unless Obama was planning to select Watson for VP, I don't see how this necessarily hurts Obama as anyone could easily look up his accomplishments in the senate, which include:

- Passed bipartisan legislation that allowed Americans to access the internet in order to view exactly how their tax dollars were spent.

- Passing bipartisan legislation to give a tax credit to service stations who install ethanol pumps.

- Obama worked with Russ Feingold in proposing ethics legislation. This eventually led to the end of subsidized corporate jet travel, fuller disclosure regarding lobbyist bundles, and etc. that was eventually part of the final ethics bill that was signed into law.

Just a few I like.

[WalterMitty]

obama has no legislative accomplishments. 

so far as i can tell, he hung around the senate for about 3 or 4 weeks before running all over the country writing inspirational books and running for president.

before that he piled up a bunch of 'present' votes in the illinois state senate.

Name some of Clinton's legislative accomplishments.....BESIDES her vote for a disasterious war that has killed thousands of innocents. GO GO GO!

im not bragging about her legislative achievements...which i find overrated to begin with.

but one couldnt possibly say with a straight face that obama has been a more productive senator than clinton.

[exopolitician]

obama has no legislative accomplishments. 

so far as i can tell, he hung around the senate for about 3 or 4 weeks before running all over the country writing inspirational books and running for president.

before that he piled up a bunch of 'present' votes in the illinois state senate.

Name some of Clinton's legislative accomplishments.....BESIDES her vote for a disasterious war that has killed thousands of innocents. GO GO GO!

im not bragging about her legislative achievements...which i find overrated to begin with.

but one couldnt possibly say with a straight face that obama has been a more productive senator than clinton.

Prove it then...dont expect to get a free ride over what you have said...back it up atleast with some facts.

[ThePrezMex]

obama has no legislative accomplishments. 

so far as i can tell, he hung around the senate for about 3 or 4 weeks before running all over the country writing inspirational books and running for president.

before that he piled up a bunch of 'present' votes in the illinois state senate.

Name some of Clinton's legislative accomplishments.....BESIDES her vote for a disasterious war that has killed thousands of innocents. GO GO GO!

im not bragging about her legislative achievements...which i find overrated to begin with.

but one couldnt possibly say with a straight face that obama has been a more productive senator than clinton.

Prove it then...dont expect to get a free ride over what you have said...back it up atleast with some facts.

Shouldn't you name some of Obama's accomplishments first? that was the original question.
What a hack.   WalterMitty has been in this forum three more years - he's well respected.

Obama cult followers.... scary.

[exopolitician]

obama has no legislative accomplishments. 

so far as i can tell, he hung around the senate for about 3 or 4 weeks before running all over the country writing inspirational books and running for president.

before that he piled up a bunch of 'present' votes in the illinois state senate.

Name some of Clinton's legislative accomplishments.....BESIDES her vote for a disasterious war that has killed thousands of innocents. GO GO GO!

im not bragging about her legislative achievements...which i find overrated to begin with.

but one couldnt possibly say with a straight face that obama has been a more productive senator than clinton.

Prove it then...dont expect to get a free ride over what you have said...back it up atleast with some facts.

Shouldn't you name some of Obama's accomplishments first? that was the original question.
What a hack.   WalterMitty has been in this forum three more years - he's well respected.

Obama cult followers.... scary.

I will definately name some of his accomplishments, but I believe I asked him to name some of Clintons first. You can aid him as well if you wish?

[King]

This is going to be a great clip for a McCain or Clinton attack ad.

[Lief 🗽]

obama has no legislative accomplishments. 

so far as i can tell, he hung around the senate for about 3 or 4 weeks before running all over the country writing inspirational books and running for president.

before that he piled up a bunch of 'present' votes in the illinois state senate.

Name some of Clinton's legislative accomplishments.....BESIDES her vote for a disasterious war that has killed thousands of innocents. GO GO GO!

im not bragging about her legislative achievements...which i find overrated to begin with.

but one couldnt possibly say with a straight face that obama has been a more productive senator than clinton.

Prove it then...dont expect to get a free ride over what you have said...back it up atleast with some facts.

Shouldn't you name some of Obama's accomplishments first? that was the original question.
What a hack.   WalterMitty has been in this forum three more years - he's well respected.

Obama cult followers.... scary.

-Bipartisan ethics reform in the both the US and Illinois Senate.
-Working with Dick Lugar to control nuclear weapon proliferation.
-Working across the aisle, again, to make government spending more transparent.

Off the top of my head.

[Mr. Morden]

Also, you've probably noticed this, but Chris Matthews practically worships McCain: he's hostile to Obama because he knows Obama can beat him, and he talks up Hillary because he knows she'll lose to him.

A visibly moved, sentimental Chris Matthews then chimed in with his account of an Obama speech he attended days before: "It was the best speech I've ever heard. ... And I'm tearing up, and I'm writing down notes, and I'm trying to keep track of this thing. ... His heart must've been broken last night."

"I've been following politics since I was about 5," said Mr. Matthews. "I've never seen anything like this. This is bigger than Kennedy. [Obama] comes along, and he seems to have the answers. This is the New Testament. This is surprising."

"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."--Chris Matthews

"Let's not forget...the reason she's a U.S. Senator, the reason she's a candidate for president, the reason she may be a frontrunner, is that her husband messed around".--Chris Matthews

[Sam Spade]

This is going to be a great clip for a McCain or Clinton attack ad.

Yep.  We'll see if the Clinton people are smart enough.

[TheresNoMoney]

Chris Matthews just had Claire McCaskill on and she knocked that question out of the ballpark. And they both kind of joked about the State Senator from Texas he had on last night.

[NHPolitico]

Chris Matthew said tonight that he asked that open ended question to Watson because he thought Watson was the type of guy who doesn't focus on details and would struggle to provide details of Obama's Senate record.  So, the question was a gotcha question, but it wasn't out of line-- no more than it was for Stephen Colbert to see if Lynn Westmoreland could name all 10 Commandments, since Westmoreland thought they were so very important that they should be displayed in public.  Watson's claims of stagefright don't hold water for me. I think he's just a moron, like many in office.

[TheresNoMoney]

People like Kirk Watson who don't know Obama's legislative record should not be appearing on national TV.

Claire McCaskill was excellent and answered the question very thoroughly on today's show.