Wish there were transcripts posted with these for those of us stuck at work with no sound...

First let me thank you, Nicole. :-P

Now I'll watch and enjoy!

I have had a very confusing opinion of Matthews. When he talks to someone like Tom DeLay and beams at him I get grossed out! But, he also targets the right wing loonies enough time to confuse me. He really should stop talking about Hillary's "cackle", when he has one that sounds like a baboon with bowel problems. I think Jon Stewart did a stunning job on Chris. Chris can do that to people on his show, but when it's aimed at him he's so hurt! I really love Jon Stewart and his ability to use his intellect as well as humor to point out the clay feet of some of his guests (like John McCain).

ever since he sat and fawned over Ann Cultergiest and sandbagged Elizabeth-should-be-1st-lady Edwards...I have hoped and prayed for some comeuppance...whelp..thank you Jon...FINALLY..

I don't like Chris Mathews, but Jon Stewart was a total asshole here. He ranted and didn't allow Mathews to defend himself. I expect tactics like this from the likes of the right wing pundits, but Jon was over the top. Let Mathews answer the damn questions and bury himself.

Dang, on a computer w/o sound. Still, I always thought Chris sadly confused rather than a outright player. He really does have a raging stiffy for the authoritarian right, but I think he honestly views himself as a centrist, maybe even socially liberal. Certainly he'll come out with a completely non-left/non-right statement every once and a while. Just plain, non-bias crazy statements, really.

A sad, lonely man. I guess that maybe he even fails to live up to the philosophy in his own book -- in this case that would be a (admittedly small) plus.

I wonder if him being "hurt" from Stewart's honesty will "radicalize" him? I bet it does (just like Timmeh!). Look for an even further right Hardball this year...

WOW! That's pulling no punches and still being funny. Matthews had to really force his smile at the end.

i saw that interview last night and wow... talk about two diametrically opposing perspectives on life... one of a deeply curious intellect and the other a shallow, insecure, ladder-climbing-based intellect... that was indeed one of Jon's best interviews... i actually felt sorry for mathews in this one...

Hmmmm... Machiavelli. That reminds me of different philosophers' responses to the joke: "Why did the chicken cross the road?" My favorites are:

Machiavelli: "It does not matter why the chicken crossed the road, for the end justifies the means."

Einstein: "Whether the chicken crossed the road or the road crossed under the chicken depends on your frame of reference."

Buddha: "If you ask this question, you deny your own chicken-nature."

By Tweety's philosophy, anything is justifiable, there are no boundaries, there are no limits. Anything or act can be excused; it's all just a matter of degrees. This is the thinking of a souless sociopath. I am astonished that he would admit to his philosophy in a book. Doing so means that he is so far gone down this particular path that it doesn't even occur to him to try and conceal himself. He is without shame. The lack transforms the underlying thinking from that of a mere sociopath into that of the borderline psychopath. Good for Stewart for handling him as he did.

man, it hurt to watch Tweety force that dorky laugh.
on that note, maybe he does need to bs like a politician to get what he wants.
painful!

AntiFed1791 @ 21:

Equating Matthew's book with Machiavelli's The Prince was the clincher for me. I'm going to buy the book!

Which book? Why not buy the original, "The Prince," instead of this shallow pretender's ripoff?

Pundits like Tweety expect an easy ride when shilling extra income-making books around. Everyone writes these things, makes a few bucks, etc. So when you're in the club they just gladhand you and let you talk, talk, talk. Jon Stewart obviously isn't in the club. And that's good. We need more interviews where the whole thing isn't just some glad handing charade. The only book I'd rather read LESS than Tweety's is Pumkinhead Russert's "Big Russ" book. Oh God, that was shameful and embarrasing when he went around hawking that.

I am not sure it was intentional or not but that was a fucking hilarious interview. i was tearin' up bad it had me laughing so hard.

Brilliant interview.

Don't buy this tools book.

I would imagine Chris' book will hit the reduced pile in the bookstores real soon. We already know that politicians will lie at times, we don't need to pay to read about it.

Methinks Plato's Republic, the Allegory of the Cave perfectly describes his thinking. Enlightened to the world of light and yet choosing a manipulative life in the dark.

This is the first time I noticed how loud his voice and how damn irritating his laughter is.

Chris Matthew's perspective is exactly what is wrong with this country right now.

The Bushites and the Republicks have made EVERYTHING political, there is no governing, only gaining advantage.

This book sounds like a series of lessons in how NOT to live.

Biggus Diggus @ 26:

Pundits like Tweety expect an easy ride when shilling extra income-making books around. Everyone writes these things, makes a few bucks, etc. So when you're in the club they just gladhand you and let you talk, talk, talk. Jon Stewart obviously isn't in the club. And that's good. We need more interviews where the whole thing isn't just some glad handing charade...

Absolutely right. Matthews thought he'd get the "gladhand" treatment and you could see the disbelief in his face. "Its called the Prince"...that was awesome but I doubt Matthews has ever read Il Principe so I'm sure it was lost on him...Da twit.

In a very funny, masterfully played display of polite mercilessness, Jon eviscerated the Braying Big Bird and trashed his little book. What with Clarence Thomas' warped, bitter screed coming out in the same week, the bargain bins will be full this month.

Matthews laugh is far scarier than Hillary's any day.

That was great, disagreement for sure, but humor and civility ruled. Both came out smelling like a rose. It was fun to watch.

The Celestial Teapot @ 44:

In a very funny, masterfully played display of polite mercilessness, Jon eviscerated the Braying Big Bird and trashed his little book. What with Clarence Thomas' warped, bitter screed coming out in the same week, the bargain bins will be full this month.

Matthews laugh is far scarier than Hillary's any day.

At least he will never be elected POTUS. Oooooo...(I just got a shiver thinkin bout Hill and the Big Dog back at 1600.) Ok, ok...I'm better now. That was icky.

Brian @ 39:

I was a little taken aback by it, especially considering that Matthews is by no means a thoughtless right-wing ideologue. I thought the interview was rude and uncalled for.

Such is the problem of this country, people call calling a spade a spade as being "mean."

Anyhow, isn't this twit the host of a show called "hardball"? What were you expecting a reach around by Stewart?

Matthews and his ilk are the main enablers of the predicament we find ourselves in -- remember his man crush over Bush when he landed on the aircraft carrier with the cod piece? -- And there are idiots who still think that he deserves normal treatment? Fuck that...

Chris seems to have written this book to basically say that Bill and Hillary Clinton are lying their way through life and politics. Is he trying to do Rudy a favor?

Well done.... Stewart doesn't let the bullshit fly around in his own house.

His book seems to explain a lot about his worship of GW. He ran a very successful life campaign while the actual life was a complete and total failure. He has pretty much summed up the GOP brand. The race is all important. Winning is everything. Any method used in pursuit of victory is acceptable as long as you win in the end. What you do once you win is secondary to the actual victory. You won, hence you were justified. To the victor go the spoils! I fought a good fight, now I'm going on vacation.

I love the Tweety defenders here. Boo Hoo, he didn't give him a chance to answer. Um, did you watch the interview? When Jon gave him a chance to speak he talked about Big Dogs chick bagging technique in college as a reference to his early "life campaign" successes. Jon, being fully aware of Tweety's performance during the 90's, was having none of that horseshit.

This was classic, but SO uncomfortable to watch. It's like the whole time Chris Matthews was waiting for that moment when Jon would let up or say he was just kidding and say "But no seriously, this was a great book folks" or something. Never happened. Ouch. Jon said it plain and simple, WTF is the point of this f-in book, really. It had no point. If we treated life as a campaign, we'd bullshit our way through it and we'd ALL be liars and do whatever we needed to in order to take care of ourselves and ourselves only, regardless of the consequences for others.

Way to call 'em out Jon.

HDon @ 51:

Jon Stewart is a guy I'd like to drink a beer with. He has a sunny nobility about him. He should have his face on Mt Rushmore.

Tweety is a douchebag. An enabler of the problems at hand. He is a treasonous turd.

-----------
i'll drink to all of that! gurgle! gurgle!

If we treated life as a campaign, we’d bullshit our way through it and we’d ALL be liars and do whatever we needed to in order to take care of ourselves and ourselves only, regardless of the consequences for others.

So... we'd all be republicans?

Chris: Aren't you gonna let me explain?

Jon: Sure, we'll just edit it out.

Douche'

...funny bit...but the real question is if Chris M. is so bad, why does Keef (darlin' of C & L) kiss his ass ?

andrew @ 68:

...funny bit...but the real question is if Chris M. is so bad, why does Keef (darlin' of C & L) kiss his ass ?

Because they're co-workers, and Olby's learned not to shit in his own nest? Just a guess.

JennyO, before Rudy even said for sure he would run Chris was cheerleading every night on his show about how great Rudy would be. Any male republican that Chris thinks could one day throw him a bone, he's all about them.

(No, I don't mean that kind of bone. Tsk Tsk ;) )

Mathews handed a bunch of unrelated notes to a low-level editor who has to create a book with Mathews name on it, and now Mathews has to defend the book. It might be a good idea for him to read it first.

This is the pre-Xmas book push with ever kind of crap written by every celeb-pol put out at the end of the year junk. Mathews, Ann Coulter, Uncle Tom, and of course the usual Bush bio will all come out and we will hear about how they see the world, until they have another book come out, that completely contradicts what this years book will say.

Yep, that about covers it, EMPY

I think Chis is so envious of Bill Clinton that he can't sleep at night. I've thought that since Bill was in the white house.

EMPY @ 73:

Jenny'O @ 65:

pissed off patricia @ 52:

Chris seems to have written this book to basically say that Bill and Hillary Clinton are lying their way through life and politics. Is he trying to do Rudy a favor?

---------
pissed off patty, you're so good, it's kind of scary.
i don't know about the rudey connection cause i don't often watch twit-ee but, he does seem to have it in for bill and hill and they were the examples he used...not george's cynical use of the military, not rudy's flip-flops...hillary and bill.

Pissed of Patricia absolutely nailed it. Tweety's quiver only has a couple of arrows in it. He trembles in anticipation of the Clintons back in the White House. His repertoire consists of the following:

1. Bill and Hilary are liars
2. Bill likes sex. A LOT! Did I mention how much Bill likes sex.
3. Bill/Hillary are not authentic

Rinse and repeat!

Well, even us liberals know those 3 are true.

Matthews' embarrassingly slavish adulation of political figures is only exceeded by the same adulation given Jon Stewart here.

Well, that and Whoopi's hard-on for the Pelosi's yesterday. Yeesh.

John @ 78:

EMPY @ 73:

Jenny'O @ 65:

pissed off patricia @ 52:
---------
pissed off patty, you're so good, it's kind of scary.
i don't know about the rudey connection cause i don't often watch twit-ee but, he does seem to have it in for bill and hill and they were the examples he used...not george's cynical use of the military, not rudy's flip-flops...hillary and bill.

Pissed of Patricia absolutely nailed it. Tweety's quiver only has a couple of arrows in it. He trembles in anticipation of the Clintons back in the White House. His repertoire consists of the following:

1. Bill and Hilary are liars
2. Bill likes sex. A LOT! Did I mention how much Bill likes sex.
3. Bill/Hillary are not authentic

Rinse and repeat!

Well, even us liberals know those 3 are true.

The Big Dog? A Horn Dog? NO!!!!!!!!!!! Say it ain't Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

patthemonkey @ 74:

Mathews handed a bunch of unrelated notes to a low-level editor who has to create a book with Mathews name on it, and now Mathews has to defend the book. It might be a good idea for him to read it first.

This is the pre-Xmas book push with ever kind of crap written by every celeb-pol put out at the end of the year junk. Mathews, Ann Coulter, Uncle Tom, and of course the usual Bush bio will all come out and we will hear about how they see the world, until they have another book come out, that completely contradicts what this years book will say.

lynchcheney @ 75:

Matthews's

Adding a t.

Peter Feldstein @ 10:

I don't like Chris Mathews, but Jon Stewart was a total asshole here. He ranted and didn't allow Mathews to defend himself. I expect tactics like this from the likes of the right wing pundits, but Jon was over the top. Let Mathews answer the damn questions and bury himself.

What? Are you sure you're looking at the same interview? Jon was anything but an asshole! Good for someone actually standing up and saying, "No, it's not okay to write a book that says it's okay to be a disingenuous asshole to get anywhere in life!" What kind of a message is that sending? I think you need to go back and listen to this a few times and maybe on the third of fourth try, it won't go completely over your head again.

Holy smoke. Owned.

Peter Feldstein @ 10:

I don't like Chris Mathews, but Jon Stewart was a total asshole here. He ranted and didn't allow Mathews to defend himself. I expect tactics like this from the likes of the right wing pundits, but Jon was over the top. Let Mathews answer the damn questions and bury himself.

I think your Asshole-O-Meter is broken. Tweety had plenty of opportunity to answer the questions. And did. And also deflected. I guess you didn't watch it.

Sounds like Stewart was in a FED-UP-sort-of-mood, and just couldn't handle anymore horse shit, especially from Tweety, on that particular night.

There is nothing in the slightest baffling about Mathew's man crushes on Republicans and his tiresome trashing of Democrats. It's his job, he just does what the corporate suits tell him to. Of course he comes out awkward and embarrassing statements, the guy just isn't clever enough to come up with anything that sounds like genuine sentiment. Since he's not allowed to say what he might really think about politicians, he regurgitates the usual beltway psychobabble about imaginary qualities of character, smell and masculinity.

Matthews is such a shallow twat.

Would he give his book to Jesus? 'Jesus, man, you need to look at this thing as a campaign,...'

What a FOOL.

[...] If you missed it on The Daily Show last night, Nicole Belle at Crooks & Liars has the clip. [...]

Tweety looks down today.

I think Jon struck a nerve.

Jon @ 95:

I can't believe I'm about to defend Chris Matthews. I think Stewart might have missed the point. First, Matthews didn't intend to write a Bible, telling you how to live your life - he just wrote a light-hearted book about how campaign behavior might translate well into other parts of life.

Also, Stewart reveals his absolute cynicism about politics by essentially saying that politicians can't do good things. We're all cynical, I know, but it strikes me as too easy to brand politics as some kind of toilet for morals. I'd like to see a little more idealism coming from the top of the 11-o-clock hour on Comedy Central.

Huh? Idealism on Comedy Central. Never occured to me to look for any idealism on Comedy Central. But I like your line about politics being a kind of toilet for morals. I think that's exactly the phrase I've been looking for these past 7 years!

Jon read it...found it to be lacking. Chris, as he's known to do, merely came on someone else's show to promote his shallow ideals and got called on it... End of that. Chris, you are a fool. Stay home.

When will these amateurs learn that attempting to debate with Jon Stewart is a bad idea? Chris Matthews would have served himself well if he had gone on expecting to have his philosophy of life trashed and used that to hold on to a small thread of creditability. Instead he, like bow-tie boy Carlson, made his incompetence woefully obvious.

I have never, ever witnessed an attack like this on TV. The best thing of it all was, it really wasn't a Billo-typ yelling match, it was just words and very damaging at that.
Mathews was embarassed and shocked that Stewart broke protocol and code of the way to do a book interiew.

I was as embarassed for Mathews as I was proud of Stewart for doing the right thing.

Now, if he'd only stand up to tat prick Dennis Miller and John McCain the same way.

i happened to catch this show last night and what struck me was matthews body
language. he is physically aggressive and that kind of behavior is going to get him a
beat down in some bar, some day.

Paul @ 20:

By Tweety's philosophy, anything is justifiable, there are no boundaries, there are no limits. Anything or act can be excused; it's all just a matter of degrees. This is the thinking of a souless sociopath. I am astonished that he would admit to his philosophy in a book. Doing so means that he is so far gone down this particular path that it doesn't even occur to him to try and conceal himself. He is without shame. The lack transforms the underlying thinking from that of a mere sociopath into that of the borderline psychopath. Good for Stewart for handling him as he did.

Stewart gets book.
Stewart reads book.
Stewart uses books philosophy against author.
Author is clueless.

...priceless!

Jon @ 95:

I can't believe I'm about to defend Chris Matthews. I think Stewart might have missed the point. First, Matthews didn't intend to write a Bible, telling you how to live your life - he just wrote a light-hearted book about how campaign behavior might translate well into other parts of life.

Also, Stewart reveals his absolute cynicism about politics by essentially saying that politicians can't do good things. We're all cynical, I know, but it strikes me as too easy to brand politics as some kind of toilet for morals. I'd like to see a little more idealism coming from the top of the 11-o-clock hour on Comedy Central.

Have you read the book?

Didn't think so.

Jon Has.

Go away, concern troll.

In six short minutes that interview not only exposes whats wrong with politics, it exposes whats wrong with America.

Wow chrissy..Jon Stewart ripped you a new one..it was great to see you exposed for the phoney you are...He didn't trash your book..he trashed you..he bitch fucked you..now thats HARDBALL...take notes on how its really done...wow i still cant get over it..im in awe..and you shook his hand after it..not even that slezze Dick Morris did that..you know thats going to go the rounds of the bloggers you and your other main stream phonnies hate..i cant wait.....hey say hi to the other two phoneys there Timmy and Brian for me...lol...incredable just incredable..well you know what they say Chrissy.."Life is like a Campaign"..LOL

Hi could someone please send the above message to hardball@msnbc.com?..for some reason i am unable to do it from my computer..could msnbc have banned my emails?...wow..thats sad if true...i just wanted to tell chrissy how much i enjoyed the show..lol..thanks

Wow, if I smoked, I would be lighting up! Just like some post coital high.

.
.
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Jon Stewart was right.

Chris Matthews is an empty soul-less man.

Pretty sad, but not surprising.
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.
.

We must be so used to superficial, polite-on-the-outside, mutual-admiration style interviews that a real exchange, stripped of all bull and artifice, is considered controversial. Or mean. This is what grown-ups [should] do.

Jon Stewart is my TV boyfriend.

[...] Stewart explains in a hilarious way that life is certainly not a campaign. View the clip from Crooksandliars.com here. Posted by thebuffalo on Wednesday, October 3, 2007, at 8:38 pm, and filed under Jon Stewart, [...]

This is almost a better bitch slap than he gave Tucker Carlson while on crossfire, could someone please post that clip. If I remember correctly crossfire was canceled 2 weeks later

After this, I really love Jon Stewart! While relaxed and confident in his analysis, he was extremely focused and serious. He was reflecting on life (you could feel that he was drawing on his own experience) and talking about real philosophical issues. This Chris could just not understand. It is wonderful how Jon felt that there was a serious issue at stake this time, that he really had something to say, and therefore would not back down, despite this putting him in the uncomfortable position of embarrassing his guest. The reactions from the audience were also spot on.

swarmofkillermonkeys @ 12:

I wonder if him being "hurt" from Stewart's honesty will "radicalize" him? I bet it does (just like Timmeh!). Look for an even further right Hardball this year...

Hilarious comment. I think you're right. Matthews will become an even bigger jerk.

Oh man, I thought John was trailing off for a while there. That was funny and great!

Goddamn, that was good! That clip made me go back and watch John eviscerate Carlson, just to get a "double-shot" of Stewart-style righteous (and funny as hell) smackdown.

"the Prince"
"I don't troll"

burn, burn, burn

[...] is a talented interviewer, but this one is especially good. It was satisfying, indeed, to see Stewart expose the amoral and clueless Matthews. Bookmark [...]

OK. Now I'm gonna donate to you.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Mike

"I fear fascism." - Jon

Nice, SOMEONE finally in the MSM that fears big brother! I love you Jon!

When I log on to C&L at night, I pour a drink and try to slog through all the shit and then I reward myself with the Daily Show at the end so as to not have nightmares. Man what a let down this TDS clip was. Jon Stuart was on as usual and he did give Mattews hell, but Chris Matthews is such an obnoxius dick I gotta go watch something mindless and funny to get this shit outta my head or I'll have a fretful nights sleep. Any suggestions?

This interview was a joy to watch. Thank you, Jon. Tweety's book is supposed to be about politics relating to life but the only politicians he talked about in the interview were, you guessed it, "...Bill and Hillary, Bill and Hillary, Bill and Hillary..." Ironically, the philosophy he espouses in his book seems to be exactly what he criticizes the Clintons for. Tweety is a phony and an asshat and I thoroughly enjoyed watching Jon Stewart have his way with him.

"I don't troll" - YESSSSSS!