According to Chris Matthews on Wednesday, there's one reason prominent Republicans will vote against a resolution allowing Barack Obama to bomb Syria. Of course, the motive behind 2016 conservatives such as Marco Rubio and Rand Paul is "hate." The Hardball host insisted that the situation in Syria "is offering a roadmap to the Republican nomination for President next time."
Rather than principled beliefs, the anchor flatly declared, "The more you hate Obama, the more you are deeply entrenched in the deepest bunker of the GOP." Matthews instructed viewers to watch the Syria vote as it was "the testing zone, this ground-zero for political posturing." [MP3 audio here [1].]
Yet, the anchor himself oppose [2]s [2] the President. On September 3, he called the Syria plan "disastrous." So, when Matthews disagrees with Obama, it's fine? When Republicans do it, the reason is "hate?"
The liberal journalist is not exactly creative or original. His favorite motive for Republicans is unthinking venom. On July 25, he described GOP opposition to the President as "hate," "hate," "hate,""hate, [3]" using the term eight times in a two minute rant.
A transcript of the September 4 segment, which aired at 7:56pm ET, follows:
CHRIS MATTHEWS: Let me finish tonight with this. I believe that this debate over Syria is offering a roadmap to the Republican nomination for President next time. The candidate who wishes to be the nominee will be the one who positions himself as directly as possible against President Obama. Why? Well, you know. It's for the simple new definition of the Republican Party: it's the anti-Obama party. The more you hate Obama, the more you are deeply entrenched in the deepest bunker of the GOP. The further away from Obama, the further right you are -- and that is the safest place to be come campaign time. So watch this episode, the testing zone, this ground-zero for political posturing. Rand Paul voted against the Syrian resolution today. Marco Rubio, another member of the Foreign Relations Committee, followed him, also voting "Nay." Watch when we get to the Senate floor. It will be the same -- anyone who wants in in 2016 will vote to stay out of Syria. And that's Hardball for now. Thanks for being with us.
-- Scott Whitlock is the senior news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here [4] to follow him on Twitter.