Four out of five liberal journalists, on Sunday's edition of The Chris Matthews Show, dourly predicted that gun control was "doomed" for the "foreseeable future." When Matthews asked his panel if the NRA would "block wider background checks forever" and if it was a "permanent victory for these guys?" most of the liberal panel begrudgingly agreed.
The lone holdout was CNN's Gloria Borger who predicted the defeated bill is "framing the 2014 midterm elections," and that the Democrats would "eventually" win on the gun issue. The other panelists were gloomy in their forecasts.
The Washington Post's Bob Woodward claimed Barack Obama needed to improve his lobbying skill for that to happen: "He's got to develop personal relations" with "individual members." CBS's Lesley Stahl griped: "if these senators couldn't vote with the Newtown issue so close and now with the distance, I think it's probably doomed for the foreseeable future." Time's Michael Duffy tersely pronounced: "Nothing changes." Matthews agreed.
The following segment was aired on the April 21 edition of the syndicated The Chris Matthews Show:
CHRIS MATTHEWS, teasing segment: When we come back the big question of the week – hot one – will the NRA block wider background checks forever? Is this a permanent victory for these guys?
...
CHRIS MATTHEWS: Welcome back. After gun background checks lost in the Senate this week the President vowed to keep trying. But our big question: will the NRA block wider background checks for the foreseeable future? Bob?
BOB WOODWARD, WASHINGTON POST: Well I think the real question though, is can Obama move the U.S. Congress and -
MATTHEWS: Period?
WOODWARD: -maybe he's gonna figure out how to do that?
MATTHEWS: Can't move the individual members?
WOODWARD: Well he's got to develop the personal relations somehow and find that leverage, he hasn't.
LESLEY STAHL, CBS NEWS: Boy if they, if these senators couldn't vote with the Newtown issue so close and now with the distance, I think it's probably doomed for the foreseeable future.
GLORIA BORGER, CNN: I think this is framing the 2014 midterm elections.
MATTHEWS: To what effect?
BORGER: We saw this-
MATTHEWS: The Democrats win or lose on this?
BORGER: That the Democrats will make this an issue in 2014-
MATTHEWS: Will they win on it?
BORGER: -and eventually, eventually they will win. But maybe not until after the midterms.
MICHAEL DUFFY, TIME: Nothing changes.
MATTHEWS: Nothing changes? Four. I would make it 4 to 1.
-- Geoffrey Dickens is the Deputy Research Director at the Media Research Center. Click here [1] to follow Geoffrey Dickens on Twitter.