RUSH: Yesterday afternoon on MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports — Andrea Mitchell (NBC News, Washington) — Chris Matthews was the guest, and during a discussion about the 2010 midterm elections, Andrea Mitchell said (nasal Andrea Mitchell impression), ‘Why do you think it went off track? Whether or not the health care negotiations went on for long, letting the Tea Party control the dialogue and the summer of 2009. My personal pick, getting involved in this ‘Skip’ Gates deal. Where did it all go wrong?’
MATTHEWS: When he was a campaigner he did nothing but talk about what a great country this was, what an exceptional country it is because a guy like me can make it here and only in a country like it is can I have made it. He was very patriotic, very inclusive, and he was also very interactive in an interesting way. Ever since he’s been president he’s been elitist and he’s come with his teleprompter and he’s given his speech. He hasn’t listened. He’s talked to ‘at us’ rather than ‘with us.’
MITCHELL: Well, at least that’s what he’s projected.
MATTHEWS: No, he actually does bring the teleprompter with him. I think he is guilty of that elitist charge.
RUSH: Chris Matthews. Andrea Mitchell (NBC News, Washington) attempted to save Obama’s bacon by disagreeing with Matthews’ comment. But Matthews, insisted, ‘No, no, no.’ Well, let’s go back. Matthews said, ‘When he was a campaigner, he did nothing but talk about what a great country this was.’ Did he? He talked about how great he was and he talked about how great he was for accomplishing what he had accomplished in this (which is nothing), but he was apologizing for America, was he not? He was running around doing international speeches. I’d have to go back and look at transcripts. I don’t remember Obama talking about what a great country it was.
If I had heard that, I would not have concluded he was opposed to American exceptionalism. He did not talk about an exceptional country. He did talk about how we’re guilty of global warming and destroying the climate. He was gonna lower the sea levels; put all the rotgut back in gear; correct all the racism, sexism, bigotry, homophobia. I thought was gonna fix all that. ‘We’re the ones we’ve been waiting for,’ and all that kind of stuff. And Matthews says he was very patriotic, very inclusive, very interactive in an interesting way? Ever since he’s been president he’s been elitist, come with his teleprompter. There’s more to this. Andrea Mitchell then said (impression), ‘You don’t think he even interacted at any of the town halls?’
MATTHEWS: If you’re gonna spend a $1.6 trillion deficit in one year, you’d better explain to the American people why you did it. He never explained economics the way he was taught it. We were all taught in graduate school you have to run a big deficit during a grand recession. How about explaining that? Everybody didn’t go to grad school. How about explaining what you’re doing in terms of health care and how that’s gonna help us become a better economy in the long run. Economically it will give us something that we can base our lives on: Guaranteed health care. He never sold it as an economic tool, a catalyst to greater growth down the road. Middle-aged people are losing their jobs, and this guy is out doing his pet projects.
RUSH: Wonder why he doesn’t say this stuff on his own show. Why does he go on Andrea Mitchell (NBC News, Washington)’s show and say this stuff on her show, but he doesn’t say it on his own show? He never explained economics the way he was taught it? He probably can’t. He doesn’t dare! He doesn’t dare explain anything he believes as he was taught. He wouldn’t get elected dogcatcher, and that’s the truth. ‘We were all taught in graduate school you have to run a big deficit during a grand recession.’ Keynesian. Yeah, you were all mal-educated. You were all ill-educated. You were all taught something that’s not true! When did Obama ever campaign without a teleprompter? How about explaining what you’re doing in terms of health care and how it’s gonna help?
Chris, he’s not doing health care the way you think he’s doing it and why you think he’s doing it. He’s doing it for control, Chris! He’s doing it to grow government. He’s not doing it to give health care to everybody. He’s not doing it to guarantee coverage to everybody. He’s doing it to break the bank of the country. He’s doing it to wipe out private sector insurance businesses. That’s what he’s doing. And that’s why you can’t tell people what he’s doing. He did, Chris. He did tell us in 2003-2004. If you go back and listen to his interviews, he did talk about when he’s talking to his union buddies how he was gonna get to single payer, how he was going to eliminate the insurance companies, and it was gonna take 15 years to do it.
You just couldn’t do it overnight with the snap of your fingers. You see, this is what amazes me. We know more about Obama than his believers do. We know more about Obama than his most fervent supporters do. We know more about Obama than those who love him know about him. We know more about Obama than those who want him to run for reelection. All these experts, ‘Why isn’t he explaining things?’ He can’t. Chris, if he were honest, he wouldn’t have been elected. No liberal would.