For Chris Mathews fans... I know there are some out there:)

[Laura PourMeADrink]

What is going on? Like they've got him on this apology tour? They're trying to remediate his reputation?

I really missed him during all the trump turmoil. I know many disagree, but we could have really used his take back then.

I have not watched MSNBC since they canned him. I wish that if he came back, he would go to CNN, personally.

[gab13by13]

1. I will say this about him,

when he realized what was going on with an issue he was the opposite of Ari Berman. With some issues there just isn't nor should there be bothsiderism. He is passionate, which we need to see more of. He doesn't just read from a cable news teleprompter.

[Zambero]

2. Matthews overlooked his first apology tour

Which would have addressed years of sucking up to GW Bush, "Cheeney" and their policies. Prior to that he was a 24/7 "throw the book at Bill Clinton" over the Lewinsky scandal.

[malaise]

3. He has a new book hawking

and he wants to be back in the media. Like the rest of us, Tweety has flaws but he knows politics. I won't ever forgive him for the fawning related to the war criminal Bush, but I used to watch him until it was time for Jeopardy.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

9. Have heard that before. I think I must have started watching Matthews

After he "fawned over" bush. In fact when I started watching him he was always trashing the decision to invade Iraq best of my recollection. People evolve, maybe??

Speaking of Jeopardy, which guest host have you liked the best? Anderson Cooper myself. But there's no chance he'd leave his job for Jeopardy right? Isn't that the point of all this that out of all the guest hosts they're going to offer the job to somebody?

[malaise]

11. I had Anderson, Aaron and Buzzy but

Mayim Bialik is my new favorite so far. We still have a few more to come, but she has soared to the top of my list.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

15. I read that Aaron really prepared like studied tapes

For days and days. But he seemed a little bit too perfect for me?

Agree Buzzy was very good too.

KNOW this is not politically correct, but I think the host needs a male voice. A female voice was outputting to me. And I'm only talking about the voice.

I do have a question. You know you never see the host actually reading the question? I was starting to wonder if that part was taped. Only because they never flub up.

Another off putting thing to me was the guest hosts who didn't tell the person whether the answer was right or not immediately. Even a split second delay was not good.

I watch the show religiously. It gives me something to talk about with my 96 yo mom. When I visit her I have to make sure I don't have dinner ready during her Jeopardy time. No matter how hard I try have yet to teach her how to record or pause. So she runs around during commercial breaks if she has to.

[malaise]

18. I have no problem with Mayim's voice

I think she's the best of those we've seen so far.
Enjoy with mom! I love Jeopardy from before Alex.

[11 Bravo]

34. Yup, I remember Art Fleming.

"Thank you, Don Pardo. Thank you, friends at home."

[malaise]

35. He got me hooked

[11 Bravo]

36. Same here. I didn't mind being home sick from school because ...

I could watch him on Jeopardy.

[malaise]

37. LOL

Sweet

[PatSeg]

17. Yes Matthews has a lot of faults

and I rather felt badly for him when he left MSNBC, especially considering he missed out on covering a historic election. I always got the impression that he was a big fan of Joe Biden.

I can take Chris Matthews in small doses, here and there, but every night was too much. The man had little or no impulse control, talked over people, and hogged camera time as if he was the only person in the room. I often wondered if he had any producers at all, as no one seemed to be advising or moderating him. It must have been exhausting working for him. I also cannot forgive him for the Bush years.

I wouldn't mind see him occasionally as a guest or a contributor. Perhaps under those circumstances, he could control his behavior. I think MSNBC gave him too much license for too long and it went to his head.

[malaise]

19. Same here

There are many worse than Tweety all over cable

[PatSeg]

21. Oh yes, far worse

and less informed. For years Matthews was MSNBC's main political voice and like I said, it think it went to his head. I remember when Keith Olbermann started to gain popularity, Matthews clearly felt his star status was being threatened. Of course it was being threatened, as he was becoming less and less relevant in the ever changing world of politics and cable news. The first time they appeared together for what I believe was election coverage, it was initially rather awkward and uncomfortable.

I remember being frustrated when MSNBC used to air Hardball in both the afternoon AND the evening. Like one hour of him wasn't enough. He had a whole lot of clout in those days. What Matthews wanted, he got and no one wanted to get on his bad side.

[malaise]

32. Yep and the less informed is seriously disturbing

[Frustratedlady]

5. He wrote a book and is on a book tour, I think.

He was on Joy Reid's show, last night.

[Paladin]

6. You've blown off MSNBC, on account of Tweety?

That's genuinely unfortunate (choosing my words carefully, here).

[Laura PourMeADrink]

7. Not for me:). Like people who make me think

Not just people I agree with 100% of the time. And lean toward people with history and gravitas rather than news readers.

[Paladin]

14. One week of Rachel's show equals every minute Matthews logged at MSNBC.

Just my opinion, of course.

[Downtown Hound]

8. Screw that guy

He's a blubbering gasbag best forgotten and belongs to the dustbin of history in one of the worst eras of American journalism. I don't need to hear his take on anything. If I want to hear bullshit both siderism (a term for I'll be super hard on Democrats and any minor transgressions by anybody on the left, real or imagined, but I'll only lob softball critiques at outright fascism on the right, and then I'll pretend that that means I'm fair and doing a good job) I'll read the New York Times.

But I stopped reading the New York Times years ago as well.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

10. Guess the "Mathews and fans" in OP title didn't

Click huh. Just kidding. Operative word "history" ?

Just curious tho.... Isn't what you said exactly what we criticize the right for? Not hearing all angles?

[Tomconroy]

12. Still a Chris Matthews fan. Still read the NY Times every day.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

13. Yeah!!! Who are your favorites on any network?

[Tomconroy]

20. These days I hardly ever miss Rachel

(Unless TCM had something like Fred Astaire's 'The Bandwagon' as they did the other night).

[Downtown Hound]

16. Oh please

You honestly think I haven't heard all the right's angles? You really think I haven't been listening to them for DECADES? That I haven't heard every lie, every spin, every idiotic idea and justification they've ever had? I have.

From their persecution of the Clinton's, to their incompetence that led to 9-11, which they later tried to blame on Clinton, to their botched response to the Afghanistan War, to the lies about WMD and the illegal invasion of Iraq and the disastrous war that followed, to their support of the Patriot Act and their embrace of torture, to their lies and inaction on global warming that are now coming home to roost, to their bullshit deregulate the economy and watch it grow when in reality it led to the greatest economic collapse in three generations, to the sadistic lie that is trickle down economics, to the racist and ridiculous hunt for Barack Obama's birth certificate, to the witch hunt for Hillary Clinton's emails and their phony outrage about Benghazi, to the naked racism, xenophobia, lies, and incompetence of Trump administration that got 600,000 Americans killed and almost overthrew our democracy and still might, to the voter suppression that is now being enacted, to their bigotry and hatred towards gays and Trans people, to the now daily mass shootings we have because the right loves guns more than anything, TO NAME JUST A FEW OF THEIR TRANSGRESSIONS.

Yeah, I've heard it all. And I'm sick of it. And the last thing I need to hear is more of Chris Matthews and his obnoxious both siderism take on it all. Have a nice day.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

22. No, sorry, did not express myself well enough. I totally

agree with your points about the right wing travesties!

I am more referring to news people who actually have historical knowledge and experience. Gravitas.

[Downtown Hound]

23. Well, if her ever uses any of that experience and gravitas

for good and actually opposing the rising tide if fascism in the U.S. then let me know. In the meantime, there's a million other people who actually do more to call it out and oppose it rather than take a, "yeah, fascism not so good. But neither is Hillary using a private email server either" approach.

On YouTube there's Vaush, David Pakman, The Ring of Fire, and Olake. On the air there's Randi Rhodes and Mike Malloy. And on MSNBC there's Rachel Maddow. Give me any of those over a pathetic, useless fence sitter like Matthews any day.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

28. Yep... Just don't care about only listening to people I agree with :)

[Downtown Hound]

30. I actually listen to right wingers all the time

That way I can sharpen my debating teeth when I argue with them. The thing about Matthews is he can never decide which side he's on. He would say that's him being fair. I would argue that we're well past the point of trying to walk a middle line.

By all means, listen to opposing viewpoints. Just don't look to milqetoast fools like Matthews for inspiration or good ideas. He has none to give.

[themaguffin]

24. "both siderism?" I watched his show for years. He quite often called out the GOP.

He did again on Joy's show the other night.

[Downtown Hound]

27. Both siderism is calling out both sides

But more specifically, making false comparisons and equating minor infractions on the left as being equal in weight to the outright fascism and rampant criminality on the right.

And I've seen him do that many times.

[themaguffin]

45. I know what it means. I wasn't asking what it means. Thanks.

[Meowmee]

25. I never liked his screaming etc

And I will never forget how he nearly always had something good to say about dump during the campaign and after and never called him out for his fascism. Also the constant criticisms of hrc I believe.

[demosincebirth]

26. If he would've just have let other guests finish talking with out

He constant interruptions.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

29. Yes it was annoying... But figured out he lost patience

when guests weren't up on things and/or were just regurgitating. He liked deep thinkers - but they had to be quick and succinct.

I could always tell when he really liked someone because the person taught him something that he didn't know. But they had to spit it out quickly

[UTUSN]

31. "apology tour" - I affectionately & respectfully disagree with that characterization.

I've seen him with Joy REID and on The View, and he knew he could not appear anywhere and escape the topic being brought up, so his slam-bam gambit has been to *dispose* of it at the top of every appearance - saying he did a boo-boo (ONE, not his whole history's worth), "owns" it, didn't fight the repercussions, retired on his own, no excuses, didn't need/want anybody defending him, blah blah - THEN off to the races!1

Iow, there/issue done/out of the way/no more talking about it. So the upshot is that all-over, all-GONE, back to things like nothing ever happened.

So did the people who complained *accept* his "apology" or remorse if there is any remorse? Back in her former Old Testament days Laura SCHESSINGER (is she still New Testament these days?) would lay down the Law that the steps for valid apologizing are: Acknowledge responsibility for wrong doing; express it plus remorse to the offended one; apologize; but then the offended one can accept or reject the deal.

*******That said, Tweety is doing what he has always done, which is to pop out "books" rehashing events that anybody with some education or who lived through them could also sum up - and then go on a promotional tour. Like his American Civ 101 book about things-essentially-American (Great Gatsby), that he was hosted by Phil DONAHUE when Tweety savaged him as "anti-American Libs".

So it's cheeky for him to show his cheeks in public. Joy BEHAR played "hardball" on him in the brief time she was allowed yesterday, called him out for misogyny and calling Hillary a "she-devil," which he denied. His technique is to FRAME things very narrowly, limiting to one piece of one topic, instead of his whole pattern.

[Paladin]

38. I'm so glad he no longer has a regular show, any more.

I regard his absence as a blessing.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

39. So I'm gonna put you down as " not a fan". :)

[Paladin]

42. Nothing gets past you, does it? ;)

[Laura PourMeADrink]

43. Lol P

[Baitball Blogger]

33. He's a centrist, at best.

Yay, he was against the Iraq war, because he had a son that was vulnerable to a draft. But, WTF with everything else? I remember how he stood staunch that the country was going conservative (No Tweety, your close circles were going conservative), I remember how he gave a NOW president a hard time on an interview, angrily taking the anti-choice side; and by comparison, he stroked GWBII's face with a feather.

Tweety is so nineties.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

40. Yup.. half his family are republican. Just like many

of us. Trying to deal with inlaws I absolutely would never want to see again

[GoodRaisin]

41. I always thought he embodied his network.

That, he was no better or worse than MSNBC, that they were made for each other.

I pretty much keep it on CNN these days. I still like Lawrence @ 10 PM, and I switch between Rachel and Cuomo depending on the topic they are on.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

44. Yes.. flip around often too. Lawrence is very good.

I wish I had never seen that clip of him yelling at everyone in the studio on a hot mic Actually one of my favorite news people is John King. On panels he always seems to have an interesting intelligent take on things.

Seems like things have changed a lot. Without trump and all the turmoil from last year... Anything that is happening - no matter how big or small - cable news tries to make into a breaking news event.

I think coming off the pandemic (i never thought I would say this) but network new shows seem to be more well-rounded.

[GoodRaisin]

46. Yeah I didn't like that hot mic incident either, that was really bad, but

I forgave him since he has done so much good work and he was the best Trump basher on TV.

Directv (for those that have it) has a great channel for flipping around called NewsMix channel 71. It shows CNN, MSNBC, BBC, and (ugh) Fox News in 4 boxes at the same time. You can look at the banners to see what the topic is and who they have on, and can take your pick with remote control and listen while you still see the screens on the 3 other networks. When watching the banners go by on Fox News their devotion to hate programming leaps off the screen at you after a while. They tell their viewers to hate someone or some thing just about non-stop, 24/7. Their headlines are generally in a different universe than the other 3 networks.

But I am on CNN's box most of the time and leave it on in the background when away from the TV. I like Brianna Keilar, and like John King too, and Wolf Blitzer is okay. I find Cuomo to have the most interesting topics these days but I DVR Rachel so not as to miss anything important she has to share.