Chris Matthews is out at Hardball.
It was time (he’s 74), but MSNBC appears to have handled it poorly, and Chris no doubt decided it was best to end it with a blow.
This is a massive loss to the network and to viewers.
For Chris, it may be a kind of relief. The pressure of a nightly political show like his is akin to juggling flaming chainsaws. He did it for decades and made it look fun, but every minute in front of the camera was potentially fatal, and he knew it. His good nature and pure heart made him a much-loved survivor.
I’ve been on Hardball twice, both times back when it was on CNBC. One time I was talking about Social Security, the other time about corporate money in election cycles. What I remember most was talking to his young son about his Dad’s book; I told him a slightly racy story about LBJ. Kids never read their Dad’s books.
When doing interviews, Chris wanted folks to have a point and get to it. Most folks are all wind-up and no pitch, and Chris Matthews had a low tolerance for that. Sometimes it looked rude, but it was just Chris training the guests to learn their lines and answer the questions. He was damn good at his job; so good he built an entire network.
Thank you Chris Matthews. You’ve been great. You have been the best of us.
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