Chris Matthews Senate Run Confirmed: Report

[CatWoman]

FiveThirtyEight's Sean Quinn reports that MSNBC host Chris Matthews is, in fact, running for Senate in Pennsylvania:

Chris Matthews is in.

FiveThirtyEight has been hearing this for some time, but it took a trip to Georgia among the Georgia-runoff-congregated and well-connected Obama organizer throng to confirm.

According to multiple sources, who confirmed the Tip O'Neill staffer-cum-MSNBC host has negotiated with veteran Obama staffers to enlist in his campaign, Chris Matthews will run for United States Senate in Pennsylvania in 2010. Matthews, 62, will run as a Democrat. Arlen Specter, the aging Republican incumbent, will be 80 if he chooses to run for re-election.


Recent polls suggest that Matthews will have a hard time unseating Sen. Arlen Specter. Quinnipiac gives the Republican incumbent a double-digit lead:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/28/chris-matthews-senate-run_n_146949.html

[H2O Man]

1. Right.

I confirmed this months ago. This is going to be an important campaign.

[Hepburn]

8. This is for real???

I really thought Tweety running was kind of a joke. Guess not! :hi:

[H2O Man]

10. It's real.

He ran for state office years ago, and lost in the primary contest. He ran an interesting campaign, accepting no big contributions, and using only volunteers (mainly high school and college students) to run the campaign.

It will be interesting to see if there are other democrats running. If Mr. Matthews does end up the democratic candidate in the general election, a lot of DUers will be pleasantly surprised to find out that he is actually quite liberal. He would be an interesting addition to the US Senate.

[elleng]

41. It IS a joke,

a REAL joke, as is matthews.

[SpiralHawk]

2. "z-z-z-z-z-z-z" - American voters

"We like him better as a televised nose picker, a job he is best suited for."

- American voters

[Kahuna]

6. Pretty much. nt

[JCMach1]

3. Unless taken out by health, does anyone see the 'relatively'

moderate Specter losing to a center-right democrat like Tweety.

Is there in fact any ideological space between them?

[cali]

9. No, but I strongly suspect that Specter will be taken out by health

[AllentownJake]

16. I see Specter to be taken out during the Primary

Toomey only lost by 2 points in 2004. He's eyeing another run and the moderates that carried Specter over the top became democrats this year.

[tritsofme]

33. Those were headier days for PA Republicans.

They had a good chance of ousting Specter and winning the general with Toomey.

This cycle their only real chance of retaining the seat is Specter. My guess, is that if Specter's health holds, pragmatism will keep him in the race.

[AllentownJake]

34. Toomey would have lost a GE battle

Alot of democrats voted for Specter in the GE.

[tritsofme]

37. It would have been a real tight race.

No blow-out, probably an advantage toward the Democrat, but by no means assured.

In 2010 Specter is probably the only one who can win, and they will probably let him keep the seat if his health allows.

[genna]

4. The more I listened to him and saw the number of shows he's gone on

I knew he was running for office.

Harold Ford and Joe Scarsborough have teased him relentlessly about some of the statements he's made. Other on-air personalities have done the same.


I just wonder when must he has to leave his show? Can they suspend it after he announces or does he have to completely give up his TV show?


He may or may not have a tough time. He has to leave his suburban house in MD and establish a residence in Pennsylvania first, right?

[Kahuna]

5. Am I surprised that old Tweety is seeking to enlist Obama staffers?

Err...No. I suspected he was being especially complimentary of that team just in case he planned a run. :rofl:

[Unsane]

7. He'll lose if Specter runs again.

[AllentownJake]

14. Depends on who Specter faces in the primary

If he faces another Toomey he'll lose this time. He only won by 2 points in 2004. The moderates in PA all became democrats to vote for Obama or Hillary in the PA primary.

All those GOP voters that left for the DNC this year were Specter voters not Toomey voters.

[rasputin1952]

11. I find this odd...Tweety is little more than a man on natural speed, he is

obnoxious to nth degree, and exceptionally aggravating. I can't picture him winning dog-cather, he is too mercurial.

[Thrill]

12. Will Obama and Clinton campaign for him?

:)

[AllentownJake]

15. If Clinton is SOS

No, she will not be campaigning for anyone. SOS stay out of politics traditionally.

If he wins the democratic nomination I'd assume President Obama will campaign for the democratic candidate

[AllentownJake]

13. Wonderful

I get to be active in a primary again :sarcasm:

I can't see him running for the nomination unopposed. Congressman Sestak your nation is calling you.

[NCarolinawoman]

17. Yes, Congressman Sestak, the anti-war admiral from the suburbs of Philadelphia,

would hopefully give Tweety a headache in the Democratic primaries.

Sestak has the look of RFK about him, is cerebral, (I think he has a post graduate degree from Harvard), and appears to be one of those rare breeds--a totally honest guy, a truth-teller, who chose to get involved in politics. He is the thinking man's (woman's) candidate.

I would donate money to him.:)

[AllentownJake]

20. He has a famous temper

though. Other than that he's great.

Sestak would give Tweety a run for his money where Tweety couldn't afford it. The Philadelphia suburbs and Philadelphia. Plus as a former Admiral Sestak would play better in North Eastern and Western PA. Plus Sestak has 3 million in the bank already.

It all depends on who the establisment lines up for. If Tweety gets the democratic machine on his side it will be a very close primary race.

[joeybee12]

27. I would give my blood to that guy if it kept Tweety out of the Senate...

...the man is an obnoxious, lying piece of shit.

[ShortnFiery]

31. Thanks for the information.

I'll also be sure to donate.

Go Congressman Sestak! ---> Democratic nominee to the Senate (PA) in 2010. ;)

[Honeycombe8]

18. Tweety is 62? He sure doesn't look it! Why on earth does he want to enter politics?

I can't imagine why anyone would want to be in politics.

I can't see him winning PA over Specter, but stranger things have happened, I guess. Specter is getting pretty old, though, and has been battling cancer for some years, so maybe the PA public will be ready to vote a Democrat in.

[AllentownJake]

21. It won't be Specter

Either through health or through a primary challenger.

Tweety is the sports caster who never played who thinks he has a chance to be the start quarterback. He grew up politically with Tip O'neil. He's always wanted to run and actually play the game he has called.

[ShortnFiery]

29. Tweety looks every year of 62 and more. He doesn't appear "healthy" and his behavior

borders on bi-polar at times.

[WI_DEM]

19. I hope that David Schuster will take over "Countdown" when Tweety has to leave.

[Berry Cool]

22. You mean "Hardball." "Countdown" is Keith Olbermann's show.

But I must say, I echo your hope. I imagine this means he's going to leave when his contract's up next year, and that he'll be able to do so with his head held high, rather than having to slink out the door with his tail between his legs, pushed out by the new Keith-and-Rachel generation.

[ellacott]

24. I would like to see Shuster as the next MTP moderator

I would like to see Dan Abrams take the Hardball spot. I hope they don't bring back Tucker.

[NashVegas]

23. Where Do I Donate to the Opposition?

[MadBadger]

25. How much? I wanna match your donation for Tweety.

[ShortnFiery]

30. You got that right. Tweety is all talky talk. He called the net roots "The Pajama Hudeen"

and had a man-crush on Bush when he landed on that air craft carrier.

Chris Mathews for PA Senate. No way! I'll donate to his democratic challenger. :thumbsdown:

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

26. he lives in maryland.

when he moves tp PA, then i'll take this seriously.

[rvablue]

28. Time to buy stock in a Pennsylvania umbrella company

b/c people are going to need them at his rallies!

:rofl:

[polichick]

32. I've heard him say he lives in Maryland - does he even have a house in PA?

[ShadowLiberal]

35. As a PAer I see no way for Matthews to beat Specter, his only hope is Specter losing the primary

Or Specter retiring to.

Specter's real problem against someone like Matthews is winning a primary rematch between Tooney again (all the signs show Tooney still has his eyes on unseating Specter). Last time Specter came within 1 or 2 percent of the vote of losing his primary battle, and an endorsement by Bush probably saved him (I know at least one republican in my family who voted for Specter partially because of Bush's endorsement).

In my opinion if we face Specter in the GE here then we'd need a popular democrat to run against him in order to unseat him. The best candidate to run against him would probably be Governor Ed Rendell, who's term limited and can't run in the 2010 governor race. The problem with Rendell however is that he's shown no sign of wanting to run for the senate, and even said when running for governor last time that he fully intended to retire from politics after serving his second term as governor.

[H2O Man]

38. There is one other option

that you haven't listed. It may actually be the most likely way. I'm curious if others know what it is?

[Billy Burnett]

36. Are we still all neocons now?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1915499

[Tatiana]

39. Fast Eddie is surer bet. But if Tweety really has Obama organizers behind him

he probably can pull this off.

[AllentownJake]

43. Not to shit on Obama Organizers

Obama was made by the volunteer force. The organizers were great but we had a saying in the campaign. They come for Obama they stay for you. Can't imagine Tweety generating the excitement of Obama.

[tigereye]

40. people here kinda like Arlen, despite him being a Rep...

I mean, he wasn't Santorum. :shrug:

[TexasObserver]

42. Let me be the first to predict he'll get beat like a rented mule.

He's not likeable. He's easily disliked. He says stupid things. Lots of them.

I don't think he'll even make it out of the primary.

[AllentownJake]

44. Depends if Rendell gets behind him

If he nabs Rendell's endorsement he pretty much gets the democratic machine. It will discourage others from running.

[Az_lefty]

45. so will he be a real Democrat or a Lieberman?