Chris Matthews gets under my epidermis at times, usually with silly analogies that he dreams up and applies where they don't fit. But I guess it takes one to know one because in this clip, he slaps down an L.A. radio talk show host who's out there repeating "red meat" talking points without knowing what he's talking about. This clip summarizes for me the problem with so much political discourse in this country…people who have a public forum (in this guy's case, a talk show but it could just as well be the kind of forum we give to elected officials) and they know the emotional "hot buttons" to push with their audience…but they don't relate it to reality. It's all and only about getting people riled up.
The other reason I'm amused by this clip is that I'm tired of hearing Neville Chamberlain's name evoked every time someone thinks the best course of action might not be to go to war, or at least to go to war right away. It's such a cliché: If you don't want to charge into every situation with guns blazing and bombs bursting in air, you're just like Neville Chamberlain trying to appease Hitler. Gee, do you think it's possible that threats of violence are not the only answer to every problem between countries? Or at least, not the thing we should try first? I don't think there's an actual elected official anywhere of either party who really thinks that but somehow, whenever anyone suggests trying to talk to a hostile nation, there's someone out there insisting it's no different from Chamberlain deeding over large chunks of Czechoslavakia to Hitler.
Take a look at seven minutes of a clueless talk show host embarrassing himself. Most of these guys don't do so well when they don't have home court advantage and a button nearby to mute their opponent.