You may recall from 2008, one of the leading Democratic indicators for Barack Obama came from Chris Matthews, purported talk show host of a network no one to date has ever been able to discover.
Chris spoke of having a "tingle up his leg" when thinking about Barack Obama, which set us to wondering, which candidate will be the recipient of the "tingly leg" this election cycle.
Because this is such an auspicious event, I have written a song about it. (sung to the tune of Frère Jacques)
Are you tingling?
Are you tingling?
Brother Chris?
Brother Chris?
Hillary has waited
with her breath abated
Tingle now.
Tingle now.
This can be sung in a round, perhaps with the roped off reporters singing one part and the handful of followers at her rallies singing another?
I hadn't seen little Chrissy Matthews in a long time. As a mark of just how bored I was this afternoon, I watched a little bit of his show. (Full disclosure: I think it was more Norah O'Donnell that held my attention than Chrissy's political acumen)
Anyway, what's going on with his combover? I looked on line for a picture, but nothing quite compared with the Donald-Trump-dead-muskrat-on-the-forehead look he was sporting on TV. Something about the studio lights shining through his thinning hair and bouncing off his forehead like a sunlight bouncing off a full moon.
If Chrissy's head were a globe, the combover would start up above the arctic circle, sweep down through North America, round the tip of Baja California and on out to Hawaii.
One of his friends really should tell him. Send him this post if you can't bring yourself to do it yourself. Tell him "High foreheads are in". Just don't let David Axelrod be the one to tell him.
Let's face it folks, one of the perils of public speaking is the proverbial slip of the tongue. However, when you berate others for their verbal gaffes, you must expect to be hoist on your own petard from time to time.
Anyone that reads my thoughts on a regular basis knows that I am a big fan of Representative Paul Ryan. If you are not familiar with Ryan, please go here for "A Roadmap for America's Future."
Earlier this week Wesley Messamore at the Humble Libertarian noted an awesome exchange between Paul Ryan and statist-MSNBC'er Chris Matthews, writing:
THIS is how to talk to statist progressives like Chris Matthews. Congressman Paul Ryan stands up to Matthews and explains how new taxes hurt economic growth (and even government tax revenues, à laArt Laffer); why ending Bush's tax cuts would hurt small businesses and their workers- not "the wealthy;" and says exactly what he would cut out of the budget to fix America's unsustainable deficit- if only the obstructionist Democrats would allow it.
After watching the video below, read the summary that follows so you can learn how to better advocate for lower taxes, less spending, and fiscal responsibility.
Wesley has been interning at YAL this summer and told me recently that he has learned an incredible amount about effective activism for the pro-liberty cause. On that note, Wesley Messamore highlights several points about Paul Ryan's approach that are quite effective and concludes that:
Another key take-away is Ryan's demeanor. Notice how he smiles, speaks calmly and clearly, and uses simple facts. He's very polite and obviously very intelligent. This is how you defend liberty to its skeptics. Without being aggressive or ugly, he uses simple and true facts to spectacular effect. Without being impolite, the strength of his case made Chris Matthews look like an idiot. And ultimately- when the facts are on the table, statism always looks idiotic.
Wesley's writeup is a MUST READ for activists and hints at a new approach for essentially 'arguing with idiots' that rein in the so-called progressive movement/power structure today. I can speak for myself in that I tend to become worked up and agitated when confronting progressive-statists and their ludicrous agenda talking points.
Wes' advice is solid - keep your cool, stick to the facts and ultimately from that vantage point, statism will always look idiotic, even to the politically uninitiated.
If the GOP wins the House, as I assume they will, Ryan really will become a critical figure, it seems to me. He'll be the Chairman of the Budget Committee - and one of six members of the president's Debt Commission. If he can resist the enormous partisan pressure against bipartisan compromise and intellectual honesty, he will be the unlikely hinge in one of the most critical moments in American economic and fiscal history.
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