Chris Matthews: Rand Paul Will Be Republican Presidential Nominee in 2016

Newsbusters ^ | 08/08/2013 | Noel Shepphard

[SeekAndFind]

MSNBC's Chris Matthews made a bold prediction on Wednesday's Hardball.

"The hard-right is going to take over the Republican Party in 2016 and the nomination is going to Rand Paul" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE VIDEO

CHRIS MATTHEWS: Let me finish tonight with this. I’ve been offering a prediction of late. Let me nail it down now. I believe the Republican Party is going to go hard-right in 2016. It’s going to run someone from the growing hard-right wing of the Party, something it hasn't done since 1980. And here's the thinking which works equally well for the Democrats.

Parties as you've noticed face a conflict every four years. Should they run someone who represents their strongest passions right or left, or do they run someone who appeals to the middle? Most of the time they head to the middle. And this is what Republicans did most successfully in 1952 when after 20 years of FDR and Harry Truman, they wanted back in the White House. They ran the General who received the Nazi surrender. And guess what? They won. In 1956 and ’60, they stuck to the middle with Ike the second time, and then with Richard Nixon.

In '64 the right said it was its turn and blew the roof off the Cow Palace in San Francisco mocking Republican moderates and liberals like New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller. Then getting killed with Barry Goldwater running against Lyndon Johnson.

The Democrats ran moderates in ’60 and ’64 and ’68, but then went wild in '72 and ran anti-Vietnam warrior George McGovern of South Dakota. That's the year the Democrats got killed.

And so then the pendulum goes. The party bases get pushed aside for several elections and finally build up like steam much like a volcano and come roaring to the surface. Obama won in 2008 over Hillary Clinton because the opponents of the Iraq war had had it with the party leaders who played it safe and backed the war.

I believe the Republican base will do the same in 2016. They put up with George Bush the first, put up with Bob Dole, were deeply disappointed with the big-spending George W, and last year again by Mitt Romney, and are now going to come loaded for bear for the race for 2016.

So I predict the hard-right is going to take over the Republican Party in 2016 and the nomination is going to Rand Paul. You watch. This is what I do for a living.

I'm quite sure there are a lot of conservatives that hope Matthews is right for a change.

Stay tuned.

[GBA]

If his ego accepts the offer, I'll know what I need to know about him and will concede my earlier mistake.

We'll just have to wait and see. He seems to be coy about dodging POTUS questions in the interviews I've heard.

He is, however, in a unique position to become Senate leader and I respect the power and longevity of influence that position has and how it has been abused, much to our detriment, pain and suffering.

I pray we don't throw his rare opportunity away.

We need fighters and leaders like him, who think and believe like he does, in Congress. No more Rubios, McCains and McConnells!

[Mike Darancette]

"The hard-right is going to take over the Republican Party in 2016 and the nomination is going to Rand Paul"

The very chance to test the hypothesis that the GOP lost in 2008 & 2012 because they ran RINOs.

[Colonel_Flagg]

A salute, my friend, and thank you. Hope you are well!

[luvie]

I join you! It’s a bleak list.

[Colonel_Flagg]

Lists of Democrats always are.

Hello dear lady.

[0.E.O]

When has Matthews been right on anything?

[luvie]

Well, hello! How are you doing, sir?

It really brings it into focus (and causes mass shudders) when it’s all there for the reading. And the 2nd list was telling, too. :)

[Colonel_Flagg]

Passable, thanks.

The list looks like the Most Wanted wall at the Post Office.

[luvie]

It does...except they could be called the Least Wanted. :)

Good you’re ok!...me, too. Having a nice day off! *ducking*

[kenavi]

Rand may belive in Open Borders as he is a liberal-tarian type, but I think he believes in the philosophy that you can have welfare state or open borders, but not BOTH.

Well put.

But what is his position on the Senate bill?

[Plummz]

He was against the Senate bill because there is no provision to secure the borders or fix the visa system, among other reasons.

[grania]

JMHO...Rand Paul is much more electable than is Palin. A real lot of voters who have their minds made up against Palin will go for Rand Paul because of his progressive-less government-less spying on us stances are appealing, even when the social conservatism is not.

[kenavi]

1972 - George McGovern. See 1976 (Jimmy Carter without the anti-Semitism.

Actually, after his Senatorial career, McGovern presided over an organization that saw Israeli settlements as the primary obstacle to peace.

If he had been elected President, McGovern never would have followed the policies of Carter that preserved the climate in which Sadat could make peace with Israel.

[SunkenCiv]

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Thanks SeekAndFind.

• ...by softening its edge on some volatile social issues and altering its image as the party always seemingly "eager to go to war... We do need to expand the party and grow the party and that does mean that we don't always all agree on every issue" ... the party needs to become more welcoming to individuals who disagree with basic Republican doctrine on emotional social issues such as gay marriage... "We're going to have to be a little hands off on some of these issues ... and get people into the party," Paul said. [Rand Paul: Time for GOP to soften [immigration, gay marriage] stance]

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