And Tingles would know, he was a speechwriter for Jimmy Carter.
(DC Examiner) — Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC’s Hardball and veteran of the Jimmy Carter Administration, offered some suprisingly negative observations about President Obama’s reelection prospects on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, even acknowledging “parallels” between Obama’s situation and that of President Carter in 1979.
“Is the feeling in America today in 2011 much like what you were experiencing inside that [Carter] White House in 1979?” Joe Scaborough asked, “Are there parallels?” Matthews answered that, as in 1979, voters at this point in the election cycle are making decisions about who they’ll support for President in 2012 — decisions that Matthews said are “probably against the President [Obama] in many cases.”
“But really it began then [in 1979], you’re dead right,” Matthews said. “And I think we’re in that period now of decision making.” Matthews then suggested three factors at play in the reelection process. “Conditions — which work against the president; values — which go both ways; and tone, which I think also works against the president.” Matthews then noted that sounding “angry” or “cranky” when talking to voters — “that connects!” Matthews said.