THE Chris Matthews SHOW, a production of NBC News, marks its tenth anniversary with this weekend's program. The topics this weekend include:
-Why Conservatives are Panicked that a Romney Loss Would Ruin the Brand
-Great Political Moments of the Past 10 Years
Among the panelists this week are Bob Woodward of The Washington Post, Joe Klein of TIME, Kelly O'Donnell of NBC News, and Katty Kay of BBC WORLD NEWS AMERICA.
THE Chris Matthews SHOW debuted in September 2002, when the big story was the run-up to the invasion of Iraq. In the succeeding ten years, the program has provided weekend analysis of each week's developments, from that war, through the Bush 2004 reelection campaign against John Kerry, the Hillary Clinton-Barack Obama race, the 2008 Obama election, and the first Obama term. The weekly roundtable of reporters, editors and columnists has brought viewers inside events as they are covered by the country's foremost news organizations, including TIME, The New York Times, Newsweek, The Washington Post, New York Magazine, as well as online news organizations like The Huffington Post and The Daily Beast.
"Our panelists open their notebooks and give us the stuff that they couldn't get into their pieces that week, and the benefit of their analysis. The crosstalk among our group of regulars and first-timers always gives value-added to our loyal viewers, whom we have been privileged to serve for these ten years," said Mr. Matthews. "I've always said we're like a lively brunch – friends get together to toss around what they know and what they think. Everybody learns and everybody goes home with takeaway. I always learn from those men and women who are out there covering the front page stories."
On its anniversary show this weekend, viewers will see a novel Top Ten list – Top Ten Political In-Your-Face Moments of the Past Ten Years:
From the annals of the Bush administration, a unique moment:
1. Vice President Cheney's notorious in-your-face errant shot that hit his hunting friend.
From the 2004 Presidential Campaign:
2. Senator Zell Miller telling
Chris Matthews that he wished he could challenge him to a duel.
From the Iraq War, two moments of confrontation that many will recall:
3. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, asked by a soldier in Iraq about up-armoring vehicles, telling the soldier that you go to war with the army you have.
4. President George W. Bush ducking when a shoe was thrown by an Iraqi journalist.
From the 2008 campaign, two indelible showdown moments:
5.
Barack Obama's faceoff with Senator
Hillary Clinton in the New Hampshire Primary in 2008, when he called her "likable enough."
6. Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin's interview with CBS anchor
Katie Couric in 2008.
From the opposition to
President Obama:
7. Congressman
Joe Wilson yelling "You Lie!" during a speech to a Joint Session of Congress in 2009.
8.
Glenn Beck calling
President Obama a racist.
9. And a redeeming one: Presidential Candidate Sen. John McCain facing off with a supporter who was decrying
Barack Obama untrustworthy and an Arab; Senator McCain told the woman: "No, Ma'am, he's a decent family man."
In the program last weekend, viewers were invited to weigh in on the show's website with their own nominations for this Top Ten list. The winning nomination was from Jorge Rincon of Fresno, California:
10.
Stephen Colbert ripping President George W. Bush to his face at the White House Correspondents Association Dinner in April, 2006.
