Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Chris Matthews trying to stir the pot among our candidates and Hillary was not taking the bait. She moved away from the question and touted her political philosophy.
Bernie calls his philosophy Democratic Socialism and there’s a lot to like about his platform. Matthews, in his long rambling question, initially says that nobody uses socialist as a derogatory term anymore. Then he goes on to say he wouldn't want to be called a socialist, as this was now somehow a bad thing and prodding Hillary to agree.
Shame on Matthews and good on Hillary for not entertaining this garbage.
Note to Matthews. Democrats stick together.
Transcript courtesy of DKos member elenacarlena. Thank you!
C: I'm trying to help you for this audience tonight, our audience, locate yourself politically in this country. Now we have Trump out there and we have Bernie out here. Now Bernie calls himself a socialist, nobody uses it as a derogatory term any more, he loves to have that label, he has never run as a Democrat, he runs against Democrats up there in Vermont. You're a Democrat, I'd say you're a pretty typical Democrat in the traditional Democratic party. And [can't hear] I'd say Mondale, you're somewhere in there. What's the difference between a socialist and a Democrat? Is that a question you want to answer or would you rather not?
H: Well, you know, you'd have to ask...
C: Well see, I'm asking you. You're a Democrat, he's a socialist. Would you like somebody to call you a socialist? I wouldn't like somebody calling me a socialist.
H: But I'm not one.
C: OK, what's the difference between a socialist and a Democrat?
H: Well, I can tell you what I am. I am a progressive Democrat. I am a progressive Democrat...
C: How is that different than a socialist?
H: Who likes to get things done, and who believes that we are better off in this country when we are trying to solve problems together, getting people to work together. There will always be strong feelings and I respect that, from the far right, the far left, libertarians, whoever it might be. We need to get people working together, we have to get the economy fixed, we have to get all of our problems really tackled, and that's what I want...
C: I think what the difference is, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz would not answer the question either that I asked her. Because I know politically you have to keep together the center left and the left has still to work together, I know all that. Let me ask you about working together. You gave a nice speech here today, a message about the need to work, I wrote a book about Tip and Reagan. When it comes to an urgent issue, they can find a solution. Obama, and I have always supported the President, his philosophy and his general approach to a lot of things. But he does not seem to like the company of fellow politicians, he just doesn't. He doesn't want to hang out with them and play cards with them, maybe they did it in Springfield, but for some reason he doesn't want to do it, uh. You seem to like the company of people like Lindsay Graham and John McCain, that you can find a way [can't hear] and getting along with them. It seems to me that is an important part of life, that you have to find, you were talking about Tom Delay here, and I get along with Tom Delay. Even though you disagree 180 on something, but you have to find how to be... Congress means coming together.
H: Ronald Reagan is a perfect example of...
C: Tip and the Gipper. [Chris' book]
H: Exactly. And look, there may be...
C: You read it.
H: I did. I do want you to know that.
C: Yes, you just told me that.
H: Because I am always looking for ways that we work together. It used to be easier in the past, I think the polarization has gotten so acute now and so you have to work even harder. But relationships are the beginning of everything.