WASHINGTON —Seeking insights into possible political cures for the economic crisis, chain leaders at this year’s Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference paid rapt attention to keynote speaker Chris Matthews’ observations into the down-to-the-wire race for the White House.
In studying the conduct of campaigners John McCain and Barack Obama, “I look for life signs and death rattles; I look for fear,” Matthews told the restaurant executives at MUFSO. —Seeking insights into possible political cures for the economic crisis, chain leaders at this year’s Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference paid rapt attention to keynote speaker Chris Matthews’ observations into the down-to-the-wire race for the White House.
Displaying perhaps even more of the insider savvy and candor he wields on his “Hardball” talk show on MSNBC, the former presidential speech writer, congressional aide and newspaper journalist summed up the two candidates’ most daunting challenges. —Seeking insights into possible political cures for the economic crisis, chain leaders at this year’s Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference paid rapt attention to keynote speaker Chris Matthews’ observations into the down-to-the-wire race for the White House.
“Barack knows if he wins, he’s going to have to be the economic commander in chief, and he’s going to have to pull us out of this thing,” Matthews said. —Seeking insights into possible political cures for the economic crisis, chain leaders at this year’s Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference paid rapt attention to keynote speaker Chris Matthews’ observations into the down-to-the-wire race for the White House.
McCain, on the other hand, seems to face an uphill battle in deflecting his Democratic opponent’s appeal to middle-class voters who might not be opposed to a tax-the-rich reversal from the last eight years of trickle-down economics. —Seeking insights into possible political cures for the economic crisis, chain leaders at this year’s Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference paid rapt attention to keynote speaker Chris Matthews’ observations into the down-to-the-wire race for the White House.
“When the Republicans start losing on the tax issue, they’ve got a problem,” Matthews said. From the GOP’s perspective, “when you’ve lost that ace, you’ve lost everything.” —Seeking insights into possible political cures for the economic crisis, chain leaders at this year’s Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference paid rapt attention to keynote speaker Chris Matthews’ observations into the down-to-the-wire race for the White House.
He underscored the gravity of the nation’s fiscal plight and the momentous nature of the decision the country was about to make. —Seeking insights into possible political cures for the economic crisis, chain leaders at this year’s Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference paid rapt attention to keynote speaker Chris Matthews’ observations into the down-to-the-wire race for the White House.
“This election is going to matter,” he said. “You’re going to remember this one as a direction-setter for the 21st century.” —Seeking insights into possible political cures for the economic crisis, chain leaders at this year’s Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference paid rapt attention to keynote speaker Chris Matthews’ observations into the down-to-the-wire race for the White House.
He pointed out that the credit freeze and Wall Street bailout are not the only macroeconomic concerns facing Americans whose fortunes also are being affected by trade imbalances and rampant commodity inflation. “The rest of the world is challenging us now for market, certainly, and for resources,” Matthews observed, while further noting that voters had punished past presidential contenders for being on the wrong side of dire economic trends. —Seeking insights into possible political cures for the economic crisis, chain leaders at this year’s Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference paid rapt attention to keynote speaker Chris Matthews’ observations into the down-to-the-wire race for the White House.
Matthews, who wrote speeches for President Jimmy Carter and admired his foresight, noted that his re-election bid in 1980 was undone because Americans then were paying 9-percent interest rates and facing 16-percent inflation. —Seeking insights into possible political cures for the economic crisis, chain leaders at this year’s Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference paid rapt attention to keynote speaker Chris Matthews’ observations into the down-to-the-wire race for the White House.
Ronald Reagan’s successful candidacy against the incumbent represented “a big challenge, a big decision, a new direction set,” Matthews said. —Seeking insights into possible political cures for the economic crisis, chain leaders at this year’s Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference paid rapt attention to keynote speaker Chris Matthews’ observations into the down-to-the-wire race for the White House.
At the end of the next Democratic presidency, “poor Al Gore had to pay the price,” Matthews said. “He was the bathtub ring of the Clinton administration,” succumbing at least in part to the taint of scandal that many voters ascribed to Clinton’s tenure. —Seeking insights into possible political cures for the economic crisis, chain leaders at this year’s Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference paid rapt attention to keynote speaker Chris Matthews’ observations into the down-to-the-wire race for the White House.
By contrast, voters were moved to elect his successor because George W. Bush was one half of a “boring married couple that went to bed at 9 o’clock and didn’t cause any trouble,” Matthews averred. —Seeking insights into possible political cures for the economic crisis, chain leaders at this year’s Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference paid rapt attention to keynote speaker Chris Matthews’ observations into the down-to-the-wire race for the White House.
The electorate always tends to embrace presidential candidates who represent change from unpleasantness and would “clean up the mess, try something else,” Matthews said. —Seeking insights into possible political cures for the economic crisis, chain leaders at this year’s Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference paid rapt attention to keynote speaker Chris Matthews’ observations into the down-to-the-wire race for the White House.
As a prominent TV commentator and professional opinion-swayer, Matthews reminded his MUFSO audience of the persuasive power of television. He suggested that the respective telegenic attributes of McCain and Obama could be deciding factors in the balloting on Nov. 4, even with the troubled economy as an overarching backdrop to their bitter contest. —Seeking insights into possible political cures for the economic crisis, chain leaders at this year’s Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference paid rapt attention to keynote speaker Chris Matthews’ observations into the down-to-the-wire race for the White House.
“Imagine one large concentric circle; it’s the economy,” Matthews said. “It’s the box this election came in. They can’t get out of this box. And inside that circle are the campaigns, and inside that circle are the debates.” —Seeking insights into possible political cures for the economic crisis, chain leaders at this year’s Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference paid rapt attention to keynote speaker Chris Matthews’ observations into the down-to-the-wire race for the White House.
In his televised performances, Obama has come across “like Fred Astaire” while offering the reassurance of a “God-given smile,” Matthews said. By contrast, he added, “John McCain’s smile is like Jack Nicholson in ‘Batman.’” —Seeking insights into possible political cures for the economic crisis, chain leaders at this year’s Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference paid rapt attention to keynote speaker Chris Matthews’ observations into the down-to-the-wire race for the White House.
Also a factor is the fact that Obama can afford to have 2,900 paid employees working for his campaign, Matthews pointed out. —Seeking insights into possible political cures for the economic crisis, chain leaders at this year’s Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference paid rapt attention to keynote speaker Chris Matthews’ observations into the down-to-the-wire race for the White House.
Echoing his earlier observation that McCain had seemed to demonstrate “a little pull-back” from character-related campaign tactics when he rebutted a rally attendee by stating that Obama is “not an Arab,” Matthews said, “If everybody is lucky, we’re going to have a very good election based on optimism, not fear.” —Seeking insights into possible political cures for the economic crisis, chain leaders at this year’s Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference paid rapt attention to keynote speaker Chris Matthews’ observations into the down-to-the-wire race for the White House.
He did allow for some fear-based activism on the part of voters, however, when commenting on the qualifications of McCain’s running mate, Sarah Palin. —Seeking insights into possible political cures for the economic crisis, chain leaders at this year’s Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference paid rapt attention to keynote speaker Chris Matthews’ observations into the down-to-the-wire race for the White House.
“I think she has lost some of her new-car smell,” Matthews said. “You don’t want somebody who can’t remember what newspapers she reads. You want somebody who can figure it out.” —Seeking insights into possible political cures for the economic crisis, chain leaders at this year’s Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference paid rapt attention to keynote speaker Chris Matthews’ observations into the down-to-the-wire race for the White House.
In deciding whom to elect as president, however, there are no sure things, Matthews conceded, by way noting that he had supported Bush’s election in 2000. —Seeking insights into possible political cures for the economic crisis, chain leaders at this year’s Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference paid rapt attention to keynote speaker Chris Matthews’ observations into the down-to-the-wire race for the White House.
“I voted for the guy the first time; I’m as guilty as anybody,” he said. “I made a mistake.” —Seeking insights into possible political cures for the economic crisis, chain leaders at this year’s Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference paid rapt attention to keynote speaker Chris Matthews’ observations into the down-to-the-wire race for the White House.
This time, though, “having a beer with the guy, we can live without.” Still, voters might indulge their penchant for self-defeating expediency by simply deciding, “give me the easy way out [and] I’ll vote for you,” Matthews warned. —Seeking insights into possible political cures for the economic crisis, chain leaders at this year’s Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference paid rapt attention to keynote speaker Chris Matthews’ observations into the down-to-the-wire race for the White House.
In their failed re-election bids, both Presidents Carter and George H.W. Bush “were right, but lost,” Matthews opined. —Seeking insights into possible political cures for the economic crisis, chain leaders at this year’s Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference paid rapt attention to keynote speaker Chris Matthews’ observations into the down-to-the-wire race for the White House.
“I don’t buy the theory that victory is truth,” he said. —Seeking insights into possible political cures for the economic crisis, chain leaders at this year’s Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference paid rapt attention to keynote speaker Chris Matthews’ observations into the down-to-the-wire race for the White House.
Economy, politics take center stage at confab —Seeking insights into possible political cures for the economic crisis, chain leaders at this year’s Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference paid rapt attention to keynote speaker Chris Matthews’ observations into the down-to-the-wire race for the White House.