Just a few seconds after complaining that Rush Limbaugh has a loopy "conspiracy theory" for why former Florida Governor Jeb Bush (R) is seriously exploring a presidential bid in 2016, MSNBC's Chris Matthews this evening offered his own.
Limbaugh opposes Jeb's bid because he "knows" a "Tea Party" GOP nominee would go down in flames to Hillary Clinton, thus ensuring him at least four more years in the "opposition" and thus better ratings, Matthews offered.
But what also makes Matthews's "conspiracy theory" charge about the clip of Limbaugh which he aired was that neither of his guests, including and especially the very liberal Joan Walsh of Salon, disagreed with Limbaugh's argument that the moneyed interests in the GOP, the big-dollar donor class, very much would prefer to see an establishment moderate like Jeb Bush securing the nomination rather than someone to his right.
Here's the relevant transcript, plus a little of Joan Walsh and Chris Matthews bantering about Limbaugh's soul, or, in their minds, lack thereof:
CHRIS MATTHEWS: Here is us, Rush Limbaugh has already cooked up a conspiracy theory, if you will, on why Jeb is running for President of the United States. And it came out immediately this morning from that underwater world he lives in down in Florida. Let's listen.
RUSH LIMBAUGH: You want to know why Jeb Bush is thinking of running? I'll give you a poss -- including the fact he may actually want to be president, he may actually want to do this, but he's also being looked at as a savior by the big-money donor class. And the consultant class, the establishment of the party, to head off the Tea Party. They're going to pull out all the stops to make sure that a tea party type conservative doesn't get the nomination.
MATTHEWS: But why -- let me ask you a question. Maybe it's too logical to ask a question about Rush Limbaugh, except ratings, I suppose, or whatever. I'm not a media critic, but, my God, I don't get this guy. He's the leader of the Republican Party to many people's minds.
Rush Limbaugh says there's something wrong with heading off the Tea Party, when everybody watching this program now and probably watching Fox, even, knows a Tea Party person per se cannot be elected President of the United States against Hillary Clinton. A Tea Party person, somebody who buys the pile of that stuff. Why would he want a Tea Party person to be the nominee if they will most certainly lose? Why does Rush want that? Because he's better in opposition? It's better for his audience if they're really, really angry they got Hillary as president. Is that better for him?
JOAN WALSH, Salon: I don't think any of us have any idea what that man really believes deep in his soul. But this is the role that he plays within the party.
MATTHEWS: Soul?! You gave him soul, that's uh, a leap of faith.
WALSH: I, I did. I'm just going to be charitable tonight. Okay, I'm being charitable.
MATTHEWS: That's a leap of faith before Christmas. Go ahead.
WALSH: It's the holiday season, Chris, I'm feeling kind.
