Chris Matthews - Palin an empty vessel

What follows is from Crooks and Liars:

For the second night in a row Chris Matthews expresses just how much Sarah Palin scares him to death, this time with the admission that she's just as much of an empty vessel as George Bush.

MATTHEWS: I wouldn`t be afraid if either of those guys were president. I might not vote for them, but I wouldn`t be afraid of them. I`d be afraid of her because I think she`s an empty vessel, ready to be filled by ideology she doesn`t even understand. That is really scary. We saw that with Dan Quayle. We saw that with W. Nothing is more frightening than an empty vessel in power.

Well Mr. Matthews, if this is what you really believe about George Bush, can we get you to quit fawning over him in his flight suit?

Transcript via Nexis Lexis.

MATTHEWS: Well, Chris Wallace asked her how hard President Obama would be to defeat in 2012. Here`s what the governor said. Let`s listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PALIN: Say he played the war card. Say he decided to declare war on Iran or decided to really come out and do whatever he could to support Israel, which I would like him to do. But that changes the dynamics in what we can assume is going to happen between now and three -- I think if the election were today, I do not think Obama would be reelected.

CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: You`re not suggesting he would cynically play the war card.

PALIN: I`m not suggesting that. I`m saying, if he did, things would dramatically change, if he decided to tough it up and do all that he can to secure our nation and our allies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEWS: She`s frightening. Mark, that is frightening stuff. Frightening. First of all, presidents do not declare war. Anybody knows that in high school. Congress has to declare war.

To declare war in Iran -- I don`t think the most far right Middle East hawk would talk about declaring war on Iran, a country of 70-some million people, with an advanced air force. A war like that, between the United States and Iran, would be so costly, an actual all out war. Why does she talk like that? Is that coming -- where do people get talk -- I mean, I was kidding last night. Is Michael Ledean (ph), a real hawk, writing this stuff for her? I don`t know anybody as far right as that, besides him.

HALPERIN: She is out there free-lancing and flailing and relying on what`s gotten her this far. I don`t think you can overstate the extent to which she is the dominant figure in the Republican party today, for 2010 and 2012. I also don`t think you can overstate the extent to which answers like that, she`s lucky they`re not worse because she`s obviously flailing.

She`s spending time traveling, making money, giving speeches, going on Fox. She`s not spending time doing what she should do. Again, I would say even if she`s not running for president, be a serious person. Learn what you need to learn. She said in the interview with Chris Wallace, she knows more now than she did when she was governor of Alaska. Answers like that do not manifest that that is true.

MATTHEWS: Great example, Greta Van Susteren was interviewing her on Fox. Greta`s a serious person. She`s asking serious questions as if -- and they`re very friendly to Governor Palin -- asking her a serious question with the idea she might be able to give serious answers. Nothing comes out. Nothing -- she says nothing spontaneously when you ask her a serious question.

KORNBLUT: What`s more interesting -- that may be the case. I didn`t actually see that interview.

MATTHEWS: It was stunning. If I was Roger Ailes watching, the head of Fox, I would say this is a mistake on my part to pay her any money, except for show business purposes. She has nothing going on mentally.

KORNBLUT: Yet, Chris, what`s happened, as Mark said, accurately, she is the leading figure in the -- if she were to run tomorrow, who would challenge her for this kind of attention?

MATTHEWS: These guys are so boring. Isn`t there any -- just a minute, Mark. You`re a reporter and you`re a reporter. Is there anybody in the Republican party who could debate her right now and out-shine her?

KORNBLUT: I think Mitt Romney --

MATTHEWS: He could outshine her?

KORNBLUT: I think it`s possible. I think it hasn`t happened yet.

MATTHEWS: Mark, your thoughts? Who could out-shine her right now? She`s got nothing going on right now mentally.

HALPERIN: Hailey Barbour and John Kasich both could. But neither of them -- no one in the party has shown the courage to take her on and say, Governor Palin, we like how you excite the base, but tell us one specific thing you`re for, even in the area of energy, her supposed area of expertise. Just tell us one thing you`re for specifically that would make America better.

MATTHEWS: I wouldn`t be afraid if either of those guys were president. I might not vote for them, but I wouldn`t be afraid of them. I`d be afraid of her because I think she`s an empty vessel, ready to be filled by ideology she doesn`t even understand. That is really scary. We saw that with Dan Quayle. We saw that with W. Nothing is more frightening than an empty vessel in power.

Thank you, Ann Kornblut and Mark Halperin.