Sure, it's only February. But for political junkies, the State of the Union is the unofficial kickoff to the election season.
"Obviously, it's getting earlier every year as the process of running for President becomes more than a one-year thing," says TV's political junkie-in-chief, "Hardball" anchor
Chris Matthews. "What happens in November will set the course for 2008 and years to come."
Presidential hopefuls may not be hitting the stumps yet, but they're lining up their strategists and moneymen -- and that means it's game time for Matthews, who hosts one of the last pure-play politics shows on cable.
Indeed, CNN axed "Crossfire," and now Matthews challenges CNN in the 25-54 demographic. Year to date, "Hardball" is up 5% in the demo, and that's before the political season hits its stride.
"I think I can beat anyone in this business on political knowledge," says Matthews.
So, as
John McCain,
Rudy Guiliani,
Hillary Clinton and
Joe Biden mull their aspirations, the question is: Who's going to own the story?
As anchor of MSNBC's "Decision 2006," Matthews has pledged to visit every district in play for the midterm elections, and that's going to take him to places like Sugarland, Texas where
Nick Lampson is trying to topple
Tom Delay.
"I gotta get on the road," Matthews says. "I just want to get out there and move around and feel the difference."
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