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Eric Cantor was just on Hardball, being his innocuous self, positing McDonnell's victory as a rejection of government spending and overreach. Chris Matthews then launched a filibuster that quickly melted down into what would probably be called elitism and unprofessionalism if it ever tagged coherence. For example on leg-thrilling election 2008: 

"States like North Carolina, where I went to school, and Virginia, because of their incredible commitment to their university systems--in Richmond and Charlottesville and around this state, with all the levels of the higher education system in both those states--had taken themselves from the Old South and made themselves enlightened enough to be able to vote for an African-American for president and to have a choice in who they vote for."

And that, children, is how Yes We Can ended the rule of the primal, non-thinking, racist automatons in Virginia--now making a comeback, perhaps because of brains addled by latent swine flu! Obama, first real choice ever? Citizens, escape the prison of the mind!

It continued and, of course, for Matthews, as most liberals, all roads lead to Sarah Palin, so while Cantor is trying to make sense of Matthew's last nonsensical answer, the host skips further afield...

"I have a theory that Virginia may not be a liberal state...but it's certainly not a wacko right-wing state, either, and I don't think it would ever go for a Sarah Palin over a Barack Obama, but I may be wrong. In lousy economic conditions anything is possible. You wouldn't call Virginia a Palin state, would you?"

Anything is possible on Hardball, never mind Virginia. Why's Matthews even have to ask this? Doesn't Virginia have all sorts of fancy book-learning now to prevent the rise of Palin-like figures? For his part, Cantor simply offers that Virginia is a commonsense state where "millions" of Republicans find Palin and McDonnell--who the segment is supposedly about--intriguing figures, to no avail.

"I bet if you go home and check with your voters, Congressman, a lot of your most trusted voters, who like you personally, are scared the bejesus [sic] of Sarah Palin. She's a theocrat. She's so far out in terms of basic American notions of pluralism that your voters would think she was frightening."

Yeah, that sounds like a reasonable summation. Can't get this sort of balanced analysis on the dread Fox, can we?

And here's how, adding insult to annoyance, Matthews signs off the very patient Cantor: 

"Congressman Eric Cantor…one of the real rising stars of the Republican Party I think he’s going to be one of the real leaders of the country someday. I’m not sure it’s great, but I think it’s going to happen. Anyway, thank you congressman for coming on Hardball, please come back, as you can tell you’re very welcome here. Ha!”

Well, a laugh is the perfect end to a joke. Very professional! Hey a*@hole, come back and see me sometime, eh? At least Cantor can take solace in the fact that Matthews' idea of the perfect politician is a clown like Joe Biden.