“Republicans want a leader; Democrats want a meeting”

MSNBC news host Chris Matthews said in October 2007, “Republicans want a leader! The Democrats always want a meeting.” That is, the Republicans want a leader who makes the decisions for them, while Democrats want all parties to talk things out.
 
Matthews used the saying before the administration of President Barack Obama and the saying has been only moderately popular.
 
 
Wikipedia: Chris Matthews
Christopher John “Chris” Matthews (born December 17, 1945) is an American news anchor and political commentator, known for his nightly hour-long talk show, Hardball with Chris Matthews, which is televised on the American cable television channel MSNBC. On weekends he hosts the syndicated NBC News–produced panel discussion program, The Chris Matthews Show. Matthews makes frequent appearances on many NBC and MSNBC programs. On March 22, 2009, Matthews renewed the contract for Hardball with Chris Matthews through 2012.
 
Google News Archive
9 October 2007, Toledo (OH) Blade, “Commentator shares lessons from politics” by Liz Smith, pg. D3, col. 3:
Then he (MSNBC host Chris Matthews—ed.) zinged off a quip: “Republicans want a leader! The Democrats always want a meeting.”
     
AlterNet
Thom Hartmann: How Liberals Can Speak Without Boring Everyone to Tears
It turns out we have a lot to learn from the advertising world and even Republicans.
December 6, 2007
(...)
Thom Hartmann: It was the confluence of information and realization. I worked for more than a decade in the advertising industry and about that long in the psychology industry. I’ve spent six years doing progressive talk radio in the politics business. I’ve seen, starting with Newt Gingrich seizing power and bringing in Frank Lutz, that the Republicans got very professional about messaging. The Democrats never did.
 
One of the reasons that the Democrats never did is because the Democratic Party is small “d” democratic. Chris Matthews makes the joke about how the Republicans want a leader and the Democrats want to have a meeting. It’s true. The conservative mindset is one that is more calibrated for hierarchy and top-down control. The Democratic mindset, the liberal mindset, reflects the notions that “we’re all in this together,” “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link” and “we’re a community.” It’s the old Will Rogers joke, “I don’t belong to any organized party. I’m a Democrat.”
 
Straight Dope Message Board
Acsenray
07-25-2008, 09:46 AM
Mathews: Republicans want a leader, Democrats want a meeting
Wow, can a superficial blowhard like Chris Mathews actually offer a moment of insight?

I heard him being interviewed on “Fair Game with Faith Salie” and he said something to the effect of “Republicans want a leader but Democrats want a meeting.” Now obviously there’s a huge degree of generalization there, and perhaps “conservatives” and “liberals” would be more accurate instead of party designators.
     
Blogcritics
15 - Glenn Contrarian
Mar 29, 2009 at 6:44 pm
ME2 -
In your opening paragraphs you evince a basic misunderstanding - you wanted a ‘meeting’ with the conservatives. The saying goes, “Republicans look for a leader; Democrats look for a meeting”. There’s truth to that statement. They don’t want to meet with you and find consensus - they want to make things happen and you’re okay as long as you do things THEIR way, consensus be damned. Witness the Bush administration’s unilateralism as proof.
 
Just Say Why
Looking for a Leader
Friday, October 28th, 2011
Looking for a Leader
Dave Speck
 
There’s an old joke, “Republicans want a leader, Democrats want a meeting.”