Chart of the Day: Who’s Afraid of Chris Matthews?

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Seth Masket passes along a chart today showing which members of Congress are most likely to appear on Hardball. Among Democrats, it turns out that liberals and moderates are about equally likely to appear. Among Republicans, conservatives appear all the time but moderates are nearly absent. Why?

Hell if I know. But if I had to guess, I’d say that moderate Republicans have so little influence that there’s no point in talking to them. Second guess: moderate Republicans are boring, so Chris Matthews is uninterested in them. He’d rather book fire-breathers that he can mock. Third guess: moderate Republicans usually don’t have safe seats and figure that appearing on a liberal chat show is a lose-lose proposition for them.

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THIS IS URGENT! DON’T MISS THE DEADLINE.

Until MIDNIGHT only, every dollar you give goes twice as far to support kickass reporting. This is the moment to make your support count double.

In a climate where journalists face mounting pressure to back down, stay silent, or soften their reporting, Mother Jones refuses to flinch. We’re pushing back against intimidation and delivering fierce, independent journalism that holds power accountable—no matter who’s trying to silence us.

But here’s the reality: We’re a nonprofit newsroom with zero corporate backing and no financial cushion. We depend entirely on readers like you to fund the investigations that matter most. The 2X match deadline is just hours away. We need you on the team right now. Please chip in and double your impact.

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