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Chris Matthews: Smart Jews with Cigars Picked Movie Stars in the 1930s

December 22, 2015

MSNBC's Chris Matthews said Tuesday that old, smart Jews with cigars picked who would succeed in the 1930s movie business in an apparent effort to draw an analogy between Hollywood's recruitment process in the old days and how today's Republican Party chooses presidential candidates to support.

Appearing on the MTP Daily, Matthews made his statement in response to a question posed by host Chuck Todd, who asked why so-called "outsider" candidates like Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are dominating the Republican primary polls.

Matthews explained why, in his view, Trump is polling better than Jeb Bush and said, "I do think there's a lot going on. The old days, in the 30s, the Hollywood - you remember the old guys with cigars, a lot of Jewish smart guys. ‘She's good looking, she'll make it. She's gonna make it.’ And they'd figure out who the movie stars were. And politicians were like that."

He continued to describe how politicians put forward in this fashion would often win elections.

"Who picked [Jeb] Bush, and said he's the right guy! Who said Jeb's got the stuff!" Matthews then exclaimed.

It is unclear how exactly the Jewish kingmakers from Hollywood in the 1930s, as Matthews portrays them, compare to the current Republican primary race, but Matthews went on to explain why Trump is doing well in the polls.