“Hardball’ host fired up over presidential debate

>>> well, chris matthews was very vocal about president obama 's performance following the debate. here's some of what he had to say.

>> certainly there was no bobby kennedy in the green room before barack obama came out tonight. i don't know what he was doing out there. he had his head down, he was enduring the debate rather than fighting it. i don't know how he let romney get away with the crap he threw out tonight.

>> i agree.

>> about social security . where was obama tonight?

>> and chris matthews joins us now. chris, really, tell us how you really feel. you're a supporter of president obama . what do you think happens?

>> yeah. well the way the president handled it was just not up to the task. romney was able to talk about things like funding for pbs and never had explained his position supporting bankruptcy for the american auto industry . obama rescued the american auto industry , our largest industrial industry, it never came up. on the very heart of the romney economic plan, on the tax cut, why did he insist on the deductions? they're not details, the president called them. they're not loopholes, they're mortgag mortgages, charitable deductions, state and local. huge issues at the very heart of the romney economic plan. the 47%, he let romney come out there as a guy who cared about people and social security . he's on the record with his fundraisers where you pay $50,000 to hear what he really thinks as using your phrase. he said these people were all moochers and bums. on health care , four or five times he slipped away . romney in recent days has said if you have a health problem, you're poor and live in an apartment, as he put it, we won't let you die there, you're going to go to the emergency room . that is the romney economic health care plan. at each point he said on pre-existing conditions only if you have continuing coverage. then he said i'm going to take the principles of massachusetts and apply them there. the principle of massachusetts is individual mandate. how did the president let him get away with point after point after point?

>> this reminded me a lot of bu bu bush/kerry in '04. do you think it was that? or do you think the president didn't want to be as feisty as he saw in his challenger?

>> well, i think he had to be both the moderator and the fact-checker. he could've done it like a gentleman. i thought romney was excellent with his civility, respect for the office of the presidency. i think the president could have done the same thing and sliced through all the claims by romney . romney 's been accused of etch-a-sketch.

>> thank you very much for getting up early after a long night in denver.