Pat Buchanan "expands the base" by liking Edwards

There was an amusing exchange on Hardball yesterday which revealed Pat Buchanan's tendencies as an Edwards fan, with regards to the whole jobs and trade issue. I was talking about this last night. Is Buchanan closer to Edwards than Bush?!?! (I found this via fellow panelist Katrina vanden Heuvel's blog)

MATTHEWS:  What does Edwards have to campaign for that Kerry doesn?t already buy? 

BUCHANAN:  I think what Edwards is doing?one thing he is doing, he is making himself a positive, great national figure and force in the Democratic Party every week he campaigns.  His media coverage is almost uniformly positive. 

He has plugged into the No. 1 economic issue in this campaign.  That is jobs and the betrayal of the American worker, white collar with outsourcing, blue collar with these deals with China and NAFTA.  He has got that issue.  I think he only helps himself.  The only way he can hurt himself if he gets brutal on Kerry and hurts himself with the party or he runs so long that he starts to look ridiculous. 

MATTHEWS:  Let me ask the Reverend Jesse Jackson.  You were in

(CROSSTALK)

JACKSON:  Let me say this. 

MATTHEWS:  Go ahead.  Go ahead.

(CROSSTALK)

JACKSON:  ... student activists and Pat Buchanan all support Edwards. 

That itself is a broadening of the base. 

MATTHEWS:  Do you support Edwards? 

BUCHANAN:  I support Edwards? campaign, yes.  I would like to see him do well.  I would like to see him go forward with this issue.  I would like to see him make it at the convention, because it?s important for the country. 

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS:  Reverend Jackson

(CROSSTALK)

JACKSON:  And Pat Buchanan is closer ideologically to John Edwards than he is to George Bush.  And that itself again is expanding the base.

MATTHEWS:  Is that the case? 

BUCHANAN:  Well, if you get all?on the jobs issue, yes. 

MATTHEWS:  How about on Iraq? 

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS:  Actually, Edwards is with him on Iraq.

BUCHANAN:  I think what Jerry Brown?what Jerry Brown said is?and they?re not tapping into it, but Jerry Brown is exactly right.  The overextension of the American empire all over the world, this idea of permanent war for permanent peace is a tremendous issue which the Democrats could also tap into. 

MATTHEWS:  Are they ready to? 

BUCHANAN:  No.
(SNIP)
JACKSON:  Well, I would be very impressed with a Kerry?with a Kerry-Edwards ticket. 

MATTHEWS:  Well, that?s a brief statement.  That was a Mike Mansfield answer.  I don?t know?I don?t know how to respond.  Reverend Jackson says it would be a good ticket. 

Pat Buchanan, you got your heart?you did?let?s say one last word here for Howard Dean.  I loved his goodbye today. 

BUCHANAN:  I thought he was excellent.  Frankly, I think he won a gallant, good, courageous campaign.  He stood for his beliefs and his principles.  He made some mistakes and some blunders.  But I was sad to see him not get?really get the chance he should have gotten because of that crazy concession speech.

MATTHEWS:  Do all mavericks get beaten?

JACKSON:  If?if Democrats win, over that inauguration will be the halo of Howard Dean. 

MATTHEWS:  How so? 

JACKSON:  Because he set the pace.  He stood up to Bush when other Democrats were ducking, dodging, trying to be politically correct.  He stood up on the issue of the war, tax policy, trade policy.  Howard Dean set the race?set the pace for this race. 

MATTHEWS:  OK.  Thank you. 

BROWN:  A maverick is without honor in his own party.

(LAUGHTER)

MATTHEWS:  OK, thank you, Reverend.  Adlai Stevenson once said that. Anyway, thank you.  No, Gene McCarthy said it about Adlai Stevenson. He also said it?s easier to run for president than to stop.