MS-NBC’s Chris Matthews: At the Risk of Being Redundant…
MS-NBC’s Chris Matthews flew totally off the rails last night as the positive results trickled in for Hillary Clinton . It was clear that even NBC anchor emeritus Tom Brokaw was taken aback by Matthew’s vitriolic rants. Note to MS-NBC boss Dan Abrams: Tweety needs some time off.
There was a period of time around 9:30PM on primary night in New Hampshire that MS-NBC pundit and host Chris Matthews rolled totally off the rails. Coverage by the network was bad enough, but when Matthews said the following (from my live blogging of the evening), I almost blew out a chip on my laptop as I transcribed his drivel:
“I wouldn’t put it past the Clintons if it looked like it was moving toward a victory for Barack to pull a quick press conference while it’s still vague and say it’s too early to tell and go to bed with some kind of vague victory statement.”
This is word for word. I’m sure there’s a YouTube of this moment floating around somewhere, or perhaps on the MS-NBC transcript of the remarks.
Between Chris Matthews and Andrea Mitchell, there could not be a more vitriolic pair of “reporters” dogging Hillary’s campaign. I mean, I know that Mitchell dislikes HRC tremendously - and it comes through so clearly in her live reporting - but someone in Matthew’s position has got to exhibit a degree of restraint. His mouth should have been in restraints last night.
I’m still having a hard time processing that a network anchor such as Matthews all but accused the Clinton campaign of getting ready to stage a victory dance if it looked like Obama was going to pull out a win in New Hampshire later in the night. And the way that he spewed his venom - the look on his face, the tone of his voice - was almost frightening.
I don’t know if Chris Matthews needs a vacation or what, but clearly, he needs some time off. I hope that MS-NBC boss Dan Abrams reviews the coverage today, and gives Matthews some forced time off.
There is no place for that kind of behavior (allowing a personal distaste for a candidate) to drift into network coverage. None.
If you watch “The War Room” you might understand where Chris Mathews is coming from.
Don’t forget Maureen Dowd, who actually referred to Hillary Clinton as “the school girl with geeky glasses and frizzy hair, smart but not the favorite” in her last column. Why does the New York Times keep giving this lightweight a forum?
As for Matthews, I agree that he needs a vacation, the longer the better. Maybe he could finance it with some of those five-figure “speaking fees” he gets from advocacy groups.
I’d be fine with Matthews and Mitchell spewing their venom around if they would just give us some idea of WHY they hate the Clintons so very much. And if they made sure to preface their venom with “As you all know, I have a very personal dislike of Senator Clinton. Here’s what she did that makes me dislike her so very much.” followed by a litany of the actual things that she has done to make them desipse her.
This holds for the entire DC press corpse and punditry - WHY the Clinton hate? What did they do that makes YOU hate them so very, very much and so very, very personally?
It may not be reporting, but it would be damn refreshing to see all the biases laid out on the table for everyone to see. As far as I can tell Matthews hates her because she’s a woman and he’s a misogynistic pig. And Mitchell seems to have been snubbed at dinner parties early in Bill Clinton’s tenure in the office or something. If there’s something more substantial about it, I’d like to know.
(I mean, I know why I dislike the Clintons and would prefer if Sen. Clinton never became Pres. Clinton. But it’s not PERSONAL it’s just politics. I really get the feeling that for Matthews, Mitchell and some of the others this is somehow personal, and I want to know why.)
My personal opinion is that the press has handpicked Obama to win. That’s why all the negativity is pointed toward Clinton, Edwards is all but forgotten and the Republicans are the butt of the jokes. There are plenty of Americans who will believe anything the MSM says without conviction or investigation. It the same logic (or ignorance if you will) that got W elected twice.
also…i think mccain is worthy of plenty of ridicule, but it just was unseemly to see the whole msnbc cast of characters going at him like a pinata last night and giggling over it. I was embarrassed for them - KO above all.
i really liked it when clinton said this wasn’t a game. maybe the talking heads could learn this.
Dan Abrams is just a show host these days:
Here, For fellow Matthews “fans”:
Pres NBC News steve.capus@nbcuni.com
MSNBC programming: phil.griffin@nbcuni.com
Hardball producer: john.reiss@nbcuni.com
Hardball: hardball@msnbc.com
Matthews: chrismatthews@msnbc.com
Scarborough: Joe@msnbc.com
These have distinguished themselves also
Eugene Robinson: eugenerobinson@washpost.com
dowd@nytimes.com
andrea.mitchell@nbcuni.com
we need to start a letter writing campaign to abrams to call his attention to this unprofessional demeanor on the part of matthews.
I quit watching Mathews after the 2006 election, it seemed even then he was becoming unhinged. Has he fallen off the wagon, or is his brain just totally fried from all those years of binge drinking? Or is he just some misogynistic creep who has homo erotic candidates about big tought Daddy figures and enjoy verbally fellating them all, even the criminal twerp Tom Delay? I could no longer stomach him. KO is the only reason I watch MSNBC now and if it weren’t for him and Rachel Maddow, on election night, I wouldn’t watch them at all.
Though KO also ticked me off Monday night when he lead with the “Clinton crying meme.” Keith that was so below you and unworthy.
John Stewart tonight skewered Matthews nicely, showing a string of clips of his ramblings and finishing with the summary… “This guy is insane!”
Chris I sent this message to Jack Cafferty a little while ago.”Just don’t let Bill upset him and stay on message.I beleive that the white people see that this is the only chance that they have to redeem themselves.I really beleive that if we pray and ask the Lord to protect him he will so that our dreams can be realized also”.Swan of McComb,MS.
I’m so happy I found this blog. I’m so frustrated with the way msnbc is glorifying O’Bama and trashing Hillary. It’s disgusting. Also, I haven’t heard Bill or Hillary play the race card at all in any of their comments. The talking heads took their words and twisted them into what they called race related remarks when they were no such thing.
I have nothing against O’Bama, I just think Hillary and John Edwards should be treated fairly.
You guys think you can brain wash us into placing a vote for your party by convincing us that
our party is nuts. If you only knew what you all sound like to us. Someone needs to start managing MSNBC before you all make so many of us angry that if your buddies don’t watch you won’t have any audience left. Last nights debate was great!!!! That’s how candidates should all act. And you know what? We don’t care what you on MSNBC think. We Rock!!
Chris Matthews & Keith Olberman:
GET REAL!
I used to watch your programs but NOT ANY MORE!
I’m tired of hearing both of you rant & rave against the Clintons.
WHY do you hate them? OR - A BETTER QUESTION:
Do you REALLY BELIEVE that Obama has enough EXPERIENCE TO BECOME PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES?
Chris you said over 1.2million people have contributed to Obama’s campaign,now that,s putting your money where your mouth is.That should let Clinton and McCain know who the people want.Tell Hillary and John to move over the Obama train is coming through.
Why isn’t anyone saying anything about all of the crooks in the Bush administration like Paul Bremmer,and the 16billion dollars that he took over to Iraq for pay offs and didn’t get a receipt for,up to this latest crook Alphonso Jackson.Not only that but look at all of the stuff that Cheney has been involved in with his company Halliburton,man it’s enough stuff to impeach Bush and probably everybody in his cabinet.So why don’t you all look into it,are you scared,what the deal.
Tim Russert was one of the best journalist that ever lived and all I can think of to say at the present comes from Luke 6&27-38 because he is a man of the times!!!!!!!!!!!!!