Matthews: Whites are ‘willing’ to support Obama in the same way they ‘root for black athletes.’
Filed Under: Media
By on Apr 25th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Matthews: Whites are ‘willing’ to support Obama in the same way they ‘root for black athletes.’
Last night on Hardball, host Chris Matthews sought to give Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) some “advice” on how to get white Americans to vote for him for president:
MATTHEWS: You got to talk like a firebrand because if you‘re carrying their fight for them, they‘re going to like you. You know, a lot of white people root for black athletes because they‘re winning for the home team. People are quite willing to pick up black heroes, if they‘ll win for their side.
Watch it:
Matthews has previously said of Obama: “This gets very ethnic, but the fact that he’s good at basketball doesn’t surprise anybody.”
Sort Comments By: Top Rated | Date
57 Responses to “Matthews: Whites are ‘willing’ to support Obama in the same way they ‘root for black athletes.’”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Register
RSSLogin
View Most Popular
Visit Our Affiliated Site
What We're About
What We're Fighting For
What We're Fighting Against
Featured
Subscribe to the Progress Report
Got a hot tip?
Have a hot news tip? We'd love to hear from you. Use the form below to send us the latest.
Reports
In depth studies on select topics
Topic CloudView topics sorted by popularity
Afghanistan
Beck
Big Oil
Bolton
Bush
Cheney
Civil Rights
Drudge
Economy
Energy
Environment
Ethics
Feith
Fox News
GI Bill
Global Warming
Guantanamo
Hagee
Health Care
Immigration
Impeachment
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Justice
Kristol
LGBT
Lieberman
McCain
McClellan
Media
Military
O'Hanlon
O'Reilly
Obama
Race
Radical Right
Rove
Surveillance
Terrorism
Third Bush Term
Torture
Veterans
Wiretapping
Women's Rights
ArchivesBlog RollAbout Think ProgressContact Us
Donate
“It’s better to keep your mouth shut and let people think you’re dumb than to open it and remove all doubt.”
Matthews really needs to take that to heart.
April 25th, 2008 at 2:54 pmNote to Chris Matthews - I support Obama because he seems to be the least likely to attack Iran! Just so you know! It has nothing to do with the color of his skin.
April 25th, 2008 at 2:55 pmMatthew, Its only ok to generalize about white people in the south! You can’t even say black people’s skin pigment is mostly brown, that’s making a generalized comment in the pro’s eyes!
April 25th, 2008 at 2:55 pmOh, and btw Chris - I play a good game of basketball too and guess what? The only way my skin would be whiter would be if I lost all my freckles!
How do these jokers get on tv?!
April 25th, 2008 at 2:56 pmThis was so ridiculous; Matthews’s point didn’t even make sense. Even if you’re the most racist person ever, there’s a strong distinction to be made between supporting a black person for your ENTERTAINMENT (like a black athlete) or even as a friend, as opposed to voting for one to lead them as president.
April 25th, 2008 at 2:57 pmHey, Tweety,
April 25th, 2008 at 2:58 pmTHE HOME TEAM IS AMERICA.
Again, you prove that you’re more interested in keeping power around the Beltway than being a journalist. No wonder traditional media is dying - the Inter-tubes allow us to ignore your type of crapola, and get facts.
Have a grape.
Well, the paranoid folks were right. Fluoride has contaminated our precious bodily essences and is making the entire country really, really stupid. Bush being re-elected is the most glaringly obvious proof. Chris Matthews’ ongoing descent into idiocy is further proof. I’d love to say something else but this latest insanity just overwhelms me.
April 25th, 2008 at 3:00 pmImpeach Cheney and Bush and Save the Constitution!
Abu Ben Hussein Leporello.
Tweety is basically a pig.
Or as Stephanie Miller said to his face: “Chris you’re a right wing tool”
April 25th, 2008 at 3:04 pmwright_god Says:
——————————————————————————–
Matthew, Its only ok to generalize about white people in the south! You can’t even say black people’s skin pigment is mostly brown, that’s making a generalized comment in the pro’s eyes!
April 25th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
What the hell does the South have to do with anything Matthews uttered ?
April 25th, 2008 at 3:05 pmBelieve it or not, Matthews may have a point IF what he’s saying is “When people root for athletes, they aren’t paying any attention to their color, and it’s the same when they support Obama.”
If this is what Matthews meant, he mangled his expression of it badly. However, I suspect that what Matthews meant was something closer to “Whites only like Obama because he’s winning for their side. If he wasn’t, they’d be kicking him to the gutter.”
Matthews would do well to keep sports references out of the discussion altogether. This election is far more important than the Super Bowl.
April 25th, 2008 at 3:10 pmIt’s only a matter of time before Matthews wonders about black people being able to dine with out shouting for their M’effin’ iced tea.
April 25th, 2008 at 3:12 pmrobbez_92107 Says:
Hey, Tweety,
THE HOME TEAM IS AMERICA.
Again, you prove that you’re more interested in keeping power around the Beltway than being a journalist. No wonder traditional media is dying - the Inter-tubes allow us to ignore your type of crapola, and get facts.
Have a grape.
————————————–
Worth reposting!!
April 25th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
April 25th, 2008 at 3:12 pmChris, we are all hoping Obama will rebound Bush’s airball
April 25th, 2008 at 3:12 pmHow much more of an embarrassment does this guy have to become before MSNBC does something about him.
April 25th, 2008 at 3:16 pmObama - Nothing but net
Bush - Missed backboard & net
McCain - ‘I invented basketball!’
Matthews - ‘Where’s the bathroom?’
April 25th, 2008 at 3:18 pmThanks, Mary.
April 25th, 2008 at 3:19 pmBarack’s story has more to do with Hawaii than any of this tweety gibberish.
April 25th, 2008 at 3:20 pmJebus. Tweety must have a very hard time walking - since both his feet are always in his mouth….
April 25th, 2008 at 3:31 pmI’m willing to support Barack Obama for President because I think he will make a great President. End of story. I don’t care if he’s black or white. I don’t care what his preacher says. I don’t care if he wears a lapel pin. His policy positions on issues ranging from the War in Iraq to the crisis in health care agree with what I would like to see. I believe that he is a man of integrity. I don’t think he will back down from what he really believes in just to appease big business or special interests. I believe that he is competent and will be able to right much that has gone wrong with America these past eight years.
I was frankly a bit sickened to hear Chris Matthews analysis of what the superdelagates must be considering as the Pennsylvania primary results come in. He talked about whether they should go with the popular choice, the winner of the most delegates, or if they should back the candidate who they thought could beat McCain based on myriad different benchmarks. None of that matters. Each superdelegate should pick the candidate who they think would make the best President! End of story. I believe that if they evaluate the two candidates fairly they will conclude as I have that Barack Obama is the better choice for President.
April 25th, 2008 at 3:33 pmMSNBC is a joke! I have lost all respect for Chris and Keith.
April 25th, 2008 at 3:38 pmWow! Sexist AND racially bigoted! Care to spit on the working class and hit the hat trick, Tweety?
April 25th, 2008 at 3:39 pmAnother racist comment from tweety. Didn’t Jimmy the Greek get in trouble for a similar comment regarding black athletes? I mean the man (Obama) is half black and I guess that makes him all black? But why does it not make him white too? Think about it. Why is this comment from tweety even being said.
April 25th, 2008 at 3:39 pmtechsong Says
April 25th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Didn’t Jimmy the Greek get in trouble for a similar comment regarding black athletes?
______________________________________________
That was back in the days when broadcast media had standards. They don’t anymore. As long as people are watching and the ratings are good enough to bring in commercial revenue, Tweety could grill a live puppy on the air.
April 25th, 2008 at 3:45 pmtiffany Says:
“MSNBC is a joke! I have lost all respect for Chris and Keith.”
What does Keith have to do with this?? He’s not even in the segment. Maybe if you even watched his show you’d know where he stands.
April 25th, 2008 at 3:49 pmTweety that was a tad bit racist, don’t ya think. And how come is it that a person that is HALF White is only considered Black…Tweety? That’s because you, Tweety are ALL Ass.
April 25th, 2008 at 3:53 pmActually most Democrats have shown they are willing to vote for either a woman or a black man, as the tremendous turnouts have proven! However, if Tweety is referring to how Republicans (and their Independent surrogates) think, he may be right. If Obama really is the choice that comes out of the primaries, he will face race as an issue in a way that he hasn’t in the primaries. And unfortunately the 90% of African Americans that vote for him (to me that seems racist by the way), won’t make enough of a difference to really save him, except in a few states. There are a lot of racists in the GOP/Independent crowd - and the Obama campaign’s comment that Race won’t be an issue in the general election is completely delusional!
April 25th, 2008 at 3:54 pmMatthews is wrong. Just more assumptions and word abuse. I often wonder how much our society is shaped by people who will say anything because they are simply paid to say words.
April 25th, 2008 at 3:57 pmYes, it is the Chris Matthews’ of this world that cannot come to grips with voting for someone based on the quality of the mind when there are black sterotypes to be considered. Matthews is in tune with Reagan Democrats that were previously Wallace Democrats and all that that implies.
America is not yet ready to elect either a black or a woman as President thanks to the Chris Matthews’ of this world. And they don’t even realize that they are the problem.
April 25th, 2008 at 4:10 pmGee thanks RHF for pointing out we’re a racist nation and that Obama better get used to it. Way to make progressives look as dome as the Repukes.
April 25th, 2008 at 4:10 pmSo, tweetyshitbird, when he gets his three point shot together, us whitey’s will start coming around to voting for him? You racist piece of cat dropping?
April 25th, 2008 at 4:11 pmApparently Chris can’t get over Obama not being able to bowl and ordering juice in a diner. It’s driven him crazy. One question why is bowling so “American” and basketball “NOT AMERICAN ENOUGH” for Tweety?
April 25th, 2008 at 4:12 pmRUC, we must have been thinking the same thing. Hey Chris, is it all about the shoes? If he wore bowling shoes instead of Air Jordans would he then be American enough for you?
April 25th, 2008 at 4:13 pmrepublicans hate facts Says
April 25th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
“…the 90% of African Americans that vote for him [Obama] (to me that seems racist by the way)”
___________________________________________________
OK, I give. Why is it “racist” when 90% of African Americans vote for Obama, but it’s not racist when WELL OVER 90% of white Americans will vote for a white candidate when Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson is on the ballot?
One shouldn’t have to vote for a candidate that’s not their favorite just to prove they aren’t racist.
April 25th, 2008 at 4:18 pmTweety is an a$$hole and MSNBC ought sh**can him and put Rachel Maddow in his slot. Let him play out the string doing fluff pieces with bowtie tucker.
April 25th, 2008 at 4:18 pmUh, we’re talking about the United States of America here, where there is no distinction between these things.
April 25th, 2008 at 4:26 pmI honestly believe that when it comes to the general election, Americans will vote for the Democratic candidate whether it’s Obama OR Hillary.
Color and gender are going to be way down the list as factors, because there are issues Americans deeply care about that will supercede these.
The number one issue on the minds of Americans today is the economy. The economy is ONLY important to voters when it’s tanking. Both Clinton and Obama have plans that will help and strengthen the middle class. McCain? All he has is more tax cuts — mostly for the rich.
The number two issue on the minds of Americans (which until recently was number one) is the war in Iraq. An overwhelming majority of Americans want us out of there. Clinton and Obama want us out of there. McCain? Not only does he want to stay there, but he wants to get us into a quagmire in Iran as well.
Ready for the number three issue? That would be health care, and the rising costs of it. Clinton and Obama both recognize this. While both recognize that attempting to go immediately to a single-payer system overnight is impractical, both have plans to ensure more people will have coverage and people won’t be denied coverage. McCain? He supports giving the for-profits freer rein in the marketplace, which is why we have a problem in the first place.
McCain will have no problem getting support from that part of the GOP base who will blindly toe the party line, no matter what. The rest of America — the part that’s had enough — will vote against more of the same, regardless of who is carrying the flag for the Dems.
April 25th, 2008 at 4:27 pmso, what’s with all the OBAMA threads on TP lately???
glad that bad has been lifted, but what about all the hillary SNAFUs out there…
like “the math”! now THAT would be a good story…
…
and, as far as “People are quite willing to pick up black heroes”, unless they
have this “thing” about being “ruled over” by a black man…
i do fear there are still too many racists out there… just too scary of a change…
it’s probably gonna be status quo, or worse…
April 25th, 2008 at 4:27 pm…
Powell was a distinguished General who stood up to Bush.
when???
April 25th, 2008 at 4:37 pmWhy is Sen Obama called the ‘black’ candidate? He is mulatto. He was raised by his “typical white” grandmother.
April 25th, 2008 at 4:39 pmWhat Tweety isn’t saying is Obama should ‘white up’ with make-up and win. Please MSNBC dump this POS and let Rachel speak, as she has a BRAIN!.
April 25th, 2008 at 5:03 pmPrytania Says:
Powell was a distinguished General who stood up to Bush.
Was that before, during, or after he lied his ass of at the UN?
April 25th, 2008 at 5:19 pmoff, dang it awf!!!
April 25th, 2008 at 5:25 pm.
Chris is playing his racist cards again.
.
April 25th, 2008 at 5:43 pmMSNBC only has Keith O and Rachel M as their saving grace. Matthews is very difficult to watch
http://www.soultv.net
April 25th, 2008 at 5:51 pmActually, Jimmy the Greek said that black athletes are better athletically because they run faster than whites and he made more suppositions that the black athletes had genetic factors that made them superior athletes.
Matthews is stating a sports sentiment that fans of teams support a star athlete when they’re red hot and highly popular. If he made the point that Obama was a free agent and had nearly every team clamoring for him, his point would have gotten across. There is also the point that athletes in sports do have a short lifespan in the public spotlight, that as quickly as they are the toast of the town, they can quickly become a pariah.
Matthews shouldn’t have invoked race, but it’s always nice to read how much of a “racist” he is from some on here. Like none of us on here haven’t had our own stupid, thoughtless moments and been called on it. Richard Lewis is right…we need to step back because we are hyper-critical of our own hyper-criticalness. If you think Chris Matthews is such a terrible person, you need to grow a backbone.
April 25th, 2008 at 7:07 pmOn the plus side, Tweety is less annoying and less racist than Joe Scarborough.
April 25th, 2008 at 7:09 pm1). Gummitch: Touche. How he can keep running his mouth after that shameful interview he granted to the Times last week is beyond me. This guy is one sick and sorry hombre.
It’s always about him–he’ll be like Tucker Carlson in another 7 months or so–they release him from his contract at NBC–they won’t even wait for it to elapse. That’s my prediction for WIW.
April 25th, 2008 at 7:49 pmScarborough and Buchanan display their ignorance every time they open their mouths. MSNBC is a terrible network. I’ve said it for ages now–it is unwatchable.
April 25th, 2008 at 7:50 pmAnd Obama has the lead and the ball is in his court.
HE COULD GO ALL THE WAY———!
April 25th, 2008 at 8:37 pmYeah…a registered Democrat certainly CAN’T have racist sentiments and a registered Republican CAN’T have tolerant values…?! Do some of you listen to yourselves sometimes? Or is that over-inflated utopian optimistic opinion of yourselves, somewhere between transcendence and bedevilment of those you consider “under” you never quite satisfied?
MSNBC is a great network because they actually try to report the news and present both sides of the argument. Does it work to 100% effectiveness? Hell no! We’re living in an age of hyper-critical reaction and over-night ratings driven programming that turns on a dime. I don’t like it either when good reporters have to kowtow to Bush and McCain, but you see that across all avenues with reporters and hosts beating each other over the heads for those interviews and pieces that bring in the money during sweeps periods.
If you don’t understand why MSNBC is structured the way it is, I suggest you read the Federalist Papers. If you truly believe in one primary principle voice leading a network’s agenda, you really are a fool.
April 25th, 2008 at 9:23 pmBoy has a lot of hang ups , with liberals , women , and race .
More Matthews type questions
You know Obama has a Beatles record in his collection , how will this hurt him with African Americans ?
You know he distanced himself from Rev. Wright , however why didn’t he take him out when he heard those comments in his church ? Given the availability of guns in the hood and does this mean he’s against the second amendment ?
You know Obama come from the same planet as some of the most despicable despots in history, Mao ; Hitler etc. etc. Why doesn’t he repudiate Planet Earth and just leave , why does he persist in believing he’s not from the same planet . Is he anti - space shuttle or anti-space ?
April 25th, 2008 at 9:58 pmBob Somerby has a somewhat different take about Maddow,he thinks she pandered to Chris Matthews to get the job on MSNBC.
Maddow apparently told the AP about how great Matthews actually is (see THE DAILY HOWLER, 1/15/08). Maddow got right with a cable god. And soon, she had her prize!
Did Maddow run and lie about Matthews so she could land this big, brilliant plum? We don’t have any way of knowing—but we’ve seen this gruesome movie a million times by now. Why would Maddow, a “progressive” woman, run off to praise Matthews, an utterly crazed woman-trasher? In the particular case, we have no idea—although we’ll ask Maddow, one more time, to explain her peculiar comments. Until she does, we’ll assume the worst—that Maddow is the latest self-dealer to trade the truth for her own success. We’ll treat her with the contempt she has earned until she explains why she said what she did—why she praised this overt woman-hater on her way to her big career prize.
April 25th, 2008 at 10:15 pmoh my gawd! they’re skeered of rachel maddow!
the smartest chick on the block - and she didn’t screw her way to get there!
hilarious!
RACHEL, YOU GO GIRL!
(ps - no way did i click on that link)
April 26th, 2008 at 12:27 amI’m hoping this was irony, but just in case, let me give you a clue:
Chris Matthews is from Philadelphia. So’s Ed Rendell, who opined that racism cost Lynn Swann 5 points in the general election for Governor in Pennsylvania.
And so am I, if you go back about 2 years, and from Pittsburgh if you go back to my childhood. I also lived in Alabama for a decade, and let me tell you — racism in Pennsylvania is not as bad as in Alabama, it is much, much WORSE. Racism is fairly mild in Alabama; it’s mean as a snake in Pennsylvania. And I’m not just talking about whites; lots of blacks in Philly hate whites, just because they’re white. That’s racism, too.
And for what it’s worth, racism seems to be a lot more lively in the Democratic party than in the Republican party. The only place I hear outright racist remarks these days are from 1) radical blacks (all of them Democrats); 2) Democrats talking about conservative blacks; and 3) a handful of redneck whites, who are basically at the margin of the Republican party.
(Unrelated to this topic, please visit my political blog, “Plumb Bob Blog: Squaring the Culture,” at http://www.plumbbobblog.com. Thanks.)
April 26th, 2008 at 11:22 amSquash Says:
How much more of an embarrassment does this guy have to become before MSNBC does something about him.
I don’t know, but what is even scarier is that Matthews is planning on running for public office. I doubt he will get very far, but the fact that he thinks he is qualified truly amazes me.
April 26th, 2008 at 12:04 pmrepublicans hate facts Says:
If Obama really is the choice that comes out of the primaries, he will face race as an issue in a way that he hasn’t in the primaries. And unfortunately the 90% of African Americans that vote for him (to me that seems racist by the way)…
I’m curious RFH, did you find it racist when Hillary had 70% of the black vote? I am really tired of Hillaryites trying to say that 90% of the black Americans are voting for Obama just because he is black. Obama had to earn their votes and that’s what he did. He earned their votes and Hillary un-earned their votes.
April 26th, 2008 at 12:06 pmrobertoroberto Says:
MSNBC only has Keith O and Rachel M as their saving grace. Matthews is very difficult to watch
Occasionally Dan Abrams shows some real intelligent insight. But mostly he panders on his show.
April 26th, 2008 at 12:10 pm