This is where Liberals annoy me. Did Chris Matthews use the best set of words he could have? Absolutely not. But Liberals (and minority people) on twitter just jumped all over Chris Matthews like he just lynched someone in public. People are stuck on the first part of Chris Matthews' comment....but why are they ignoring the rest of it? Why is the Left going all "Fox News" on me tonight? Yes, I did just use "Fox News" as a verb. I am a regular reader of "Talking Points Memo" but have to call them out for only putting a truncated version of the clip. Again, why go "Fox News" on us? Same goes for Think Progress too.
Really disappointed in Liberal tweeps tonight. What was a very solid speech from Obama is getting overshadowed because of this nonsense. Listen to or read his whole comment. My biggest grief tonight has been that people aren't taking the statement in context. Could Chris Matthews have used better wording? Yes. Did the Twittervese overreact? Absolutely. The feeling I get on Twitter is that about 70% of liberals aren't big fans of Chris Matthews or "Tweety" as he is widely knows for on reason or another. That dislike for him had a lot to with tonight's overreaction. If you go back and look at Chris Matthew's comments you see that he is referring to the broad nature of the speech. He even talks about the post racial America. Yet, for some reason he's a racist? Obama's speech was one where he called on both parties to grow up. Isn't it time that the public do the same?
I got about 50 messages on Twitter tonight referring to Obama as a "Black President." I got messages saying "My President is Black all the time." Thank you to those people for clearing that up...because I really had no idea! It's been a year people. We don't still need to be stuck on the fact that an African American did get elected President. I got messages saying "My President is Black." He is the President of the ENTIRE country....and not just the parts that have a minority population. Is racism still a problem in this country? Absolutely. But people (African Americans included) who continue to refer to Obama to this date as "a Black President" are part of the problem...not the solution. I don't care if the President is Black, White, Brown, Yellow, Blue, Pink or Orange, people need to stop being so defensive. He needs to be commended on the good stuff (like the speech tonight) and face heat for his failures (Health Care Reform). There is no need to grade him on a curve...no matter what side of the argument you're on. There is no reason to jump to his defense on a non-story like the comment tonight. What Chris Matthews said was a poor choice of words....not racism. I saw multiple people listing MSNBC's phone number so people would call in and complain. Really people? Everyone was attacking Chris Matthews non-stop....making him one of the top trending topics on twitter at one time yet pundits on all networks were busy spreading lies. Fox probably had about 50 outrageous comments tonight that went unnoticed because people decided to take 5 seconds out of a 3 minute statement and spin it.
Matthews did clarify his comments a little while later on MSNBC.
Everyone knows I'm a big Obama guy and make every effort to go see him speak in person every time he's in New Jersey but this stuff tonight was just aggravating. Sometimes people forget that not everything racial is racist.
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I hadn't seen the clip, until I saw it here just now and I agree with you. There is nothing "racist" about Chris Mathew's comment. He is just appreciating how far we've come in one year!
ReplyDeleteOk let me try to explain why Chris Matthews took so much grief last night and needed to take so much grief last night – in the best way a political junkie slash film nerd can ... Can I assume that you remember that bit in the latest Star Trek when Spock chooses Starfleet over the Vulcan Science Academy? Remember how those old Vulcan guys praised him for having “… achieved so much. Despite your disadvantage” ... Well Chris Matthews basically said the same thing about Obama. Their green-blooded hearts were in the right place and they were attempting to pay a compliment too. But it pissed Spock off. Why? Because it just plain insulted him to hear that those well intentioned old guys thought of a part of him, as something that needed to be overcome. And Spock was right to be insulted, because every assumption inherent in a statement like that is condescending in that they – those aforementioned assumptions – work to establish the speaker’s status as a part of the ideal norm and the target as part of some generally lesser other. Here in the real world, it pissed some folks off for pretty much the same reason. And in responding by saying that: “My President is Black” they were not attempting to carve out a circumscribed perception of Obama or place any limitation on assessment of his presidency but rather they were wholly rejecting Matthew’s outdated notion that being black places any limitation or needs to be overcome.
ReplyDeleteO’ and I know the word gets tossed around and misused a lot … but for the record racist or not racist is a bad question. People cannot be “racists” … people “bigots,” and their ideas, attitudes and beliefs can be “prejudiced” but “racism” properly used refers only to the actions of institutions while “bigotry” and “prejudice” properly refer to the attitudes held by individuals. For example … not giving someone a job is racist, not wanting them to marry your sister is bigoted and assuming that they grew up in “the hood” is prejudiced.
Dirk,
ReplyDeleteNo I do am not familiar with Star Trek references.
Matthews didn't say that Obama had a disadvantage because he is Black.....Matthews said that Obama's leadership is a big reason why we've moved somewhat forward as a country in the past year.
I can understand why African Americans want to label him a "Black President" but to me that term is insulting. I didn't support him just because he was a minority. I supported him because he was the best man for the job. I understand completely why a lot of African Americans have a "Us vs Them" attitude but this isn't the place for it. The Presidency should be bigger then that. Obama already proved that.
Matthews has been a big Obama supporter. He definitely deserves a benefit of doubt.