Hardball: Matthews Chastises Limbaugh Over Powell's Endorsement - "Let us think. Let us decide"
By Nicole Belle Tuesday Oct 21, 2008 10:00am
Above all else, Chris Matthews loves the game of politics. As show after show prove, he makes no value judgments, applies no moral compass. Playing the game well is admirable, even if your character is not. But every once in a while, reality creeps into the discussion and Matthews reacts to the net result of treating life as a game of partisan one-upsmanship. Such as it was on Monday, as Matthews spoke to conservative talk show host Michael Smerconish -- who rather surprisingly endorsed Obama last week -- about Rush Limbaugh's racist reaction to Colin Powell's endorsement of Obama.
I don't know how you get into this tribalist talk. We could make all kinds of assumptions, but we have no knowledge of a person's inner beliefs. ... You know what drives me crazy? When somebody says 'well, I know you're Catholic, so you must believe this.' Or 'I know you're Jewish, you must believe this.' Or 'I know you're black, you must believe this.' Give us all a break, Rush. Let us think. Let us think. Let us decide.
I'd like to think that he is waking up to the nastiness of the right but sadly, as my buddies at MM's Country Fair point out, Chris Matthews has a history of "tribalist talk" himself.
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Chris Matthews personal gravitas has risen like the Phoenix over the past weekend in his permission to Bachman to out herself for the divisive, bigot whom she is. Bravo, Chris! Keep up the good work - as you said, you just pitch the ball and give them enough time to hit it out of the park!
Chris has been pissed ever since he realized that he had been duped into thinking that Iraq had WMD's. People can not be watching that show if you think his willingness to pound folks of different persuasions has been recent.
He was pounding on the right wing radicals soon after the invasion (and some before) to the point where I think Bill Kristol, David Frum, Bolton and others will not come on his program. Chris Matthews was one of the first MSMers to go to Walter Reed in 2003 or 2004 to broadcast from the hospital (he was clearly bothered by what he was seeing and how these young men and women had been injured based on a "pack of lies")
When I asked Matthews at the Libby trial and in Denver at the DNC why MSNBC barely covered the Katrina disaster after he had said that "Katrina wiped the scab off of racism and poverty in our nation". I also asked him about the lack of coverage on the Israeli Palestinian conflict (although I knew the answer) or more coverage about our Vets Matthews answered "I do not control the programming"
While I am bothered by the MSM's obsession with the campaigns the last two years, I feel that Matthews challenges all of us. Maddow and Olberman think like I do I get to nod my head when they are talking....Matthews challenges both sides (and there are moments when I can not stand his coverage)
"Let us think" "Let us think" "let us decide"
I'll take this kind of chris matthews over any other.
Please continue the racism. It is pushing the undecided droolers our
way. Obama sucks as a candidate, but he is the best we have.
Thanks for your concern trolling. We out 'em as we see 'em.
Evidently you're totally outnumbered by the rest of america Mr. Misanthrope. With 175,000 coming out in one day for Obama, it only shows how truly transformational this man is.
I think you're doing a bit of projecting, McCain suck-ster?
I would agree with your first point: Each time a McCain surrogates spews hatred and bigotry, it reminds Independents and Undecideds why they've broken from the 2 party system in the first place. Guess who wins these votes? It surely isn't the guy these prostitutes are pimping for, that's certain.
Obama was paling around with 100,ooo and counting anti Americans in St. Louis.
I am not a troll but Obama is a mainstream centrist candidate and
doesn't hide it. Obama is not a progressive, I am a progressive,
this is a progressive blog. I have given him money, I was at the
100k rally in St. Louis and I will vote for him. Do not be
fooled,once in he will continue the policies of Reid and Pelosi.
Your flame was weak and uninformed.
Unfortunately the way this country works is by making baby steps. To be elected the candidate must try to reash both sides of the spectrum. If the Democratic majority is not large enough there will be baby steps in passing the necessary legislation. Nothing an happen quickly and without reaching across the aisle. Please vote.
...the conversation when the topic is race. You've got quite a vivid imagination for a fool if you think fair minded independents will side with you race baiters.
Also, you speak as if you have split personalities.
All the Democrats are dancing a jig in celebration of Colin Powell's endorsement of Barack Obama?
To think that Obama has been confiding in and taking Colin Powell's advise for months now, all the while knowing that Powell is an obvious war criminal???:
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/arti...
Even though my heart and political leanings belong to Nader, I cast my absentee ballot for Obama today as insurance against a McCain/Palin win.
But the fact that Obama and the Democratic Party faithful are all genuflecting to Colin Powell really sickens me.
I won't just hold my nose when I drop my ballot into the mailbox today. I'll probably vomit all over the sidewalk as well. How embarrassing.
P.S. Be prepared for a McCain/Palin win on Nov. 4th. That 4-5% lead in the Gallop doesn't quite cover "The Bradley Effect" living in Independent Land. Not to mention the recent sabotaging effort of Joe Biden: "If Obama is elected we can expect him to be tested by a terrorist event within six months."
Duh.
Thank you for saying what no one else is saying. Powell is
complicit. And anyone in congress that hasn't tried to impeach,
indict and in imprison the 2003 Bush team is complicit as well.
This is not the time for diversive, distracting personal agendas. You are either a troll or a fool and either way you're no help to anyone who doesn't want to see Grandpa and Moose bitch in the White House. Call your complaint in to your fucking congress person...from your posts it sounds like that would be Bachmann.
Nice to see democrats using the word "bitch" again.
After Hillary Clinton left the race, the frothing at the mouth faithful had to temporarily abandon this disgusting jargon. But now, with Palin in the race, they're back.
It is also amusing that you say "we" are trying to win an election.
You running for something?
You probably say "we" won when your favorite hockey team scores a goal.
Powell's endorsement helps with INDEPENDENTS and REPUBLICANS, duh! It is better to have Powell's endorsement than to NOT have it(leave no stone unturned). Now go back under your bed.
Here's a gallup poll for today which shows that people all around the world prefer Obama 4 to 1. I think these same numbers apply here in this country if the press would find it somehow responsible to stop their whoring for the GOP.
The people can see it - they've seen 100,000 people gather in St. Louis for Obama, then another 75,000 gather in Kansas City......
the next day in that same state, McCain had a paltry 3,000 at one and less than 5,000 at another. Folks, that's not 4 to 1 - that's 20 to 1 in this country!
20 to 1 are some hellacious odds for the GOP. NOT THIS TIME! NOT EVER AGAIN!
The problem is that people can just show up to rallys, you can't just show up to vote. These masses better show up on election day.
Italy, France, Kenya, Germany and Missouri. Shazam
Televison
REAL Exit poll results by an avid McCain supporter. Save this and make it famous:
http://americannonsense.com/?p=15898
The Neocon Express just spent a depressing 3 hours conducting an exit poll at a Las Vegas early voting station. The Location was in a more affluent Western suburb of Las Vegas, on the edge of Summerlin; More specifically, at the Vons shopping center on Rampart, between Charleston and Sahara. It was a glorious day in Las Vegas so what better way to spend a few hours than by hanging outside a polling station and randomly sampling voters, right?
Nevada is a swing state, and the middle to upper middle class suburbs of Las Vegas, like this location, are a crucial indicator of how the state might go. Early voting started at this location yesterday and the lines have been long and non-stop all day, with people waiting in line an average of 45 minutes to cast their votes.
I randomly interviewed over 150 voters after they cast their ballots. I stood outside with a clipboard and certainly looked the part of a pollster. My question went like this: “Hi, I am conducting a quick, random exit poll; of course all participants are anonymous. Was it John McCain or Barack Obama for you?”
I could not possibly have talked to everyone who voted during the three hour time frame but I got a very good random sample. The results were devastating to me.
Let’s get to the results:
Obama: 70%
McCain: 26%
Other 4%
My gut instinct tells me that the vast majority of those who “declined to participate” were McCain supporters, but of course, I have no way of knowing that for sure.
Anyway, that’s how I spent three hours of my weekend and as a McCain supporter, it was deeply depressing. McCain will need to carry rural and Northern Nevada by a wide margin to overcome what will certainly be a devastating lose in Clark County.
NOTE: When the GOP steals the election and tells you to ignore the exit polls (depicting an Obama landslide), you'll know for a fact they're lying. Don't allow the media to "Swiftboat Exit Polling." IT WORKS!
He'll disappoint you at the worst possible moment.
I've watched Schizoid Matthews do his number plenty of times. I think he knows that his career is intimately connected right now to bringing the people truth and his personal integrity will keep him from playing games. Just my opinion. He knows that the new media 'kingmakers' will be the Democrats & Independents.
I want challenging questions of all sides. Matthews is not perfect by any means but he tries to challenge all sides and sometimes he fails.
He's a sick puppy. His reich-wing man-crushes and other embarrassing faux pas -- it's as if he's channeling the patriarchal '50s -- disqualify him for all time in my eyes. Sorry, all you apologists. He may have moments of lucidity, but they're always eventually canceled out.
He's Tweety. He's a graceless, clueless, irritating jerk. End of story.
Will someone please put this drug addict out of his misery and supply him with some pain killers soon. While you're at it, send him a case of Depends, too.
I've been enjoying Hardball lately,watching Matthews go after the rabid right with joyful abandon and passionate intensity.However I am certainly not laboring under the misconception that he and his guest Smerk have suddenly "seen the light".These two,for the most part, bought the whole macho militaristic father figure centered leadership under Bush and cohorts hook line and sinker.To an embarrassing,squirmingly uncomfortable degree.Still,isn't it fun to watch Tweety attack some of these nutcases and actually pound them with real follow up questions?Keep it up Chris-there may be hope for you yet.
No I don't get any inspiration or fun from it.
I think it's pathetic but Jerry Springer popularized the
format-mentality so it's what it is in all it's various degrees.
Matthews has a history of tribalist talk, perhaps, but it's different to say, "what does this group think and project?" and "these people are responding to this..."
One is trying to get a breakdown, if there is one, about the line of thought in a specific community, and the other is projecting onto that community what one thinks they are saying, and trying to project them into that direction.
Like you said, Matthews is, above all else, a passionate student of politics and history, and I think he definitely tries to look at things in that regard. (Well that, and he's a sucker for what he considers a good-looking woman...) ;)
He's an analyst/pundit who manages to piss off both sides of the aisle at one time or another... in that regard he's doing something right.
http://www.onealcompton.com/index.php?modulo=...
I'm not sure who is more eloquent in their concise understanding of the current state of affairs and the need for an obama presidency: Brzezinski (thank you spell check) or colin powell. What powerful, clear, rational eloquent speaking. We used to have this type of talk rather frequently in generations past, but with the dumbing down of america in the last 8 yrs, this type of talk seems unfortunately rare.
What rash limpballs prefers in terms of racial discource:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_upXE3IGY4
I will never forget Tweety gushing over Aqua-Velva Thompson - gosh he just smells so manly! *giggle*
Nor will I ever forget Tweety bloviating that W should find his place up on Mt. Rushmore...
There are many things I cannot forget about Tweety, and his sudden wavering as the winds change direction is certainly not going to lead me to forgive him for past transgressions.
I don't watch him. I find him rather suspect, plus the yelling and interupting really bother me.
let's not forget that Obama gives Tweety-pie a tingle up his leg.
This gets scarier and scarier. Now we find that McCain's in the pocket of the Russians. Any wonder he's soliciting illegal amount of money $5,000 in his letter which was furnished to the FEC? Read this and ask yourself why this election isn't already over.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/21/...
What a dope. Please recall the 2006 Missouri Senate race when Rushbo made fun of Michael J. Fox after he a spot for Sen. McCaskill. It can be legitimately argued that Rush delivered the Senate to the Democrats along with macaca. Nice Water Carrying Rush!
For all of you who wish the election were today, fear not. The longer this goes, the stronger the Democrats get.
I found Chris Matthews' comment "Let us think" very interesting, and very refreshing. Hasn't all the republican and conservative punditry been about discouraging people from thinking (fear, fear, hate, hate, patriotic, patriotic)? Now, optimistically, I would like to believe that right-wing media people are beginning to realize all the damage they've done since at least Reagon's time. Realistically, I believe they've seen the writing on the wall and are trying to cover their asses. But y'know, ending slavery and women voting weren't the result of morality either. Anyway, better late than never.
Chrissey said that after the MSM has been dumbing down America for 30+ years.
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200810170676
I would put money on Micheal Smerconish voting for Obama. He is generally fair and balanced. He must be worried about the Republican party
Smerconish?
Rush is not only insane, he is also racist. It is evident every time I hear his wallowing. But everyone, we must not forget to thank Rush for his little Operation: Chaos endeavor if he gets that Mississippi Conservative Democrat elected to congress!!
It's a good thing that he's not going to carry water for the republicans anymore.
Snark!
Methinks the pale has been getting too heavy for him. He needs a rest.
I have to say- the last couple weeks, CM has made great strides with his journalistic growth. It began shortly after the on air hissy fit between him and KO during the repug convention.
The real test would be turning off every electronic device from TV to Personal Digital Gadget in this country for one week to see how people would cope.
Insanity LOL
General Powell may be many things but he is not stupid. Only a draft dodger like Limbaugh would see a incompetent, bumbling idiot like McCain as a wise leader.
Of course he's not stupid. He may be be creating an image of atoning (like with Clinton) but he obviously knows he could be subject to sedition charges as well as war crimes this time around in a real serious way.
General Powel did an excellent job explaining why he chose to endorse Obama and happily Brokaw didn't interrupt him while he was speaking.
If Tim Russert had been alive and in Brokaw's position, he would have given false information about Social Security going broke and pressed Powell for an explanation of why Obama had not addressed that to Russert's satisfaction.
what you can learn when learned people are allowed to speak without interruption. Same with the Brzezinski interview on msnbc.
To sort of quote Forrest Gump, Chris Matthews' Hardball show is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get.
We going to have to pay to have the entire United States Military surround whatever compound these people end up living in to protect them from their enemies while ignoring the security needs of the Country?
Every time Boosh steps out his house to fart we have to shut down an entire state for security reasons?
no bigger bigot then Rush Limbaugh and he needs to be removed from the airwaves!
I wonder what we will be talking about here, two weeks from tomorrow.
Did I hear Rush right, didn't he say genital Powell? If he didn't then I'm in the democrat party.
I heard that too, kind of a wierd stutter though, talk about disrespecting the troops.
There sure a lot of anti Americans out there. wonder if Michelle Bachman wants to investigate?
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/sh...
"Let us think." Excellent suggestion by Chris Matthews. Let us think about the endorsement of Colin Powell, an individual who, while stationed in Vietnam, tried to downplay the My Lai massacre and as a result was able to begin his ascent up the chain of command. A commander of troops during the first Gulf War who, by claiming victory in the Persian Gulf, was able to justify that invasion of Iraq as a rationale for US imperialism, who will be very much at home in a cabinet which would continue to endorse more US imperialism under the guidance of Barack Obama. One hardly sees much change in the endorsement of Colin Powell as his backing of Obama will give the stamp of approval for Obama, once he is elected, to send more troops into places like Afghanistan, Pakistan and perhaps other countries in order to justify the bogus Global War on Terror.
Agent of change? More like agent of the status quo. Agent of hope? Not to those countries that Obama and Powell would be so enthusiastic to send American soldiers.
to not respect Bristish colonial lines along the Pakistan-Afghanistan "border" would cause sufficient concern for the Pakistanis to capture Ben Laden so they were thus able to maintain their troops levels on the Bristish demarcation between Pakistan, India, and Kashmir? Get real. Powell endorsed Obama, not the other way around.
Just when you think that Chris is seeing the light, he brings someone on his show like Tom Delay.
Chris doesn't call the shots about who he sits with.
His BOSS does
These Talking Heads are not omnipotent beings.
This is the trap of fame and riches.
I have everything and it can come crashing down in one second.
he won't see the light until he spends a little time in Purgatory.
For the uninitiated that is a reference to Chris's often touted tribe.
A month after Bill Clinton's defeat of George H.W. Bush in 1992, Ronald Reagan sent Limbaugh, a man he never met, a letter in which he thanked him "for all you're doing to promote Republican and conservative principles... [and] you have become the Number One voice for conservatism in our Country.
Must have gone from Shining City to "Shining Shithole on a former Wetland"
i don't understand how limbaugh can be so popular. do people really prefer him over liberal talkies? or is there a lack of liberal talk outlets? I suspect the latter. In my market (cincinnati, Oh), there are no liberal talkies that i am aware of. The radio station that carried ed schultz went under. i think a lot of people turn on these ranting lunatics primarily for entertainment. but then it percolates inside them and they start thinking like them.
It's the lack of liberal outlets. As you said, there are many parts of the country that don't have access to liberal media.
LOL!
http://www.obamacrimes.com
This country would be better served if this hack of an attorney was down at Gitmo filing lawsuits on behalf of the people that have been held without cause. Get a life Berg!
Does this mean you buy the Bush argument that those people deserve no representation?
oh well, we tried. somebody better call obama and tell him. (sigh).
You have to wonder how much this nut job spent to bring this suit.
So now what happens? Should Hillary stay near the phone?
Did you read the list of stuff he asked Obama to respond to? This guy is a true whack.
These people are insane. Truly and really.
I hate the fact that Matthews and other media, have to acknowledge Limbaugh and his divisive comments. It only makes his fat head even fatter! Can't we just ignore him altogether...?
Ignore him and Coulter. They only get attention when they say this garbage.
Chris Matthews is a brown-nose to whomever the president is.
rash playing Melancholy Baby through his sinuses?
)O(
by the media.
someone needs to take the responsibility for curbing this shit.
This is a little OT, but not too much so...if "letting us decide" is important, check out the Indiana numbers, new at TPM:
http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.c...
Now, I'm not saying Obama will ultimately win there, but the trend is outstanding!
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=291...
You must read this. Pat has finally taken off his hood.
I am not shocked or surprised.
Rush Limabugh is a racist, even if he does not know it yet. Racists spew their garbage but like cowards fail to admit it.
Read what Clarence Darrow said about those who are racists yet will go to lengths to deny such things. Racists are very defensive and part of their problem is the denial itself. By denial, one does not have to become introspective to one's flaws or character defects.
I would also add Pat Buchanan to the list of White Nationalists, who are also equally Racists. Yes, Pat Buchanan the self-proclaimed "anti-neocon" is but a racist. That Pat Buchanan claims to be "antiwar" because of the neocons impetial ways, still supports McCain--who is as close to these same neocons that Pat Buchanan claims to detest-as they have been to President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. Pat Buchanan is not only a racist pig but his whole political gig is one big fraud.
Pat Buchanan is a very confused man but he is quite clear about being racist.
Taking oxycontin? Eating his own snot?
He's a walking, talking pile of offal.
[deleted--do not advocate violence against anyone on this site]
I'm just ... so ... fed up.
Again, thanks.
BID
(A lifelong pacifist, btw ...)
my belief that Voltaire was right.
Free speech is one thing but the man is a revolting fool.
Powell on the other hand is a man who has seen the light and made a sensible choice...
Even when he blasts the guy in public, you can't cut Mathews any slack.
Now just hold on there a minute, Mr. Matthews. You are obviously unfamiliar with the creed of the Dittohead. A Dittohead, as the name implies, does not think and decide. That is what they have Mr. Limbaugh for.
Understand that Dittohead is not meant as a smear. They proudly proclaim themselves by that name. I have seen it with my own eyes.
Can somebody give me a good reason why this useless information about people like Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Kristol, Drudge, etc., etc., etc., is posted day after day after day? Granted, they have large followings among the mentally challenged hordes out there, but shouldn't this site be devoted to rational, temperate commentary -- on both sides -- rather than blatantly obvious blather?
Rush Limbaugh is a right Wing Chicken Hawk piece of shit!
Rush's question is fair. It is hard to believe that a man has never endorsed a liberal in his life, and now his entire idealology has changed. It would be similar to Janet Reno supproting McCain. People would probably say she has trouble supporting an African American.
Did limburger call General Powell "Genital Powell?"
This has been Limbaugh's MO for years. He believes that if he knows one thing about you, he's qualified to tell everything else about you that pops into his head. He sees people as fitting into narrow little pigeonholes. He denies diversity of opinion. If you're a liberal, you're also x, y, and z, and don't bother trying to make him see than you're not.
He cannot see people outside of his narrow stereotypes. He's a pathetic panderer to all of the fear and hatred of the right wing. There's nothing that he can't trash, no behavior of his own that he can't excuse.
What's the difference between Rush Limbaugh and the Hindenberg? One's a flaming Nazi gasbag, and the other is a dirigible.
You know what ? Who cares what that Pig Limbaugh says ? His listeners are hopeless case morons . The best thing to do concerning Limbaugh is to completely ignore him . My humble opinion .
I wonder if these idiots who automatically assume that Powell gave his endorsement to Obama because he is black even listened to his statement as to his reasoning and why he decided to support Obama ? Most likely not . Powell may have been a long time Republican but consider the fact that this isn't the Republican party of old now but a bunch of radical low life lunatics , the neocon are still running the show and take in consideration their performance and history of the last eight years in particular and the condition that the nation is in now as a result , is it any wonder many conservatives and Republicans are jumping ship and giving their support to Obama ? Could it possibly be that Powell has a brain that he actually uses and does have some integrity and puts his country before party like we all should ?
I am not hearing anyone talk about the fact that Limbaugh refered to General Colin Powell as "Genital" Powell. It was a clear slander of the man.
For callin out limpballs on his racist bullshit.
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