Still more Carlson on Obama: "[W]hy has Barack Obama suddenly turned into Oprah?"

On the July 12 edition of MSNBC's Tucker, host Tucker Carlson teased an upcoming segment on the New Hampshire book clubs Sen. Barack Obama's (D-IL) presidential campaign recently established by saying: "Well, everybody knows that a book club is no place for a man. So why has Barack Obama suddenly turned into Oprah? [Producer] Willie Geist rounds up the girls, brings the chardonnay, and heads to the Oprah book club -- or the Obama book club -- when we come back." Carlson's suggestion that Obama's book clubs are "no place for a man" is merely the latest manifestation of Carlson's apparent fixation on Obama, this time with an explicit reference to Obama's masculinity. As Media Matters for America documented, Carlson recently referred to Obama's "rhetoric" as "kind of wimpy" and said that Obama "seems like kind of a wuss." Carlson also said that Obama "sounds like a pothead."

During the segment, Carlson discussed the book clubs with Geist, who claimed that "Obama has violated the trust of men everywhere," and said: "It makes you wonder what he won't compromise of himself. Are we going to have mani/pedi parties next? You know what I mean?"

From the July 12 edition of MSNBC's Tucker:

CARLSON: Well, everybody knows that a book club is no place for a man. So why has Barack Obama suddenly turned into Oprah? Willie Geist rounds up the girls, brings the chardonnay, and heads to the Oprah book club -- or the Obama book club -- when we come back.

[...]

GEIST: All right now, Tucker, we've got to talk about something here. I thought we men had an understanding -- in fact, I didn't even know it had to be said out loud -- we don't join book clubs, and we sure as hell don't organize them, for crying out loud. Senator Barack Obama has violated the trust of men everywhere by doing just that. His campaign kicked off an Obama book club in New Hampshire this week. It's called "From Doubt to Hope: Discover Barack in his Own Words." Eighty-five people showed up at the first meeting on Tuesday night. So what's this week's book, you ask? Well, Dreams from My Father. Yes, Barack Obama's own memoir was the first book.

Turns out all the books in the club are about Obama. Not kidding. The meetings include conference calls with influential figures in Senator Obama's life. I don't know where to begin. Not only are you a man starting a book club, you're starting a self-serving book club.

CARLSON: You know, Willie, I would laugh too, but when Oprah launched her magazine, I was in the magazine business. And someone told me, "You know what? Every month they're going to have a picture of Oprah."

GEIST: That's right.

CARLSON: And I said, "That is so solipsistic. That's -- that's crazy. That'll never work."

GEIST: No.

CARLSON: And now it outsells Newsweek, practically, right? So this will work. That's my guess.

GEIST: It makes you wonder what he won't compromise of himself. Are we going to have mani/pedi parties next? You know what I mean?

—S.S.M.