MSNBC's Matthews cited wife of his high school band mate to explain "why Hillary likes to clap"

In two separate segments during the November 8 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, host Chris Matthews returned to the subject of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D-NY) clapping, asserting: "As her friends and foes must have noticed, I get a kick out of going after Hillary's fondness for public clapping. She does it everywhere. Every time she gets in front of a crowd of supporters, she keeps clapping and clapping and clapping." Matthews teased the first segment by saying, "Up next, we get to the bottom of why Hillary Clinton is always clapping. We're going to have some fun with that, and I mean good-hearted fun." As Media Matters for America has documented, Matthews has repeatedly highlighted Clinton's clapping -- including at least three prior mentions in the past two weeks -- and has previously characterized her clapping as "Chinese."

During the first segment, Matthews asserted that, while he was "up at my old high school the other night," he "talked to Agnes Hallis, who is married to John Hallis, who used to play French horn with me in the school band." According to Matthews, Hallis gave him "a full quartet of reasons why Hillary likes to clap." Matthews continued: "Number one: It's a polite way to show she appreciates the applause from the people around her. She's responding. Number two: It's a way to jazz up the energy in the room, sort of like being a cheerleader of the crowd. She's sort of cheering them up, getting them going. Three -- I love these last two -- it's like Peter Pan: If you clap, Tinker Bell will get better. Four: that's that old kid's song, 'If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands.' " Matthews went on to say: "Anyway, so, don't let my Scrooge attitude about clapping make you think anything less of this or take away any reasons why a person running for commander-in-chief shouldn't enjoy this campaign any way she chooses."

Matthews introduced the second segment by stating that he "had a little fun here on one of our blocks earlier," referring to his earlier discussion of Clinton's clapping. He then asserted that the "highlight" of Clinton's presidential campaign events is "her sort of finale, where she walks around the room and claps to everybody." Matthews then asked Financial Times U.S. managing editor Chrystia Freeland, "What do you make of that as a campaign method?" Freeland replied, "[W]e have to be a little bit careful ... about not picking on Hillary's mannerisms a little bit too much." Matthews then said: "Ah, those secondary characteristics are off-base. Am I being told that?" Freeland responded: "Just a little bit. I mean, there's the clapping, there was the laugh. I think there are things to pick on Hillary about, but probably the clapping wouldn't be what I'd choose." When Matthews then asked Freeland to "give me a list some day on email of ... what I'm allowed to criticize about Hillary," Freeland said: "Any policy matters; dynasty I think is OK, too."

At one point during the segment, Chicago Tribune features managing editor Jim Warren said of the Clinton clapping footage being aired by MSNBC: "[O]h my gosh, it looks like she's at Sea World in San Diego. Here comes the seal! Yikes." Matthews replied: "You're worse than I've ever been. ... Throw me a fish."

Both segments were accompanied by on-screen text reading: "Hillary's Incessant Clapping."

From the November 8 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:

MATTHEWS: Up next, we get to the bottom of why Hillary Clinton is always clapping. We're going to have some fun with that, and I mean good-hearted fun. You're watching Hardball, only on MSNBC.

[...]

MATTHEWS: Finally, time for some fun you will only get here on Hardball. As her friends and foes must have noticed, I get a kick out of going after Hillary's fondness for public clapping. She does it everywhere. Every time she gets in front of a crowd of supporters, she keeps clapping and clapping and clapping.

Well, I was up at my old high school the other night, LaSalle in Philly, last time, and I talked to Agnes Hallis (ph), who's married to John Hallis (ph), who used to play French horn with me in the school band.

She gave me four -- make that a full quartet of reasons why Hillary likes to clap. I love these reasons.

Number one: It's a polite way to show she appreciates the applause from the people around her. She's responding. Number two: It's a way to jazz up the energy in the room, sort of like being a cheerleader of the crowd. She's sort of cheering them up, getting them going.

Three -- I love these last two -- it's like Peter Pan: If you clap, Tinker Bell will get better. Four: that's that old kid's song, "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands."

Anyway, so, don't let my Scrooge attitude about clapping make you think anything less of this or take away any reasons why a person running for commander-in-chief shouldn't enjoy this campaign any way she chooses.

Let's go to the roundtable: Jim Warren of the Chicago Tribune, Patrick Healy of The New York Times, Chrystia Freeland of the Financial Times.

[...]

MATTHEWS: Welcome back to the roundtable. I had a little fun here on one of our blocks earlier. I said, let's take a look at it together. This is Hillary Clinton's way of campaigning.

Chrystia, you've got to talk about this, because it is a sort of a gender-related issue. Every time we see Hillary Clinton at an event -- it's usually at lunchtime -- there's lots of supporters around. It's a well-choreographed event, and the highlight is her sort of finale, where she walks around the room and claps to everybody. What do you make of that as a campaign method?

FREELAND: Well, you quoted your old high school friends talking about Tinker Bell and "if you're happy as you know it, clap your hands."

MATTHEWS: Right.

FREELAND: So, it's really hard for me to top that kind of creative analysis. I would have to say, it doesn't bother me.

MATTHEWS: How about if you want Tinker Bell to live, you clap. How about that one?

FREELAND: I do think that we have to be a little bit careful also about not picking on Hillary's mannerisms a little bit too much. So --

MATTHEWS: Ah, those secondary characteristics are off-base. Am I being told that?

FREELAND: Just a little bit. I mean, there's the clapping, there was the laugh. I think there are things to pick on Hillary about, but probably the clapping wouldn't be what I'd choose.

HEALY: Well, there's one thing, Chris --

MATTHEWS: Well, give me a list -- Chrystia, give me a list some day on email of whom -- what I'm allowed to criticize about Hillary. And how --

FREELAND: Any policy matters; dynasty I think is OK, too.

MATTHEWS: Oh, OK. Yeah, I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Jim Warren, what do you make of this as a cultural phenomenon? If you're watching us from overseas, you say, "Is this what Americans do at political rallies? Oh, it's interesting."

WARREN: Well, I mean, she can't copy me and stick her hands into her pants pockets. So, there's not much left to her. And given the repetity of her life, 10 thousand different appearances a day -- oh, my gosh, it looks like she's at Sea World in San Diego. Here comes the seal! Yikes.

MATTHEWS: You're worse than I've ever been.

WARREN: Anyway.

MATTHEWS: Throw me a fish. What do you think, Patrick --

HEALY: Well, I think it's --

MATTHEWS: -- of this new way of campaigning. There's Jerry McIntee of the -- of AFSCME giving his big endorsement and she's clapping the endorsement, I guess.

HEALY: Yeah, I mean it's sort of like --

MATTHEWS: Here he is doing his pointing there.

HEALY: It's the -- like the [former Rep.] Tip O'Neill [D-MA] line about, you know, ask for every vote. Don't take anything for granted. I mean, that's at least the way that they see it. She's like -- she's trying to connect. She's always trying to sort of engage with the audience, show a little bit, you know, sort of her humor, like, you know, and that's how they -- you know -- and she's -- also, I've got to say, I mean I go to a lot of her events, and she's up there, you know, holding a mic, you know, for an hour, and she talks about how she doesn't get enough exercise.

MATTHEWS: Yeah!

HEALY: So, maybe just like moving her body around, you know, makes her feel a little bit lively.

MATTHEWS: Circulation. It's sort of like an Ellen DeGeneres thing here.

—M.G.