NBC's O'Donnell: Edwards "keeps hoping that [voters] still want a return to a Southern white man"
On the August 5 edition of the NBC-syndicated Chris Matthews Show, NBC White House correspondent Kelly O'Donnell asserted without evidence that former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) "keeps hoping that they'll [voters] still want a return to a Southern white man." In fact, at a July 23 Democratic presidential debate, Edwards said, "[A]nybody who's considering not voting for Senator [Barack] Obama [IL] because he's black or for Senator [Hillary Rodham] Clinton [NY] because she's a woman, I don't want their vote."
O'Donnell was responding to host Chris Matthews, who earlier asked: "Here the Democrats -- everybody says -- here face a really good option to win, a really good chance to win. Why do they want to throw in a risk factor like gender or race or ethnicity? Why do they want to risk a candidate who might lose an easy one?" U.S. News & World Report contributing editor Gloria Borger said: "There's a risk with anyone." Matthews then clarified: "Let me ask you this, the first woman president in history, the first commander in chief in a wartime situation. Do you think that's a risk? ... Politically?"
From the August 5 edition of The Chris Matthews Show:
MATTHEWS: Let me ask you this, the first woman president in history, the first commander in chief in a wartime situation. Do you think that's a risk?
O'DONNELL: Well --
MATTHEWS: Politically?
O'DONNELL: -- it certainly will be the kind of gut-check moment for people when they're voting. Are they ready to make that commitment?
MATTHEWS: I agree.
O'DONNELL: It's easy to be excited on the campaign trail for both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. John Edwards keeps hoping that they'll still want a return to a Southern white man.
As Media Matters for America noted, on the June 24 edition of The Chris Matthews Show, Matthews similarly asked if Clinton "being surrounded by women" makes "a case for commander in chief -- or does it make a case against it?" As Media Matters has noted, Matthews -- who on his June 24 program said that he "love[s] gender politics" -- has frequently focused on gender issues when discussing Clinton.
From the July 23 Democratic debate:
ANDERSON COOPER (moderator): Senator Edwards, earlier this week, your wife said that you would be a better advocate for women than Senator Clinton. Was she right?
EDWARDS: Well, let me say first that on the question that was just asked to Senator Obama --
COOPER: We'd prefer you stay on the question --
EDWARDS: I'm going to stay on your question. I promise I'll answer that question. But the first thing I want to say -- and I want to speak for everybody, I believe, on this stage -- anybody who's considering not voting for Senator Obama because he's black or for Senator Clinton because she's a woman, I don't want their vote. I don't want them voting for me.
From a discussion with Matthews, O'Donnell, Borger, New York Times columnist David Brooks, and Newsweek chief political correspondent Howard Fineman on the August 5 edition of the NBC-syndicated Chris Matthews Show:
MATTHEWS: Let's talk about what the Democrats are up to, because they're [Republicans] not running against "Brand X Democrat." Right now in the polling, you see Hillary in number one, you see Obama number two. If either of those run, is that an odd thing? Here the Democrats -- everybody says here -- face a really good option to win, a really good chance to win. Why do they want to throw in a risk factor like gender or race or ethnicity? Why do they want to risk a candidate who might lose an easy one?
BORGER: Well, I think they don't think it's a risk. I think that they think Hillary Clinton is a very strong candidate, growing stronger out there on the campaign trail. I think they think Barack Obama is this vessel into which people pour their hopes and their dreams. And sure, there's a risk with any candidate.
MATTHEWS: OK.
BORGER: There's a risk with anyone. But, Chris, they're in good --
MATTHEWS: Well, no. There's not a risk as much.
Let me ask you this, the first woman president in history, the first commander in chief in a wartime situation. Do you think that's a risk?
O'DONNELL: Well --
MATTHEWS: Politically?
O'DONNELL: -- it certainly will be the kind of gut-check moment for people when they're voting. Are they ready to make that commitment?
MATTHEWS: I agree.
O'DONNELL: It's easy to be excited on the campaign trail for both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. John Edwards keeps hoping that they'll still want a return to a Southern white man.
FINEMAN: You know --
MATTHEWS: Come December.
FINEMAN: Yeah.
O'DONNELL: Yes.
FINEMAN: But among the two front-runners, ironically, Barack Obama helps Hillary Clinton in that regard, in terms of social change. I think, at this point in our history, people may be more willing to accept a woman who talks tough and sounds as much like [former Israeli Prime Minister] Golda Meir as she does Hillary Clinton --
MATTHEWS: Yeah.
FINEMAN: -- than an African-American candidate. I think that's possible --
MATTHEWS: So she's become -- yeah, go ahead, David:
FINEMAN: -- she's the less social change.
BROOKS: I'm with Gloria. In the beginning, they know it's a black man, a white woman. But once they get to know the person, it's the individual qualities that have higher salience. So I don't think it's a big risk.
—B.J.L.
