Matthews likened Sen. Clinton to a "strip-teaser," asked, "Is she a convincing mom?"
On the December 19 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, host Chris Matthews compared Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) to a "strip-teaser"; said she had "a nice, mellifluous voice" and "her hair looked ... great"; and wondered if Clinton is "a convincing mom."
Discussing a possible Clinton presidential candidacy, Matthews asked New York Times columnist Bob Herbert, "[W]hen is a politician like Hillary Clinton or anybody else going to admit they have the A-word, ambition?" He then wondered when candidates such as Clinton were going to "stop with this coy thing," about how they're "flattered" by all the attention, a façade he said was "just like a strip-teaser saying she's flattered by the all the attention." Matthews added: "Hillary is running for president. She wants to be president. What's wrong with saying it?"
Later on, Matthews remarked that Clinton, in a video clip, "had a nice, mellifluous voice," was "calm," "charming," and although "her hair looked just to be cosmetic, her hair looked great," and "she looked great." Matthews then wondered if Clinton could "soften her image from the more strident Hillary and do well without it?"
National Review columnist Kate O'Beirne said that "given her previous image," Clinton, in a December 18 interview on NBC's Today, "went out of her way ... to talk about the kids, as a parent, as a mom." At that point, Matthews interjected to ask, twice, "Is she a convincing mom?" O'Beirne responded, "She's certainly trying to be."
From the December 19 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:
MATTHEWS: Bob, I know you're a liberal, but when are -- when is a politician like Hillary Clinton or anybody else going to admit they have the A-word, ambition, and stop with this coy thing about, "I'm so flattered by so much" -- it's just like a strip-teaser saying she's flattered by the all the attention. Hillary is running for president. She wants to be president. What's wrong with saying it?
[...]
MATTHEWS: There's not -- why don't they just say, "You know, I'd really like to run this country. It would make me feel great to be president of the United States, to be on that short list"?
O'BEIRNE: Chris, I'm sympathetic here with Senator Clinton. We've got to hear from her early in the year. This is like the last level of control she might have. I mean, once she jumps into that field, she knows, she's been there. So she's got to control her announcement. I don't fault her for that. She's running.
MATTHEWS: Bob, didn't you think she had a nice, mellifluous voice there? She was calm, she was charming, her hair looked just to be cosmetic, her hair looked great, she looked great. Can she soften her image from the more strident Hillary and do well without it?
HERBERT: Actually, Hillary has been very, very impressive, and here in New York, we've watched her grow in the Senate. And so, she's got a command of the television camera when she talks now, she's got a command of the room if you see her in person. I mean, her political skills may be, in my opinion, a little bit higher or better than a lot of people are giving her credit for.
MATTHEWS: But do you still think she's -- do you still think she runs into a buzz saw of opposition?
HERBERT: Oh, I think there's no question about that. I mean, for any woman to become president, I've been saying, sort of, the stars have to be perfectly aligned. Everything has to be just right because I think it's tough for a woman to win at all, although I do think that it's possible. I don't think the stars are perfectly aligned for Hillary.
O'BEIRNE: Although, look what she did early in this interview. Bob, I don't disagree with you that it's particularly challenging for a woman. But given her previous image, I thought she went out of her way in this Today interview to talk about the kids, as a parent, as a mom --
MATTHEWS: Is she a convincing mom?
O'BEIRNE: I ask myself --
MATTHEWS: Is she a convincing mom?
O'BEIRNE: She's certainly trying to be. I think she appreciates that a whole lot of women who aren't all that liberal and maybe don't -- are not necessarily on board because of her role model aspect of this are a little distrustful of Hillary Clinton. I think they might --
MATTHEWS: Well, should they be?
O'BEIRNE: I think they fear --
MATTHEWS: -- she lets her husband get away with what he's gotten away with? Don't women resent that?
O'BEIRNE: No, I think -- I think a different problem is there, too, that she might look sort of down on them.
The other right-wing media mogul you should worry about
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and put Matthews in the corner for being a dunce...
I'm not even sure most of that 33% base even knows what that word means, let alone own a dictionary to look it up.
Say you don't like her.
Say you've never liked her.
Say you hope she runs and loses.
Say you wish only the worst for her.
Quoting you: "What's wrong with saying it?"
Hmmm?
At one point Matthews was talking about Hillary speaking at lunches and that moms might resent that. Is Chris just making up this stuff because he doesn't like Hillary?
...I think MMFA goes a little too far calling this 'misinformation'. In fact, I think they were fairly laudatory of Hillary and her potential. The woman from the Nat'l Review seemed fairly sympathetic.
The comment about the strip teaser... he was not calling her a strip teaser... he's saying 'it's like a strip teaser flattered by all the attention'. After hearing from Mathews for some time, this is where his brain is... in the gutter at a strip club - perpetually. I don't believe that was a direct dig on Hillary. This was very mild, in my view.
Now...onto the real issue...which is, WHO CARES!! Talk about the issues of today!! Iraq, Dems in Congress, illegals, minimum wage...anything!! Man, these pundits love this superficial 'cult of personality' thing... it's a bit nauseating.
I don't think this is labeled "misinformation..." just another example of Tweety parading his obvious disdain for HRC yet again.
I don't want to see her run for president, but I don't think she's any more "coy" than St. McCain. The double-standard is jaw-dropping.
Mathews, to me, is a dumb opportunist. He says things - as all these dopey 'pundits' do - to be the the spark that gets people off-balance and will say something out of character... Howver, from this clip alone, I didn't really get that he held Hillary in disdain. He's just asking dumb questions to spark the other folks... who actually answered him in a fairly sympathetic manner, I thought.
Several folks have now posted on this piece that this is proof that Mathews hates Clinton. Usually, I would agree... I think these jokers comment on the most inane attributes (real or not)... and are not kind to the Dems in general. However, in this case, I don't think so.
I would agree. Look on this site alone at all the references he makes about HRC, it's actually kind of unsettling.
I was just trying to be 'fair and balanced' (laugh).
Or use fake ID's to get into bars? Humm, now who's kids do that? Now, who is the 'unconvincing' mom?
that's considered acceptable, even expected, in conservative circles. It's the woman's duty to help the republican male get his ya ya's out before he gets married.
half of America...!
Try it on for size:
MATTHEWS: Bob, didn't you think he had a nice, mellifluous voice there? He was calm, he was charming, his hair looked just to be cosmetic, his hair looked great, he looked great. Can he soften his image from the more strident John and do well without it?
Is he a convincing dad?
It's just like a Chippendale's dancer saying he's flattered by the all the attention.
...he's said things about Republicans that have come mighty close. Following the GOP losses in the midterms, he was near tears. That is too funny!
Mathews is butt-boy supremo.
[link to mediamatters.org]
Mathews needs a longer vacation.................. Sounds like all these journalists ( errrr entertainers ) are into what people look like as a mirror to their character ( and capacity to do their jobs ).
Consider how shallow our political culture really is. Our government is 98% war criminals and torturers and all our press can do is argue over the latest popularity polls. They're like giggling school girls discussing the latest boy band.
It's all pre-packaged, blow-dried, made-up. Nothing raw or real to it. All one huge commercial for corporate products.
But that's our culture. Our government robs and kills and the masses are to be kept docile with new pop stars and movie actors. Americans are obsessed with celebrities and our politics reflects this.
I could not have said it better.
Taxation without representaion.
the clintons have a daughter who has never had the least bit of trouble with the law, and seems intelligent and likable. on the other hand the bush twins were caught underage drinking, while jeb's little darlings have been caught faking prescriptions [daughter] and caught by the police doing the horizontal tango in the back of an suv at a mall [his sixteen year old son]. now who are the better parents?
Bill and Hillary on this one.
Chelsea appears to be pretty darn smart, has a good job, keeps out of trouble.
W's kids. Partying like rock stars, getting busted like rock stars, and getting kicked out of countries like rock stars. Also, Bill and Hillary had a very shall we say, public infidelity issue. They approached it, tackled it, and appear to have moved on, and are still together. Those are some pretty good family values right there, plus a little forgiveness from Hillary.
Let's not forget about GW's niece, Noelle, daughter of Jeb Bush. Shoplifting, arrested for crack while living in the Governor's mansion, stint in drug rehab, she was found with crack IN HER SHOE while she was in the rehab program, jailed for ten days for contempt of court...all by the time she was 26 years old. The Bush girls have really had some great parenting!
[link to www.rotten.com]
arrested for public drunkeness and resisting arrest in 2005.
named after W's grandfather who was busted and fined for financing the Nazis?
and he is jeb's oldest son. and jeb's wife columba got busted for trying to bring five thousand dollars worth of purchases into the country without declaring them.
"Is She a Convincing Mom?"
I must agree that chris cement-head has finally found a use for his skull: a battering ram, especially useful when the brain is incapable of cognitive thinking. (No wonder he was a flak for Jimmie Carter!)
The premise should read, "As I am a highly experienced expert on stripteasors the Senator reminds me of the many I have seen."
The Senator is not running for Motherhood. Her states voters reelected her by a stunning majority on the basis of her representation of them.
If all of our prospective runners for office didn't tease or hold back,what the hell would flaks like cementhead talk about, especially as facts are usually an impediment to their likes.
Why doesn't cement head come out and state his preferences and objections to all and whomever. He ain't on broadcast when he is on MSNBC and he can pretend he is on HBO.
Bravo, Ms O'BEIRNE! You and I hardly agree on the time of day I suppose, but I salute you for egging cementhead into repeatedly sounding like the jerk he is. Someone might point out that only Chelsea can answer that question.
So cementhead, what's really important to you, other than YOU?
Irwin Moss, LA