Matthews, Carlson suggested Democrats who don't applaud Bush speech will "look bad," which will be "good for the Republicans"
SUMMARY: On Hardball, Chris Matthews and Tucker Carlson suggested that the Democrats will "look bad" if the Democrats "sit on their hands" and don't applaud President Bush during his State of the Union address while "the Republicans stand up and roar."
On the 5 p.m. ET hour of the January 30 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews, host Chris Matthews and Tucker Carlson, host of MSNBC's The Situation with Tucker Carlson suggested that if Democrats at President Bush's January 31 State of the Union address "sit on their hands dramatically" while "the Republicans stand up and roar," the Democrats will "look bad" to the American public, and "[t]hat's good for the Republicans."
During a discussion with Carlson and MSNBC chief Washington correspondent Norah O'Donnell, Matthews asked: "Will there be a moment where the Democrats sit on their hands dramatically and the Republicans stand up and roar?" When Carlson replied, "There always is, absolutely," and asserted that "it is shocking to people who don't follow Congress," Matthews asked: "Do they [the Democrats] look bad when they don't [applaud President Bush]?" Carlson responded: "I think they do," adding, "I don't think the public likes that." Matthews later asked: "Suppose the president says, 'I'm gonna make my tax cuts permanent,' and the Democrats sit on their hands. That's good for the Republicans, right?" Carlson replied: "Yeah, probably so."
From the 5 p.m. ET hour of the January 30 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:
MATTHEWS: Will there be moments -- I want to get back to substance, but I love the visual because I think it is a television event now. It's a studio audience, basically. Will there be a moment where the Democrats sit on their hands dramatically and the Republicans stand up and roar?
CARLSON: There always is, absolutely. I think people are always surprised by -- and every year, not just this year -- but they are always surprised by how partisan it is. I don't even think most people at home know that the parties sit in different places. I mean, I think it is shocking to people who don't follow Congress that one side, you know, won't respond at all to the president, and the other side goes crazy.
MATTHEWS: Do they look bad when they don't?
CARLSON: I think they do. I mean, I'm not shocked by it; I've lived here a long time. But yeah, I don't think the public likes that.
MATTHEWS: Suppose the president says, "I'm gonna make my tax cuts permanent," and the Democrats sit on their hands. That's good for the Republicans, right?
CARLSON: Yeah, probably so.
Whatever they do, the GOP media whores will spin it in a negative way. Personally, I'd like to see them stand up in unison and walk out.
I doubt it will happen but who knows. They might grow a spine before tonight.
Respectfully Submitted,
Thomas
Why would you applaud something you don't believe in? If your a Democrat and you hear Bush talk about making tax cuts (to the rich) permanent privatizing Social Security or his new beauty Health Savings Accounts while he is cutting domestic social programs and you don't agree with it why would you applaud? It is insane. You think Tom DeLay applauded Bill Clinton when he was giving a state of the union and said things he didn't agree with? Did commentators such as Matthews say it doesn't look good? I doubt it very much. This country is very, very sick and one of the reasons for it is the mainstream media and it's complete lack of basic journalistic integrity, especially on tv, it is like a desert wasteland having almost nothing to do with reality. They live in a bubble, a very distorted one at that.
IP, just curious do you KNOW for a FACT that Delay did NOT applaud during any part of Clinton's State Of The Union speech or are you just guessing?
As a Republican/Conservative who for the most part, is NOT a supporter of the CURRENT administration, I don't plan on even watching. However, while "decorum" usually dictates at least some "polite applause" from the opposition, I wouldn't mind seeing the Democrats "sitting on their hands" IF they disagree with ANY part of the speech. To clap for something you do NOT agree with is disingenuous, and I think the "public" would be more disgusted by that than a stony silence from the Democrats. Let them show their opposition...hell I wouldn't mind if they even booed a few times.
Matthews&Carlson are simply doing some PRE-SPINNING here...or maybe wishful thinking?p>
You are exactly right about the "pre-spinning." It starts right here:
MATTHEWS: Do they look bad when they don't?
There was no reason for Matthews to ask that question, other than to introduce the theme of the Democrats "looking bad" so he and Fratboy could riff on it.
I pretty much agree with jeter2 on this, except for the booing part - a little too much.
I see nothing wrong with holding your applause if the President promotes a program or an idea that you, as a Democrat or a Republican, do not support. But I do think that great care and restraint should be taken into account as well.......cameras are in place to get reactions and hopefully a headline photo, if they are lucky. If the Democrats appear hostile or weak in some way, they will just come out looking bad.
I also believe there is a certain amount of respect due the office, which is why booing and eyes rolling from the opposition also just looks a little bratty.
But I have no problem with anyone sitting there quietly, engaged but not supportive, interested but not excited, sitting on their hands..........after all, it's politics too.
Please explain how the Dems look bad if they do anything else but clap?
And it's hard to "respect" this Administration after they've raped our wallets for gas money, led us into a phony war, AND ditched that one guy named, um,...oh, "Osama" something...
I also seem to remember PART of the crowd (mainly Dems) booing Bush in his last address after mentioning WMD's in Iraq and continuing the massacre in the Middle East.
The Democrats have every right to shout and boo and have their say. This is their country, too, as much as it is the Republicans.
In the UK, they're practically swearing at each other in Parliament!
At the SOTU after Clinton's impeachment farce, every single republican sat on their hands for the entire speach, many of them with their arms folded and a big ol smirk on their faces.
Dems stood and clapped for anything pertaining to direct statements about the military. They sat and did not clap for references to the war, which is the usual during SOTU.
They were caught on camera a few times eye rolling and guffawing. I don't really have a problem with this as long as it is not distracting the President. I can't remember any time in the past no matter what administration where the party out of power has done anything to blatantly distract the speaker.
They did catch Hillary chomping on some bubble gum though!
Now the media prostitutes are telling us what we've suspected for some time. The facts don't matter, the constitution doesn't matter, but what does matter is how the Democrats appear to the viewing audience as Bush is preaching. If they don't support him with their cheers, they're not supporting the war on terror, if they do support him, then they will be supporting his war on the American people. They will be supporting his condoning torture and they will be condoning his abandonment of one of our cities as it was dying. He has divided us and now it's time for us to just roll over and play dead. It's not the Democratic Party that lacks a spine, it's US, the people of this country who are sitting by and taking it. More people care about Paris Hilton's latest antics than do about the erosion of liberty.
"I think people are always surprised by -- and every year, not just this year -- but they are always surprised by how partisan it is. I don't even think most people at home know that the parties sit in different places. "
Carlson posits that people who watch the State of the Union each year don't have the intellectual heft to notice that "the parties sit in different places." And, those that do notice, think it's impolite that the Democrat's don't applaud for policies with which they do not agree. At the risk of offending Mr. Carlson, I would suggest that not only do we know that the phrase "other side of the aisle" is not simply a term of art but we also know that Democrats truly do disagree with some of the policies of the Republicans that are slowly but surely destroying this beloved country of mine.
Excuse me while I go weep uncontrollably over my pocket copy of the Constitution and beg the Almighty to forgive us for delivering this country into the hands of the mad.
I agree wholeheartedly. CNN covered the whole Bob Woodruff story this morning from in front of an airbase with planes taking off in the background. They didn't interview anyone during the segment I saw - they just showed 5 minutes of speculation over what the next stop for Woodruff would be, ad nauseum. I guess it costs too much money to cover more than 4 stories a week. How much airtime did the Natalee Holloway story get? How about Scott Peterson? Americans are so caught up in the drama and tragedy of others ( things which ultimately impact their lives not at all ) that they ignore the tragedy playing out in our government, which will ultimately have great impact upon their well being. I've come to the conclusion that the Republicans have it down to a science - Step 1 - destroy education - people will be too stupid to ask critical questions - except, of course, for the rich, who will send their kids to private school, and they will support us. Step 2 - hide behind righteousness - use religion to blind the faithful to the reality - it's worked for centuries around the world - if we can keep them stupid, we can then feed them faith. Step 3 - make sure everyone is working so hard (except the rich, again) that they don't have time to pay attention to what's really happening to them. I just hope they have underestimated the American people.
Should be labelled as enemy combatants for their on-going was against truth, the citzens of the U.S. and the Constitution.
This is just the Right trying to prop up Bush.
Hell, I'd boycott the damn thing.
Just minutes ago Bill Frist suggested the Democrats are the real dividers. Can he not see how divided this country has become?
Then Frist assaults Democrats of not being bi-partisan. And here's the thing: Frist then goes on with a rampage of partisan criticism. There were at least 5-8 times where he attacked Dems AFTER saying he wants a bi-partisan government. As expected, Chris Matthews allowed him to do so unabated.
What's interesting is that Rep. John Conyers has been forced to hold hearings in the basement of the capital. Where were you then, Bill.
And regarding Terri Schiavo the president unprecedentedly went to the Congress to sneak legislation allowing him to make such absurd comments. Mr. Frist--how did that turn out??
Briefly, Frist has already assumed he believes the culture of corruption is bi-partisan corruption, yet he repeatedly endorsed partisan ends some of which was directed at members of his own party. If Frist can't unite members of his own party, the least he could do would be to re-evaluate why this is so despite exaggerated claims of the Government, etc..
Then Frist says Dems are just as guilty of corruption, and blatantly misleads the public as well. Concerning the perpetual Congessional cronies and scandalists that surrounds him and the White House, Mr.Frist has a lot nerve to even place one Democrat's past indescretions within the same hemisphere of equivalence.
Once the transcript is available I will post it.
I WAS SO GLAD TO SEE SEN. REID PUT THE CNN AM GUY IN HIS PLACE THIS MORINING. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I SAW THE DEMOCRATICE GOING AFTER THE SO CALLED LIBERAL MEDIA. FIRST DEAN ON THE TODAY SHOW AND NOW REID.
The Democrats have gone the polite, be respectful of the President route and it has only hurt them. Allowing Bush to have his war in Iraq cost the Democrats alot of votes in 2002 and 2004. There was simply no alternative for the MILLIONS of people out here who knew that Bush was lying about Iraq and wanted to stop it. But the Democrats were and are too afraid to stand up for themselves and do the right thing. The Republicans don't give a darn how anyone feels or thinks. They'll do whatever they want and dare you to stop them. It's time for the Democrats to grow a spine and become a true opposition party before the entire concept of one is outlawed entirely. Look at the numbers. Even the most favorable polls have Bush at under 50% and 57% think America is on the wrong track and getting worse. Standing up to Bush can only help them and it certainly can't hurt at this point.
Take our advice democrats... even though we want you to lose.
How do you "dramatically" sit on your hands, anyway? If you're sitting on your hands, it makes it a lot harder to draw attention to yourself.