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Matthews claimed Gore is an "elitist from the Northeast"

February 12, 2007 2:57 pm ET

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On the February 11 edition of NBC-syndicated The Chris Matthews Show, host Chris Matthews claimed that, if the Democratic Party "do[esn't] bring in some elitist from the Northeast [as the party's 2008 presidential nominee], which you had ... the last two times," Democrats "may well carry the country." Vice President Al Gore, the Democratic nominee for president in 2000, is not from the Northeast. Gore was a senator from Tennessee when he successfully ran as the vice presidential nominee in 1992.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Tennessee, Gore's home state, is part of the census region identified as "South."

From the February 11 edition of the NBC-syndicated The Chris Matthews Show:

MATTHEWS: How about -- how about a simple theory that all the Democrats have to do is do no harm? In other words, don't present a candidate with a terrible personality --

KLEIN: Yes.

KAY: Yes. Yes.

MATTHEWS: -- who's a stiff --

KAY: Right.

MATTHEWS: -- and they can pick up states like Ohio, where working people are looking for a Democrat to vote for. They can pick up Iowa. Just don't bring in some elitist from the Northeast, which you had in the Democratic Party the last two times, and you may well carry the country.

O'DONNELL: Well, and one of the ways to judge is, look at how the Democrats won back the majority in the Senate, for instance, for the six seats that they won.

MATTHEWS: The guy with the crew cut from Montana -- the tractor.

O'DONNELL: Right -- Claire McCaskill from Missouri who campaigned in rural areas.

MATTHEWS: Regular people.

O'DONNELL: Regular people who appealed -- the authenticity issue.

KAY: And that's the authenticity issue that you were quite right about.

MATTHEWS: Bob Casey. You think this -- that Hillary does transcend the elitist candidacies of the last two times?

KLEIN: Only if this is an election about who you are and about what you believe and what experience you have. Hillary Clinton's only shot is if they don't think of her as someone from New York.

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    • Author by rusty shackleford (February 12, 2007 3:00 pm ET)
         

      According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Tennessee, Gore's home state, is part of the census region identified as "South."

      Awesome. 

      Report Abuse
      • Author by snoopy (February 12, 2007 3:37 pm ET)
           

        Oh oh, what did Tennessee do to piss off the republicans?

        Report Abuse
      • Author by Chromium (February 12, 2007 3:51 pm ET)
           

        But what MMFA left out of their commentary....

        is that Klein, Kay, and O'Donnell all let this misstatement stand without being immediately corrected!

         

        Report Abuse
    • Author by bruce1ace (February 12, 2007 3:02 pm ET)
         

      At least Matthews didn't say "A #$%^ elitist from the Northeast".

      Report Abuse
    • Author by Marker (February 12, 2007 3:02 pm ET)
         

      Matthews talks before he thinks like usual, gee Chris, Gore is from the Northeast and you are an outstanding journalist, nothing but the truth. MM could devote an entire section to Matthews lies and disinformation just by itself.

      Report Abuse
    • Author by princeofwheels (February 12, 2007 3:02 pm ET)
         

      Where do you get an EXPERT degree? These people are all experts.

      Mr. Matthews, your point, as many of them are, is moot. The Democratic Party will carry the country again in 2008 not because of their "elitest" candidates but because that is the desire of the people. It is that simple. Or, are you saying that the Republicans lost in 2006 because of their elitest candidates? Can't have it both ways

       

      Report Abuse
    • Author by worrierking (February 12, 2007 3:06 pm ET)
         

      Tweety had better lay off the fermented seed. The last time I checked, he was a "Northeast Elitist".

      Report Abuse
    • Author by DorisRussell (February 12, 2007 3:06 pm ET)
         

      At least Matthews is not using the "F" word. Does he not know where Tennesse is?

      Report Abuse
    • Author by dave_chicago (February 12, 2007 3:08 pm ET)
         

      "Just don't bring in some elitist from the Northeast"

      You mean like from Kennebunkport? 

      Report Abuse
    • Author by loonz (February 12, 2007 3:13 pm ET)
         

      Isn't Bush an elitist from the Northeast?  Maybe Matthews is confused.

      Report Abuse
    • Author by Marker (February 12, 2007 3:16 pm ET)
         

      All the Democratic candidates have to get crewcuts, Chris, even the females? So Eddie Albert (Oliver) on Green Acres would get elected as long as he stays on the tractor. This punditry is hard work...

      Report Abuse
      • Author by rusty shackleford (February 12, 2007 3:24 pm ET)
           

        Matthews, as apparently ignorant of the demographic shifts of the 20th century as he is of geography, also seems to think "regular people" have tractors.

        Report Abuse
      • Author by bittermarv (February 12, 2007 3:45 pm ET)
           

        (That was more or less the tactic of the new Senator from Montana.)

        Report Abuse
    • Author by jeter2 (February 12, 2007 3:25 pm ET)
         

      Gore just seems like a Northeast elitist ;-)

      Seriously though, Matthews made a mistake, hardly an earth shattering screw-up, but yeah it's still a boo boo. He should know better.

      Bad boy Christopher.

      Report Abuse
      • Author by IRONY 101 (February 12, 2007 3:52 pm ET)
           

        "Gore just seems like a Northeast elitist"

        Actually, Jeter, that may have something to do with it.  Am I wrong or did Gore NOT win Tennessee in the 2000 election?  Maybe Gore talks too "purty" for a Southernor and doesn't cut brush on his ranch. And then there's all that sissy liberal stuff about global warming.

        Anyway, it was a dumb comment by Matthews...

        Report Abuse
    • Author by RobertSeattle (February 12, 2007 3:26 pm ET)
         

      Feckless, Factlass Tweety Bird.

      Yep them thar sure are regular folks - George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.

      Report Abuse
    • Author by fantagor (February 12, 2007 3:31 pm ET)
         

      OK, so geography isn't a require course at Shilling for the Republican Party U. We knew that. He and the rest of the "fair and balanced" media nabobs mistook Iraq for Saudi Arabia. I guess we should be grateful Bush didn't attack France, although I'm sure he would like to.

      Report Abuse
    • Author by Marker (February 12, 2007 3:31 pm ET)
         

      Is there any regular people in Washington? I mean both sides of the aisle, the amount of money that goes into campaigns and lobby money washing in, it doesn't matter what part of the country they come from, the question is, Are they honest?

      Report Abuse
    • Author by lindenbully (February 12, 2007 3:43 pm ET)
         

      I just love that Matthews is already hard at work defining the future Democratic Presidential nominee as a "stiff." I can see it already-- The Stiff versus The Maverick.

      Report Abuse
    • Author by Easy to refute wingnuts (February 12, 2007 3:50 pm ET)
         

      Doesn't Matthews have a big house on Martha's Vineyard? You can't get much more Northeastern elitist than that.

      Report Abuse
    • Author by valentinian (February 12, 2007 3:54 pm ET)
         

      Who decided that none of the 53,594,378 people who live in the census region">[link to www.census.gov] identified as "Northeast" get to be President? Where is that in the Consitution?

      Report Abuse
      • Author by lindenbully (February 12, 2007 4:03 pm ET)
           

        It's right after Article 56 which states that all Presidential candidates must own ranches and be fun to have a beer with even if they have no conception of what effectice governance is.

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        • Author by valentinian (February 12, 2007 6:06 pm ET)
             

          To go just that bit further OT... who at this point thinks Bush would even be more fun to have a beer with than Gore? Dubya acts like someone who would be a mean drunk... what would you talk about, anyway?

          Report Abuse
          • Author by mefirst (February 12, 2007 6:49 pm ET)
               

            that's always been my thought. he looks like some smart aleck who would get his clock cleaned in the average neighborhood bar. and i just saw him on nbc nightly news. he was asked which president he looked to for guidance. get ready to tear up, because he said poppy bush. of course, he ignored poppy's advice not to invade iraq. after all, poppy laid out the entire case against invading in his book. you have to wonder if w even has any concept of reality. and you have to wonder about the country that let this incompetent become president.

            Report Abuse
            • Author by valentinian (February 12, 2007 6:56 pm ET)
                 

              And the fact that Obama's supposed lack of experience even enters the dialogue should be proof positive that there is no liberal bias in the media.

              Report Abuse
          • Author by lindenbully (February 12, 2007 11:47 pm ET)
               

            I just checked out the link you furnished about having a beer with Dubya. Classic. It's funny how that whole scenario was beaten to death by the commentators during the '04 elections. I guess it proves that the pundits also wouldn't be all that fun to have as beer drinking buddies.

            Report Abuse
          • Author by glackey8483 (February 13, 2007 2:54 am ET)
               

            Jon bon Jovi, of all people, was talking about the "have a beer with" concept on Larry King last year, and after he said that he didn't really want a president who'd "be good to have a beer with", preferring somebody who he (J.b.J) "sits in awe of his intelligence", did allow that Al Gore has a fantastic sense of humor.

            Report Abuse
      • Author by IRONY 101 (February 12, 2007 4:03 pm ET)
           

        "Where is that in the Consitution?"

        Well, it's not there yet... but Cheney's working on it.

        Report Abuse
        • Author by valentinian (February 13, 2007 12:37 am ET)
             

          By the way, it is actually spelled that way: "consitution." The third T was one of those charming Colonial misspellings.

          Report Abuse
    • Author by bingvangorden (February 12, 2007 4:00 pm ET)
         

      At the risk of stating the obvious, I believe Mathews may have been refering to Lieberman and not Gore in 2000.

      That being said, draft Gore for 2008. Gore and Obama or another Gore and Clinton ticket. He's been away from politics long enough to be considered a Washington outsider and has been refreshingly candid.

      Report Abuse
      • Author by aDifferent McCain (February 12, 2007 4:12 pm ET)
           

        bingvangorden,

        actually no, he could not be "refering to Lieberman", since he is talking about the Presidential nominee's for the race in 08. Not Vice-presidents. 

        Report Abuse
        • Author by bingvangorden (February 12, 2007 4:55 pm ET)
             

          I respectfully disagree. He doesn't seem to say specifically Presidential nominee. He could of simply been referring to the ticket. Either way this is hardly conservative misinformation. I am troubled by the demonization of North East elitists but that's his opinion not misinformation.

          Report Abuse
    • Author by interestingobserver (February 12, 2007 4:11 pm ET)
         

      Yes, Matthews is such a shill for the Bush administration, as further evidenced by this account:

      "After praising the "great job" Rudy Giuliani did in cleaning up New York City, the MSNBC star, who appeared by phone, went on a rant declaring how he's "sick of southern guys with ranches running this country." Losing control, Matthews dropped the F-bomb on national television: "I want a guy to run for President who doesn't have a fuc*ing -- I'm sorry, a ranch." As host Don Imus began to snicker, Matthews plowed ahead..."Wouldn't that be good, Don, a guy who wasn't on the ranch during Katrina, he was on the street corner answering questions?" Courtesy: http://www.mrc.org/cyberalerts/2007/cyb20070207.asp#1

      It's clear from this statement that Matthews will say ANYTHING to help prop up Bush and help Republicans and also to hurt Democrats. He's probably a paid operative of the Bush administration in fact.   

      Report Abuse
      • Author by aDifferent McCain (February 12, 2007 4:18 pm ET)
           

        IO, nobody mentioned Bush or Cheny, accept as a joke about how htey are two regular guys or about Cheny writting a new ammendment into hte constitution.

        So please don't try to throw this thread off topic. (BTW Bush and Cheny are not the entire republican party, there are other members too. When people say republicans, they don't always mean Bush and Cheny).

        Report Abuse
        • Author by IRONY 101 (February 12, 2007 4:51 pm ET)
             

          "When people say republicans, they don't always mean Bush and Cheny"

          You're right... there's also Donald Rumsfeld, Tom Delay, Paul Wolfowitz, Douglas Feith, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson... and a few more.  ;>)

          Report Abuse
        • Author by aDifferent McCain (February 13, 2007 9:30 am ET)
             

          Wow, re-reading that last post. I guess I should use a spell check more often. :)

          Report Abuse
      • Author by rusty shackleford (February 12, 2007 4:23 pm ET)
           

        I believe that rant was on behalf of Republican presidential hopeful Giuliani.  So let's tally:

        - Shilling for Republican Rudy; check.

        - Smearing Democrats as "northeastern elitists"; check.

        If you're arguing that Tweety is consistent, I'll have to agree. 

        Report Abuse
    • Author by the crapture (February 12, 2007 4:19 pm ET)
         

      So know we know that 6 years of huffing a steady dose of republi-c**k has killed Matthews' sense of geography.

       Also, i am just absolutely dog-tired of the way media figures like Matthews throw around the word "elitist"

       Apparently, "elitist" now means any person not stupid enough to be mistaken for or to vote for someone like Bush, whom Matthews, in a more ridiulously slurpy moment once decribed as being "like Lincoln"

      Report Abuse
    • Author by anotheramerican (February 12, 2007 4:20 pm ET)
         

      The next time some media type says something like, "The South won the War", I expect the researchers at MMFA will devote at least 10,000 words in rebuttal proving right wing bias.

      ;-)  

      Report Abuse
    • Author by Nostalgic_for_the_Future (February 12, 2007 4:43 pm ET)
         

      WOW,

      Not much going on huh, checking for a hall pass?

      What's in a map really thought, why don't you guy's just keep him. We reject him now just like when he lost the state (his own) when running for prez.

      Report Abuse
      • Author by bingvangorden (February 12, 2007 4:59 pm ET)
           

        Gore lost Tennessee because he turned his back on big tobacco and a fierce slander campaign by the xian coalition.

        Report Abuse
        • Author by Nostalgic_for_the_Future (February 12, 2007 5:47 pm ET)
             

          It has been three minutes and I am still laughing.

           you  really think we all have a tobacco patch growing next to our still?

          Report Abuse
          • Author by open_mind (February 13, 2007 11:47 am ET)
               

            The fact that you are still laughing (coughing) 3 minutes later indicates you at least have one or the other.

            Report Abuse
            • Author by Nostalgic_for_the_Future (February 13, 2007 12:37 pm ET)
                 

              Blind,

              I don't know where you are going with that but it was still funny.

              Come out of the closet Blind - you are not a Lib and I think you know it.

              Report Abuse
    • Author by bingvangorden (February 12, 2007 5:09 pm ET)
         

      KLEIN: Only if this is an election about who you are and about what you believe and what experience you have. Hillary Clinton's only shot is if they don't think of her as someone from New York.

      You mean the moderate Republik entrenched New York State. So liberal they'll elect Republik Mayors of NYC and Republik Governors? Klein is a putz. Enough with the North East bashing. The country was founded largely through out the North East. I recieved an excellent publication education that involved civics and history in the great state of New York. Upstate mind you. Klein can go to he!!

      Report Abuse
    • Author by Uosdwis (February 12, 2007 6:08 pm ET)
         

      He's a north,east,south,west,areas around Tikrit somewhat elitist!

      Report Abuse
    • Author by carmody4393 (February 12, 2007 6:13 pm ET)
         

      My reading of Matthews's comments is that he means that the Democrats nominated northeast elitists the last two times that they lost the Presidential election.

      If that's the case, then he's right (at least about the Northeast part) -- John Kerry and Michael Dukakis. And since John Kennedy, every Democrat who have won the Presidential election have been from the South: Johnson, Carter, Clinton.

      And Gore. So if I'm right, Matthews isn't saying Gore is from the Northeast. He's saying Gore won the 2000 election. :-)

      Report Abuse
    • Author by navy_guy (February 12, 2007 6:31 pm ET)
         

       

      So Tweety is inclined once again to denigrate Albert Gore as a Northeast 'elitist 'who if he decides to run subsequent of course to receiving his Oscar and also having recently been given some consideration by European academics as a possible candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize , Well, HELL'S BELL'S........ Heaven forbid We Americans should give his candidacy any consideration.............. After all,  He is the duly elected yet uninaugurated President of the United States and despite Mattherw's sophomoric claim that he is from the Northeast.........Hmmm, I've been to Kentucky in  January, Isn't the Kentucky 'Blue' still showing shades of summer hue??

      Matthews knows full well that any private polling exclusive of the DLC and the Hillary-Obama press releases shows Al Gore would win hands down. The only fact that Gore has to entertain is whether he wants to inherit such a catastrophic legacy from the Bushites. Let's put it his way...... He has FIRST REFUSAL.

      Perhaps, at no other time in the history of the Republic is a man of Al Gore's integrity and astute perpective needed in order to right this Republic to its proper moorings. Oh, one another thing, Tweety fears what Gore knows about the Press, the Iraq War and a host of other surreptitious undertakings by the NeoConmen and their cohorts of which TWEETY once proclaimed.. "We're ALL Neocons now" No , not quite, not ever.

      HAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

       

       

       

       

      Report Abuse
    • Author by ldoren1626 (February 12, 2007 7:35 pm ET)
         

      Like George Bush, how the American people perceive the candidates matter.

      Many people view George Bush as a Southerner...when he is from New England.

      Many people likewise view Al Gore as a elitist from Harvard.

      If Gore wanted to not be treated like an elitist.  He probably shouldn't tell all of America that they should sacrifice everything to stop Global warming while he goes around the world on his private jet.

      Report Abuse
      • Author by the crapture (February 12, 2007 7:49 pm ET)
           

        ldoren:

        and how many surviving former VP's are flying commercial, pray tell?

         

        The republican party and their media enablers will have the right to throw around the word "elitist" again when the bulk of republicen/conservative domestic economic policy no longer panders to the wealthiest 5 percent of earners at the expense of the remaining 95. 

        ("Some might call you the elite, i call you my base")

        Until then, right-wing usage of the word is just a way of impugning anyone who knows better than to trust a wingnut.

         

        Report Abuse
    • Author by savagerocks (February 12, 2007 7:53 pm ET)
         

      This entire post is completely pointless.  OH NO! Someone made a geography mistake....stupid.

      Report Abuse
      • Author by roundhouse (February 12, 2007 8:28 pm ET)
           

        It's about more than geography and you know it. It's about perpetuating liberal stereotypes in the media.

        If and when the media ever refer to you guys as regressive bumpkins or blood thirsty neocons or self-serving republicans on a regular basis you will have a gripe. As for now, you just like the sound of right-wing propaganda.

        Report Abuse
        • Author by savagerocks (February 12, 2007 8:41 pm ET)
             

          Regressive and bloodthirsty?  Or the media could simply point out that libs are socialist cowards who would rather America look more like France or England were people are calling for Shiria law, which ironically would call for the stoning of homosexuals and the improsoning of women in the kitchen.

          Report Abuse
          • Author by roundhouse (February 12, 2007 8:54 pm ET)
               

            Just pointing out the difference.

            If the roles were reversed in this instance and conservatives were being negatively generalized, what would be your reaction?

            Report Abuse
          • Author by the crapture (February 13, 2007 6:17 pm ET)
               

            So, uhh, Savagerocks, let me get this straight...

            if i understand you, i should interpret that by not allowing conservatives to do it first ("There ought to be limits to freedom" GWB 5/27/99), progressives and liberals are enabling the terrorists to destroy liberal and progressive ideals?

            i'd really love to try and make sense of that but since i'm apparently too much an "elitist" to buy into something so ridiculous and circular in its logic i just can't

             I mean, did your Dinesh D'Souza book fall on your head

            Look long and hard at things and it becomes more and more obvious who has more in common with the sort of religious extremists whom we call "Jihadists" when they are brown and swarthy, but whom we merely call "Conservatives" when they wear their Sunday best

            Report Abuse
          • Author by solon (February 14, 2007 2:16 am ET)
               

            Actually the  media isnt THAT dumb. They only flog the more  credible stereotypes not the ones that only the congenitally bone stupid take seriously because of the brain damage done by megadoses of koolaid. Like the ones you just posted.  You need to lay off the koolaid you have no brain cells to spare

            Report Abuse
      • Author by Easy to refute wingnuts (February 13, 2007 10:17 am ET)
           

        "This entire post is completely pointless."

        -----

        Also every other post you have made to this forum. 

        Report Abuse
    • Author by temphandle preside24backache (February 13, 2007 1:54 pm ET)
         

      Typical, hyperbolic, spittle-spewing blather from Mr Matthews.

      Also, has resorted to profanity several times this month. Thank God for Keith Olbermann. He is the only commentator who makes MSNBC worth watching.

      Report Abuse

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