Matthews: "There's been a lot of talk about this, the role that we in the media, that I personally played"

During the January 11 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, discussing the January 8 New Hampshire primary with former Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson, host Chris Matthews asked: "What do you make of [Sen.] Hillary Clinton's [D-NY] performance on Saturday night right before the New Hampshire primary, this past Saturday night? There's been a lot of talk about this, the role that we in the media, that I personally played. There's a whole kind of -- all kind of discussion about the boys perhaps tackling the one woman candidate."

Richardson replied: "Yes, I do, and I think the incident where she got a little broken up helped her a lot with women voters, and they flocked to her. And that's the kind of person I know her. She's a regular person, and she showed that emotion, and obviously, I believe it helped her." Richardson added: "But yeah, I think women are concerned with guys ganging up on them, and what I tried to do in all the debates -- as you know, Chris -- is to say, "Look, let's stay positive. Both sides, don't throw negative stuff at each other, personal stuff. Let's debate the issues.' "

During MSNBC's January 8 primary coverage, Air America host Rachel Maddow said, "I will tell you that on the influential -- influential perhaps on the left -- website Talking Points Memo today, you want to know who they're blaming for women voters breaking for Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama? Who they're blaming for this late showing in a big vote for Hillary Clinton? They're blaming Chris Matthews. People are citing specifically Chris not only for his own views, but also for as a symbol of what the mainstream media has done to Hillary Clinton." Matthews responded: "My influence in American politics looms over the people. I'm overwhelmed myself." Maddow then said, "People feel that the media is piling on Hillary Clinton. They're coming to her defense with their votes."

As Media Matters for America documented, the next morning on MSNBC's Morning Joe, Matthews said: "Let's not forget -- and I'll be brutal -- the reason she's a U.S. senator, the reason she's a candidate for president, the reason she may be a front-runner is her husband messed around. That's how she got to be senator from New York. We keep forgetting it. She didn't win there on her merits. She won because everybody felt, 'My God, this woman stood up under humiliation,' right? That's what happened."

From the January 11 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:

MATTHEWS: What do you make of Hillary Clinton's performance on Saturday night right before the New Hampshire primary, this past Saturday night? There's been a lot of talk about this, the role that we in the media, that I personally played. There's a whole kind of -- all kind of discussion about the boys perhaps tackling the one woman candidate. Did you feel that when John Edwards joined [Barack] Obama in going after Hillary Clinton that he made her the object of some sympathy from women voters, especially older women voters?

RICHARDSON: Yes, I do, and I think the incident where she got a little broken up helped her a lot with women voters, and they flocked to her. And that's the kind of person I know her. She's a regular person, and she showed that emotion, and obviously, I believe it helped her. But yeah, I think women are concerned with guys ganging up on them, and what I tried to do in all the debates -- as you know, Chris -- is to say, "Look, let's stay positive. Both sides, don't throw negative stuff at each other, personal stuff. Let's debate the issues."