Pot, kettle: Matthews criticizes Jon Stewart for doing what he did first and continues doing
SUMMARY: On Hardball, Chris Matthews noted that comedian Jon Stewart "talk[ed] about [Sen.] Barack Obama's middle name being Hussein and his last name rhyming with Osama" during the Academy Awards, and asserted of Stewart's remarks, "I mean, even that little seemingly neutral information gets into some older people's heads, and they go, 'We got a problem here.' " But, while Matthews has on several occasions criticized others for referencing Obama's middle name, Matthews himself has also used it in a political context several times.
On the February 25 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, host Chris Matthews noted that comedian Jon Stewart "talk[ed] about [Sen.] Barack Obama's middle name being Hussein and his last name rhyming with Osama" during the February 24 Academy Awards, and asserted of Stewart's remarks, "I mean, even that little seemingly neutral information gets into some older people's heads, and they go, 'We got a problem here.' " But, while Matthews has on several occasions criticized others for referencing Obama's middle name, the first mention of Obama's middle name in a political context that Media Matters for America found in the Nexis database came from Matthews himself on November 7, 2006, and Matthews has mentioned Obama's middle name several times since then, including as recently as January 3, 2008.
During his Academy Awards monologue, Stewart said, "You have to give Barack Obama credit, he's overcome a great deal. Not just he's an African-American. Barack Hussein Obama is his name. His middle name is the last name of Iraq's former tyrant. His last name rhymes with Osama. That's not easy to overcome." He continued: "I think we all remember the ill fated 1944 presidential campaign of Gaydolf Titler. It's just a shame, Titler had so many good ideas. We just couldn't get past the name. And the moustache." Discussing Stewart's comments on the February 25 edition of Hardball, Matthews said, "Even Jon Stewart, a nonpolitician, on -- last night in the Oscars, with a billion people watching, talking about Barack Obama's middle name being Hussein and his last name rhyming with Osama. I mean, even that little seemingly neutral information gets into some older people's heads, and they go, 'We got a problem here.' " Matthews went on to assert, "I can tell stories in the millions about politicians playing to older voters. They play on the past. They play on fear. They play on confusion. They play on suggestion. You know how it's done with older voters."
Matthews has criticized others for citing Obama's middle name. On the December 13, 2006, edition of Hardball, Matthews challenged Republican strategist Ed Rogers on "invoking" Obama's middle name several days earlier in an attempt to "hurt him":
MATTHEWS: Ed, you made some news here the other night. Let's take a look at a tape of what you said --
ROGERS: Oh, come on.
MATTHEWS: -- no, no -- of what you said in my absence. When the cat's away, the mouse will play.
ROGERS: Where were you? Where were you?
MATTHEWS: Let's take a look at what you said.
ROGERS [video clip]: Held me down as somebody that underestimates Barack Hussein Obama. Please.
MATTHEWS: Well, you know, in American life, the only time we start using three names for a person is when they're an assassin, you know, John Henry Abbott --
ROGERS: There's some truth to that.
MATTHEWS: -- Lee Harvey Oswald. Why did you invoke the middle name of Barack Obama out of nowhere?
[crosstalk]
MATTHEWS: What are you up to, sir?
ROGERS: Mostly teasing him as a lightweight and somebody that's just not ready.
JENNY BACKUS (Democratic strategist): Ah. No, no, no.
ROGERS: But I hope he runs. I want him to run. [unintelligible] There's more --
MATTHEWS: Well, Hussein is his middle name. Do you believe that invoking that name, that it will hurt him?
ROGERS: OK, I'm not going to tease him again about his middle name, at least not tonight.
Similarly, on the December 17, 2007, edition of Hardball, Matthews criticized comments regarding Obama's name and background made by former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-NE), who endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton. Matthews said: "What the hell is Bob Kerrey doing?"
Yet Matthews has used Obama's middle name himself during that same time period. Matthews was apparently the first national media figure to refer to Obama's middle name in a political context, doing so on the November 7, 2006, edition of Hardball: "You know, it's interesting that Barack Obama's middle name is Hussein. That will be interesting down the road, won't it?" Matthews again mentioned Obama's middle name on the August 15, 2007, edition of Hardball:
DAVID MENDELL (author, Obama: From Promise to Power [Amistad, August 2007]): Senator Obama, I think, has tried to position himself neither as a dove nor a hawk. I think that maybe he has sent some mixed messages to his -- some of his true believers, who think that he -- since he was the anti-war candidate early on that he was much more of a dove than he is.
MATTHEWS: Yeah. Do you have a sense, though -- well, certainly I have it -- that just by his name, Barack -- you know, Barack Hussein Obama, his background having grown up in Indonesia, which is largely a Muslim country, that he would have a feel perhaps other presidential candidates don't have of how to connect with that part of the world -- a billion people, the Islamic world that we seem to be having such a problem connecting with and avoiding war with?
MENDELL: Well, he certainly would like you to think that. That's part of his biography. That's part of what they've put forth in the campaign that he's a multicultural individual. He actually grew up in Hawaii and spent about four or five years in Indonesia as a young child, and that -- but he would like you to think that he understands the world better than some of these candidates who have just lived in the United States their whole lives. He thinks he has a worldview that is different than they do, and that's part of -- that's part of his appeal to some people, this interesting biography that he has.
MATTHEWS: OK, let's talk about America now again. Our xenophobic tendencies have been roused again, Jonathan [Capehart, Washington Post editorial writer] -- you're first here -- on China. Here we go. We've discovered the evil of China. They are sending us poisonous toothpaste.
Matthews most recently mentioned Obama's middle name on January 3, 2008, just two weeks after he criticized Kerrey for doing the same. Matthews stated: "I tell you, it's going to be a headline all over the world: 'Barack Hussein Obama wins first presidential test in America with a Kenyan father.' " Matthews went on to say, "I just think it's absolutely -- with an Islamic background in his family -- is so dramatic."
From the 5 p.m. ET hour of the February 25 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:
MATTHEWS: You know, Chuck, let's talk about tough politics here. This isn't tough as it's getting. It's getting tougher right now. It'll probably be tougher by the end of the week. This picture of Barack Obama when he was on his trip to Africa last year -- everybody knows politicians, from Prince Charles on down or on up, wear the local costumes when they visit, especially Third World countries. You really try to identify with the people.
But no friend of Obama put that picture out. And I'm just wondering about these things. Even Jon Stewart, a nonpolitician, on -- last night in the Oscars, with a billion people watching, talking about Barack Obama's middle name being Hussein and his last name rhyming with Osama. I mean, even that little seemingly neutral information gets into some older people's heads, and they go, "We got a problem here."
TODD: Yeah, but you know what's interesting is, the Obama people have, like, taken this head-on. Look, I was somebody early on -- I remember when I first saw this guy's name pop up as an Illinois U.S. Senate candidate. And, you know, we would joke in the offices when I was at The Hotline, "Wait a minute, some guy named Obama, which sounds like Osama, thinks he's going to win a United States Senate seat?"
MATTHEWS: Yeah.
TODD: So I think the idea -- I think that the one thing that Obama knows how to beat back is this stuff. I mean, he's lived with this name his whole life, you know? You know, 46 years he's had to deal with this. So I think he knows how to handle this stuff. And they beat it back fast. And it's always -- in some ways, I think they end up inoculating themselves pretty well on this front. I mean, anybody that --
MATTHEWS: Because people don't want to look stupid and paranoid. People don't want to -- Linda, people don't want to look stupid and paranoid. But older people -- and I can tell stories in the millions about politicians playing to older voters. They play on the past. They play on fear. They play on confusion. They play on suggestion. You know how it's done with older voters.
LINDA DOUGLASS (National Journal): Well, and they play on, frankly, ignorance. I mean, ignorance being a lack of information. And there's a lot of underground stuff out there alleging that Barack Obama is a Muslim --
MATTHEWS: Oh, yeah.
DOUGLASS: -- and that there's some secret plot that he wants to be president so he can, you know, overthrow the government. And of course, you know, he's a devout Christian --
MATTHEWS: Oh, yeah, I know.
DOUGLASS: -- but he does have Muslim relatives. But, I mean, the whole point is, even though you're right that people probably don't want to believe this kind of thing and won't, there's a segment of the population that will, and that's why this underground campaign continues to grow.
Carlson compared CNN with Comedy Central, comedy with news and commentary, and Stewart just went off on him.
The video is probably still on YouTube.
Man, conservatives sure have short memories.
I dont see it at all . What Matthews has done in the past is disgusting, I do not think that making jokes or mocking Obama is funny.
What Stewart did with that idiot Carlson has nothing to do with Obama being mocked by racist and Democratic Candidates and staff playing on racist fears of ignorant votes and GOP Operatives.
Whatever, its obvious you think its funny to smear Obama.
It's okay to mention Obama's name -- sheesh that's not the point. It's just a fact.
It's NOT OK to insinuate Obama is anything but a patriotic American.
We know how McCain and the Right Wing are going to attack Obama: "Barack HUSSEIN Obama is a suspicious brown guy whose vague Muslim and possibly not a good American."
Of course, he won't say that outright ... but they will pick at Obama around the edges with it.
I haven't seen the clips but I seriously doubt Steward was doing this. And, I presume Matthews was perpetuating the Right Wing smear.
It's OK if the intent is to ridicule and expose the true intent of others who use Obama's middle name to imply that he is not what ha actually is :a patriotic native-born American who professes and practices the Christian religion.
I understand your confusion; some conservatives are obviously completely incapable of comprehending context. Seems to be congenital - and incurable.
Difference is...
Stewart is a satirist, and a comedian.
Matthews has a legit (sort of) political show.
Someone please post the link to the clip of Stewart when he told off Tucker.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0410/15/cf.01.html
Here's video.
MATTHEWS: Well, you know, in American life, the only time we start using three names for a person is when they're an assassin, you know, John Henry Abbott --
ROGERS: There's some truth to that.
MATTHEWS: -- Lee Harvey Oswald. Why did you invoke the middle name of Barack Obama out of nowhere?
I’m supposed to buy this? When did Tweety make up this rule?
But lots of airtime to fill, and lots of wind whistling through that vacant skull.
Seriously though, of all the reasons I could think of why using his middle name might be considered offensive, this one would have NEVER crossed my mind – yet it is the first “argument” Tweety brings up. Another prime example of how he’s so in touch with the American electorate. /sarcasm
"So its okay if Jon Stewart calls him Barack Hussein Obama but no okay if Mathtews calls him on it?"
yes. stewart is a known political panderer, it's his job. he runs the self-proclaimed finest fake news show in the business. you might say it's what he does. or you might not, your call. stewart, with a crop of top notch fake reporters, makes fun of stuff, and skewers people like matthews, for profit.
matthews also has a fake news show, he just won't admit it. as well, he employs fake reporters and has fake guests on. matthews is also a known political panderer, but it's not actually his job; he's supposedly objective.
i hope that explains it for you.
It does not explain, why it is not okay now for Matthews to call out Stewart.
Imus does comedy on his show a few weeks ago but was called out on it.
I think using the Hussein middle name is unacceptable because it is being used to divide and be sarcastic. So I think everyone should be called out, but Stewart should not get a pass even though it was the Oscars and not his silly show.
Comedy Central is calling and they'd prefer you get your sense of humor back.
So the Oscars are on Comedy Central? That is news to me. I find nothing funny about smearing Obama, or making fun of the smear itself. It is just like the word "lynching". It is not funny.
If only people held the newsmedia up to the same standards you hold up...er..comedians.
Jon Stewart is a political satirist. You don't get it. That doesn't mean "it's not funny," it just means you don't get it. Pretty big difference.
Jon Stewart is a political satirist. You don't get it. That doesn't mean "it's not funny," it just means you don't get it. Pretty big difference.
Political Satire is not funny when we talk about smearing someone. Or how he is being smeared. Is it funny if Jon Stewart started talking about lynching Michelle Obama?
Again, you don't get the satire. It's funny.
He is using humor to bring attention of the fact of the difficulty of Obama's rise and success due to the smears. He isn't actually doing the smearing himself. Didn't the name "Gaydolf Titler" give that away?
JLYONS,
First of all, Jon Stewart wouldn't lower himself to the level of a Chris Matthews or a Glen Beck or a Bill O'Rielly or a Rush Limbaugh..... so your examples has zero merit!
Jon Stewart was clearly MOCKING those who do use Obama's middle and last name as a smear tactic. It was a joke at the expense of the right-wing slime machine, not Obama.
There is no double-standard gotcha trophy for your WITH mantle.
Stewart wasn't smearing Obama. Stewart was making fun of the idea of using it as a smear.There are people out there who believe that Obama's name is a liability and use it in a manner intended to be derogatory, which is what Stewart was making light of.
And anyway, MMfA isn't saying it's okay for Stewart, they're just saying Matthews is going after him for doing the same thing he did.
This whole debate about using or not using Senator Obama's middle name misses the core issue here: All this really only matters if one assumes that the American people are so shallow as to care about anyone's name (or middle name) at all.
There seems to be a complete lack of trust in the judgement of the American people. And if this mistrust is justified, the real issue is how to improve the US educational system!
This is really funny – At the Acadamy Awards, Stewart was poking fun at the wingnuts fixation with Barrack’s name, and one of the biggest wingnuts of all doesn’t even “get it”. Does Tweety (or any MM posters) really think that Stewart would use this event and that audience to get a “Republican” joke in on Obama? The JOKE was on Tweety and people like him – and he is blinded by it.
If you are a talking head and are going to use Obama's middle name, you need to use McCain's - John Sidney McCain - or any other politician's middle name - otherwise you are a hack. It's childish to use something against someone - like their given name - something that they had absolutely no say in.
Yours,
George WorstPresident Ever. :-)
I agree , the media has done this but so have elites like Bob Kerrey
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/12/17/why-did-bob-kerrey-mentio_n_77162.html
I'm sure that Bob Kerrey will support an African American if he or she were to be running as a Democrat in the general election against any Republican.
That's ridiculous.
How about the Guardian? Liberal ol' me reads it every day.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/25/barackobama.hillaryclinton
They did put it out. And then slam Obama for being distracted by it and responding.
Behold the terrible beauty of the Clinton machine. Love 'em or hate 'em, they are slicker than snot.
Who, exactly, is doing the dividing and conquering? How on earth does anyone on the right gain from people being disgusted by underhanded campaign tactics of the Clinton machine and backing Obama even more strongly?
I am bringing it up because it is beyond the media, there is a segment of America that will do anything to prevent an African American from being President
J Lyons, Obama's not running to be the first African American President, he's running to be THE PRESIDENT. Jon Stewart is a comedian. Bob Kerrey is a politician. One told a joke and one misspoke and apologized. They are not the same in any way. If you get upset at everything when something really important is said no one will pay it the attention it deserves.
Pointing out the stupidity of those doing the smearing is very funny, indeed.
It's also funny reading the comments of those who couldn't buy a clue with a Platinum Card.
Stewart constructed a straw man and then satirically tore it down to point out the absurdity of the name game. Right wingers use the middle name as a veiled perjorative for ignoramuses.
MMFA should be making this point not equivocating Stewart and Matthews statements.
Stewart constructed a straw man and then satirically tore it down to point out the absurdity of the name game. Right wingers use the middle name as a veiled perjorative for ignoramuses.
Good summary. Apparently it was too subtle of a satire for some. Wow, never thought I'd say that about a joke from an Oscar host. :D
I love this email for Senator Obamas campaign today about what is coming.
Friend --
This morning, the New York Times reported that Senator Clinton is launching what even her aides admit is a "kitchen sink" bombardment of negative attacks against Barack.
This is the same stale, Washington playbook that has driven so many Americans away from the political process.
Yesterday, in a speech on foreign policy, Senator Clinton misrepresented Barack's positions and compared him to George W. Bush.
She questioned his "wisdom to manage our foreign policy and safeguard our national security," despite her support for Bush's war in Iraq -- a war that Barack showed the judgment to oppose before it ever began.
These negative tactics are exactly what voters have been rejecting this election season.
While others focus on trying to tear us down, we will continue to highlight what is most inspiring and most important about this campaign -- you.
And while others may try to score cheap political points, millions of ordinary Americans are talking to their neighbors, knocking on doors, making phone calls, and turning out to primaries and caucuses in record numbers to support this movement for change.
Barack has organized and inspired what yesterday's Time magazine called a "new breed of grassroots campaign -- viral, internet-based, built from the ground up."
Today, we are within reach of a goal that is unprecedented at this point in a presidential primary -- one million people giving to this campaign.
Now is the moment to reject politics-as-usual. Show your support for a new kind of politics and a new kind of leadership.
Make a donation now and become one of the million who own a piece of this campaign:
If you make a donation right now, you will also receive a "One of the Million" supporter t-shirt. Let your friends and family know that you support Barack Obama and are proud to be part of this movement.
Thank you for your support,
David
David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America
Exactly its boilerplate politics 101
Amazing.
MSNBC has pretty much put the VOM in VOMIT when it comes to covering Obama and Clinton. I am sure Abrams can't be happy about the direction it has gone over there. Or maybe he could care less. Also, how is it a smear by the Clinton campaign as far as this picture in the Kenyan garb? Did the Clinton's photshop the pic or is Obama and his people have zero faith in the Maerican people? It sounds like Matthews does not and Olberman, oh he is so out of it for Obama. His little snide remarks have not even been picked up. Like when he said, "let's go to the Pepsi Center, I mean So and So High Scool for Hillary Clinton's speech" in a way that said my guy is in a 20K seat arena and your girl is at a high school. Nanny nanny boo boo. Give us a break. Barack Obama said the worse thing any candidate has said of any other candidate in this race and that is "Hillary will do and say anything to win". That is an attack. Saying Republicans are going to attack his drug use and middle name is not an attack, it is reality." On the picture; Obama should be ashamed his office never released the photo. Is he not proud of his African heritage? We know he is not proud of his white heritage. If he were, he would not belong to a church that is all about black unity when the black unity had ZERO to do with the succes of Barack Obama. These lame MSNBC journalists need to get out of the business.
Come on SEERYER, surely you have to realize that Obama is in a no-win situation on issues like this. If he releases the photo – he is pandering to African-Americans – and now because he didn’t, he is “ashamed of his heritage”? I sure as hell hope this campaign can get past the race and religion issues and have at least a few months to talk about the issues that REALLY are in the minds of the voters.
Barack Obama said the worse thing any candidate has said of any other candidate in this race and that is "Hillary will do and say anything to win".
Sorry Seeryer Obama was not the first nor the only one to say that about the Clintons.
That is an attack.
It may be an attack but again it is one that has been said and used against both Clintons.
Saying Republicans are going to attack his drug use and middle name is not an attack, it is reality."
While it’s true the Republicans will play dirty regarding Obama’s honesty about his former drug use and his middle name, it is not an excuse to play dirty as well.
On the picture; Obama should be ashamed his office never released the photo. Is he not proud of his African heritage? We know he is not proud of his white heritage. If he were, he would not belong to a church that is all about black unity when the black unity had ZERO to do with the succes of Barack Obama.
Seeryer you are not dumb, you know why Obama did not release this photo just like IF a Clinton staffer did release it you know WHY they did. HOW do you know Obama is not proud of his white heritage? Could it be because he is referred to as a “black” candidate? Is it Obama’s fault that for years America has described anyone one with ONE drop of black blood, black? Seems that I’ve seen commercials that Obama’s campaign ran that included photos with a young Obama in the arms of his white mother, did you miss that? You along with may others continue to be uninformed about Obama’s church. If you were informed you would know that the church IS NOT all black and does not ONLY speak about black unity. YOU unfortunately, don’t have a clue WHAT is the cause of Obama’s success so it would be wise not to assume that it was not his church.
These lame MSNBC journalists need to get out of the business.
MSNBC unfortunately like many other media outlet needs overhauling.
Is he not proud of his African heritage? We know he is not proud of his white heritage. If he were, he would not belong to a church that is all about black unity when the black unity had ZERO to do with the succes of Barack Obama.
Okay, you really lost me with the above quote here. I honestly don't know what you're trying to say. Are you saying that Obama's success is based on his "white side" of the family and not black? What is this you're trying to convey here? Because if I take your comment at face value it sounds very racist to me, as if you're suggesting that because Obama has white genes, that's where he's successful side stems from, not from both sides of his racial heritage. Barack Obama may be a lot of things, but I never viewed him as someone "ashamed" of his white heritage. Frankly, Obama is not the only black man in this country with white genes ruining through his veins, most blacks in this country have white ancestors. (You should check out the PBS specials by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. who explored this even further.) Finally, Obama's church is no different than other black churches in this country so why are people all of a sudden acting SHOCKED that an institution created out of segregation and oppression is somehow preaching black unity when this is common practice within many black churches across America?
Obama is not the only black man in this country with white genes ruining through his veins
RUNNING, I meant to say.
Exactly. I remember his interview on BET where he praised his mother on how she woke him up early every morning to read three-hours before going to school. He talked about his grandfather fighting in World War II. He mentioned many things about his white relatives and parents. He's like many mixed race people in this country: he's treated black and considers himself as such, but acknowledges and is proud of both sides of his heritage. I think the mistake many people make is that they think once a mixed person say they're "black," it's a diss to the other parent. It’s no such thing: Halle Berry’s mother told her early on that she’s a black girl and society will treat her as such. Same with Alicia Keys. And with both Berry and Keys I see them often at award shows with their mother by their side. Some mixed people will simply call themselves that: mixed. But a lot find it easier just to keep it short and say they’re “black,” because once they say they’re mixed, then they have to break down what they’re mixed with – not just by race but by ethnicities, too -- and to many of them that can be a tedious process. Not to mention that most black people in this country aren’t entirely 100 % African anyway, so it’s not as if folks like Halle Berry, Barack Obama and Alicia Keys are unique when it comes to their genetic makeup. Blackness, for the most part, has more to do with a shared experience of being placed into a caste system, than how “light” or “dark” one’s racial makeup is. This is why you have high-yella brothers Harold Ford, Jr. and chocolate brothers Wesley Snipes, both who are treated as black men.
Anyway, sorry for the rant. I agree with your post, but I think I went off the deep end on that one. ;)
Anyway, sorry for the rant. I agree with your post, but I think I went off the deep end on that one. ;)
Preston, actually you didn't go off the deep end, you answered, hopefully for the LAST time, a question that I see here a lot regarding race and Obama.
JLYONS, you are clearly an idiot. the issue's been explained to you multiple times and ways, from really simple to single-cell complex. you pretend to "not get it".
actually, i don't think you're pretending, you're just stupid. ron white commented on that. he said you can fix a lot of things, from boobs to noses, but you can't fix stupid.
Don't forget Ann Coulter, a guest of Matthews, keeps calling Obama Hussein because she thinks it's funny. Matthews is promoting this nonsense by allowing such guests as Coulter and then pretending to be indignant when Jon Stewart uses it in a comedy routine. I think Matthews has outlived his usefulness as a journalist.