Matthews: Does Obama "connect with regular people" or just African-Americans and college grads?
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Discussing Sen. Barack Obama on the April 1 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, host Chris Matthews asked Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO): "Let me ask you about how he -- how's he connect with regular people? Does he? Or does he only appeal to people who come from the African-American community and from the people who have college or advanced degrees?" Earlier in the show, referring to Obama's bowling performance at a March 29 campaign stop at Pleasant Valley Lanes in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Matthews teased the segment with McCaskill by asking, "[C]an Obama woo more regular voters -- you know, the ones who actually do know how to bowl?" As Media Matters for America noted, on the March 31 edition of Hardball, Matthews said of Obama: "[T]his gets very ethnic, but the fact that he's good at basketball doesn't surprise anybody, but the fact that he's that terrible at bowling does make you wonder."
During MSNBC's February 5 coverage of that day's primary contests, Matthews suggested to Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean that he should be concerned about the party's lack of broad appeal, noting polls showing a large number of "college graduates" and voters of a "high economic and social echelon" voting in the primaries. Matthews added, "I just wonder where regular people are in this."
From the April 1 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:
MATTHEWS: In a moment, more Pennsylvania politics with a top Clinton supporter, a man who personifies the commonwealth of Pennsylvania: U.S. Congressman Jack Murtha.
Today's Gallup tracking poll, by the way, shows Senator Clinton has closed the gap with Obama a bit. It's now a 49-to-45 lead for Obama. But will the whopper about having faced bullets in Bosnia keep Hillary Clinton from overtaking him? And on the other side of the equation, can Obama woo more regular voters -- you know, the ones who actually do know how to bowl -- and finish off Clinton for good? We'll talk to Obama supporter U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri. All of that and more later with the roundtable in our "Politics Fix."
[...]
MATTHEWS: Obama -- that's Senator Obama -- has taken a different tone in Pennsylvania, where I'm at right now. He faces an aging blue-collar electorate, one of the oldest states. I think it's the second oldest state, in terms of demographics. People want details about how he plans to improve their lives, keep their kids from moving out of the state, and creating jobs down the road for their grandkids. Can he win over working-class voters here in Pennsylvania?
Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri is an Obama supporter.
Senator McCaskill, did you advise Obama to go out and try to bowl the other day?
McCASKILL: Well, listen, I grew up in a small town where you learned to do two things: You learned to bowl and you learned to roller-skate. I can't wait to challenge him to a game of bowling.
MATTHEWS: OK. Let me ask you about how he -- how's he connect with regular people? Does he? Or does he only appeal to people who come from the African-American community and from the people who have college or advanced degrees?
McCASKILL: You know, I think people forget about how well Barack Obama is thought of in southern Illinois. I know southern Illinois. They're our neighboring state. They're very much like the people in many parts of rural Missouri. These are working people, salt-of-the-earth people. And if these people of Pennsylvania will give him a chance and listen to him, I think they will be surprised how much they'll relate to him, both as a leader and as a person.
Gee, Really?!?!? Okay, here's the entire question:
"Let me ask you about how he -- how's he connect with regular people? Does he? Or does he only appeal to people who come from the African-American community and from the people who have college or advanced degrees?"--Tweety
So now, let me ask: Do you believe that African Americans and people who have a college degree are somehow irregular?
Let me stop you right there Rick. My wife is an African American, in about one more semester she'll be an African American with a college degree, so you cut the patronizing tone. Now, like I said Mathews is a dillhole, who has said much worse things, for him this is mild.
By the way, I certainly wasn't attempting to be patronizing, since I have no idea who you are.
No harm DDC, (at least I thought, until I got back to my computer and started scrolling down). Looks like we started a big argument, then left to have a beer where it was quieter. :-)
So "mild" racism is okay?
I'm sorry, I just don't understand your comment.
Is there some kind of barometer for racism and/or misinformation that MMFA should be monitoring?
Even given your arbitrary label of this as "mild," I would much rather MMFA call Matthews on ALL of his BS comments, not just the ridiculously, absurdly way over-the-top egregious ones.
"Mild" misinformation is still misinformation.
"Mild" racism is still racism.
August,
First off, Matthews is no conservative, and his campaign fawning over Obama hardly squares with the flak he is taking with these harmless comments.
As I said earlier, (later on in this thread) - his reference to "regular people", in my opinion, are the working class Democrats, the base of the party that their nominee needs to win in November. How anyone can infer from that he thinks everyone else is "irregular" is unwarranted - it should not be taken literally.
First off, Matthews is no conservative, and his campaign fawning over Obama hardly squares with the flak he is taking with these harmless comments.
Tommy, good point. The guy has practically professed his love for BO, and yet he now his advancing the conservative agenda to his hero's detriment. right. CM and Olbermann would sooner shoot themselves than portray Obama in a poor light. CM can barely walk in BO's presence, with his legs all tingly . . .
That would probably be a good response to a different post. But interestingly you don't, and can't, refute that he gushes over Obama.
Which is why, once the primary season is over, Mr. Matthews will be falling all over John McCain. The media is trying to elect Barack Obama, and will totally flip to John McCain for the general election. You just watch. I am willing to be money on it. A lot of money.
I would say those who say this comment from Matthews is racist are the ones who are outraged.
By your count, how many people have done that here?
Therick, "every time".
Deeznuts, calling it "mild" racism......or is that not outrage?
Wzwriter, calling Matthews an idiot.
Gee, Tommy. You don't believe that he should be called out on this type of crap EVERY TIME he does it?
If not, why not?
Do you believe it's okay to sometimes be racist?
And in that same post, I asked: Do you believe that African Americans and people who have a college degree are somehow irregular?
tick tock tick tock
Exactly, Gov...
I think most of us who are commenting on this are doing it in the vein of being amused, or shaking our heads at Matthews and his capacity for the vapid, meaningless, and just plain ignorant ...
But it makes Tommy and his fellow travelers feel better if they can just dismiss our thoughts as the rantings of the "angry left."
Whatever gets you through the night ... it's all right, it's all right ...
Gov:
There are times when Tommy has something substantve to contribute to the discussion ... and there are times when he just wants to argue. I'd venture to say this is one of the latter times. He's resorted to name-calling, tho, so I'd say this particular discussion with him has run its course.
Tommy:
Unlike you, I'm not a mind-reader. I'd suggest you ask him. I fall into the category of holding Matthews up for the ridicule he deserves as a card-carrying member of the clueless clown posse that makes up a big portion of the national political media.
That clear things up for ya?
Tommy:
Let's try this one more time. I have no idea what Deeznuts thinks of the topic. I wasn't addressing his point. I was offering an opinion admittedly perhaps a generalization, based on my own perceptions ... which according to you, is allowed.
Got it now?
August, I never said one word about Obama saying "typical white person", it was much ado about nothing, in my opinion. Everyone is way too sensitive these days to every single comment made by someone they don't like politically, it's 99% ideologically driven and it's ridiculous.
All it does is demean and cheapen real racial incidences.
But August, you are only focusing on one half of Matthews' comment - what about the college grads he refers too? If he had said African Americans alone, then you may have a point - but this "mild" racist angle falls apart, in my opinion, when he also mentions college grads. That is why I believe he is speaking of "regular" people in the politically demographic sense.
And since I am a college grad, then should I be offended because he called me "irregular" too?
I'm sorry. Everyone got their panties, boxers and thongs in a bunch when Obama said "typical white person". Understandable. Where is the outrage when Matthews says he expects Obama to be a good basketball player, or do regular people connect with Barack besides African Americans or Pat Pukecannon basically saying blacks are better off because of slavery. I'm waiting for someone to engage me in that last comment. So Tommy tell me why the media isn't outraged when people give their racist views of blacks, but are ready to exile a man for saying "G.D. America?" The only answer is double standard.
Pat Buchanan's not running for president; he's a measley commentator. BO is, ergo he wants to represent and serve the entire united states, yet he vehemently defends and apologizes for his racist and lying friend. By no means should that disqualify him for president, but it's more worthy of consideration then Buchanan's comments.
As for basketball, if I just saw BO on the street and never heard of him, I'd too think there's a better chance than not that he'd be good at basketball. He's tall, young, and looks athletic. I'd think the same of a tall, young and athletic-looking white person. If saw a 300 pound black guy who looked to be an athlete, I'd think there's a better chance than not that he'd be good at football. Same about a white guy . . . .Does that make me racist?
No doesn't make you racist, just means you've probably never played a sport. As for Buchannon. Get real. Obama is running for president, but he never made those damn comments. You want him to pay for what came out of another man's mouth, but have no problem with these homophobic pastors that preach against America and it's tolerance of homosexualism, weekly. Pat Buchannon basically told blacks, be happy you're in a country that has given you rights. You are privileged to be forced to come here on a slave ship. All I'm asking is where's the media attention for a man making ignorant comments on MSNBC, who at one time ran to be president of the United States of America? There will be no media coverage, because either white America agrees or it's more important to harp on a black man making disparaging comments about America than it is a white man. Again DOUBLE STANDARD!!
As a person who very often thinks Buchanan makes good points, I thought the comments of which you speak were outrageously stupid and yes, racist. But again, he's on a cable news channel. The overwhelming majority of Americans are unaware that he ever even uttered those remarks.
On the other hand, BO's on the national stage running for president. While I don't at all think that wright's views should be ascribed to him, I do think that, because they've been close for 20 years, that it's legitimate to ask him questions about the former's comments. It's relevant that BO spent all those years in wright's congregation. It does shed light on BO's views of the world.
As for sports. Have played, not very good. I'm tall, in shape, or athletic, like BO
Well Thomp, as I 've said before it is understandable. I myself wondered how someone could listen to that rhetoric for 20 years. I don't attend that church, but I don't think this sentiment was shared weekly for 20 years. I do understand the scrutiny Obama's received for attending and supporting the church, I do not and never will understand how Hagee can make comments like this, support McCain and it's somehow not as bad. I will never understand how Pat Buchannan can make comments about blacks benefiting from slavery with no outrage from the media. And no Pat isn't running for president of the United States of America, he's just helping people form there opinions on who should be nominated on an international political commentary show.
Again, although I do think Buchanan's a very smart fellow, his statements in that article were terribly outrageous, and just so stupid. And you're also absolutely correct that his hosts on msnbc, or wherever else he appears, should question him about those comments too.
Put down the meth pipe or syringe or whatever you're messin' with friend.
what a clever comment, douchebag
I think if you follow my comments here you'll find that I think August Heat is right on with his posts on this topic.
O man, steve. I am so very sorry.
I hope you have a good day too. It's early, maybe you can still get on the good foot.
While Tommy plays the propaganda parrot. SKWWAAAAAKKK liberal victims, SKWAAAAAKKK, victim culture SKWWWAAAAKK. SportsguyDave spelled it out exactly. It isnt that hard to understand. We all get that you are determined we allow the false frames and false characterizations alone and stop exposing them. That fits YOUR agenda. We arent playing. Lets hear a few more of your skwwwwaaaks though.
How 'bout this for ya, to sink to your level so you can understand it better..
False frame, false frame again!!! WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!.......whine, cry, skwaaaaaaacccccccckkkkkkkk!
Delicious.
Tommy,
It is annoying when someone infers that being African American is some how "abnormal" or “irregular”. That said I realize that the race of the average American is White. Anyway as uncomfortable as race talk is for some of us it is necessary to have these discussions honestly and openly without lodging the racist bomb. Until we can do this there will always be this underlying your different than us regular Americans theme running through the American conscious that CM displays with this statement. It’s good to have it out in the open. As distasteful as it was to read Pat Buchanan’s you Black people are ungrateful for the food stamps we White people gave you essay I’m glad he wrote it. Pat expresses a sentiment that I believe is still prevalent enough to be damaging and we need to hear this stuff and to dispel this nonsense head on. Anyway I started to write Pat to ask why haven’t I been receiving my food stamps and public housing that WHITE people are giving to BLACK people.Lynn,
I ask you because I expect you will give me your honest answer, do you really believe that Matthews thinks black people, or college grads since he lumped them together, are not "regular" people, in the literal sense?
Tommy,
The people I know are all regular people and we encourage our kids to go to college, unfortunately us regular people who go to college can end up with a lot of debt .
Lynn,
Matthews is saying that blacks and college grads are not "regular" people. Many here are saying it's an affront to black people to imply they are somehow "irregular". But I am asking if that is true then you have to assume he means college grads are also "irregular", what is he saying about them then? Because the racial angle that some are seeing makes no sense in that context, with regard to college graduates.
Governor, You don't even make sense.
I am responding to those here that are seeing a disrespectfulness towards blacks in what Matthews' said, and how that squares with college grads.
If you can't answer intelligently, and I am not even addressing you, please ignore me.
Tommy, I think the explanation that makes the most sence is this:
In Tweety's conservative head, Black=lowest of the classes, and College Grad=top of the heap.
He wondered about "regular people" = all those in between.
Given his multitude of boarderline racist and anti working class comments, it seems clear to me.
Tommy,
It's a stupid throw away comment and yes it implies that college graduates aren’t regular people. It's what the wingers have done in the past. They characterized college grads as smarty pants know it alls trying to tell the regular people not to vote for people whose policies were contrary to the interests of the regular people. They also characterized Blacks as not being regular people but irregular lazy people looking for hand outs. I do think it's a mischaracterization of college graduates, and this statement encourages class and race distinctions. I disagree with you whole heartedly on this one. Maybe CM didn’t mean to do this, BUT this is what these kinds of statements do."Regular people" in Tweetyspeak = "Typical white person" in Obamaspeak
Well, let's see, Tweety. Speaking for myself, I'm a white male with a tech school diploma. And I support Barack Obama.
Matthews is an idiot.
Snoopy, your the only dog here (as far as I know), so, go bite him in the crotch and bring back a full report. :-)
I'm sure he thinks they are superior.
[end sarcasm]
We are all bound together by an economy that simply isn't working for the most of us.
So when Obama talks about the cost of tuition, healthcare or stagnant wages there is no reason to think in terms seperate interest groups. We're all in the same boat.
Matthews did inappropriately phrase this question. He should've asked whether Obama makes "regular people" feel tingles up their legs when he speaks. I hope CM can control himself tonight, but doubt he will. Like the rest of the media, particularly msnbc, he's in the tank with Obama and likely will have difficulty containing his tingling feelings when in the presence of his hero.
This is at least the fifth man crush he's had since the beginning of the primaries.
He started out with Rudy, who I believe gave his high school ring to Chris.
Then he switched to Mitt because of his manly chin.
He soon tired of Mitt when he noticed that other guys were starting to tell him what a hunk Rudy is and that he was a fool to dump him.
Rudy took Chris back with certain conditions, one being that he couldn't look at another Republican.
Once again, Chris's eye started to wander and he found a new father figure in Fred.
Chrissy jilted Rudy this time and then hooked up with Fred until he found what he thought was his true love, John McCain.
They dated for a short time and I think he took John to the prom.
If you say he's now dropping John for Barack, I won't argue. I do know that he's getting a pretty bad reputation for his many indiscretions.
Then he switched to Mitt because of his manly chin.
And, if I remember correctly, his broad shoulders.
Castrati Matthews should have been fired long ago and is truly one of the most despicable so-called Journalist out there.
What's worse than a bore? A loud bore.
Now I disagree with Matthews here, I think Obama does have, and will have, broad appeal among the electorate when more than just primary voters and political junkies are engaged.........but WITH? Matthews has every right to ask these questions and bat them around with his guests, on his show. This is not misinformation or furthering anything, it's just that you don't like it.
What exactly are the rules MMFA for discussing your precious Democratic candidates on opinion cable shows? Is opining on strategy and voter preferences off limits if it isn't 100% flattering or "furthering the liberal agenda"?
That's not what he means, and you know it Governor......if you want to take it literally, go ahead.
If it offends you, that is your business. I understand the context in which he is referring to "regular people", so I am not.
Sorry.
What exactly are the rules MMFA for discussing your precious Democratic candidates on opinion cable shows?
This is an easy one Tommy, you are not trying.
It is a part of conservative misinformation to suggest that blacks or college types are not regular people. Chris has bought into it and apparently so have you. If he had simply stuck with "white working class", it would not have earned a mention.
Matthews probably should have worded it differently. He could have said something like 'Does Obama only connect with African-Americans & college grads? What about those that don't fall into those two categories?'
Of course that's what he meant. But because he said "regular" it gets a rise out of some here.
It's like Obama saying "typical White person". All Obama needed was the word "some", as in some typical White people, which I'm sure is what he meant & no one would have balked.
Matthews is a boob, so I'm not excusing him, just explaining him.
So is Matthews being racist, or bigoted against college grads? Or both?
Huh? You have confused me with someone else. Voicing the conservative talking point that blacks and college grads are not "regular people" does not make it racist or bigoted. It is a BIAS Tommy. A conservative bias, and misinformation. You are flailing now.
Obama's appeal among whites is dwindling. It is still there, but exit polls in recent contests show him increasingly relying heavily on the black vote.
I'd say he's not up to the point where we can say he only appeals to black people, but he's getting there.
but exit polls in recent contests show him increasingly relying heavily on the black vote.
Hmmm. There hasn't been a "recent contest" in quite a while, unless you count the constant revisions in Texas, where he won handily with a broad spectrum of the population.
Blacks and college grads are not regular people? Thankfully he clarifies "regular people" to mean white working class people who can bowl. Can Obama woo those voters even though he can't bowl? It's a legitimate question, but Mathews insults just about everyone in the asking of it.
but the fact that he's that terrible at bowling does make you wonder."
I have no rational explanation for what Chris is "wondering about".
Maybe it makes him wonder whether Obama can keep his arm straight and hit the same mark consistently? I dunno...just a bowler's thoughts...
And who gives a damn if his score were only 37. I don't want a pro bowler as president.
Oops, didn't realize he died in 2001.
And he'd still be an improvement over WPE Bush.
His fabrication of the "regular people" demographic is indicative of the whole elitist mindset of the "educated" media. So anyone who isnt' a college grad, or better, is just a run-of-mill joe in his mind. Like getting a degree in law, or journalism, or whatever, significantly distinguishes somebody from roofers and whatnot in what they want and need out of life.
Steve, You have a point, but I think Matthews is referring to the base, or the working class Democrats that jumped ship for Reagan back in the 80's and are beginning to return to the Democrats - what with the slumping economy and so forth. These are sometimes referred to as "regular" people. I don't take it as Matthews meant to diminish hard working folks, if he did I would have a different opinion on this - sometimes the vernacular in political punditry labels and bundles people together to categorize demographics when discussing who is for and who is against someone.
They are broad generalizations for sure.
He obviously means that African-Americans and college graduates are hard-core Democrats, and the rest, the "regular people" are Republicans or swing voters.
The "liberal media" at work again.
I dont think it is. These false frames are sometimes focused and very intentional and other times are just unconcious and silly. They worm their way into the public conciousness when they are not confronted. The conservatve power structure is genius at marketing. These things WORK if they are just ignored. Chris isnt too bright I doube he was intentionally using this false frame but it should be exposed anyway this is one of those things that fester in the dark but when exposed tend to fade away. I think the mischaracterizations ought to be talked about every time. I dont think they should be ignored.
Good god, you act as though every word spoken is filtered through some agenda to bruise and batter liberals at every turn. Nobody is that paranoid, or can even dream up such conspiratorial nuttiness......how about the notion that people say things off the cuff sometimes, running on about this political story or that story, putting forth ideas and thoughts for discussion? How about that for a reason?
No, it's all about the mean nasty conservative agenda and the plots to destroy the poor whining liberals.
Wear your whining conspiratorial label proudly, because you exhibit it here with nearly every post.
That isn't what he was implying. False frames that get repeated over and over become reality for most people if they aren't paying attention. Thus lies become "conventional wisdom."
Like saying that Gore said he invented the internet. There were some sayings attributed to Dan Quayle that he never actually said, but most people believe that he said them. (He DID say plenty of strange and comical things however)
Strawstorm...
Tweety does what most MSM ball-chasing puppies do - lacking the integrity and/or the will to practice real journalism, he creates a straw man and then uses it to prove himself an idiot.
As an independent progressive with some college and a voted-for-her-but-would-vote-for-him attitude, I guess I must not fit Tweety's paradigm.
Unless my two-dumps-a-day habit is what he meant by "regular people."
As an Obmama supporter I'm going to have to give Matthews a pass on this one. (As has been noted by others) Matthews is simply asking a question about Obama's ability to get the traditional blue collar vote that Hillary was supposed to have an advantage with.
The fact is that Obama already gets 90% of the black vote. And Obama already gets younger and more educated voters at a higher percentage than Hillary.
This news is hardly unfair or negative.
Go Obama!
you might want to re-phrase that. or perhaps not?
At least he isn't shrill, claps and laughs with a cackle.
You mean like Laura Schlessinger????
Chris Matthews' latest flub reminded me of something that happened a few years ago on "The View" Here's a description of it from Westwood, the alternative newspaper in denver. It concerns an appearance on The View by Betty Beedy, who at the time was a County Commissioner in the Colorado Springs area, and a very vocal, racist, anti-gay Republican.
(For the benefit of those unfamiliar with it, the "Colorado Amendment 2" referred to in the article was an ammendment to the state constitution that would have denied all rights to gays and lesbians. It was eventually ruled unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court.)
Houdini himself couldn't have escaped from the tight spot El Paso County Commissioner Betty Beedy seemingly found herself in this fall, after all five liberals in Colorado Springs launched a recall effort against the motormouth for the embarrassing statements she'd spewed across the state--and then repeated nationally on ABC's pajama party of a talk show, The View, last July. The audience booed as host Meredith Vieira clicked off some of Beedy's headline-grabbers: single mothers who receive child support and date are "sluts"; gays and lesbians are "pedophiles"; Colorado Springs shouldn't name a highway after Martin Luther King Jr. because he was an adulterer. From that introduction, Beedy went on to joust with an attorney from a national organization that fought Colorado's Amendment 2 and made this astute observation about gay rights: "It's not like the race issue, where we can look at her (View co-host Star Jones, who is African-American) and know that she's different--she's different than the white, normal American." Source: http://news.westword.com/1998-12-31/news/hall-of-shame/2
Matthews is using it again: college = liberal = irregular. He's combining his tomfoolery, being a racist and a good right wing tool all rolled into one little statement.
According to you, none of this ever happened, people don't believe there's a liberal media, people don't believe liberals hate america, people don't believe Kerry was a flip flopper, people believe there are WMD's, people bel... well what's the point? I'm sorry you don't see it.
regular people?
Giving Chris an undeserved benefit of doubt, he may have meant "minority people". Black people are a minority not by choice but by numbers of their race. Unfortunately following that logic, educated people then apparently are also a minority, in this case by choice.
To cut to the bottom line, maybe Chris just means that in America, "regular people" are ignorant, uneducated white people.
I think Chris meant this: A regular person is everyone in between the lowly blacks and the wonderful college grads.
Sheeeesh, what a pretentious bigot.
While I don't at all think that wright's views should be ascribed to him, I do think that, because they've been close for 20 years, that it's legitimate to ask him questions about the former's comments. It's relevant that BO spent all those years in wright's congregation. It does shed light on BO's views of the world.
It is a legitimate issue to bring up, and I think Obama has done a good job of setting the record straight. The problem I have is that when in 2005 the Bush White House sought advice on a supreme Court nominee from the religious fanatic Jerry Falwell, the media was in a virtual coma.
Wait are African Americans college Grads too?
I'm a 51 year old uneducated, lilly white, caucasian, carpenter. I not only support Barack, but I have dumped the GOP all together. In the words of the late John Lennon "It's time to get hip man".
It's time to get progressive! Our Government is supposed to be of the people, by the people, for the people. Like Ross Perot said "Government should come from you, not come at you.
Matthews and his racist Republican news buddies would be a lot happier in 1939 Germany.
As an African-American, born and raised in Philadelphia, I was puzzled by this comment. Is the implication that because he's Black, he can play basketball? Or is it because he's Black he can't bowl. I have bowled with some pretty good Black bowlers and I have played against some very good White basketball players. So where is CM going with this comment?