On the July 27 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews, in addition to asserting that former Vice President Al Gore is a "total fag" and suggesting that the American people would like to see the U.N. headquarters bombed, right-wing pundit Ann Coulter also pronounced herself “in awe of the voters of South Carolina” -- a pronouncement that might be true, if by “Carolina,” she meant “Dakota,” and if by “in awe of,” she meant “disgusted with.” Coulter was erroneously crediting activists who oppose abortion rights with garnering enough public support to place an abortion ban on the ballot. In fact, it was supporters -- not opponents -- of abortion rights in South Dakota -- not Carolina -- who placed a measure on the November ballot that would allow voters to uphold or strike down a state law banning most abortions. Additionally, Coulter falsely suggested that during the 1988 presidential campaign, then-Democratic primary candidate and Sen. Al Gore (TN) was the “first” to make escaped prisoner-turned-rapist Willie Horton's race a campaign issue. In fact, as Media Matters for America has noted, it was Republicans who first invoked Horton by name and made an issue of his race -- in an effort to portray then-presidential candidate Gov. Michael Dukakis (D-MA) as soft on crime. Host Chris Matthews failed to correct any of these claims by Coulter.

During the program, an audience member asked Coulter to comment on “South Dakota's abortion ban” and the successful effort by pro-choice groups to place the ban on the ballot in November “to hopefully be overturned.” After Gov. Mike Rounds (R) signed the bill banning most abortions on March 6, NARAL Pro-Choice South Dakota and the South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families gathered enough signatures to place a referendum on the ban on the ballot. The bill bans abortion even in cases of rape or incest, or if a pregnancy poses a threat to a woman's health, permitting the medical termination of a pregnancy only if the procedure is “intended to prevent the death of a pregnant mother” and the doctor has made all efforts “to preserve both the life of the mother and the life of her unborn child.”

In response to the audience member's question, Coulter called the ballot initiative “magnificent,” adding: “I'm in awe of the voters of South Carolina.” The audience member then corrected her, noting that the ban had been imposed in South Dakota.

Additionally, Coulter falsely suggested that Gore was the first to “bring ... up” Horton's race as a campaign issue, during his 1988 Democratic presidential primary campaign. In 1987, Horton, who is African-American, assaulted a man and raped his fiancée while on furlough from prison in Massachusetts. As Media Matters previously noted, then-presidential candidate George H.W. Bush invoked Horton on the campaign trail in 1988 to portray Dukakis as soft on crime. The Americans for Bush arm of the National Security Political Action Committee also used Horton in an anti-Dukakis attack ad that featured Horton's picture prominently, clearly conveying his race to viewers. The ad was produced by Larry McCarthy, a former employee of then-Bush campaign media consultant and current Fox News Channel president Roger Ailes. Although Gore did ask Dukakis about “weekend passes for convicted criminals” during a 1988 Democratic primary debate, Gore did not identify Horton by name or mention his race.

Apparently seeking to defend Republicans from charges of racism, Coulter claimed "[t]he Willie Horton case" was “an especially good example of liberals' capacity to create a myth when the truth will destroy them.” She called the Horton ad “the greatest campaign ad of all time,” denying that it was “a racist issue at all.” She added: “I'm quite sure the Bush campaign desperately wished it was a white guy [Horton], but it was too important an issue not to bring up and, in fact, as we all know, Al Gore did bring it up first.”

From the July 27 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Hi. I'm curious, what do you think about South Dakota's abortion ban and the fact that voters have gathered enough signatures to put it on the ballot in November to hopefully be overturned?

COULTER: I think it's magnificent. I'm -- I'm in awe of the voters of South Carolina. I mean, it is --

AUDIENCE MEMBER: South Dakota.

COULTER: South Dakota.

[laughter]

MATTHEWS: How many here would like to outlaw -- just do it now.

COULTER: Whoever does it.

MATTHEWS: Make it simple, outlaw abortion where you live. Who would like to do that?

[applause]

MATTHEWS: How many people would not like to do that?

[louder applause]

MATTHEWS: That doesn't make it right, by the way. That's just an opinion.

COULTER: And it will probably not be upheld, because we don't have five votes now. But that's what I love about it. They're just going to keep sending it up and sending it up. It shows you the rage of the voters.

[...]

MATTHEWS: I stayed up last night reading your chapter on Willie Horton, which was absolutely stunning it its satire. It reminded me of the young [conservative columnist] George Will.

COULTER: Thank you.

MATTHEWS: The question I have is, do you have a soul? I mean, really? I mean, look at the way you make fun of people, because not everybody's tall and lanky.

COULTER: From the Willie Horton chapter?

MATTHEWS: No, no. I'm asking you a question. You call Mike Dukakis -- now, you don't have to vote for Mike Dukakis. You call him the “midget Greek.” Is it his fault he's Greek?

COULTER: I think it was the Greek midget, but since you've actually read some of the book --

MATTHEWS: I like the part of it --

COULTER: -- could we do something we haven't done on this book tour yet, and that's --

MATTHEWS: Right, but can you answer that question first? Why did you make fun of a guy's --

COULTER: -- talk about the book than rather the words I use? Can we talk about the book since you read some of it?

MATTHEWS: Well, the problem is the way I read, is I go by the words.

COULTER: It would be so refreshing.

MATTHEWS: I go by the words. Why would you make fun of a guy's ethnicity and their height?

COULTER: Well, how about the idea of the chapter? The point is that Michael Dukakis is the alpha and the omega of liberal approach to crime, which is held in defiance of the facts, almost like it were a religious belief --

MATTHEWS: Right.

COULTER: -- and that is to always release the perpetrator.

COULTER: The Willie Horton case is an especially good example of liberals' capacity to create a myth when the truth will destroy them.

MATTHEWS: Right.

COULTER: It wasn't a racist issue at all. It was the greatest campaign ad of all time. It was a very important issue. Michael Dukakis was responsible for furloughing a vicious murderer who had been sentenced to life in prison with parole.

MATTHEWS: You mean, you're saying it could have been a white guy in that ad?

COULTER: I'm quite sure the Bush campaign desperately wished it was a white guy, but it was too important an issue not to bring up and, and in fact, as we all know, Al Gore did bring it up first and -- and Democrats didn't think it was so racist to bring it up back when Al Gore was running against [fellow Democratic presidential candidate] Bill Bradley years later.