Chris Matthews Mocks Obama's Bowling as "Ethnic", Says It's No Surprise "He's Good at Basketball"

Another week, another racist or sexist slur from the frat boys at MSNBC. Several of the Republican-leaning hosts took time off from their favorite pastime—ie, Hillary Hate—to use self-described "ethnic" commentary to describe Obama's recent, not-so-very-good performance at a Pennsylvania bowling alley.

MSNBC's Chris Matthews quipped to political analyst Michelle Bernard, "You know, Michelle—and this 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." The Hardball host said Obama’s bowling "form" wasn’t "the most macho." Watch it, courtesy of Media Matters:

Earlier on Hardball, Matthews made some "off-color" jokes to Obama surrogate Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA) about Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama's former pastor: "Let me ask you about this Jeremiah Wright story. You go to a church. I assume it's a black church."

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman from Florida, also repeatedly mocked Obama's bowling performance as "dainty" and "prissy."

Last year, Chris Matthews was forced to make two on-air apologies to Hillary Clinton for crude remarks.

Some Background ...
Shuster Suspended Over "Pimping" Chelsea Clinton Comment [R20]
All White Panel on MSNBC's Tucker: Is Obama Black Enough? [R20]
Matthews on Giuliani: The Country "Wants Fascism" [R20]
Matthews on Hillary: "How Many Times is She Going to Be Confused by Men?" [R20]
Matthews is Obsessed with Hillary's Sex Life [R20]
Matthews and Newsweek: Mitt Romney is "Buff" [R20]

Comments

[Tyler Gray]

WTF? He actually said this onair?

[Bill O]

All those guys at MSNBC are jerks. Matthews, Pat Buchanan, Shuster, Scarborough .. they always make racist or "ethnic" or sexist slurs.

And good call Rod, for pointing out MSNBC is an equal opportunity offender. Since many Obamaniacs were strangely quiet when Matthews and Scarborough were making all those 1950ish remarks about Hillary, maybe they will now get upset at Matthews "off color" jokes.

[timothy]

I believe this is what is called the "right-wing attack machine", no?

[Rod McCullom]

@ Timothy: You're absolutely right.

[West Side Poz]

LMAO. Oh Rod, I know you sooo sooo badly wanted to say, "I told you so."

Bill O is spot-on, if you don't speak out when news anchors and pundits slur and make stereotypes about one candidate, you can't get too upset when they do it to "your" candidate.

[Franklyn Smith]

Okay, so Barack isn't the best bowler in the world, neither am I. Big deal. I can't believe they actually went there with race and then tried to call him a wuss. "Dainty", ain't that a blip.

[Greg]

Yes Tyler, Chris Matthews has been cited many times for his "colorful commentary." It's kinda crazy that he still has his own show, but , he is a character.

[Rod McCullom]

@ West Side. Very good point, but, it's not about me being right or wrong. It's about pointing out bias, sexism, racism, homophobia when it happens.

I work in television and see it up close. This is how it works, they always attack Democrats. If Matthews can call Hillary a name, he will call Obama a name. If they make remarks about about Chelsea Clinton, they will make remarks about Michelle Obama or her daughters. If you're going to stand up for one, you stand up for them all, not just the candidate you prefer.

I fully expect Matthews, Scarborough and Buchanan to continue to belittle Obama and use racial slurs. Who's going to stop them? The Obama campaign has aggressively courted Olbermann, so, they need that network.

[Xavier Greene]

What is Chris Matthews nickname? "Tweety"?

[Rod McCullom]

Luther, you're right. One day it's a schoolboy crush, the next day it's racist stereotypes. That's the MSNBC pattern. And yes, they have no black or Latino anchors or hosts.

[Richard S.]

Hey, Matthews, remember: white men can't jump! But, really, I feel like saying, "Hello, Chris? Clue-line..it's for you." He's so old school. Barely a day goes by that Matthews does not say something cringe-inducing. What a train wreck.

[DFS]

slightly off topic, but them coming after Hillary (and Chelsea for that matter) behind the Lewinsky stuff is really ridiculous. Even applying the most far fetched logic I strain to see how that issue is relevant to her campaign.

[Rod McCullom]

DFS, you're absolutely right. I'm going to talk about this tomorrow. It's a pathetic diversion.

[Derrick from Philly]

No, offense, Luther (I truly mean that), but if I had my choice between a bowler or a basketball player, well, I think I'd choose....unless the bowler is also a body builder.

[Andy Niable]

Speaking of Republican "leaning" networks:

"I think during this entire primary coverage, starting in Iowa and up to the present, Fox has done the fairest job, has remained the most objective of all the cable networks," said Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, a strong supporter of the Hillary Clinton campaign.

Since I appreciate your insights, as you work in television and see if up close, I'm curious--agree or disgree? Is Fox "Fair and Balanced" about Hillary? It is fair in its treatment of Obama?

[Lavenderpop]

Chris Matthews has some nerve talkin' about Obama's form. If you didn't see his disastrous turn at dancing on ELLEN please YouTube it. At one point during the 'dance' he puts her in a choke hold...I'm not kidding.

[ATL Kid]

Andy, I'm a regular in these comments, and, have disagreed with you in several posts. I will again today and note that this has nothing to do with Hillary Clinton or Fox or Rendell. This is about MSNBC and Chris Matthews mocking Obama and using racial stereotypes. But I will say what Rod didn't, YES, the reason more Obama supporters aren't speaking out about this, or even concerned, is because they, like you, are more interested in the daily "Clinton" outrage. And Hillary Hate.

As an Obama supporter, are you concerned about Chris Matthews and MSNBC using racial stereotypes and mocking your candidate as "dainty" or "prissy"? I'm a Hillary supporter but, as a black gay man and Democrat, I am very concerned about what racial stereotypes being uttered by NEWS ANCHORS. Are you?

[Derrick from Philly]

I always thought Rod leaned toward the senator from his home state...well, his second home state: NEW YORK. I'm all for the long, sexy, slim, brown basketball player. It'll be nice to have a sexy lookin' president for a change...last one was Ulysses S. Grant (to me).

[Kenneth]

I'm not sure what I'm more upset about. The fact that these right-wing, equal opportunity bigots made these comments (which I'm not surprised about), or that they two African-Americans they were speaking to not only didn't address the bigotry, but played along...

[Kenneth]

I'm not sure what I'm more upset about. The fact that these right-wing, equal opportunity bigots made these comments (which I'm not surprised about), or that they two African-Americans they were speaking to not only didn't address the bigotry, but played along...

[Chris CW]

ATL Kid, to answer your question, nope, I don't think these racial slurs from tv news anchors bother many online Obama supporters. Chris Matthews is only talking to, umm, several million people a day, it's not like his words will have any impact. It's always easier to refocus on Hillary Clinton.

[Xavier Greene]

LMAO @ Derrick.

You really, really know how to make people laugh and know exactly when or how to cut the tension. ;)

On a serious tip, yes, Rod is apparently liking Hillary from a policy POV, but doesn't rant against Obama. I actually prefer at least one black blog where the debate and argumnent is reasonable.

But what about this post was anti-Obama? It seems very supportive of Obama, maybe he can organize a campaign against Matthews.

[Andy Niable]

ATL Kid--

Yes, I am very concerned about Mattthews' ignorant, racist comments (regardless of whom they are about in particular) and I believe Rod called out Matthews so effectively and felt no need to echo that condemnation.

But since you ask, yes, what Matthews said was indefensible and deserves as much condemnatory attention as the "pimped out" controversy that another MSNBC staff member was taken to task for. Everyone should be accountable for his or her words.

Which brought me to my question: I was simply asking Rod, since the subject was bias and how each network might lean for or against (or, in Matthews' case, wobble back and forth) a particular candidate, and how Rod felt about this comment, and about Fox News in general. (If an Obama supporter had uttered the same words, I would have asked the same question.)

Is it not okay to present questions and issues concurrent to a particular post? Said conversational back-and-forth seems to occur often in comments sections. I certainly have enjoyed reading your comments in the past, regardless of whether I agreed or disagreed with them. If you had a question about a comment similar to a subject that Rod posted about, I would hope you would feel free to bring it up and add to the conversation.

[Rod Mc]

KB, your comments are almost a cut and paste from Chris Matthews' Wikipedia entry. If you're going to do that, you need to link.

Matthews was a Democrat years ago. Since then, he is a self-admitted George W. Bush voter, segued to journalism and made a career trashing the Clintons, other New Democrats, and, making racist and sexist insults. You don't give the media "a break", just because they're old white men. That's ridiculous. They're influencing millions of people.

[Just Jack]

This is a new one. Now we're excusing racial stereotypes because they came from an old man who was a Democrat back in the Reagan years.