MSNBC's Matthews: Whites Are "Willing" to Support Obama Just Like They "Root for Black Athletes"

Via Think Progress. Another week and another racist or sexist slur from the all-white, all-male fratboys at cable "news" network. MSNBC. Hardball's Chris Matthews offered Sen. Barack Obama some "practical" "advice" on how to attract more white men and working class white voters to his presidential campaign.

MATTHEWS: You got to talk like a firebrand because if you‘re carrying their fight for them, they‘re going to like you. You know, a lot of white people root for black athletes because they‘re winning for the home team. People are quite willing to pick up black heroes, if they‘ll win for their side.

Watch the video:

Rod 2.0 previously reported Matthews' colorful description of Obama's bowling game: "This gets very ethnic, but the fact that he’s good at basketball doesn’t surprise anybody."

Matthews, who was forced to make two on-air apologies to Hillary Clinton for crude remarks, often gushes over Obama but continues to offer on-air racial stereotypes. Maybe this is the admission price some people are willing to pay to watch one of anchor newsreader Keith Olbermann's vitriolic anti-Hillary "Special Comments."

Some Background ...
Matthews: Does Obama Connect with "Regular" Voters or "Only African-Americans [R20]
Chris Matthews Mocks Obama's Bowling as "Ethnic" [R20]
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

[Mark]

Rather than a slur against black people, that sounded to me like an unflattering -- albeit probably verisimilar -- generalization about white voters, since he is laying out the conditions under which regular-joe white guys would be willing to vote for a black candidate. It sounds like well-intentioned advice. Maybe even sound advice, although I don't know for sure, since who knows really what it takes to persuade regular-joe white guys in large numbers to vote for black candidates.

[malik m.l. williams]

A) He's right about [most] white people. He just doesn't really realize the implication of what he said, which is

B) When white people say "people," they mean "white people."

With different emphasis, the quote from above clearly illustrates the juxtaposition:

"People are quite willing to pick up black heroes...."

Again, disappointing, but not surprising.

[Tyler Gray]

Sorry, Mark. That comment is definitely patronizing and stereotypical. You think comparing a senator and presidential candidate to a "black athlete" is favorable? It's hardly favorable, its quite offensive.

If this were said on CNN or FOX the netroots, ObamaNation and "progressive bloggers" would be outraged. Of course, its said on the MSNBarack and by Tweety, who everyone knows is in the tank for Obama, so no complaints are made. So much for fighting against media bias and allegations of racism. MSNBC is a joke.

[Bill]

And these are the type of people Obama had to drop his pastor for to get in their favor?

[elg]

We know that Matthews, and the other MSNBC fratboys, support Obama against Clinton. But if Obama gets the nomination, will Matthews and the boys support Obama against McCain?

[Rod Mc]

ELG: Excellent observation.

MSNBC's Obama slant is clearly ratings-driven, but, the corporate media has always favored McCain. Unless someone truly believes that in the general election, NBC's corporate parent General Electric sincerely wants to end the war and create universal health care. They'll go back to worshiping Saint McCain.

[Me]

Though it sounds crazy, there's a grain of truth to what he said, I think.

[West Side Poz]

Rod, thank you for continuing to point out these outrages. MSNBC is obviously MSNBarack. The entire internet explodes at the one ABC debate and cried "bias" but never says anything about MSNBC's rampant slant and bias. They will ignore these comments because MSNBarack is "rooting" for Barack. Until the general election, then its McSNBC.

[Franklyn Smith]

MSNBC is comfortable with McCain but will settle for Obama. After all, General Electric is one of the largest nuclear reactor manufacturers in the world.

And we all know which candidate is the darling of the nuclear energy crowd. One hint: He has a "D" behind his name (in name only!) and it ain't Hillary!