Chris Matthews Vouches For Black People's Work Ethic

On Friday's "Hardball" Chris Matthews discussed Hillary Clinton's comment about hard-working white people with Tucker Carlson and former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown. During it, he interjected to make a point about black people's work ethic. "Can I weigh in on this cause I'm the moderator? You get up in DC at 6 o'clock in the morning, you know who's waiting to catch the bus to go to work? Black people! They're up earlier than anyone else going to work for longer hours."

Comments

[kellygrrrl]

Purple Agnostic Hermaphrodite for President!!!!

May the Best HUMAN win!

[ohiomark]

Have you ever noticed that it is Democrats and liberals who are the most obsessed with the color of someone's skin and are eager to put them into groups in order to expliot them?

Ironically it was Martin Luther King Jr. that said that we should not "judge a man by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character".

Racism is alive and well in the Democrat Party.

[bentenrai]

It's not a democrat or republican problem, it's an American problem.

[MsLiz]

In Alabama, Republicans don't notice skin color because they don't notice Black people or brown people. The world is white-centric.

People who are willing to discuss race are trying to do something to improve life, not exploit people.

Nothing ironic in MLK's quote. It is a goal we can aspire to, not justification to oppress people.

[jupitor]

no, it's live an well with Hillary and Bill Cllinton! They started it all for the S. Carolilna election , and keep putting their foot in it.

[ghop]

It is very easy to ignore the problem of race when the base of your party is white people. The Republicans don't talk about race because they know that their base doesn't care about the concerns of minorities. It doesn't affect them in elections one way or the other. Democrats have a bigger tent, and therefore have to deal with issues like race and religious freedom. I'm glad I belong to a party where everyone has a seat at the table.

[LABC]

Amen to that! At least the Democratic Party acknowledges different people within their party. The only reason why the Republican Party would want minorities under their tent is to help hold it up and pound the pegs in.

[Raymondf]

Republican party also.

[RomeyDA]

HEY Don't Be Shock or suprise
This election cycle will have MANY talking head dealing with race
Many have NEVER dealth with this ISSUE!

[Stew118]

totally true- i watched chirs matthews utter that he had never attended class with a black person in his entire life! These people are quite insulated.

[Kishadawn]

Whether he's been in class with a black person or not, he knows that his lifestyle isn't the only one in America. He took a look at his environment and made an observation based on what he saw. Is that wrong?

Finally, do I think that HRC is a racist? NO. Her campaigning in WV and KY is pandering to the type of racist behavior she's worked against her whole political life. Whether people forget the Clinton's programs or not, I remember them. I was happy to see her decide to run for POTUS. To me, this pandering is so low that I can't even speak to it. Why wasn't she bragging about the "white voters" when her husband was winning 75% of the AA vote when he was elected? Why wasn't just "working class" voters a good enough adjective to use?

[indieminded]

The only thing Chris Matthews seems to be an expert on is Rev. Wright and Pennsylvanians. It is all this guy has talked about for two months! Now he has a new cause?

Chris Matthews is in the same category as George Stephenopolous and Charlie Gibson. They are poster children for how shoddy t.v. news shows have become.

[jah2008]

I agree. Matthews has no ethical standards.

[foreverdemocrat]

I'd still be all for Clinton, if she wanted to be the VICE PRESIDENT.

Obama won the nomination, Mrs. Over-the-Hillary Clinton. Get over it, PLEASE. For God sakes.

[bison2]

In North Carolina hard working black and white people saw race and beyond it. An important story within the North Carolina primary that is getting buried, is the North Carolina U.S. Senatorial race. In this competitive race an African American candidate Marcus W. Williams was defeated by a white woman candidate Kay R. Hagan. African Americans overwhelming voted for Hagan over Williams, at the same time they voted for Obama. Williams the black man was not black peoples choice. This clearly suggest that African Americans did not merely vote on the basis of race otherwise Williams would have finished much closer to Hagan. Black and white North Carolinas recognized that Hagan’s positions on the issues were far better for the state and the nation than Williams.

[uheardme]

Were blacks suffering from "black liberal guilt"? (sarcasm off)

[Charmed]

I'm in NC and you are absolutely right and I wish the media would cover that. I voted for Obama and Kay Hagan on the issues. I didn't vote for Obama because he is black nor did I vote for Kay because she's a woman. Why can't they cover this fact and also remind people that Bill Clinton got the majority of black votes also.

[lainey]

Bison2, thanks for the comment. It is refreshing to hear from someone who is educated on the story at hand and responds accordingly--no insults. Thank you also to the people of North Carolina.

[ComicBooksandPolitics]

I find this interesting. Here's what happened. Chris was around a black man he really admired, Willie Brown. I watched that entire segment of Hardball, and Chris was on Willies "Pecans", complimenting him with every other sentence. So to prove to Willie how cool he was, He said something that he thought Willie might approve of. Unfortunately, he ended up saying something stupid.

I was like, "Yikes!" when he made the statement, however, I let it go. I understand that Chris didn't mean anything racist by it. This thing happens ALL THE TIME to minorities, when they are around "non-minorities" who kinda like them.

[patmancando]

It is obvious that Chris Mathews hates the Clintons and takes every opportunity to help Sen Obama win this primary election. As for sounding stupid, that is CM's norm.

[lennix]

we got to stop the hate

[dora rice]

There are hard working white people and their are lazier than lazy white people. There are hard working black people and their are lazier than lazy black people and their are hard working south american people. Now she was talking to the hard working white people and I be dammed if I feel embarrassed because I have a clean house, a clean car, work hard in my job and I am white. That day will never happen. We always talk about the larger percentage of an ethnic group. There are always exception in any group as there are always a few good and bad apples in any group. That some groups have more bad apples then others is a given and a fact and we see them in jail.As long as we keep making excuses , and lie for opinion or profit, we will always set a bad example , and we won't encourage the lazy scum to lift themselves up. They will always stay in slums and run down trailers, and they will always live on the street, and Chris Matthew is a moron ,with a high squeaky voice, especially for a man , and tries to ride the high wave of political correctness , especially since he realizes, a black man will be in the White House.

[maxmd]

the recent NY Times mag feature on Matthews is revealing, this guy is off his rocker, his Hard Ball show is past his prime and his ego out of control

[patmancando]

Chris loves being the center of attention.......and is in awe of celebrity. Look at how Chris showed the tape of his dance on the Ellen show, where he groped her breast, and realizing he had done it, he dropped her in the floor/couch. He still has the tape on his NBC web page. He also bragged how Clinton said to him "how come you're so obsessed with me?" , and when Chris protested with, "I am not obsessed with you." Sen. Clinton walked up to him and stroked his cheek saying, "Oh come on Chris, you are obsessed." Chris Matthews showed that tape on his show many times..........not even realizing Hillary had made fun of him. I was so surprised when I read, actually CM said it on his show, that a London newspaper named his #2 in most influential reporters. He is really naive, biased and quite taken with himself........in other words..stupid and blinded by his ego,

[christieZ]

He's off his rocker because he said that black people are hard-working? Are you people crazy?

[VNJD]

Oh please.
I'm called the "hispanic vote" by politicians. It's a political reality. Hillary was simply referring to a political demographic.
Matthews and the rest of you liberal-guilt-ridden white folks should get over it.

[writeaway]

I m reminded of a story regarding advertising from the early days of radio. An account executive was trying to sell a wealthy client on advertising in a Sunday radio show that was very popular. The potential client said nobody listens to radio on Sunday , they are all out yachting. Come down south and listen to business men and women who have trouble hiring without turning to possibly illegal immigrants. Many make more money on the various welfare programs than they would at work. And its not just the south. There are many blacks who work hard just as there are many whites who work hard. I doubt that Chris Matthews has ever woked hard in his life.

[ejay579]

I started to write that your assertion that the poor make more money off of welfare programs than from working is utter bullshit. And, for the most part, I still believe it is utter bullshit if you consider cash income alone. However, factoring in health care, food stamps and housing assistance, you are probably correct. Rather than an indictment of the individuals involved, it is an indictment of the system. Why can't a person willing to work 40 hours a week be able to afford food, clothing, shelter, and health care? Everyone runs down to Walmart to buy cheap goods but wonders why their taxes keep going up. Of course Walmart's corporate policy of shifting the cost of health care to local authorities might have something to do with it. Everyday we move closer and closer to the Republicans' wet dream - a sweatshop economy.

[xigxag]

"Hard working people" isn't a demographic. If Hil had wanted to say she was being supported by low-income working-class Whites she should've come out and said it. But she didn't because it sounds insulting to remind her supporters they are low-income, and it sounds elitist to call people "working-class." Instead, let's call them "hard working." All well and good, except that in this case, it served to imply that those outside of her demographic were lazy and jobless. And who are those outside of her demographic?

[Gmoney1]

She meant what she said, blacks are not hardworking blue collar - blacks are easy working corporate type - she's losing it - she has to pay back all those big donors and she losing it and losing the quest for the nomination - what a shame - she's shadow boxing in West Virginia - trying to let those big money donors know that she tried - well Hillary, it's all over and the hardworking blue collar workers don't have any more money to give ya -

[patmancando]

Did you see the so called 'neutral' Rep Clyburn, come out of the woodwork yesterday to
reinforce the perception that Hillary was using the race card by saying she was winning the white working class vote? Nothing more than analyzing the race like news people and pundits do every primary Tuesday on the election returns reporting. Clyburn comes out before almost every primary using the race card just like he did before SC and NC. Now that it is near the end, I guess Clyburn wants to do every thing he can to help Obama not get trounced in WV and Kentucky, where HIllary is ahead in the polls. The MSM is reporting Obama will win Oregon based upon month old polls! Hillary is predicted to win Puerto Rico, where ,I think, it is winner take all. Factor in Michigan and Florida, which will have to be resolved. Hillary still has a chance; so I think Rep Clyburn is doing his best to once again bring up race baiting to swing votes to Obama.

[Phillyboy]

Chris has a good heart. A bad hairdresser, but a good heart.

[OuterBoroughPrincess]

His colorist clearly hates him.

[YuryGetsin]

This is what Obama did to the country. We are having conversations on race. This is a good thing.

[threegoal]

Just say that there are working people of all colors that work hard, and leave it at that. No race has a monopoly on hard work, and citing any specific evidence that shows a given race works hard is not necessary.

[egal]

Apparently, Hillary didn't get your memo. There's no way that saying Obama can't get the votes she can, those of "hard working people, white people" can be construed as non-racist.

[VARIT00L]

When it's reported Obama gets 90-95 % of Black votes, how in the hell can Hillary make her point by not mentioning White voters. Believe it or not, if you can't the majority of White voters, you just can't win.

[nolalily]

By the way, Obama has the majority of white voters. What do you call Iowa, Wyoming, Utah and on and on?

[ejay579]

Her husband did not get the majority of white voters. It seems that you are wrong. Hell, come to think of it, he couldn't get the majority of all voters. As that great American Don King use to say ONLY IN AMERICA!

[maxwellinformed]

I think that talking about race has become kind of OK with this election cycle. It can be a positive and I think that's what Obama's "A More Perfect Union" speech was all about. Obviously Hillary didn't get the memo that it was supposed to be a constructive discussion, but I do think that having these kinds of conversations, although uncomfortable, are ultimately good.

[NightRider]

Chris is right. However, it is not just Blacks that are up early catching the bus or the train. That is why the entire argument by the media and now Hillary is ridiculous and somewhat out of touch.

Just imagine, 2008 in America, a white broadcaster sees the need to come to the defense of hardworking Black people.

Progress?