Chris Matthews Praises Rendell, Makes Bizarre Jewish Reference

Hardball host Chris Matthews experienced one of those fleeting periods of brain-vacancy that so often plague his broadcasts this afternoon, leading him to transform a banal segment that profiled a possible vice-presidential pick for Senator Barack Obama into an utterly bizarre statement about Florida Jews:

MATTHEWS: So who is it? Pennsylvania Governor Eddie Rendell. I tell ya, this guy would surround that slice of ham - Obama - with so much rye bread, he'd have the whole state of Florida munching on it!

Uhm...so Ed Rendell is so kosher that he makes the treyf safe? And, prithee, Chris, what will all of Florida's Cuban stereotypes munch on?

[WATCH.]

Comments

[Titonwan]

You gotta admit that Chris and that big doofus Rendell are a pair. Kinda like Yogi and BooBoo. Except neither one of them are funny on purpose. Or Ed Norton and Ralph on "the Honeymooners". God, I'm getting old... :)

[kallopolis]

Chris Matthews is no Tim Russert.

[sco8d]

Rendel is not Jewish, his father converted to chritianity and brought his kids up Christian. Chris should know this, he is from Philly after all.

[heal57]

I think it was silly but kind of funny. I think HuffPo has a lot of anti-Chris Matthews postings. He not always pc; so what? He's not that bad, geez.

[eXcommunicate]

This was actually kinda funny. Stop hatin' on Matthews. He's a goober, and sometimes pretty vapid, but I think his heart is in the right place. I wish more political commentators had as much fun as this guy does on his show.

[AliLiz]

Chris Matthews is a lot of hot air. Too bad he is given so much space.

Are we so desperate we will take anyone to deliver the news?

[mergina]

Can't he be sent on a vacation or something? A long, long, loooooooooooong vacation.

[brendanm]

Chris Matthews has the soul of a poet...

[Hagrid]

I like Matthews, in small doses.

However his obscure metaphors are sometimes too obscure.
He must learn that he is not as clever and intelligent as Dennis Miller (used to be)

[brendanm]

No, Matthews' metaphors are not obscure, they're just stupid.

Dennis Miller''s metaphors are certainly obscure and usually stupid (usually regular O'Reilly guests are very clever...).

[Myshkin57]

You mean he must learn that he isn't as smart as Dennis Miller thinks he is. Miller plays the old trick of the bad academic; say something that sounds like it's smart and then just go on as if those who didn't understand are just stupid.

[RainboWalrus]

This is actually pretty funny.

[rebrarenee]

Chris, for the most part is fair and balanced with his attacks,agreements and opinion on political subjects and people. However, sometimes his biases do get a little obvious, and I think he should tone it down. He loves Pennsylvania and it's Govenor, most likely because it's his home state. I have noticed an exaggerated exhuberance when the subject of Pennsylvania and Gov. Rendell are discussed. Me thinks though, in Don Abrams terms I consider this statement "a blunder".
I am positive there was no malicious or prejudicial intent; it can give the illusion of an insensistive stereotypcal joke, that we are all subject to make about different cultures, races, religons, male, female, including, however we, ourselves, fit into those sterotypes. I know lots of Jews who are not kosher, and those who are, that take their religon seriously, and don't find any semblence of mocking it funny.
It's okay though, I think that people should not be so micro-managed on what they say. Take "what" they say and stop spinning it. It gets dizzying and make a person want to vomit. Politcs today is too serious to continue to spin words.

[BLUEinReddeststate]

Chris is a duffus! Yes he might ask interesting questions, but he doesn"t allow anyone, especially women, to answer. He asks a question then about 2-3 sentences into the answer Chris starts telling them what he wants to hear. He can"t help injecting his own opinion. This makes him a poor anchor/mediator for his style show. The fact he does it mostly to women is one of the reasons he gets a sexist tag.
Women who have appeared on his show have learned to just keep talking, so Chris starts talking louder. If this does work he asks someone else to agree with him.
It pains me to have to listen to him with Keith. Thank goodness for TeeVo.

PUBLIC EDUCATION IS THE ROAD TO ELITISM

[ElliotNC]

"And, prithee, Chris, what will all of Florida's Cuban stereotypes munch on? "

Why, ROPA VIEJA, of course!

Literally, "Old Clothes," a beef hash -- for all of you Gringos. Not that the Cubans are likely to be eating anything that Obama is serving, anyway.

[Hagrid]

How many Cuban Americans are there? 850,000???
There are 304,000,000 Americans

How come they are such a powerful political force?

I think we should open trade with Cuba. We would be helping the Cuban people by bringing funds, food and goods there.
We do Cuban Americans (who happen to enjoy everything America has to provide) want to keep their loved ones and fellow countrymen from prsoperity???

[arkgrfx61]

Jason, while I love your posts, I think this one is a little bit of a stretch. I'm a MOT, and I didn't take offense to that - especially since it's not even a Kosher sandwich! :). (but then again, I, myself, am NOT Kosher.)

Seriously though...it was stupid analogy, but I don't think he meant anything by it. Then again, I could be wrong.

[RonNYC]

Chris is the best. I will not stand for any bad words against him!

[NotMcCain]

Chris Matthews is occasionally insightful and sometimes ridiculous. He is emotional, brings his numerous prejudices to the table, and often talks without thinking. Within the same sentence, he can make you love and respect him AND hate him and roll your eyes at his comments.

Still, I'd take him over anyone at FOX.