Chris Matthews Calls Birthers 'Crackers' (VIDEO)

Chris Matthews called "birthers" "crackers" on his Friday show.

Matthews used the term while speaking to Politico's Jeanne Cummings and the Huffington Post's Sam Stein. He was discussing the attacks on President Obama.

"So much of this attack on Obama has been ad hominem -- directed at the person, the president," Matthews said. "Whether it's somebody, some cracker out there on the right calling him -- some birther type that he's not an American or it is someone a little more sophisticated, but basically saying he's a socialist."

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Comments

[JessCostello]

10:52 PM on 03/13/2011

I'm surprised no one called him out for that. When people say the white left is full of self-hating whites, this is one little example. Noel Ignatiev would be an extreme case.

[SIMPLICIMUSS]

11:07 PM on 03/13/2011

Being such a high-brow intellectual white elitist....does that make him a " Ritz" cracker ??

[Otherones]

02:20 AM on 01/19/2011

So it's okay to use racists slurs towards white people? (Just checkin')

[SonyaInTx]

06:24 PM on 01/18/2011

Chris can do no wrong in my book.

[allengoldchain]

05:12 PM on 01/18/2011

So to Chris Tingle Leg, along with NPR Hernandez, its acceptable to use racial terms. How come nobody is calling for Chris to be fired.

[phoebequeen]

04:47 PM on 01/18/2011

I like cracker. Cheese and crackers. And mice. And little birdies too.

[PWM]

12:04 PM on 01/18/2011

"I hope we shall... crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations, which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country." --Thomas Jefferson to George Logan, 1816. FE 10:69

[Dawg1000]

07:52 AM on 01/18/2011

Ritz, or Saltine?

[Roach Coach]

09:04 PM on 01/17/2011

HYPOCRITES, if someone on the right said that, the left would be screaming for their head, but the left has no problems with what Matthews said.

[JulieCarol]

05:15 PM on 01/17/2011

You don't think a lot of your country do you?

[Not Necessarily The News]

06:55 PM on 01/17/2011

Not one that is not forthcoming.

[Cakey4814]

04:40 PM on 01/17/2011

I know what he intended to imply but I have to be fair. That word is as offensive to some white people as the "n" word is to me..I can see why some would be offended. However those of us that watch him know it's just Chris Matthews being passionate about something and slipping up as he does from time to time..

[John Doe Smith]

03:39 PM on 01/17/2011

When referencing African-American people, Hispanic people, or anyone whose race is anything other than Caucasian, IT IS DEEMED UNACCEPTABLE TO USE LANGUAGE THAT COULD EVEN BE *INTERPRETED* AS A SLUR.

It’s called “insensitivity.”

Chris Matthews used insensitive language that could be interpreted as a slur.

He needs to offer a public apology and explain what he meant.

Is that too much to ask?

[derspado]

03:00 PM on 01/17/2011

Its going to be interesting to see how many dems vote to repeal!

[raphaelbonee]

02:18 PM on 01/17/2011

I like chris Matthews ... always watch the Chris Matthes show on sunday when I can and Hardball the day after(I refused to follow when networks and the FCC mandated HD TV so I get everything off the net now ... by the way that's a possible reason why Fox is doing well because, while ABC, CBS, NBC wen off the uhf vhf air waves, you can still watch fox on regular tv.)

But to my point I like Matthews and think I understand what he was trying to say with the comment.

[katylied]

02:06 PM on 01/17/2011

He also claimed some of these people were 'arm_ed to the teeth'. He meant to say 'arm_ed to the tooth'....

[Paul Conrad]

01:50 PM on 01/17/2011

Totally misleading headline. HP you can do better than that. I think...