Chris Matthews: "I Forgot He Was Black"

Why is Chris Matthews the man who makes liberals smack themselves upside the head?

Mostly because he goes on live television and says cringe inducing things like his remarks following President Obama's State of the Union speech:

I was trying to think about who he was tonight. It's interesting: he is post-racial, by all appearances. I forgot he was black tonight for an hour. You know, he's gone a long way to become a leader of this country, and passed so much history, in just a year or two. I mean, it's something we don't even think about. I was watching, I said, wait a minute, he's an African-American guy in front of a bunch of other white people. And here he is president of the United States and we've completely forgotten that tonight — completely forgotten it. I think it was in the scope of his discussion. It was so broad-ranging, so in tune with so many problems, of aspects, and aspects of American life that you don't think in terms of the old tribalism, the old ethnicity. It was astounding in that regard. A very subtle fact. It's so hard to talk about. Maybe I shouldn't talk about it, but I am. I thought it was profound that way.

I know exactly what Chris "I feel a tingle" Matthews means. I know I forget I'm Black for hours. Sometimes for the whole day. I'm profound that way.

Sweet Creepin' Jebus. Does MSNBC really have to wonder why they're stuck in third place behind Fox and CNN?

William Haskins said:

it shouldn't be surprising that matthews thinks this way. much of obama's appeal for many of his tingling fans rested—and continues to rest—in the symbolism of his race.

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What do you base this upon? Your personal absence of tingling or your decades of expertise understanding how White people interact with intelligent, articulate and charismatic Black men?

William Haskins said:

i base it mostly on how his cheerleaders so readily leap to race in order to deflect criticism and demonize his opposition.

it's intellectually dishonesty and cynically manipulative.

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I don't think it makes someone an Obama "cheerleader" to cite race as a contributing factor in some of criticism leveled against him. All you have to be is a conscious American citizen with an knowledge of this nation's troubled racial history, an understanding of how much of what White people know about Black people comes second hand as many of them have little interaction with members outside of their own racial club.

There's nothing intellectually dishonest or cynically manipulative to note Barack Obama has been treated in ways no Chief Executive has before him.

What is intellectually dishonest and cynically manipulative are those individuals whose disdain and contempt for him is based upon his race. Chris Matthews fawns over Obama because he's never met a Black man like him and that makes him an insufferable boor, but it doesn't make him unique. Many Black people hear those same words but only the phrasing changes. "I don't think of you as Black." It's meant as a compliment, but it's just as big an insult as calling me the N-word.

For those of us who grew up around and learned from exception Black men and women, Barack Obama is not some sort of unicorn or other mythical beast. There's nothing special about Obama in that aspect. I knew and know people like Barack Obama every day of my waking life. They aren't unususal to me as they are to Chris Matthews who apparently was led to believe these kind of Black people only existed in Sidney Poitier films and The Cosby Show.

Haskins, I don't know whether to take you seriously or not sometimes. If you don't believe there's no racial component involved in some--and I emphasize the word "some"---of the criticism leveled at Obama--whether it's the Birthers, the bigots that show up at Tea Party protests, the Joe Wilsons of the world that shout out "You lie!" and are applauded as heroic figures by the Right, and the others who attempt to deny the legitimacy and authority of the president--then I don't know what to tell you and really don't intend to spend my time trying to convince you otherwise.

You and your little persecution complex should be very happy together.