Chris Matthews, (racist?) moron

By Michael J.W. Stickings

We know he's a sexist, but it seems he's also something of a racist:

[Thursday] night on Hardball, host Chris Matthews sought to give Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) some "advice" on how to get white Americans to vote for him for president:

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.

So... a lot of whites are racists who root only for the blacks who play on their favourite sports teams?

So... whites in Chicago only liked Michael Jordan because he played for the Bulls, with homerism trumping racism?

So... these racists, what do they think of blacks who play for other teams? Let's say Jordan had been traded to the Lakers or the Celtics, would they then have gone all racist on him?

So... whites only put aside their racism for sports "heroes"? And so... blacks aren't good for anything other than playing for the hometown team?

I agree with Libby: "[H]ow does this jerk still have a job? I don't see any way to view this remark about Obama as anything but purely racist. Besides, even when he's not dishing out sexist and racist stereotypes, his political commentary never rises above inane gossip. It's ridiculous to pretend he's a serious analyst. He's a disgrace to the industry and should be taken off the air."

In the meantime, it seems to me he's got some explaining to do.