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[Updated] Chris (“Tingle”) Matthews Calls West Point Soldiers the “Enemy Camp”

By Bronwyn's Harbor on December 2, 2009 at 7:00 AM in Current Affairs

306194-sUPDATE: Click the MediaBistro image to see the full-sized version.

Original: I hate it when i am speechless. But I hardly know what to say about this bizarre, wholly wrong-headed and unpatriotic remark by MSNBC’s Chris Matthews.

I wonder how the man keeps his job. Imagine if a Don Imus or an Anderson Cooper or any other news anchor or commentator had said such a thing: They’d be out on their ears before sun-up! Check this out via Newsbusters’ “Matthews Calls West Point, Site of Obama Speech ‘The Enemy Camp,’ ‘Strange Venue“:

"I think it’s true of most wars," Matthews said. "They start with a lot of excitement. I > the scene in ‘Gone with the Wind’ where the rebels are so excited about going to war with the North, a country they can’t beat because of its industrial advantage and population advantage. They are going to lose that war eventually."

However, Matthews also said he saw a lot of skepticism among some of the older audience members at West Point, which he called "the enemy camp" and "a strange venue." (emphasis added)

"It seems like in this case, there isn’t a lot of excitement," Matthews said. "I watched the cadets, they were young kids – men and women who were committed to serving their country professionally it must be said, as officers. And, I didn’t see much excitement. But among the older people there, I saw, if not resentment, skepticism. I didn’t see a lot of warmth in that crowd out there. The president chose to address tonight and I thought it was interesting. He went to maybe the enemy camp tonight to make his case. I mean, that’s where Paul Wolfowitz used to write speeches for, back in the old Bush days. That’s where he went to rabble rouse the "we’re going to democratize the world" campaign back in ’02. So, I thought it was a strange venue."

  • Portia Elizabeth

    Bronwyn — I admire your fortitude for watching Tweety these days. I expect him to say something ridiculous, so I get irritated before he even opens his mouth. That said, I have to admit I agree it was an odd choice for delivering a speech where he essentially said he wasn’t going to listen to his personally-chosen general (McChrystal), he wasn’t going to send the minimum number of requested troops to do the job right, and he was announcing a timeline that if the Taliban could be patient, would give Afghanistan back to them.
    Why wouldn’t those bright, dedicated young men and women be less than enthusiastic to hear their CinC declare to the terrorists that he didn’t want to fight after all? Win? Not so much.

    [insert some Scrooge-like comment here.]

    • elizabethrc

      He delivered it there because he has no idea where the Oval Office is and MapQuest is too difficult for him to figure out. Besides, it gives him another ‘fun’ outing and a chance to preen to folks in uniform. He likes their shiney buttons!

      • Docelder

        he has no idea where the Oval Office is

        That, or it was double booked with MTV. Then again, he above everybody probably knows that the global warming, and oil shortage fables are both just hooey.

      • Portia Elizabeth

        elizabeth — that’s hilarious. And probably true.

    • felizarte

      Choosing the site was pure stagecrafting–a photo op with those young uniforms as backdrops. But how could these cadets possibly applaud a speech outlining a strategy that everyone who has any kind of military schooling or experience knows, YOU DO NOT EVEN TELEGRAPH YOUR STRATEGY to the enemy!

      It would have been less costly, more sensible to announce more troops from the Oval Office. Mostly Obama needs to convince himself that he is doing what is right before he can convince anyone else, except perhaps Mr. Tingle.

      • Silence Dogood

        I’m sorry to report Oval Office was closed, due to being cleaned and fumigated: it has gotten soot covered from all the smoking BO is doing, being such a nervous wreck and all.

        If he is smoking still, I bet he’s smokin’ like a chimney. Where are pbot/ziggy/FF? Surely they are tree huggers and should immediately file a complaint with the EPA and Global Warming Schutzstaffel! All that smoke is a lot of pollution and green-house gas emissions!

  • John Smith

    Who cares what this guy actually has to say. This guy has the lowest rating among all three and all three combined can’t even beat Glenn on most nights. So they are just a bunch of ego maniacs talking and talking about nothing.

    • Silence Dogood

      Who cares what this guy actually has to say.

      Matthews as poster-child, represents a large chunk of the MSM becoming the de facto Ministry of Propaganda for a party and an administration. The bias was much worse during the election, just a little bit better now.

      So its valid to care.

  • http://www.sonicninjakitty.wordpress.com Sonic Ninja Kitty

    Again, strange choice of words by Matthews. He’s blown all credibility.

    BUT–how ‘should’ the audience react? And what are YOUR impressions of the audience reaction?

    • Portia Elizabeth

      I heard the camera caught one cadet snoozing. Guess they weren’t on the edge of their seats.

  • Bob Sykes

    The problem is that he will send these cadets to Afghanistan to die pointlessly and then pull the survivors out and let the Taliban take over.

    This is a policy worthy of Moloch.

    • Portia Elizabeth

      Okay, I had to google Moloch. I think you’re on to something, but I hope not for the sake of our troops.

  • RPL

    He used the word “I” 39 times, but didn’t use “win” or “victory” once. Amazing.

    This speech will not play well anywhere except in the minds of those who slavishly follow The Won. You might want to check Austin Bay’s “On Point” column on startegypage.com today, as it focuses on his speech.

  • waterstradt

    All hope for MSNBC no lost, he is either drunk or stupid.

  • devildog666

    Do people actually watch Mathews? I guess he represents the new Democrat party, the military is the enemy and Obama gives him a tingle.

  • RPL

    Actually, I stand corrected on my earlier post. He used “I” 45 times and “Afghanistan” 39 times.

    • http://www.rabblerouserruminations.blogspot.com/ Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy

      I wish I could say I was surprised by that, but I am not at all.

      What Matthews said was reprehensible – absolutely reprehensible. How dare he refer to one of the premier academies, heck, one of the premier colleges, in the country, in such a derogatory manner!

      And Obama going there in the first place as opposed to making the speech from the Oval Office is just more of his insatiable need to have people applaud for him. He has to have so much adulation (or at least applause) a week, or else he starts to wither.

      I still cannot believe Obama is President, or that Biden is VP.

      • elizabethrc

        I noted at one point during his speech, he paused after saying something which he expected applause for…that was the clear intent of the pause. The applause, belatedly, came in spatterings, and even that was without enthusiasm.
        I would not at all be surprised if someday, Obama tips over into insanity. His ego needs are so out of whack and so enormous that his need to be feed adulation, which is going in the opposite direction, know no bounds. It will be his ruination.

        • Portia Elizabeth

          Der Spiegel reported hearing someone telling the cadets beforehand to show an enthusiastic response to the speech. Maybe he needed Leno’s light-up applause sign.

    • tango

      How come no matter the subject, he manages to speak of himself so often? I can only imagine how many times he’ll refer to himself in the Nobel Prize speech.

      • b mathews

        he should be embarrassed to go to oslo for the nobel peace prize, since he and most of the world know its a farce. he has done NOTHING to deserve it. has he no shame? sorry, thats a redundant question. if he had any humility at all, he’d go there and say he cant accept the award at this time since he has done nothing to deserve it, but will gladly accept it, if and when the time comes that he has EARNED it. i wont hold my breath waiting for either. i also hear there is a petition going around to have his likeness put on mt rushmore. anyone remember what Pinnichio looked like when he turned into a donkey? thats the only image of him that id like to see on mt rushmore. maybe pat racimora could make that into a cartoon.

  • yttik

    Mathews lost his mind long ago. And yes, referring to our military as the enemy camp is truly bizarre.

  • Sassy

    We have already celebrated Thanksgiving this year, but we can still be thankful that this country was created and preserved by citizens with more timbre and courage than Matthews and Moore!

  • West Virginia

    Since we have seen evidence of MSNBC getting advance talking points from the WH the words “enemy camp” probably was coined on the b-ball court at 1600. That might actually be the attitude, toward the military, of those rude little dudes in nike shoes.

  • goldengrahme

    I love christening Matthews “Chris Tingle.”

    A truly inspired play on words and ideas.

    Why does C.M. plod down that predictable path to
    where no sane pundit dare go? (As if our current
    skewed news delivery makes sanity a prerequisite
    for public engagement.)

    Within the right/left paradigm of political discourse, some have to maintain the illusion–both Dem and Repub–that all is well in the castle. Though the emperor has no clothes and is actually quite unhinged.

    That applies to the whole system, not just one front man, however. The pendulum swings both ways
    with loyal minions securely in tow.

  • http://www.BullShit.com Osellingbullshit

    CALLING WEST POINT THE ENEMY CAMP IS THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR CHRIS MATHEWS. IF MSNBC HAS ANY SENSE THEY WILL LET HIM GO.

    CHRIS MATHEWS MUST GO!

    • Docelder

      He will probably get that same award that Katie Couric got for trashing Palin. We are a fractured and dysfunctional nation right now. We have a congress and senate right now that aren’t builders, but rather destroyers of unity. We have a President whose only concern is his own popularity. This will ultimately prove destructive to the union if something doesn’t give. If Obama wants to be Lincoln, here is his chance. Unite this fractured and dysfunctional nation before it’s too late. Get a speech writer who has some life experience and grow a pair. Be the one. The thing is, nobody is stopping him but himself. The time has never been better for a great leader to emerge. The stars are aligned and all we see are the words of a twenty something and “present”. Not the recipe for greatness.

  • tango

    Obama choose West Point for photo op and symbolic reasons. He thinks giving the Afghanistan speech there means the military supports him and he has their full respect. So if (when) it all goes to shit, he can float the narrative that this was a joint decision made with the military leaving Obama not responsible once again. Which is his whole career – never making a command decision and accepting responsibility if it’s wrong. Though I don’t think he thinks he is ever wrong. Anything that goes off track is someone elses fault.
    He’s like that a college student who scored positive responses on every question when being tested for narcissism. Rather than be embarassed, he bragged to his classmates that he got a 100%! He found a way to turn a negative around to a positive when it applied to him.

  • Silence Dogood

    Obama choose West Point for photo op and symbolic reasons.

    Agreed, and at this point, that only impresses the koolaid intoxicated.

  • Daisy Mae

    Who is Tweety? I thought he skeedaddled a long time ago.

    • Portia Elizabeth

      Tweety is a nickname for Chris Matthews because he looks a bit like the bird in the cartoon if you think about it.

  • Freedom Fighter

    I think many progressives and women’s groups would rather see President Obama prosecute military war criminals, who use smart weapons to bomb minority women and children, not making photo-ops with them.

    • Silence Dogood

      Progressives who support Obama have been duped, dear myopic and shortsighted one.

    • Portia Elizabeth

      When you speak of photo ops with military war criminals, do you mean Hugo Chavez?

      • Portia Elizabeth

        Darn it. I thought I cancelled this one. Sorry for the double post. :(

    • Portia Elizabeth

      Freedom Fighter — when you mention photo ops with military war criminals do you mean Hugo Chavez?

  • Doc99

    Pic of the Day. One Cadet’s vision of the mission.

  • Banned in Beantown

    In case you didn’t notice, GE is dumping the entire NBC Sewer. Matthews is just one smelly turd in the untreated effluent that is called NBC.

    • patriotparty1

      Dumping NBC. The FBI must be getting a little too close in watching the racket GE has with the white house and climate change, white house and GE finance, white house, and media control, white house, and Imelt advising. Time to start divesting of some of that before the RICO comes to visit.

    • CentralMass

      Though I think they are keeping a 51% interest in MSDNC..

  • Banned in Beantown

    Why does Obama pronounce Pakistan like a native, and Afghanistan like a New Yorker?

    • lorac

      I wonder, too. People say, well that’s the correct way. But it doesn’t explain why he does it “correctly” (in THAT language, not English) for a couple of countries, but not the rest.

      He doesn’t say “Parr-ee” for the city of Paris, he doesn’t say “Ruh-see-yah” for Russia, or “Meh-hee-ko” for Mexico, etc….

      • stodghie

        as i recall obummer screwed up being sworn so don’t give that fool any kudos.

  • patriotparty1

    One thing to look forward to is that maybe when Comcast buys NBC, they will not want to stay in the ratings toilet and will change the lib loon network and fire all at MSNBC!

  • CentralMass

    I can’t stand Matthew’s. His comment show you where he is coming from..

    Though regarding use the troops as prop. Don’t Forget the infamous Bush teleconference with the troops in Tikrit where the Deputy Secretary of defense was caught on tape by CNN coaching the troops on what to say and how to respond.

    These Cadets shouldn’t have their tenure pissed on by political acrimony. The commander and Chief made a visit to the Academy and the event framed what this is really about. It us about them. The men and women in that room and others like them who volunteer to serve this country. If nothing else, Obama has been far more competent and less divisive on military matters then his predecssor.

  • Silence Dogood

    “Matthews apologizes for `enemy camp’ remark” reported by AP early this AM. The gaff monster eats crow.