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Tweety’s hubris and Thank Heaven for Jon Stewart

By LisaB on December 5, 2008 at 6:30 PM in Chris Matthews, MSNBC, Sexism

As you probably know, Tweety is either getting ready to run for a Senate seat in PA or just trying to squeeze more dollars out of MSNBC. Now this is really a “revoltin development.” Politico had this to say:

If Matthews is serious about running, some within the network hope he commits to the Pennsylvania Senate race sooner rather than later. Otherwise, his nightly presence on “Hardball” provides easy fodder to critics fueling the narrative that MSNBC is in the tank for the Democratic party. After NBC News was stung by criticism during the presidential campaign — charged with bias resulting from the antics of more outspoken personalities on MSNBC — staffers worry the situation will be repeated over the next six months.

Read the rest ->

To those speaking to him, all signs point to a candidate who is gearing up to run for the Senate seat held by Republican Arlen Specter. Either that or the MSNBC host is doing an awfully good job making people think he’s running — perhaps, some say, for use as a bargaining chip in his upcoming contract negotiations.

———————–

Matthews also drew the ire of feminist groups during the presidential primary when he said Hillary Rodham Clinton got where she was because “her husband messed around.” He later apologized for his remarks, but they could cost him among female voters in a Democratic primary.

“Treating Hillary Clinton badly during the primary is going to come back and haunt him,” said one Democratic operative aligned with a potential rival of Matthews. Noting the comparisons between Matthews and Al Franken, another celebrity Senate candidate, the operative noted: “At least the liberal base of the party liked him. The liberal base really dislikes Matthews.”

The liberals dislike Matthews? Why? He beat up on Hillary Clinton often enough. I thought all the ‘bots LOVED Matthews? No? Well, who loves him then? Seriously, who is his adoring audience? What has this guy contributed beyond a long list of sexist remarks and an anti-Chris website (sadly now long out of date – it may be time to revive this).

Speaking of Matthews, Jon Stewart calls MSNBC the new Fox:

And the Daily Show on the Mumbai Tragedy: “John Oliver explains that when you’re a bankrupt ideology pursuing a bankrupt strategy, the only move you’ve got is the dick one. ”

Wish I’d written that.

  • tek

    Jon Stewart. Can’t stand that little twerp. He and Maher are two of the reasons Obama got on the Dem ticket instead of Hillary.

    • Teresaa

      I’m with you, Tek. He calls others out for their bias when he has extraordinary bias of his own.

      I don’t care if he’s a satirist, people go to him for news. If he’s going to call others out on their bias, he’d better make sure that he’s not living in a glass house.

      • skinny malinky

        People don’t go to him for news; no one thinks the Daily Show is a news show, and no one thinks he’s unbiased. And with this thing on MSNBC, they’re obviously showing that they’re willing to go after stupid stuff on the left just like they go after stupid stuff on the right. But again, no one mistakes the Daily Show for BBC World.

        • bart

          I really liked the Mumbai bit on the second video.

          • Lee Ruth

            I thought the second video was ridiculously insensitive. There is no place for this kind of show. It lowers the intelligence of anyone watching.

            • Jillie

              insensitive? are you serious? we have to watch out how we label people who kill, maim, and destroy men, women, and children?

              you are one of those mf’s.

        • BernieO

          Also Stewart is willing to mock Obama for being “the one”. The Daily Show also did a great bit about the sexism in the media during the primaries.
          http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=171493&title=Sexism

          • hillfan4life

            he did that bit on sexism conveniently after the primaries were over

        • Ani

          I beg to differ with you. Jon Stewart is the first person to say that his show is not “news” but there are a lot of people who treat his show as if it is news anyway. There was quite a bit of coverage of this situation in the past couple of years.

          There are plenty of people out there who think Jon is the bomb and he influences their thinking. His bias does affect people. It is foolish to assume otherwise.

          • Steve_in_KC

            Agreed, Ani, Stewart can proclaim he’s not running a news show, but most of the people who watch his show don’t watch or read real news, just shows like his and Bill Maher’s.

            Those shows, and Colbert, are news satire, but they are just as influential to liberals as Hannity and O’Reilly are to conservatives. Therefore, in my opinion, they are news shows, fine-tuned for liberal sheeple. They are “hip” news shows.

        • noproblama

          no one thinks the Daily Show is a news show,

          No one over 40, maybe. But for the yzers, that’s pretty much it.

    • Typewriterstreaming

      Hear! Hear! Tek. John Stewart is just about as disgusting as Tingle. The pot to the kettle.

      • beebop

        Two things occurred to me:

        1. Men protecting men.

        2. When did these guys change over from reasoning with terrorists to swearing at them? And how close are they now to bombing them? Maybe shrub just skipped reasoning ….

    • Mary Pat

      I used to watch both Stewart and Maher religiously, until the name-calling started. Maher called Palin a stewardess, and Stewart (in a live appearance) insulted her with much worse.

      I understand that Stewart ridiculed Bush as a “jackass” a couple of nights ago. Bush has been a terrible POTUS, but it’s unacceptable to descend to that kind of name-calling.

      Good for Stewart and Maher that they got what they so fervently wished for in the Messiah’s election. But the comedy material is going to be awfully thin for them in the next four years unless they quit kissing his you-know-what.

      • danny

        You should see some of the names people get called on this blog.

    • mountainaires

      Thank god, there are others out here who feel the same way I do. John Stewart is really beginning to irritate and annoy, and Bill Maher is so puffed up with his own self-importance, he’s gonna pop on his program one night. I mean, c’mon, in a rational world, Bill Maher is the smarmiest thing to come down the pike. Maher is “Would you buy a used car from this man?” smarmy. Ugh.

      Stewart is smart, and funny. And annoying most of the time. Why on earth do politicians think they need to legitimize John Stewart anyway? His audience doesn’t read, doesn’t know who controls Congress, and most of the time, don’t even vote! They undermine their own credibility by appearing on comedy shows, posing as news programs. Could we have some SERIOUS people running this country, please?!

  • http://www.myspace.com/isomer_69 LAUREN

    Here is another funny Chris Matthews website:

    http://chrismatthewsleg.wordpress.com/

  • WildChild

    MSNBC put mike wiener and tucker carlson on it’s station when it looked like evangelic conservatism would rule the land for the foreseeable future. If anything, MSNBC is guilty of kissing up to the powers that be, regardless of who they are.

    • Galt

      Interesting observation. By the way do you know why he is called “Tweety?” Thanks.

      • NCgirl

        Because he is blonde and pale, I suppose.

        • DAB

          He also sports a large platter-head similar to Sylvester’s boidy — a striking resemblance. Matthews body is on the large side too, while Tweety’s is teeny and slim.

      • WildChild

        I have no idea I used to watch his show religiously. He’s a philly guy and I grew up in Jersey. We didn’t see eye to eye on everything but I always took him to be a honest broker until he developed a new bout of Clinton derangement syndrome. I had to shut him off. I know one thing though, his contract With MSNBC was extended eight years back in early 2001. So it should be coming up again.

        • WildChild

          had no idea.

        • Galt

          Same here, I used to watch him then he went off the deep end in my opinion.

          • noproblama

            Never liked him. He touted Bush and they went googoo for barkypops.

    • Tyrione

      Hate to shock you, but Tucker is an Episcopalian and a fiscal libertarian. He’s pro-gay marriage and much more.

      He’s a tool, but he’s not a tool for the Neo-conservatives.

      It’s just not too shocking the kid of the mom heir to the Swanson Food legacy and whose dad was in charge of NPR gets a job in the industry after dropping out of college.

      Platinum spoons come in many shapes and sizes.

  • NCgirl

    I learned to hate Chris Matthews the day he pinched Hillary on the cheek when she was campaigning. He had been calling out to her from the sidelines and he thought she was ignoring him. After she was finished speaking, she walked over to him, and he had the nerve to reach out and pinch her cheek like a child. That ass pinched a sitting US senator and a former first lady on the cheek! I thought it was terrible. How disrespectful can you get. I would have had the secret service remove him from the premises if it had been me. Hillary has great self-control, though. She merely smiled at him and made a comment which I cannot recall now.

  • Pingback: Tweety’s hubris and Thank Heaven for Jon Stewart at Hillary Clinton On Best Political Blogs

  • K2

    http://guerillawomentn.blogspot.com/2008/12/sexist-photo-obama-speechwriter-gropes.html

    Have you seen this yet? Why isn’t it on the front page???

    • mimi

      Yeah, I saw it. I’ve commented on the ‘Open Thread’ just below.

      It should be on the front page.

    • Mandelay

      Makes me sick.

  • mimi

    Oh..

    He should be fired!

  • HARP

    Tingle Tweety will find out how unimportant he really is.

  • vanroth

    Matthews had a hard on on air when he saw Bush in that flight suit. Anyone remember that ? Just like how he gets that tingle up his leg when he sees Obama. Hell, if Bush and Obama can be President, Matthews can be Senator, no ? The absurdity never ends …

  • Steve_in_KC

    Lisa,

    Thank you for posting the Daily Show clips. It used to be one of my favorite shows, but like many here would agree, it got kind of sickeningly Kool-Aid-ish last spring. When I first saw the trend that they were bashing Hillary and never had an unkind thought about BO, I took it, Colbert, Letterman, Maher, and the rest off my viewing list.

    So I’m glad to see something from Stewart that I could enjoy for a change. I may have to try sampling it again… nah, not yet! ;)

    • http://baddemocrat08.wordpress.com csuzeq

      I used to watch the Daily Show all the time and during the primaries I just could not stand the Obalove or Stewart. He was so rude to Newt Gingrich and all Republicans during the convention I am not even sure why he covered it! I have tried to watch occasionally in the past couple weeks and he still makes me want to puke. I doubt I’ll ever go back. Too bad because that Mumbai clip was funny. I am never going to understand the Obalovefest in this country. I hope it stops. Sadly for America, I think it can only end if That One falls flat on his face with a major screw up. I do not understand what has happened here. Am I asleep and having a nightmare???? I never seem to wake up from it. Maybe I am in a coma and having these nightmares.

      This is not the Jon Stewart I knew! This is not the America I knew!

      I am a disgruntled democrat!

  • http://www.anova.org/software/ zaine_ridling

    jon stewart annoyingly laughs at himself so much that he can barely finish a sentence anymore. Never saw the funny in him. Never saw him take on obama either. Maybe he’ll convert to Islam and name his kids after obama before the inauguration.

  • politicsIsdirty

    John Stewart lambasting MSNBC? Look who’s talking. Stewart is a member of the kool aid, Obama adoring cult.

  • socalannie

    If tweety runs, I think I’ll go to Pennsylvania to vote against him. I’m going to vote as myself, myself Jr, & myself Sr. No doubt any address will do, and from what I’ve heard from friends in Philly, id’s are no big deal. Viva la democracy!

  • Strawberrybitch

    Hey, think about it guys…Jon is willing to criticize Barky…I really didn’t think anyone would ever have the balls to do so. Just think about the hate mail he’s getting right now…from progressives no less. Let’s hope the trend continues. Give the guy some credit. Oh PS I believe that John McCain has been on The Daily Show more than any other guest…he and Jon are friends.

  • warehouse553

    Arlen will crush Matthews!

    • beebop

      It will be fun to watch. Dontcha think?

  • DAB

    I turned off Stewart when his satire crossed over the line into pure mean spiritedness. Although he did have McCain on a lot previous to the campaign, I don’t believe that he was on during it. Wise to avoid him too, because Stewart was extremely harsh and unfair to McCain/Palin tended to use a lot of tasteless “old man” and “dumb broad” jokes, which I thought was the primary domain of late nights’ Leno et al.

    When my daughter, a major Obamabot, visited for Thanksgiving, I watched a few bits with her for the first time in a while and did find some of them to be funny again, and even found a couple of mild slings and arrows directed at That One. Still I will never view Stewart in the same light. It is one thing to ruthlessly skewer a major screw-up President, but quite another to so brazenly take sides during an election cycle. After all, there was plenty of humor on all sides, but I guess they were just blinded by the light (or were they just HYPE-MO-TIZED).

    • oowawa

      blinded by the light

      For a comic whose stock-in-trade is satire, this is fatal.

      • DAB

        Agreed.

  • Gandalfs Beard

    Give me a break. I can’t believe how many people are “offended” by John Stewart. The Daily Show isn’t a news show–it’s a satire of “news shows.” In fact it as a comedic form of media criticism just like the Onion. So of course he is as free as a bird to air his own political leanings–which is far better than the pretense of objectivity on “Real” news shows. Get a clue people.