I was wondering how long this would take. Now that the Democratic and Republican nominee picture is becoming clearer, MSNBC zookeeper talk show host, Chris Matthews, may have inadvertently signalled his intention to cover this election cycle like it was 2000. Caught on a hot mike during the network’s coverage of the Indiana primary, Tweety was heard to make the following comments about Melania Trump:
"Did you see her walk? Runway walk. My God is that good," Matthews could be heard saying as the Republican frontrunner's wife walked onto the stage.
"I could watch that runway show," Matthews said.
Matthews’ sexist, thigh rubbing, objectifying of women is well documented, and while this outrageous behavior should not be minimized, I believe it portends his intention to shift attention from the obvious gap in qualifications between the two candidates, and once again, focus on driving an inane narrative to turn this year’s election into a horse race.
Recall the 2000 election, when George W. Bush was not qualified to carry Al Gore’s briefcase. Based on the individual merits of the candidates, that election should have been a blowout win for Gore. Yet Matthews was instrumental in focusing viewers’ attention on Gore’s “problem with telling the truth,” his “disturbing” decision to wear earth tones, and the “troubling” number of buttons on his suit jackets. The fact that Bush was a cocaine addled, dry drunk, who couldn’t be bothered to serve his full commitment to an ANG champagne unit went unreported because he was a guy Tweety would like to have a beer with. Gore on the other hand, was referred to as “Clinton’s bathtub ring.” Other “luminary” talking heads such as Frank Rich, Margaret Carlson, and others were more than willing to join Tweety’s circus of the absurd, and helped drive the narrative which portrayed Gore as a pathological liar and bully, and Bush as a misunderestimated good old boy.
Look, I don’t think Matthews or any of his Martha’s Vineyard cohort really care who wins this election. However it turns out, they will continue to carry water for the one percent. But viewers don’t tune in to watch a blowout. And in the TeeVee showbiz world they inhabit, ratings equal money. I hope I’m proven wrong on this, but it seems like deja vu all over again. I fully expect Matthews to drive a similar vacuous narrative this time around. His criticism of Hillary Clinton has already centered around her physical appearance, the sound of her voice, and how difficult the job of president would be for a woman (think “Math is hard”). I fully expect him to try and turn this into a beauty contest between Hillary Clinton and Melania Trump, ignoring the very real, very scary prospects of a Trump presidency. Exactly the kind of bullshit that appeals to the collective libido of Trump’s supporters. And it’s giving me that same sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.