Matthews: Palin Looked Into Camera Like a 'Dolt'

Photo of Geoffrey Dickens.

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After the vice presidential debate Chris Matthews criticized Sarah Palin for, of all things, looking into the camera because it made her look like a "dolt." In fact, the "Hardball," host took several stylistic shots at Palin that implied the Alaska Governor wasn't very intelligent. Audio here

When guest panelist Roger Simon noted Palin looked directly into the camera, Matthews observed:

You know what I think of people when they come on "Hardball," and they look at the camera, I think they're dolts.

In addition to the "dolt," remark Matthews viewed Palin's performance as "so reciting," and "automatic," "like a spelling bee," and charged:

The dangerous thing about these debates is that you can really recite your way to victory. You can memorize an awful lot of material and get away with it as intelligence, when in fact, it's just really good preparation.

The following exchanges occurred during MSNBC's October 2, post vice presidential debate coverage and then later on a special midnight [EDT] edition of "Hardball:"

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MATTHEWS: But for a while there I thought I was listening to a person recite to the point and I mean recite speech parts, to the point I thought I was watching a spelling-bee. It was so reciting. So automatic. It sounded like a spelling-bee where you read each word out, you recite the word, give the spelling, give the word back again, exactly the way you were taught. I think it sounded a bit automatic, but let's leave it to the viewers. Some people might find that bracing.

...

MATTHEWS: David [Gregory] I think the dangerous thing about these debates is that you can really recite your way to victory. You can memorize an awful lot of material and get away with it as intelligence, when in fact, it's just really good preparation.

...

ROGER SIMON, POLITICO: When she faced the audience, she always looked directly into the camera, always directly at America. Joe Biden was turned for most of it.

CHRIS MATTHEWS: He was looking at Gwen.

SIMON: At Gwen Ifill, exactly! Which came across better?

MATTHEWS: Well apparently according to all the polling, talking to, answering the questions of the moderator, not ignoring those questions, not doing what every, every first year candidate does is go right to the camera. You know what I think of people when they come on "Hardball," and they look at the camera, I think they're dolts. I think that's the one thing people don't like, because when you're looking at me right now, that's real. You're looking at me that's real. You start looking in the camera right now and answer my question and see how you look. Okay just see how you look.

SIMON: Joe Biden went through-

MATTHEWS: Go ahead talk to the camera, don't talk, don't talk to me, see what you looked like. You look like a dolt!

 

—Geoffrey Dickens is the senior news analyst at the Media Research Center.


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MATTHEWS: David [Gregory] I

MATTHEWS: David [Gregory] I think the dangerous thing about these debates is that you can really recite your way to victory.

Victory!!!  I guess that means he really thinks Palin won the debate!!!

"I drink a great deal. I sleep a little, and I smoke cigar after cigar. That is why I am in two-hundred-percent form."
-- Winston Churchill

Someone else wrote this: Biden lied 14 times during the debate

Joe Biden's 14 Lies 

1. TAX VOTE: Biden said McCain voted “the exact same way” as Obama to increase taxes on Americans earning just $42,000, but McCain DID NOT VOTE THAT WAY. 

2. AHMEDINIJAD MEETING: Joe Biden lied when he said that Barack Obama never said that he would sit down unconditionally with Mahmoud Ahmedinijad of Iran. Barack Obama did say specifically, and Joe Biden attacked him for it. 

3. OFFSHORE OIL DRILLING: Biden said, “Drill we must.” But Biden has opposed offshore drilling and even compared offshore drilling to “raping” the Outer Continental Shelf.” 

4. TROOP FUNDING: Joe Biden lied when he indicated that John McCain and Barack Obama voted the same way against funding the troops in the field. John McCain opposed a bill that included a timeline, that the President of the United States had already said he would veto regardless of it’s passage. 

5. OPPOSING CLEAN COAL: Biden says he’s always been for clean coal, but he just told a voter that he is against clean coal and any new coal plants in America and has a record of voting against clean coal and coal in the U.S. Senate. 

6. ALERNATIVE ENERGY VOTES: According to FactCheck.org, Biden is exaggerating and overstating John McCain’s record voting for alternative energy when he says he voted against it 23 times. 

7. HEALTH INSURANCE: Biden falsely said McCain will raise taxes on people's health insurance coverage -- they get a tax credit to offset any tax hike. Independent fact checkers have confirmed this attack is false 

8. OIL TAXES: Biden falsely said Palin supported a windfall profits tax in Alaska -- she reformed the state tax and revenue system, it's not a windfall profits tax. 

9. AFGHANISTAN / GEN. MCKIERNAN COMMENTS: Biden said that top military commander in Iraq said the principles of the surge could not be applied to Afghanistan, but the commander of NATO's International Security Assistance Force Gen. David D. McKiernan said that there were principles of the surge strategy, including working with tribes, that could be applied in Afghanistan. 

10. REGULATION: Biden falsely said McCain weakened regulation -- he actually called for more regulation on Fannie and Freddie. 

11. IRAQ: When Joe Biden lied when he said that John McCain was “dead wrong on Iraq”, because Joe Biden shared the same vote to authorize the war and differed on the surge strategy where they John McCain has been proven right. 

12. TAX INCREASES: Biden said Americans earning less than $250,000 wouldn’t see higher taxes, but the Obama-Biden tax plan would raise taxes on individuals making $200,000 or more. 

13. BAILOUT: Biden said the economic rescue legislation matches the four principles that Obama laid out, but in reality it doesn’t meet two of the four principles that Obama outlined on Sept. 19, which were that it include an emergency economic stimulus package, and that it be part of “part of a globally coordinated effort with our partners in the G-20.” 

14. REAGAN TAX RATES: Biden is wrong in saying that under Obama, Americans won't pay any more in taxes then they did under Reagan. 

Biden needs to cool off and

Biden needs to cool off and go to 7-11 and get the "Liemon" flavor slurpee.

Thank you for the list.

Thank you for the list.

Sarah did soo good, she made 0'biden CRY!

She whacked him on a few of the lies...

SARAH IS A WINNER....yipie

CLIMATE CRISIS

IranianUranium

Thanks!  I needed this

Thanks!  I needed this list.  Salve for my aching head from reading a pro-biden debate thread on another site.

The list is here at  Ace

The list is here at  Ace of Spades HQ  in case anyone wants to bookmark it.

8. OIL TAXES: Biden falsely

8. OIL TAXES: Biden falsely said Palin supported a windfall profits tax in Alaska -- she reformed the state tax and revenue system, it's not a windfall profits tax. 

Palin not responding to that was a major lost opportunity.  Royalty payments are not a windfall profits tax. Charging a company for the resource they are taking out of publicly owned ground is fair compensation.  Charging a tax on someone's profits is a wholly different matter.  In fact, now that the drilling ban is expired, there is still no rush by the oil and gas companies to drill, why?  The States other than Alaska don't get a share of the royalty payments the federal government gets.  The States have no vested interest in approving drilling.  Palin missed the opportunity of pinning the inaction by Congress to promote drilling to lower the price of oil.  Palin missed the opportunity to accuse Democrats of breaking their 2006 campaign pledge to the American people to lower the price of gasoline.  In doing so Palin missed the opportunity to connect with the average person and offer them a solution to their problem they understand. 

Having said that, given the debate prep was by McCain supporters, it seems to me that the reason Palin didn't make these critical points among many others that literally fell in her lap was because McCain's influence limiting her response.  I blame this on McCain. Just as I blame McCain for not allowing Palin to go after Obama's connection to the Fannie Mae Freddie Mac debacle of voting against it in 2005. Just as Obama and Biden are trying to tie McCain to the last 8 years of the Bush Administration, McCain should be tying Obama to Barney Frank and Chris Dodd for their failures with the FMs and Pelosi and Reid's drilling ban.  I believe what is going on here is McCain in the back of his mind is saying I have to go easy on these guys because after Nov 4th I have to compromise with them.  Here's a hint there John McCain, just as the MSM turned on you after you became the GOP nominee, the Dems will turn on you in January 2009 if you should be so lucky as to win the election despite yourself.

Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, starving the poor one gallon of ethanol at a time. Fill your tank with E85 and cull a village.

The problem is that McCain

The problem is that McCain was criticized for NOT looking into the camera!

So Palin looks in the camera... and she's a dolt??

Where the heck are people supposed to look then??? 

"Look, when Keith anchors, he plays it straight down the line.”
-MSNBC President Phil Griffin

http://www.xanga.com/mikeknaj

DOLT: definition

A believe a "dolt" throws his career away making "I got a thrill up my leg" comments.

The whole MSNBC gang

is irrelevant.   They are so out of touch with the world with their petty, snarky comments.  To top it all off a small viewership that will always hate Conservatives/Repubs no matter what.

They are angry, biased, childish, vindicative and petty.   Very inbred in their thoughts as well as predictable.  The whole 24 hrs gang are living in a world devoid of reality and fact.  Reminds me of Lord of Flies in away, someday an adult will put a stop to their madness.  Maybe when GE sells them off.

No Obama Not now or ever...

 

Matthews

I guess he only wants Erin Burnett to look in the camera

MATTHEWS: Could you get a little closer to the camera?

BURNETT: My -- what is it? Is it zooming in strangely?

MATTHEWS: Come on in closer. No, come in -- come in further -- come in closer. Really close.

Sarah Palin said at the

Sarah Palin said at the outset that she wanted to speak directly to the American people.  Well, they live in that camera, so to speak.  Therefore, why would she not look into the camera?

I think she did well, and I have no problem whatsoever with her being "a heartbeat away" from the Presidency.

Matthews is the dolt

Your preaching to the choir Matthews.  

Chris

 

What
can we expect from Chris, he is sexist bi***. He did the same to Hillary
Clinton during the primaries. Guess what I don't care what Chris has to say, it’s
predictable.

 

 

Obama: "No, if we're going to ask questions about who is promulgating negative ads that are completely unrelated to the issues at hand, I think I win that contest pretty handily"

Didn't Obamadolt look into

Didn't Obamadolt look into the camera during his debate?

Dolt

I can't wait for Nov. All those talking heads won't know where to hide. Matthews/Couric the team from hell. Dolt indeed. Your insecurity is showing Chris, get your act together. Maybe you should spent some time in a re-education camp, call Michelle Obozo.

 

Livefree or die trying

Didn't Obamadolt look into

Didn't Obamadolt look into the camera during his debate?

Yes he did, but back then it was a good thing. LOL

In fact the NYT praised Obama for it (h/t Michelle Malkin's blog):

..[  ]....In many ways, Mr. Obama was a very different candidate than he was
during the primary battles. He answered questions directly and
affirmatively, typically looking right into the camera as he spoke.

MATTHEWS: David [Gregory] I

MATTHEWS: David [Gregory] I think the dangerous thing about these debates is that you can really recite your way to victory. You can memorize an awful lot of material and get away with it as intelligence, when in fact, it's just really good preparation.

   You know, like when a man who has accomplished nothing in his life can appear as being of Presidential caliber.

Sorry; can't agree with

Sorry; can't agree with you.  0bama has no mental capacity, as evidenced by his pathetic flailing without a teleprompter.

As for Matthews, only a left-wing dunce who buys the social experiments we pass off as "education" these days could conclude that memorization is not a cornerstone of learning.

"When the stock market crashed, Franklin D. Roosevelt went on the television, and he didn't just, you know, talk about the princes of greed." - Joe Biden

Please Please let someone with editing talent do something

Chris Mathews always looks into the camera. Please someone with editing capabilities put together a montage of the dolt Mathews looking into the camera.

Chris and KO no longer are a joke - the snickers at their stupidity have given away to utter anoyance.

I can no longer stomache these clowns that look down their noses at anyone with an once of common sense or a righteous moral compass.

If only the DC cocktail crowd and Northern Virginia mafia knew how ignorant they appear to those with true wisdom in between the leftist coasts 

 

Fred Grandy was asked about

Fred Grandy was asked about the "too folksy" accusation on the radio this morning.  He said, "there's no such thing as too folksy when it comes to the people; only elitists will take that view" (that Palin's phrases and addressing the camera are a negative).

The last time the press and the left went so far out of their way to ridicule a candidate was Reagan in 1980.  I hope the American electorate decides the same way this time. 

Palin = idiot savant

"You can memorize an awful lot of material and get away with it as intelligence..."

Yes, Matthews, that is one of the leading indicators of an extremely low IQ: the ability to memorize vast amounts of material.

And those guests on your show that look into the camera - those would be the ones that can't stand looking at your idiotic facial expressions. 

As a Buck's Co. native...

If Chris "the drooler" Matthews decides to run for office I'll be right there, day after day with Howard Wolfson, making sure he loses. Did you see how this guy drooled all over Jill Biden when Joe got the nod for VP? She represents everything "drooler" wished he'd had from 1977 on... Matthews prolly still has the Farrah poster in his closet. Wannabe d-bag...

Who is a dolt?

It is interesting that one of George Snuffelopicus' first comments after the first Presidential debate was that Obama looked directly into the camera during the debate. George was saying what a great thing that was ... b/c Obama was directly speaking to the voters ... while McCain was answering the moderator. Obama got points for it ... now for doing the same thing, Palin is a "dolt". 

Guess George and Chris Matthews don't agree on what should be done during a debate.  

I have to defend George

I have to defend George here.  The proper spelling is "Snuffleupagus".  Just ask Big Bird.

Matthews on Bill Clinton:

Matthews on Bill Clinton: "Oh, G-d, look at the guy!  He's a rock star!"

Matthews on Obama: "I just felt a thrill going up my leg..."

So who's the dolt, Chris?  A real journalist who knows how to connect with the audience through the camera, or a barely-in-the-closet sycophant who can't control his baser reactions to people who turn him on?

My e-mail to Matthews:

sent to Nightly@NBC.com; letters@msnbc.com; hardball@msnbc.com

Dear Mr. Matthews,

Allow me to communicate to you in terms you
can understand, at an intellectual level that you can follow along
with, in words that perhaps bring to mind all the sad memories of your
schoolyard youth when you and your 5th grade chums made snide comments
to each other about mothers wearing Army boots, calling each other
"dolts" and such:

"Takes one to know one!"
"I know you are but what am I?"
"I am rubber; you are glue. What ever you call me bounces off me and sticks to you!"

You,
Mr. Matthews, are a dolt. A moron. A child, really. Your status in the
media sets a concrete example of how low the journalism industry has
devolved as of late. If an intellectually starved, emotionally charged
opinion like yours can rise to the top of the heap, then the rest of
the heap must be suffering from the lobotomies they survived in
college. It is not fair to honest reporters that you have a platform to
spew your venomous, biased bile.

It
is clear that you, Olbermann and Maddow would have more fun working
yourselves up to your multiple Obamagasms if you removed Buchanan and
the cameras from the room.

16 honorary Ph.D.s.? Got any real ones? Your legacy will be way too silly to chronicle.

God bless, and good luck with your career! You're still young.

"Modern man is staggering and losing his balance because he is being pelted with little pieces of alleged fact which are native to the newspapers; and, if they turn out not to be facts, that is still more native to newspapers." -GKC

The Sexist Strikes

I think CM is loving this, the fact that Gov Palin is female and Republican to boot. He is now unchecked and unfettered in his hate speech towards Gov Palin. He can let loose all his vindictive, hateful and vile mysognist and sexist pronouncements towards her without fear of riling up the feminists.

Why so? Because the feminists will only get upset if you continue to victimize their fold if she's a liberal, aka HRClinton.

Since Gov Palin is a conservative, it's all good, she's not one of  "us"  [a democrat]. In fact, she stands for all that is bad about a succesful woman in America. So please, we'll open the door for you to unload. Get it out of your system Chris, have fun.

In this media world, a feminist is not for women, it's for liberals who happen to be female. The'd soon let a woman like Gov Palin die on the side of a road rather than lending a hand to help her out. 

Chrissy

You're the Dolt! Sarah Palin was talking directly to her audience!

Joe Biden was turned away talking to Gwen Ifill and he looked pained throughout the whole debate except for the few times that he smiled and interacted with Sarah.

Joe's recitations of John McCain lists, and the blanket failure of the Republican administrations was useless because everyone knows better. I'm glad that Sarah didn't attempt to match him comment for comment because he laid on such a pile, that neither John McCain nor George W. Bush themselves could have effectively rebutted his vacuous arguments.

Why Is Matthews Still on TV?

This guy is such an embarrassment to broadcast journalism - why is he still holding a paying job?  He must have ties to someone in upper management or someone owes him a big favor.  Every time this joker opens his mouth, he make a complete and total fool of himself.  The vast majority of those who watched this debate was impressed by Palin's directness to the American people.  She showed that yes, she isn't a "Washington insider" and talked to the people like your next door neighbor rather than some Washington elitist. 

Matthews is going to be an asset for McCain/Palin the more he keeps talking. 

Why? It's the only place to go...

MSNBC and in association NBC has sunk so low that no one will hire any of their broadcasters.  Also, people of quality won't apply for their jobs, so MSNBC and Matthews (and the rest of the loons) are stuck there.