A baffled Chris Matthews on Monday night wondered why so many people hate the "moderate" Barack Obama. Matthews cited a new poll finding hostility towards the President. An incredulous Matthews sneered, "Thirty three percent of this country, across the board, is very negative towards Obama, very negative. Personally, they just don't like him."
The Hardball anchor speculated, "Now, it could be all those reasons. He turned out to be more of an aggressive president, more of a Democratic-advocate president, a black-advocate president." With no sense of self awareness, Matthews insisted, "I think he's [Obama's] been moderate, myself."
The host described the 33 percent as, essentially, saying, "I don't want this guy in the world. I don't want him anywhere here."
On September 6, 2012, Matthews hailed the "moderate" Obama. Of course, On March 22, 2012, the anchor labeled himself a "centrist."
A partial transcript of the August 3 segment is below:
Hardball
8/4/15
7:07JOY REID: There is something about African American politicians who get a lot of heat for anything that appears to challenge the unquestioned greatness of the country and we do have real race problems, which came to fore when came to fore president got elected. They are real. They're out there and people who embody and espouse them and don't like the idea of a president asserting himself as an African American man using the powers of the presidency and Trump is the perfect leader for them.
CHRIS MATTHEWS: Our poll today, just out this weekend, makes the point, at least in gross terms what you said. Thirty three percent of this country, across the board, is very negative towards Obama, very negative. Personally, they just don't like him. Now, it could be all those reasons. He turned out to be more of an aggressive president, more of a Democratic-advocate president, a black-advocate president. I think he's been moderate, myself, your view? Is there this kind of virulent – I know there is a 33 percent that just say, "I don't want this guy in the world. I don't want him anywhere here."
RYAN GRIMM: To Joy's point, there was this feeling in 2008 that okay, now we have elected an African American as president. So, now we can move past this whole thing. Okay? Consider this our apology for everything bad that's happened in the past and now we're going to move forward. And so, any hint there were still any problems that needed to be fixed was treated as an offense.
