MSNBC: Mentioning Big City Names Is Racist ‘Coded Language’

First it was MSNBC warning viewers before showing anti-Hillary Clinton buttons. Then, on Thursday, Chris Matthews and Chuck Todd agreed that mentioning the names of big cities is racist “coded language.” Matthews previewed Donald Trump’s convention speech and was horrified over the presence of words such as “Baltimore” and “Washington D.C.” 

Matthews somehow theorized, “When you get back to the angle, the edge, it's about big cities with large minority populations. You go back to that old thing of bashing Washington, D.C., the old Marion Barry days, bashing Baltimore and Chicago, those city names evoke minorities.” 

Chuck Todd agreed, “There’s some coded language.” 

Earlier in the night, Matthews hit the same point. He ranted, “You're going to see a lot about the big cities. There's going to be an ethnic aspect to this, a racial aspect to it.” The host continued: 

CHRIS MATTHEWS: Trump in his speech talks about the crime rate in Washington, D.C. He talks about the crime rate in Baltimore. Those are cities of large minority populations, we all know, and it's going to carry that kind of flavor. 

In 2015, Baltimore reached its highest ever homicide rate. Is it possible to raise this serious issue without being called a racist? Not according to MSNBC. 

See a partial transcript below: 

MSNBC
7/21/16
8:02

CHRIS MATTHEWS: There's going to be a lot about the usual Republican theme of law and order going back to 1968. You're going to see a lot about the big cities. There's going to be an ethnic aspect to this, a racial aspect to it. They —  Trump in his speech talks about the crime rate in Washington, D.C. He talks about the crime rate in Baltimore. Those are cities of large minority populations, we all know, and it's going to carry that kind of flavor. He talks very much about that theme. And I think the idea of running on law and order at a time we're really being challenged by terrorism is a very Republican approach to it.

9:14

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CHRIS MATTHEWS: If you look over the speech drafts or text, what you see is a melding together of concern about terrorism, which puts us all in the same boat. All Americans don't like terrorism. All Americans are fearful of it. But when you get back to the angle, the edge, it's about big cities with large minority populations. You go back to that old thing of bashing Washington, D.C., the old Marion Barry days, bashing Baltimore and Chicago, those city names evoke minorities. 

CHUCK TODD: There is — You wonder — There’s some coded language. 

MATTHEWS: Yeah.