While Recounting JFK Assassination, Chris Matthews Links 'Vicious' 'Right-Wing' 'Hate'
While hyping his new book on John F. Kennedy on Friday, Chris Matthews seemed to connect "vicious" "right-wing" "hate" to the assassination of the nation's 35th president. At no time in his Hardball editorial did Matthews admit that the President's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, was a pro-Communist leftist, who, at one point in his life, defected to the Soviet Union.
Speaking of Kennedy's trip to Dallas in November of 1963, Matthews connected, "[Kennedy] was living the life of an American politician, trying to figure things out politically, trying to figure out what was in the water down there in Dallas that made some people so viciously right-wing. An hour later, he was gone." [MP3 audio here. See video below.]
The cable host wondered, "What made Dallas so right-wing, he kept asking the two men in the car with him that drizzly Friday morning in November. Why were they attacking him as a traitor?"
In fact, Matthews left out any mention of Oswald at all. In addition to defecting to the Soviet Union, the President's killer also passed out leaflets for the communist Fair Play for Cuba Committee.
His two sentences that JFK was trying to figure out why people, who are so "viciously right-wing," "hate him" and that, "an hour later, he was gone," seem to link the assassination with conservatives.
A transcript of the October 28 segment can be found below:
Story Continues Below Ad ↓5:59pm
CHRIS MATTHEWS: Let Me Finish tonight with this- on a Friday morning in the fall of 1963, an American president traveled through Texas, trying to figure the state out. What made Dallas so right-wing, he kept asking the two men in the car with him that drizzly Friday morning in November. Why were they attacking him as a traitor? Why were they spitting on his people?
One of his hosts, Congressman Jim Wright of Fort Worth laid it out on the right-wing press in Dallas. Governor John Connelly, the other politician in the car with him, the visiting president, chalked it up to the economy. Unlike the city like Fort Worth, the city of stockyards and factory floors, where the visiting president had just gotten warmly cheered, the city of Dallas was filled with white collar office buildings, people there all wanted to make it to the higher floor, wanted to move to their insurance and financial companies. They were voting the way their bosses voted, voting their aspirations to get to the next floor.
Who knows what make one city so different from another politically? Jack Kennedy was just trying to sort it all that morning. He was living the life of an American politician, trying to figure things out politically, trying to figure out what was in the water down there in Dallas that made some people so viciously right wing. An hour later, he was gone.
Next week, my book comes out, "Jack Kennedy, Elusive Hero." It answers the question that we all want answered when we read a biography. What was he like? To answer it, I've gone to the oral histories and accounts of people who went to school with him, fought in World War II with him, hung out with him as a close friend, lived the rough political life with Jack, watched him grow from rich kid to the leader who saved us from a nuclear war in the Cuban missile crisis.
I received a call the other day from an old political pal of Jack's. He just finished my book. He said I brought Jack Kennedy back alive. That's what I wanted to do, what I`m asking you to do, help me do it.
You can order a copy now of "Jack Kennedy, Elusive Hero." There's going to be a lot of excitement about the book next week. I'm asking you to order one now and discover what I've discovered, how we once had a hero for a president, with much to teach our current one.
- Scott Whitlock's blog
- Login to post comments
Comments
Matthews
Submitted by NewLife56 on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 3:38pm.
How can anyone, right or left watch this guy or anyone on MSNBC? They don't promote views, they report trash that's made up
He's a pathetic clown to be
Submitted by forest on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 4:10pm.
He's a pathetic clown to be pitied - if he's worthy of any consideration at all.
Two Points
Submitted by Gat New York on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 3:42pm.
John Kennedy and his brother Robert Kennedy were assassinated for going after the very people who their father asked to get Kennedy the votes he needed to beat Nixon. In those days, if you asked a favor of the mafia and they delivered, then you did not then go after them without them retaliating. It had nothing to do with right wing B.S. (even though Lee Harvery Oswald was a known communist).
The second point is not to waste your money on a book written by Matthews unless it is stacked in the "fiction" section.
Even if it's stacked in the fiction section, it's a
Submitted by no tingly legs on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 4:21pm.
complete waste of money. They'd have to pay me to take it and then only if I needed it to even out the legs on a table with one short leg. In fact, any paper with material authored by Tingles printed on it is only good for lining bird cages and house breaking puppies (assuming the birds and puppies can't read).
. . . . and fireplace
Submitted by Gat New York on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 4:46pm.
. . . . and fireplace tinder as long as the toxic garbage printed on it doesn't give off a stench in the house.
The only other place it could be stacked is in the humor section, because there is nothing in there that should be taken seriously and if Obama gave him tingles up his leg, imagine what JFK would do to him. On second thought, maybe stack it in the porn section.
STOP RIGHT THERE!
Submitted by HockeyKid on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 3:42pm.
What did that last sentence say, Thriller?
"...discover what I've discovered, how we once had a hero for a president, with much to teach our current one."
Are even you, Deputy Assistant Special Brown-noser to the President, disenchanted now? How rich.
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
Why were they cheering his motorcade?
Submitted by JeffC... on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 3:43pm.
In Chrissy's mind, it's because they all knew about the upcoming assassination attempt.
Wait.
Submitted by bkeyser on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 3:45pm.
Oswald?
Why let a little thing like
Submitted by Gat New York on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 4:47pm.
Why let a little thing like facts get in the way of his narrative.
I wonder ....
Submitted by Fredy on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 4:04pm.
If this were true, then why didn't Kennedy ask his VP about Texas?
Mathews is so ignorant of current events it is impossible to consider reading anything his twisted mind might pretend happened in the past.
That's right
Submitted by Galvanic on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 7:55pm.
And as I recall, it was LBJ who suggested he make the trip down to Dallas. If not for that, Mathews' friend Jack probably would've ignored Texas and let LBJ campaign down their in '64.
Kennedy was not popular in the South, and not just Texas.
This ain't the first time MSNBC pulled this crap
Submitted by NeoKong on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 4:06pm.
If I'm not mistaken a guest on Schultz's show was spewing this same sort of crap right after Rep. Giffords was shot but was also claiming that JFK hate was being taught in the schools and children cheered his death.
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/jack-coleman/2011/01/16/liberal-radio-hostl...
I really hate to report this
Submitted by generalbroccoli on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 6:53pm.
But I was in the 6th grade in Alabama when it happened (yeah, I'm old) and when it was announced over the intercom that Kennedy had been shot, about half the class applauded. I was shocked. However, I don't recall any Kennedy hate being taught in the schools - I assume they were learning it at home.
Inconvenient Truths, Chris?
Submitted by Annie Ashe Fields on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 4:09pm.
It is a DEMONSTRABLE FACT, supported in the HISTORICAL RECORD that the OVERWHELMING majority of death, misery, and mayhem has been committed by those who believe DEEPLY in a BIG GOVERNMENT nanny-state, a which is a LIBERAL, DEMOCRAT ethos, expressed in any number of FAILED states of communism, socialism, etc...
Sorry Chris.
But wait...
Submitted by ljacone on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 4:16pm.
I thought Joe DiMaggio killed Kennedy after getting the information from Agent Graves about how Kennedy had Marilyn Monroe murdered? Oh wait, that was 100 Bullets. ;)
Ain't America a great
Submitted by rockyracoon on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 4:25pm.
Ain't America a great country??!! Where else could someone as willfully ignorant make such a great living, as the Tinkler does here?
Facts are like kryptonite to the liberal.
Like I have with Michael Moore, I have just about run out
Submitted by Dave. on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 4:30pm.
...of things to say concerning Prissy Tingles.
JFK's presidency was on the skids and heading south long before he was assassinated.
"Camelot" was a media-created, BS fairy tale - it did not exist.
-Not even a little bit.
And Oswald was a confirmed, flaming commie traitor to America.
How any of that translates into "right wing" anything is beyond me.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Notice that
Submitted by ahusser on Tue, 11/01/2011 - 10:32am.
the MSM then covered up Kennedy's (as well as Clinton's) infidelities. I guess things don't change much. Good press, cover ups and being photogenic are all that is required to make a myth.
"Somehow, I told you so, just doesn't quite say it." Will Smith in 'I, Robot.'
Ah, a different script for Matthews, Stephanopolous, etc
Submitted by Gary Hall on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 4:30pm.
Ah, a different script for Matthews, Stephanopoulos - anyone else who wants to report on anniversaries. . .
MATTHEWS: Let Me Finish tonight with this- on a Friday morning in the fall of 1963, an American president traveled through Texas, trying to . . oh whatever . .
Here's your script for tomorrow, Chris Matthews, etc:
(;~/ gary
JFK was definitely despised by segments of the Right...
Submitted by Jer on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 4:31pm.
but it was only sporadically displayed in Dallas that week--even less so during the motorcade--and it had nothing to do with his assassination. It's irresponsible of Matthews to imply otherwise.
Jer
You're right, Jer
Submitted by Galvanic on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 5:47pm.
In Matthews' case, however, it's getting more and more difficult to determine whether he is being deceitful, or just plain stupid. He's showing a propensity for both.
Matthews is hawking his book on the air -- something he always derides Republicans like Palin and Cain for doing -- and he continues to stretch for a non-existent modern context for his beloved "Jack."
It's amazing, Galvanic
Submitted by Jer on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 5:56pm.
[or maybe not] what the desire for ratings and royalties will drive a person to do and say.
Jer
I agree, Jer
Submitted by Galvanic on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 7:46pm.
I've stopped watching most cable news programs because of it.
jer . .
Submitted by Gary Hall on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 4:51pm.
. . now, that's the Jer I like!
(;~/ gary
Gary...
Submitted by Jer on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 5:00pm.
Thanks. Now where is the Gary that I like? You know, the Gary who doesn't blame every ill afflicting America on Bill Clinton (which seems to be the general theme of most of your posts I've read in recent months.) :-)
Jer
jer
Submitted by Gary Hall on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 5:23pm.
I'm not too sure I blamed too much on Bill Clinton. Context is usually, noting that the press is either blaming things that occurred during his tenure, on others, or missing out on important references in their rush to further promote their bias.
For example - it is not blaming Clinton to point out that the economic fallout from the collapse of the dot.com bubble in 2000, was mostly behind the disappearance of the surpluses - not the Bush tax cuts - when Fareed Zakaria, and so many others, come out and only blame Bush for it.
Likewise, when the national media - or leading Democrats (including presidents and VP's) and their pundits claim that - or imply - that this great shift of income - or CEO Pay - occurred during either the Reagan or Bush era (and they never mention Clinton) that it is proper to point out that much - if not most of it occurred during the Clinton era.
That's not blaming Clinton. I've never said Clinton caused the dot.com bubble of greed and exceptional fraud, nor that he caused CEO pay to go thru the roof - merely observed when it occurred. On the other hand, I have squarely blamed him, his administration, and the radical far left in congress for creating the housing bubble that led to the mortgage crisis - and, as well, I've laid a lot of blame at the foot of Bush for not successfully intervening.
(;~> gary
Hey Matthews!
Submitted by telecaster on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 5:20pm.
What does supposed "vicious" "right-wing" "hate" have to do with a wannabee communist wackjob murdering JFK? Probably the same kind of connection between what you gag up and responsible, professional journalism. How do you people stay on television? Oh I know, I almost forgot what an absolute intellectual wasteland television is. MSNBC, leading from the front.
Chrissy was there
Submitted by CobraMan on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 5:25pm.
Chrissy was there, right there, in the grassy knoll when Karl Rove pulled the trigger under orders from George H.W Bush on behalf of his son!
Hay, the conspiracy crap is kinda fun!
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
Again, Ole Pap Matthews (full of smear) gets it wrong!
Submitted by djwolf12 on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 6:44pm.
According to the "hardly sympathetic to the conservative cause" website WIKIPEDIA, JFK/LBJ, 2 DEMOCRATS, won the state of TEXAS in the 1960 election. One could certainly whip out this massive fact and pound Pap Matthews repeatedly over the head with it and he'd still say that Texas was "right wing" in the 1960s when history shows otherwise. Here is a glaring example of a "Peacenik journalist" that refuses to believe that Jimi Hendrix is dead. Jer, please defend the indefensable. I'm quite sure your explanation will be entertaining.
What part of your rambling mush of a post
Submitted by Jer on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 6:53pm.
am I supposed to explain, djwolf? However, I will go on record now and agree that Jimi Hendrix is dead.
Jer
Second Furthest Right-Wing Democrat Killed by Pro-Communist.
Submitted by Avitar on Tue, 11/01/2011 - 12:02am.
That John Kennedy was as President further right-wing than any other twentieth Century Demorest except Harry Truman sometimes gets lost.
That killing him put LBJ a socialist-populist into the Presidency made it the most successful assassination in American history. Few Assassinations in world history have such long term effects. If Oswald had only wounded Kennedy would Castro still be alive today? I doubt that he would still be alive let alone in power nearly fifty years later. The United States would not have suffered the economic stupidity of the Great Society or the Military incompetence of the Johnson and Nixon administrations