On the Wedneday, April 30, Hardball, during the show's regular "Side Show" segment, MSNBC host Chris Matthews highlighted Comedy Central's Jon Stewart using Donald Sterling's racist talk to make a crack about alleged "crazy talk" from Sarah Palin. Matthews began:
The news of Donald Sterling's lifetime ban from the NBA was the source of several laughs, as we just saw, from Comedy Central. But leave it to Jon Stewart of the Daily Show to link Sterling's comments with the crazy things politicians like Sarah Palin have to say.
Then came a clip from Comedy Central's The Daily Show:
JON STEWART, THE DAILY SHOW: It's good to see the distinction here between free speech and consequence-free speech. My guess is this is not the death knell of this country's long and proud tradition of crazy talk.
SARAH PALIN: If I were in charge-
STEWART: All I can say there is thank God that is a hypothetical.
Matthews added: "Thank God is right."
