Chris Matthews: 'Sarah Palin Has Proven Herself To Be Profoundly Stupid'

When MSNBC's Chris Matthews isn't calling a potential Republican presidential candidate racist, he's calling them idiots.

On Tuesday's "Hardball," after one of his guests said, "We shouldn’t forget Sarah Palin" as a possible candidate, the host arrogantly shot back, "I think she’s proven herself to be profoundly stupid" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

SHUSHANNAH WALSHE, NEWSWEEK: I think we shouldn’t forget Sarah Palin. I’m sure she’s watching this news and being like, just anxious to get in there, especially after hearing the Huckabee news, Michele Bachmann’s news. I wouldn’t count her out yet, Chris.

CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: What, Palin?

WALSHE: Yes.

MATTHEWS: You think Palin might be willing to give up her salary at Roger Ailes’ operation to run for president.

WALSHE: I do. I think that she’s looking at the Huckabee news and just salivating. I think that she…

RON REAGAN: More fun for us.

WALSHE: I think that, I mean, she’s still making decisions…

MATTHEWS: I think Sarah Palin proved herself to be, I think she’s proven herself to be profoundly stupid. Her inability to answer the questions of Katie Couric. Her inability even now to explain that she ever reads anything. Her absolute failure to begin studying and get serious about running for president. She’s shown no effort at doing any homework or understanding of the issues like the economy or science or the world. No effort, and she’s running for president. I don’t believe that she’d be at all helpful to our republic. Anyway, thank you Ron Reagan. Thank you Shushannah Walshe. I hope she doesn’t run for arguing.

Up next, how do we get our kids to stay in school - speaking of Sarah Palin – and graduate?

I'm not sure which is more offensive: being called a racist or an idiot.

Regardless, that a so-called news organization tolerates this from its political commentators is disgraceful - and we're still over seventeen months before Election Day.

Heaven help us.