An angry Chris Matthews on Friday fumed over comedian Rosie O'Donnell becoming a laugh line at last Thursday's debate. Rather than allow that conservatives might object to the liberal comedian's trashing of conservatives, Matthews saw Republican voters as full of hate.
Speaking of Donald Trump and the debate crowd in Cleveland, Ohio, Matthews derided, "...[Trump] threw Rosie O'Donnell under the bus, you know, a gay woman. He thought it would be a laughingstock and he turned her into the joke with that nasty audience last might."
Later, the Hardball anchor defended O'Donnell: "He throws Rosie O'Donnell under the bus, makes her look stupid and she wasn't even a combatant here, not even involved in this."
Matthews wondered, "Why did they all laugh at the Rosie O'Donnell joke? Did it just show that he was tough? The liberal journalist speculated, "I guess there must be some people that like this kind of macho talk, like, 'yes, Rosie O'Donnell, I can call her what I want to call her.'"
Not once, did Matthews allow that the debate audience in Cleveland (and those watching on television) might dislike the former View host because of her venom towards Republicans, Christians and conservatives.
After all, this is the woman who absurdly insisted, "Radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam in a country like America where we have a separation of church and state." She's also a 9/11 truther who once asked, "who are the terrorists?"
Perhaps Matthews is just angry that he no longer gets to moderate debates. In 2008, he challenged a group of Republican canidates: "Seriously, would it be good for America to have Bill Clinton back living in the White House?"
Regarding uncalled for attacks, Matthews bashed Congresswoman Michele Bachmann as a "zombie" who looked like "Boris Karloff."
A partial transcript is below:
Hardball
8/07/15
CHRIS MATTHEWS: And not since Bobby Riggs's challenge to Billie Jean King have we seen a matchup like this one. Everyone on the right -ing is now touting the match, Megyn Kelly with her direct shot last night at Donald Trump's demeaning references to women, countered by Trump's throwing of Rosie O'Donnell under the bus.
...
MATTHEWS: Taking on Megyn Kelly. I knew this was coming because I knew she'd be tough and I knew he's not used to that from Fox. A real tough question from her which she nailed him with, his language about women which is obviously demeaning and indefensible. And, of course, he threw Rosie O'Donnell under the bus, you know, a gay woman. He thought it would be a laughingstock and he turned her into the joke with that nasty audience last might.
...MATTHEWS: But then that didn't stop him. He was -- he may have been caught there, but he didn't look embarrassed. He throws Rosie O'Donnell under the bus, makes her look stupid, and she wasn't even a combatant here, not even involved in this.
...
MATTHEWS: Why did they all laugh at the Rosie O'Donnell joke? Did it just show that he was tough?
PERRY BACON: I'm not sure what they –
STEPHANIE SCHRIOCK (Emily's List): I'm not sure.
BACON: I don't know why they were laughing. It wasn't funny.
MATTHEWS: It showed me, to protect himself, he was willing to throw a person not involved under the bus.
SCHRIOCK: Completely not involved.
MATTHEWS: She's not a part of this.
SCHRIOCK: And I just really think that all Americans -- this isn't just about women.
I mean, all Americans deserve an apology for this kind of behavior from the stage of a group of candidates who are trying to run for president of the United States.MATTHEWS: Are there women out there that like, in the old school, they'd be the ones making the sandwiches for the guys' poker game? Are there women who just like macho guys, even this kind of rough behavior? Is there anybody -- I guess there must be some people that like this kind of macho talk, like, yes, Rosie O'Donnell, I can call her what I want to call her.
SCHRIOCK: Yes, there are -- sure. There are some, but we know that the mass majority of women and particularly women voters who are looking at this election are looking for candidates who are about an agenda that is going to advance women and families in this country. And we didn't hear any of that last night.
