Chris Matthews Apologizes to Mitt Romney campaign

[applecorped]

http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2011/20111214061714.aspx


"MSNBC's Chris Matthews on Wednesday apologized for his network's "appalling lack of judgment" in comparing a Mitt Romney campaign slogan to the Ku Klux Klan. The Hardball host conceded, "It was irresponsible and incendiary of us to do this, and it showed an appalling lack of judgment. We apologize, we really do, to the Romney campaign."


I can't believe Matthews apologized. What's to apologize for?

 

[Unabogie]

What was his original quote about Romney's use of "keep America American?"

 

[Alan]

What was his original quote about Romney's use of "keep America American?"

Matthews didn't make the statements. He was merely the person who apologised on behalf of the network.

Other left-leaning blogs picked up on AMERICAblog’s observation, as did someone at MSNBC. “So you may not hear Mitt Romney say ‘Keep America American’ anymore, because it was a rallying cry for the K.K.K. group, and intimidation against blacks, gays and Jews,” the MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts said on Wednesday morning. While he was speaking, a graphic on the screen read, “Romney’s KKK Slogan?”

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/14/msnbc-apologizes-to-romney-campaign-for-klan-report/

"Keep America American" really isn't very nice, though.

 

[Puppycow]

"Keep America American" really isn't very nice, though.

No, it does sound rather reactionary.

(Others have used it, too; The Washington Post noted on Wednesday that “long before the KKK picked up the slogan, it was used in the 1850s by members of the ‘Know Nothing Party,’ an anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic nativist party.”)

 

[Vorticity]

No, it does sound rather reactionary.

(Others have used it, too; The Washington Post noted on Wednesday that “long before the KKK picked up the slogan, it was used in the 1850s by members of the ‘Know Nothing Party,’ an anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic nativist party.”)

"At my challenge, by the ancient laws of combat, we are met at this chosen ground, to settle for good and all who holds sway over the five points: us natives, born rightwise to this fine land, or the foreign hordes defiling it."

 

[madfoot]

No, it does sound rather reactionary.

No more reactionary than "Buy American".

 

[The Don]

No more reactionary than "Buy American".

I disagree....

"Keep America American" to my (foreign) ears certainly sounds like "keep foreigners out". Furthermore it also seems to imply that there is a homogeneous American culture which must be preserved from change.

"Buy American" sounds to me like a call to support American industry but doesn't specify that the workers in American industry need to be American born.

 

[leftysergeant]

"Buy American" sounds to me like a call to support American industry but doesn't specify that the workers in American industry need to be American born.

Precisely. It is an exhortation to build and support a community of workers here, not to exclude any new immigrant workers.

 

[Bri]

I would think the meaning of the phrase "keep America American" would depend on how it was used. Here's an example of how Romney used the phrase:

There are people in this room who are informed and who care about this election, who recognize that this is a defining time for America. We have on one side a president who wants to transform America into a European-style nation, and you have on other hand someone like myself that wants to turn around America and keep America American with the principals that made us the greatest nation on Earth. And I will do that with your help.​

ETA: It's a little ironic that MSNBC apologized for implying that Mitt is a member of the KKK, whereas Mitt in the quote above seems to be using the phrase to imply that Obama is a socialist.

-Bri

 

[BenBurch]

...

I can't believe Matthews apologized. What's to apologize for?

I am betting it was due to pressure from management.

 

[eeyore1954]

I would think the meaning of the phrase "keep America American" would depend on how it was used. Here's an example of how Romney used the phrase:

There are people in this room who are informed and who care about this election, who recognize that this is a defining time for America. We have on one side a president who wants to transform America into a European-style nation, and you have on other hand someone like myself that wants to turn around America and keep America American with the principals that made us the greatest nation on Earth. And I will do that with your help.​

ETA: It's a little ironic that MSNBC apologized for implying that Mitt is a member of the KKK, whereas Mitt in the quote above seems to be using the phrase to imply that Obama is a socialist.

-Bri

Being identified with the KKK is much worse than European nations. Even to most conservatives?!

 

[eeyore1954]

Matthews didn't make the statements. He was merely the person who apologised on behalf of the network.


http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/14/msnbc-apologizes-to-romney-campaign-for-klan-report/

"Keep America American" really isn't very nice, though.

Until I saw the post by Bri I would have agreed with you. But context is important. According to my reading he is saying stick to the ideals that made America great, not what it sounds like out of context.

 

[Bri]

Being identified with the KKK is much worse than European nations. Even to most conservatives?!

Sure, OK. I don't think I claimed otherwise.

It didn't sound to me like MSNBC really did imply that Romney was a member of the KKK, but even if they had is it OK for Romney to say that Obama is a socialist?

I believe that MSNBC mentioned it in one news broadcast and apologized to Romney the following day. Has Romney apologized to Obama or even stopped calling him a socialist?

-Bri

 

[Halfcentaur]

They're just doing this to make FOX news look bad for all their slogans masking statements behind questions,...

 

[eeyore1954]

Sure, OK. I don't think I claimed otherwise.

It didn't sound to me like MSNBC really did imply that Romney was a member of the KKK, but even if they had is it OK for Romney to say that Obama is a socialist?

I believe that MSNBC mentioned it in one news broadcast and apologized to Romney the following day. Has Romney apologized to Obama or even stopped calling him a socialist?

-Bri

If he believes it to be true it is OK. Has he said President Obama is a socialist? If he has it will hurt him.
Is being a socialist a bad thing?

 

[The Don]

If he believes it to be true it is OK. Has he said President Obama is a socialist? If he has it will hurt him.

Is being a socialist a bad thing?

Politically, in the United States, yes.

 

[Bri]

If he believes it to be true it is OK.

So your position is that if Romney doesn't know what a socialist is it's OK for him to imply that Obama is one?

-Bri

 

[eeyore1954]

So your position is that if Romney doesn't know what a socialist is it's OK for him to imply that Obama is one?

-Bri

I was responding to "is it OK for Romney to say that Obama is a socialist?".
Yes I believe it is OK for him to say that if he believes it. I believe it would hurt him politically. Has he said that? Does saying European-style nation mean socialist?

 

[KoihimeNakamura]

Yes.

 

[Bri]

Has he said that? Does saying European-style nation mean socialist?

Whereas other GOP candidates have come out and said that Obama is a socialist, Romney has been careful not to use the word. When asked at a debate if Obama should be called a socialist, he said:

What President Obama is, is a big-spending liberal. And he takes his political inspiration from Europe, and from the socialist-democrats in Europe. Guess what? Europe isn’t working in Europe. It’s not going to work here. I believe in America. I believe in the opportunity and in the freedom that is in America, opportunity and freedom. I believe in free enterprise and capitalism.​

Romney seems to be drawing a contrast between himself and Obama when he says that he (Romney) believes in free enterprise and capitalism and that Obama takes political inspiration from European socialists.

I was responding to "is it OK for Romney to say that Obama is a socialist?".
Yes I believe it is OK for him to say that if he believes it.

So what do you mean it is OK for him to say that Obama is a socialist if he believes it? Does it matter whether or not there is any substantial evidence that Obama is a socialist? I'm fairly certain I could find plenty of quotes from Obama indicating his belief in free enterprise and capitalism.

Although I don't equate the seriousness of the two, I don't agree that Romney's repeated implications that Obama is a socialist is any more OK than it would be OK for someone to imply that Romney is a secret member of the KKK even if they believe it to be true. And it's ironic that Romney's use of the phrase that some have used to imply that he is a member of the KKK was to imply that Obama is a socialist.

-Bri