Tweety Matthews is asking his political panel about Hillary's "incessant clapping."

[DeepModem Mom]

Here we go again. He was talking about Hillary's habit of clapping for the audience, as they clap for her. The one woman on the panel did caution him on criticizing her for laughing, clapping, etc., and I don't think she was speaking only about Hillary. His response to her was to ask her to send him a list of things he was allowed to criticize Hillary for. (A sexist putdown, in itself, it seemed to me.) She mentioned...issues! And that the idea of a Clinton "dynasty," for example, was fair game.

Will this personal crap, aimed only it seems at Dem candidates, ever stop???

ON EDIT: I'm now thinking that as I was typing one of the men on the panel said something about Clinton looking like a seal when she clapped. THAT's nice! :sarcasm: Think we'll hear any GOP candidates (or, sorry, maybe any male candidates) compared to a circus performing animal? (I think Tweety repeats -- maybe I can check this segment again.)

[TwilightGardener]

1. This is a daily thing now. Can someone please run to Walgreens and

get Tweety his meds, please? He's fixating--he's really losing his mind.

[Evergreen Emerald]

2. it will not stop. It will only get worse. And the other candidates are not immune.

Tweety has his marching orders and we are allowing him to continue using our airwaves to defeat democrats.

[DeepModem Mom]

3. I really want to emphasize that point, as I do often here. This is not about one candidate...

it's not about Hillary.

[Evergreen Emerald]

5. you are exactly right--it is about the continuation of the usurpation of our media by the neo-cons

They have taken over the fourth-branch of government--the press--who is no longer free. They receive their faxed marching orders from Cheney, et.al. and daily by the slant of the stories they air and the burying of the facts by what they don't air they are shaping America and attempting to continue the coup that is bringing down America.

[itsrobert]

4. Matthews is a right wing mud-slinger

He's no better than the mudslingers that inhabit the Clinton War Room.

[ronnykmarshall]

24. Back to playing this side of the fence I see.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3696266&mesg_id=3698379

[eShirl]

6. Yeah, well I don't like the way Tweety laughs.

Or drools, for that matter, but to be fair that's probably not under his control.

[DURHAM D]

7. Maybe that is because people always ask him ...

They ask him why he is rapidly moving his hands under the desk when he is talking about his man love for Bush, Rudy, etc.

[DeepModem Mom]

9. lol.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

8. MMA: "Matthews still obsessed with Clinton's "Chinese" clapping"

MSNBC's Matthews still obsessed with Clinton's "Chinese" clapping
Summary: On MSNBC's Hardball, discussing Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Chris Matthews noted, "ell, there she is clapping again," and asked, "ould somebody please tell me why she claps every time she goes somewhere?" Similarly, the next day on MSNBC's Morning Joe, Matthews said that Clinton is "usually standing in front of the camera, and she's clapping, like she's Chinese. I know the Chinese clap at each other, but what is she clapping at?" These recent comments continue a pattern for Matthews, who has repeatedly highlighted Clinton's clapping, and has previously characterized it as "Chinese."

________________

MATTHEWS: No, I don't know. I know that she sympathizes with -- well, there she is clapping again. I don't whether she's clapping -- would somebody please tell me why she claps every time she goes somewhere?

CAPEHART: Maybe she's just responding to the crowd, Chris.

MASON: It's an affirmation.

MATTHEWS: She's clapping for them.

MASON: We should clap more.

MATTHEWS: No, I think it's bizarre behavior. Anyway, I think it has something to do with - you know, men don't know what to do with their hands. I guess she's like us.

Anyway, we'll be right back with more of the round table. I want an answer. Why is she clapping? Matt, please. Tell me. Why does she clap all the time?


http://mediamatters.org/items/200711080001

[DeepModem Mom]

14. Thank you! Oh, my good Lord, this isn't the first time. He's ON this.

As someone upthread noted -- "Meds, please!"

[aquart]

Now who told him to link Hillary to China?

Hillary is a toy poisoner! See it here tomorrow!

[Jane Austin]

10. I have no idea why Tweety obsesses about this

But FWIW, the way she claps bothers me, too.

It's the rhythmic "kindergarten teacher" clapping that bothers me.

Maybe because it reminds me of my sister.

But I don't obsess about it.

[Connie_Corleone]

11. That was more ridiculous than the Hillary laugh obsession.

Who the hell cares about her hand clapping??

Tweety is an idiot.

[Catherine Vincent]

12. At least she doesn't spit at people when she is speaking to them. n/t

[Connie_Corleone]

17. LOL!! So true.

A guest would have their whole face covered in spit after Tweety gets finished talking.

:rofl:

[EST]

13. Do not expect depth from mr. Matthews.

There's no way that it might occur to him that applause has another name. It's called "acknowledgment."

When people are clapping and cheering for you what do you do? Well, you could run around and make a fool of yourself, like Stephen Colbert, you can mock-scold the applause, like Jon Stewart, or you can recognize that these people have busted their asses for you and you are in a close relationship with them.

When you are in close relationship with someone, invariably, you acknowledge them...for their contribution, for their participation, for their humanity, whatever.
I would like to acknowledge Hillary for recognizing this, whether instinctively or developed, and acting on it.

I am no great Hillary fan, but I would be f**king thrilled to be acknowledged by her for some value she perceived!

[DeepModem Mom]

15. Nice post, EST -- thank you! nt

[mtnsnake]

33. Beautifully said. nt

[gratuitous]

16. Certainly more interesting that to talk about than the issues

Jeez, the level of discourse is just plummeting, isn't it? This is the most compelling thing Tweety can find to talk about, and NBC sees fit to give this gibbering idiot some incredibly valuable broadcast real estate to prattle on about Clinton's clapping. Well, it's not like there's anything else to talk about, like, I dunno, a war or a stock market plunge or the disgraceful state of health care availability, right?

So let's all focus on how much a candidate claps. Tie her in with some evil yellow devils if we can, mmmkay?

[Frances]

18. Whoever is the Dem front runner will be criticized

for things that are impossible to defend against: Gore's sighing; Dean's scream (which wasn't a scream).

Or the Dem will be criticized even if he is a hero: Max Cleland, the Vietnam vet whose face morphed into Osama's or John Kerry whose wounds weren't severe enough to please the Repubs.

I don't know who I'll support in the primary, so I'm not pro-Hillary as much as I am anti-smears.

[Frances]

19. Whoever is the Dem front runner will be criticized

for things that are impossible to defend against: Gore's sighing; Dean's scream (which wasn't a scream).

Or the Dem will be criticized even if he is a hero: Max Cleland, the Vietnam vet whose face morphed into Osama's or John Kerry whose wounds weren't severe enough to please the Repubs.

I don't know who I'll support in the primary, so I'm not pro-Hillary as much as I am anti-smears.

[DeepModem Mom]

20. Me, too. I emphasize again, this could be any of our candidates. nt

[cuke]

21. By next week, DUers will be complaining about her clapping

bet on it

[ronnykmarshall]

25. Next week?

Any minute now is more like it.

[cuke]

26. Yes, we have many DUbees

[Bongo Prophet]

38. Maybe a TINY minority would do that. Not me, or even most "DUers"

I see so many posts that bash "dems" as wimps and failures after a close vote when 10 or so blue dogs vote with the reps. Their blanket accusation is that "dems suck" or "dems cave again" when it is really a small minority. Yet that sets a false impression that ALL dems are to blame, and that phenomenon allows a small amount of people to taint a large number who do not deserve this.

Similarly, to say "DUers" will do this or that, while technically a true statement (if they are posting, they are DUers) tends to smear the the good along with the bad. Right now we have an exceptionally high number of trolls and disrupters, (both paid and hobbyist) from both ends of the political spectrum. I think that you may have a more negative impression in your short time here, and especially being on the defense a lot for your candidate, than the statistical data would support.

I say this not to scold - in fact, I have enjoyed many of your posts because they have both insight and humor. Because of this, I want you to know that most of the reasonable DUers stay out of the internecine flamefests that you are often in the middle of. My hope is that you will stick around past the general, and continue to add your flavor to this discussion board long into our next administration. We will need smart and funny voices, no matter what happens.

Cheers to you, cuke! :hi:

[cuke]

43. No offense taken

quite the opposite. I'm flattered.


And you do make a good point about how my perceptions might be affected by the partisanship, which isn't as comman as it might appear. I'll keep that in mind.

Thank you

[jimshoes]

22. Maybe she should

splash on a little Aqua Velva and light up a Cubano, at least Tweety might mellow out on the less than meaningless issues.

[DeepModem Mom]

23. Good one! nt

[flordehinojos]

27. he is on the clapping bit again today?!

He already talked about about that a couple of weeks ago ... If that man isn't totally abosessed then he is just being bought by bush money and since he has nothing else to say he repeats himself like the slow drumbeat of war drums, or the slow drip, drip, drip of waterboarding. How exhausting!

[mtnsnake]

28. Aaah, Tweety is pissed off at the Goddess of Peace for refusing to come on his dumbass show

I have no doubt about it. One of these nights, this shrill sounding fucker will get so carried away that his pasty looking head is gonna explode all over his guests.

[FiveGoodMen]

29. The right-wing Hillary smears are a distraction

from all the real reasons not to vote for her.

(And don't ask for a list, because if you've spent any time here you know what's on the list even if you don't agree.)

[LibDemAlways]

30. Now that the corporate whores are convinced Hillary is going to be

the candidate, they are starting to take the gloves off. They just can't help themselves. And I know Tweety isn't as bad as some, but lately he's been on the Guiliani train - spouting all the talking points about how Rudy is a big hero. Tweety hates Hillary, and never passes up an opportunity to criticize her for some petty crap that he's apparently convinced will contribute to her downfall.

[DURHAM D]

31. You know -

there is a part of me that wants Hillary to go after the media. I mean really take it to them. Explain that certain media people (and name names) will go after not just her but any Dem front runner.

I know conventional wisdom is to not try this but we no longer have conventional media. Look at what NPR did this morning.

[Sparkly]

32. AGAIN?!

Media Matters documented his obsession yesterday.

http://www.mediamatters.org/items/200711080001?f=h_latest

[durrrty libby]

34. Sexism lives and in some insidious ways

[zulchzulu]

35. Tweety is nothing but a court jestor now...and a bad one at that

He was great as a writer with the SF Examiner back in the day, but now he is just plain lazy.

[DeepModem Mom]

36. JUST A NOTE: I watched the repeat, and I believe I reported this segment accurately...

in my original post.

[ruggerson]

37. Then the word "FISH" was bandied about by Tweety and Co.

but of course, the media isn't sexist.

[DeepModem Mom]

39. You're right. I missed that on my first viewing. Lovely. nt

[Bongo Prophet]

40. Matthews is both a Welch tool and a pathological sexist ass

The way he goads his guests into joining the bashing is despicable.

I feel silly even writing this, as it is as obvious as saying grass is green.
Thanks for pegging him though, Deepmodem Mom...smacked him good.

[JDPriestly]

41. Poor Hillary! Everybody picks on Hillary! How unfair!

I'm sorry for Hillary too, but I don't want her to be the candidate. The Republicans will find fault with any candidate we nominate. But Hillary will have the roughest time of all. If you Hillary fans are going to take these things personally and feel hurt when people criticize Hillary, you had better forget about politics. It is a tough game. Too much is at stake. We should not be "nice" to Hillary or any other candidate. Personally, I think criticizing someone for clapping along with the crowd is inane. But Hillary and her fans need to learn to laugh at this stuff because these little digs are nothing compared to the digs Hillary will receive from Republicans if she is the candidate.

[DeepModem Mom]

42. I've actually posted similar instances before about other candidates...

so far during the campaign, equating these things with the Gore sigh, the Dean scream, the Edwards haircut, even Wes Clark's unblinking eyes, etc. I'm always careful to emphasize that I consider this something the media does to all Dems -- in fact, I recall a posted article that made that point. I admit I did slip in to the OP the thought that not only is this stuff aimed at Dems, but a female to aim at adds even more opportunity. (As for whom I myself support, I was the proposer/organizer of the DU Obama Group. But I like all our candidates.)

You're right that Hillary and her supporters had better get used to this because she will receive the roughest treatment of all. But none of our candidates will be spared, and I don't know about laughing this stuff off. Dean's "scream" stopped him dead in his tracks in Iowa. Al Gore's personal mannerisms and characteristics, magnified and constantly pounded in the press, harmed his candidacy in a major way.

You're right, too, that we can probably do nothing about this stuff. But I wanted to note it as I saw it. It does continue. As Al might say -- sigh....

Cheers!