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Chris Matthews On Obama’s Libya Statement: “It Doesn’t Have Any Dignity”

Video
» 34 comments

Chris Matthews had an immediate reaction to President Obama’s statement on the ongoing unrest in Libya and it was not positive. Even liberal commentators Howard Fineman and David Corn agreed that Obama’s statement was weak, and since Libya is no Egypt, Obama will have to talk tougher in the future.

Matthews’ surprising review of Obama’s speech:

“This statement could have been put out by the first President Bush. It has the aspect of an Arabist statement. I shouldn’t be too strong here, but it doesn’t have any dignity. I mean – Ronald Reagan – to his credit, said ‘evil empire’ before the fall of the wall.”

After recently laughing off the idea that Reagan could be considered the greatest president, and receiving much criticism for it, it seems Matthews’ respect for Reagan is already growing. Though it remains to be seen whether Matthews’ failing marks for Obama inspires the President to make future statements on Libya more dignified.

Watch the clip from MSNBC below:

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  • BadGenome

    Well, blow me down. Just as a blind squirrel finds an acorn sometimes, even a fat, disheveled MSNBC windbag can see the bleedingly obvious once in a while.

  • notsofast

    BHO’s administration went out of its way to tell a friend, if not an ally, Mubarak to step down and let the people decide what kind of govt. they wanted.

    But the coward did no such thing when the Iranian people rose up against their dictator and he has not said a word about Gadhafi stepping down nor has he supported the Libyan people.

    What a coward Barry is.

  • espo222

    No chill up his leg? Of course, he doesn’t miss a chance to bash Bush.

  • Moderate

    “Howard Fineman and David Corn agreed”

    They are paid to agree. Bobbleheads.

  • Liberal Tormentor (formerly Seeing 2012 From My Window)

    BO’s statement was weak, because he is weak.

  • WCinWI

    Matthews knows all about dignity.

    Palin Wins Round 1 of Libya
    Obama is out for the count

  • http://www.zazzle.com/talkingpoints NORBIT Jr.

    Obama: “Pay no attention to those helicopter gunships strafing unarmed Libyan protestors in the streets.”

  • Probably NOT wrong

    To paraphrase President Lyndon B. Johnson.
    “if I have lost “Tingles” Matthews, I have lost America”

  • JoeRemi

    Everybody’s safe in their homes, just sure that a few tough words from the Prez will fix things right up. Matthews, Corn, Buchanan and the rest of you are idiots. Until we get all Americans out of there, and wait for the Libyan people to finish Ghadafi off, the best thing Obama can do is not inflame the situation. This is NOT Egypt.

  • Probably NOT wrong

    Probably NOT wrong said:
    To paraphrase President Lyndon B. Johnson.“if I have lost “Tingles” Matthews, I have lost America”

    President Barak Obamba said
    “if I have lost “Tingles” Matthews,
    I have lost America!

    There, got it that time!!! Damn!

  • Rescuedog

    Why is Matthews’ review of the speech “surprising”? Or for that matter, his apparent newfound respect for Ronald Reagan? Don’t you remember a few weeks ago when Matthews took a break from bashing birthers to call for Obama to release his birth certificate? This clown is more changeable than Andrew Sullivan and even less coherent.

  • Olby Sucks

    the best thing Obama can do is not inflame the situation.

    by remi

    LOL! No, wouldn’t want to do THAT!

  • gar

    JoeRemi said:
    Everybody’s safe in their homes, just sure that a few tough words from the Prez will fix things right up. Matthews, Corn, Buchanan and the rest of you are idiots. Until we get all Americans out of there, and wait for the Libyan people to finish Ghadafi off, the best thing Obama can do is not inflame the situation. This is NOT Egypt.

    I don’t think you want to use that excuse. That would mean that O’bama and his team had NO idea this might happen. If they ask him if they were prepared for this situation and I’m sure he’ll say yes, then why didn’t he have Americans leave weeks ago when they could have been out of harms way? When Egypt was going on many people predicted this so your argument paints the president as inept. So either he put Americans in arms way or he had no clue. Lousy argument.

  • Liberal Tormentor (formerly Seeing 2012 From My Window)

    remi says:

    the best thing Obama can do is not inflame the situation.

    In other words, keep voting “present”.

  • tatboy

    And if there is one thing Chris knows about it’s lack of dignity. In that area, he is an expert.

  • rocky road

    With all the press love towards Hillary Clinton, I am perplexed and upset that this woman is sec. of state. Can anyone point to anything in her resume that provides her the background to have such a role? It’s only because she is a Clinton, that a political patronage job of such importance, can go unnoticed by the MSM. Please mediaite, tell me what she has done to deserve such a post? Used to be political thank you jobs went to unimportant posts but Obama has settled a political score with the post of Sec. of State. Unbelievable and for that alone, he should be a one termer.

  • TangledThorns

    We need a Reagan or even GW Bush to understand and deal with the growing problems in the Muslim world. Be ready America, this is only the beginning. Sarah Palin knows this, read her FB page.

  • kal-el

    this guy is a joke..HA

  • OxyCon

    Chris Matthews On Obama’s Libya Statement: “It Doesn’t Have Any Dignity”

    That sounds racist, doesn’t it? Obama’s words lack “dignity”. I think it’s because Matthews sees a black man and he doesn’t think a black man could be dignified.

  • david r

    Obama never misses a chance to pontificate. Total douche bag. And Matthews wants some great pronouncement? Reagan smoked his punk ass. Democrats have always been foreign policy pussies. Bush let them get off the leash when he embarked on a stupid war in Iraq. We would have been better off with Saddam. He would have probably killed Bin Laden by now.

  • treecutter

    I think now Matthews is looking for some of that “negro dialect”.

  • ckw

    Why is Chris Matthews featured in a Mediaite story every day? Is he so important in cable tv that he really merits that much press attention? Just asking.

  • ganymede

    As usual, most of you, especially the armchair warriors, don’t get it. Ghadafi is insane and will kill unlimited numbers of people because he has nowhere to run at this point. And you think Obama should immediately throw oil on this fire and cause more bloodshead. The same thing with Iran. The Revolutionary Guards there will kill their own people to protect their power. Tunisia and Egypt were entirely different stories. The leaders were not so bloodthirsty and we had some positive leverage.
    All you warmongers will push the thumbs down button on this, but Obama got the Nobel Peace Prize because some wise Scandinavians recognized that for a change American had elected a person who is committed to peace. Unfortunately, many Americans are not advocates for peace. We would never have gotten involved in Vietnam and we would not in a million years have destroyed Iraq if saner people were in power at those times. Obama is for getting us out of violence, not pushing us deeper into the void of death and destruction. He’s trying to untangle us from the mess caused by Bush in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we will be out of there sometime soon.The Libyans and other Muslim countries will sort out their stuff, especially if we leave them to get on with it without our interference. More reason why we should get over our addiction to oil. Face it, that’s all we’ve ever wanted from these countries. I like Chris Matthews. He sometimes gets a bit hyperbolic, but more often than not, he’s on the money. This time he wasn’t.

  • Dem4Ever

    Obama admires and respects Kaddahfi. He is watching closely and learning.

  • treecutter

    Obama plays badminton and golf with Kaddahfi all of the time and thinks of him as his brother but without the negro dialect. Michelle will soon be having BBQ ribs and such for Kaddahfi’s 42 wives. I’m sure Tingles will be telling us all about dignified it was when he invites everyone to play Hardball!

  • Dem4Ever

    ganymede said:
    As usual, most of you, especially the armchair warriors, don’t get it. Ghadafi is insane and will kill unlimited numbers of people because he has nowhere to run at this point. And you think Obama should immediately throw oil on this fire and cause more bloodshead. The same thing with Iran. The Revolutionary Guards there will kill their own people to protect their power. Tunisia and Egypt were entirely different stories. The leaders were not so bloodthirsty and we had some positive leverage.
    All you warmongers will push the thumbs down button on this, but Obama got the Nobel Peace Prize because some wise Scandinavians recognized that for a change American had elected a person who is committed to peace. Unfortunately, many Americans are not advocates for peace. We would never have gotten involved in Vietnam and we would not in a million years have destroyed Iraq if saner people were in power at those times. Obama is for getting us out of violence, not pushing us deeper into the void of death and destruction. He’s trying to untangle us from the mess caused by Bush in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we will be out of there sometime soon.The Libyans and other Muslim countries will sort out their stuff, especially if we leave them to get on with it without our interference. More reason why we should get over our addiction to oil. Face it, that’s all we’ve ever wanted from these countries. I like Chris Matthews. He sometimes gets a bit hyperbolic, but more often than not, he’s on the money. This time he wasn’t.

    Idiot

  • Arkansas Steve

    Matt Schneider,

    Would you kindly print out your article, including ALL comments and THUMBS UP/DOWN.
    Then send it to Chris Matthews via priority mail.

    Chris needs a more accurate view of the world.

  • Sode

    Chris Matthews needs a refresher course in international diplomacy. He is becoming like the left wing Glenn Beck. He is so biased that he behaves that President Obama has to report to him.

  • OxyCon

    Matthews Gives “Free Advertising” To Union Leader: It’s “Great” He’s An Old SDS Guy

    Greg Hengler

    There’s so much here. First of all, “free advertising!” Meditate on that–no need for comment. Second of all, “an old SDS guy,” which is “great.” Is he talking about the Students for a Democratic Society led by Bill Ayers? Indeed he is. Again, no comment. The Left is revealing more and more of their cards, the question is, are Americans paying attention?

    BTW: What the heck does Matthews mean by “you look like the real thing”? Sometimes I just don’t get Matthews. Furthermore, what the heck is that old SDSer talking about when he says “this is where democracy is”? If this is true Mr. Marty Beil, Exec. Dir, Wisconsin AFSCME, why aren’t your Democrat State Representatives participating in the democratic process?

    video at the link:
    http://tinyurl.com/4g3mos3

  • Liberal Tormentor (formerly Seeing 2012 From My Window)

    Honestly are you 40 or 4?

  • Liberal Tormentor (formerly Seeing 2012 From My Window)

    HAHA, just heard a clip from Gadhafi on Larry King in 2009 saying he’d like to see BO president forever. No wonder BO had trouble calling him out in his remarks. He didn’t want to offend an admirer.

  • CAconservative

    Dem4Ever:

    I agree with part of your statement about a weak statement that provides U.S. citizens a few days to get the hell out of Libya. I do not agree with your agreement about Obimbo deserving the Nobel Peace Prize. That was so laughable, it even caught Obimbo off guard, and a bit embarrassed. I agree that Iraq and Afghanistan should have never happened but, Obimbo has had ample time to disengage and has chosen to remain. When he made that decision, he took almost equal responsibility. The United States is in that region because of oil, this countries life blood. We are still there even though we are sitting on oil deposits from Montana through the Dakotas, and other fields near the Rocky Mountains that taken together, amount to deposit greater than there is oil in all the Middle-East countries, combined! Which begs the question, WHY?! Could a whole lot of business and political scumbags be making money off of this? How about, instead of blindly fallowing either of these worthless political parties, you start investigating, and asking the question of these political-beggars that need to be asked, and explained!

  • Nachi

    Chris is growing ever more hysterical about most things. It’s embarrassing.

  • Biscuit

    Howard, Fineman, a, LIBERAL? LOL

    God, the Dittoheads are beyond stupid.

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