Chris Matthews: Run-Offs Exist So Democrats Could ‘Make Sure There’s A White Candidate’

Much like werewolves to a full moon, there’s just something about Election Day, no matter how local or predictable the results, that brings out the quirkiest in Chris Matthews. Tonight, Matthews railed against the run-off system that we saw in action in at least two state’s elections tonight. Why do we have run-offs, complained Matthews, when the only point to them was so southern Democrats could “make sure there was a white candidate”?

Talking to Keith Olbermann about the tight Senate race in Arkansas, where Senator Blanche Lincoln was facing a close run-off against challenger Bill Halter

“I don’t even like these run-offs, do you? I don’t know why they have them. It goes back to the old days of the Democratic Party trying to make sure there’s a white candidate, or whatever. I don’t know what the gizmo in this whole thing is. But why do they have to have run-offs?”

Video from tonight’s election coverage below:

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