And why did Eugene Robinson not put him to task for this? Why did he allow Matthews to say this? MATTHEWS: Gene, did it surprise you that he was so un-ethnic tonight? That he never once talked about the condition of African-Americans in this country, never once talked about poor people, never once mentioned poor people, never once talked about the underclass, the people that don't get a break generation after generation. Not once admitted where he came from and what he struggled for as a community organizer -- ever once. ROBINSON: No, it didn't surprise me. You know, I wrote once that if he's going to become president, Barack Obama has to come across as the least aggrieved black man in America, and I think that's true. And you know, it's not a winner for him to, you know, recount America's racial sins

Why is it Robinson's place to tell Matthews anything.  Just let Matthews blow on and on and let people form their own opinions.  It is after all, the Mathews show.  It is amazing how Matthews tried to set up these questions so as to get the discussion going in a confrontive way.  Obama will not be a black President who needs to specifically worry about any specific group.  He will be the President of all people who need his concern.  People trying to introduce the racial stupidity into this election  are the ones fomenting division.  Barack will be great for the poor, less fortunate, discriminated against, be they brown, white, black or sky blue pink.  He is just an "All People" sort of person who cares deeply in a concrete way about military and civilian, rich and poor, city or country, etc.  Trying to push him into some catagory will not work.  He is a man for all people.

Poor Chris.  He should just go away and lie down for awhile.  He really doesn't think before he speaks.

maddog I think this is deeper than thinking before you speak;don't you?

WTF? Someone please tell this moron that Obama is running for the Presidency of the United States, not for the chairmanship of the NAACP. African-American are just as concerned about foreign policy and the economy as every other American. WTF is wrong with Chris Matthews? He always brings up race and ethnicity...sheesh.

You said it so much clearer than I did.  Your post says it all!!!!!

The oddest thing that I saw in the debate was how McCain refused to look at Obama. I was at a bar and wasn't really paying attention, so I just thought there was something going awry with the camera angle. Then this morning I heard people talking about it, and it seems so weird. There he was standing right next to Obama, talking about him, yet not even glancing in his direction. Incidentally I was at a bar about 3 blocks away from the bar where Palin watched the debate. For the life of me I don't understand why people go to bars to watch these things. It's not like anyone can really hear anything, at least where I was at, and it didn't really look like anyone even tried to hear. The Phils were on fighting for the playoffs, and in comes a bunch of Obama supporters demanding that the channel be changed . . .

Obama stood there in control of the situation. I did not see color but i saw an intelligent articulate young man.. Martin Luther King's knife cuts both ways when he said you measure a man not by the color of his skin but by the content of his character. Mathews lost one here. Engage brain before accelerating into intellectual oblivion.

How will Matthews ever know how the white working class guy, the regular working stiff out there, responds? Does he know any?

From what I've seen, white working class guys are fed up with the likes of John McCain and are desperate for leadership. Even the people I know who are not as tolerant of other races as they should be are firmly on Senator Obama's side. And some of these friends and family members are PA residents.

I have a feeling that Senator McCain will have a rude awakening on the morning of November 5.

I think he had a rude awakening last night in Mississippi. And also when Letterman made public what McCain did to him, with a live feed to the Couric set getting all prettied up with face dust for the camera.

"From what I've seen, white working class guys are fed up with the likes of John McCain and are desperate for leadership."

Though it is true that white working class people are desperate for real leadership, I daresay they will not find it in Barack Obama.

"Even the people I know who are not as tolerant of other races as they should be ..."

So in your twisted world-view, people should be a certain level of tolerance?? And if they are not, do you think they should be compelled to be more tolerant??

If they're racist pukes, they should be called on it.

Your posting history demands that you be called on it.

But i asked if they should be compelled to be more tolerant, as Worrierking implied.

I persnally see this as an authoritarian notion, but we do know that the new totalitarianism will be under liberla auspices.

If they are "racist" then you can call it any time you want to, and i really do not care if you call me racist for i know that i am not.

   I'm a "white working class guy" and I think O'bama didn't do very well in the debate. O'bama looked like he was mad all the time, like he was getting beaten and needed to show anger in order to scare his opponent. Plus O'bama couldn't answer any question without stumbling and continually going "uh...um...uh...um...". McCain may not have 'won' the debate, but O'bama definately 'lost' it.

   The funniest part of the entire debate was when McCain told his pointless anecdote about the bracelet he was wearing, then O'bama goes; 'I've got one of those, too! It's from...uh..(while he's looking to see who it's from)..uh..so-and-so..". OMG...the look on O'bamas face when he tried remembering who gave him the bracelet was just priceless.

That's because there's no such person as "O'Bama."

I was once a great fan of Matthews. After all, i'm a journalist too. But then I heard what he said on the Rachel Maddow show the night of the SAddleback debate. Maddow had unearthed some information about McCain that she wanted to discuss with Matthews. This is what he said. "I can't say anyting about Sen.McCain because he is a war hero and I've met him several times and he never said anything about my only serving in the Peace Corp." I was shocked.I had just starting reading "Free Ride, McCain and the Media" and it was so on target. When Maddow tried to repeat her question, Matthews blew her away with "Your research is good, Rachel. Now let's move on." How sexist. And how sad that she folded. This is a man who has a responsiblity to us and our nation to provide all the information about both candidates so we can have the information we need to "govern ourselves in a democracy." That is the purpose of the First Amendment. Spewing trivia like whether or not Sen.Obama, a presidential candidate, wears sunglasses on a sunny day and ascribing it to elitism is traitorous to our First Amendment anddisrespectful to American voters.. He should resign if he can't or won't do his job. JMB

Did anyone notice that McCain lifted a Winston Churchill line ("this isn't the beginning of the end....") from World War 2 last night?

Yep, I fully expected him to dye his hair blond and discuss country music but for some reason he didn't.

I agree, I think Matthews was really off base. He didn't wonder if McCain was touching base with those white working guys. Obama is running for President of the United States, he is a man of character who has to spend a lot of his campaign trying to get people to connect with him. He is demonstrating he a champion of all the people against the failed policies of the Republican Party and last 8 years in particular. That's where he has to focus. I thought Matthews would have more class being in the company of Olbermann and Maddow. As a new fan for msnbc week night, I am still trying to get a handle on his programming goals.

Wolf, I think you pretty well sized up Obama,and I think even the stupid people are

realizing Mathews is just another Hannity in sheeps clothing

I tend to agree with this analysis of the debate : http://jamesfallows.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/09/on_strategy_and_tactics.php

This cartoon @"Rhe Washington Post" has gotten alot of complaints. I think it's spot on, "he knocked it out of the park." HAHAHAHA!http://wpcomics.washingtonpost.com/client/wpc/po/2008/09/09/

It did not surprise me much at all that Matthews got all white with his post-debate analysis.  I was a little surprised, though, by the degree of whiteness he reached at times. I had to turn up the contrast on my TV at one point just to see his ghostly face.  Very irregular looking guy.  Does talk a good game, though.

This is insulting as hell.  What does un-ethnic mean?  That he was articulate, intelligent, well-versed and capable of standing his own in front of the likes of John McCain?  Or does it mean that he didn't ogo n stage talking about "fight the power" or shouting out his homies?  Someone needs to tell Matthews that there are lots of us out there are lots of un-ethnic blacks out there that share the same issues, concerns, fears, etc. as their lighter brothers and sisters.  I may not be able to separate myself from my ethnicity but that is certainly not what defines me.

What an idiot! I am SO over the whole Chris Matthewsand his slobbering, fight your way into a conversation style. What a big fat bore!

Everytime he talks about ethnicity or gender he acts like he is completely bowled over by the events of the day. 

He reminds me of one of those guys in your office/family who says just the wrong thing in just the wrong way about your very special guest.

It is seems completely legit to ask about the issure of poverty and class in the race but can you imagine someone asking if the women candidate should have sounded more womanly? What the hell does it all mean.

"Are you surprised McCain didn't sound more elderly tonight?"

What an idiot!  Someone pull the plug NOW!

maybe obama can rap his answers next time.  and then have fried chicken as an after debate snack.  that might make chris happy.

Or perhaps he can get Barbara Billingsley to translate it into Jive for him.

Nice. Airplane!

What is wrong with Chris Matthews? lol

Generations of racist brainwashing is a biatch!

Maybe Chris' childhood racist upbringing in the Pennsylvania 'south' is beginning to come to the fore as he ages?

Obama is wisely not interested in slicing and dicing and dividing UNITED STATES of Americans.
And the race-focussed Chris Matthews is forgetting that Obama, biologically, embodies BOTH Blacks & Whites!  lol

Beware of supposing that Matthews showed a pro-McCain bias after the debate. Newsbusters, the right-wing website, complains that Matthews said McCain" crunched over" and was "grumpy", and that Obama "looked presidential."

OH, and did I mention that Matthews asked, "Do you think, let’s start with John McCain, do you think he was too troll-like tonight?

Truthiness, I agree with you that the people here are a little touchy. My suggestion is that if McCain is somewhat behind going into the next debate that he come out in black-face to even the playing field. That'll show these damn liberals around here. They won't know who to vote for. Go Truth.

Chris Matthews has absolutely no credibility as a journalist.  His commentary often hints of sexism or racism or just plain inanity.  Every once in a while he can pull of a little bit of a coup (we all remember his "appeasement" moment), but he usually lets his brain drift over into the pointless association category.  I've never understood why Buchanan (either Pat OR Bay) are put on any of these shows.  It is some kind of feeble attempt at balance?  If so, what exactly are they balancing?  Eugene Robinson makes significantly more sense, but at least give him someone of equal ability to spar with.

Just imagine what an interview of Palin by Matthews would look like.  That would be a circus worthy of three rings! 

Hey chris I'm going to the Bar tonight and I too will be "UN-ETHNIC"how do you like that?

Did it surprise you that Matthews can say something so racist? This guy talks so much and is so in love with hearing himself, that it is a chore to listen to him. His mouth runs in overdrive and his brain  just can't catch up. He is irritating with how he speaks. He has you yelling at the television screen for him to just shut up. Just what is ethnic? Was he suppose to show up using slang, what!!? I have news for this moron Matthews - not all black people are alike. He is the poster child for part of the problem in the U.S.

I'm beginning to think that Tweety is unable to go through a telecast without making some kind of ethnic slur. When Sen. Clinton was in the running, he seemed unable to go through a telecast without making some kind of sexist slur. What's wrong with this guy? Everyone should write to Matthews and MSNBC to let him, and his boss, know that he should not be allowed to get away with these kinds of offensive comments.

Matthews is a covert racist.  This is as bad as Neil Cavutos racist remark.

What the "hell" is wrong with Chris Matthews? I think he's a closet racist. He doesn't think before opens his mouth. [D]id it surprise you that he [Obama] was so un-ethnic tonight?" What would drive a political anaylist to say that? What would Matthews know about minorities or Pat "Lynch a person of color" Buchanan. Obama's purpose is to represent America as a nation, not just blacks. Obama held his own in the first debate, and the MSM or pundints can spin all they want. But those who saw the debate clearly knows who won. And shame on Eugene for not setting Chris or Pat straight. Ya'know I can't until Nov 4th, and if Obama wins I can't wait to see the look on the faces of pundints and media.

YES WE CAN!

Matthews has a knack for lowering the level of discussion doesn't he?

Chris, I have been wavering back and forth for some time about your outlook /attitude, but you crossed the line with me and many others last night when you said, "we don't know who won this debate 'til we know how, to put it bluntly, the white working class guy, the regular working stiff out there, responds." I am so tired of your implication that regular working stiffs are the white working glass guys. Do you even appreciate how offensive that is to, you know, the regular working class African American and other minority stiffs all over the country? Why must you continue to paint this in terms of black and white? And if you must, just call it white and leave off the racist terms of regular. Do you think that minorities are less than regular? To make it worse, you went on to ask Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson: "[D]id it surprise you that he [Obama] was so un-ethnic tonight? That he never once talked about the condition of African-Americans in this country, never once talked about poor people, never once mentioned poor people, never once talked about the underclass." What did you mean? What were you implying? I believe the words spoken by Sen Obama in the debate ahd throughout his campaign have included me and addressed my condition, and I am an African American. I was equally dismayed that Mr. Robinson, did not question your question? I was ashamed of him. Journalists need to be more in tune with how what they say and respond to reflects on them and the positions they seem to hold. Chris, why did you not address the fact that McCain never once mentioned even the middle class? Chris, I want to give you the benefit of the doubt. You may be well intentioned, but you too often come across as biased. Please take a second look at what you ask and how you ask it!

Right on script. The Dem lacks "authenticity". They could've taped this a month ago because it has virtually nothing to do with what actually happened in the debate.

Never mind. I miss read the article.

And furthermore, i saw those McCain ads after the debate and they have Mr obama blacker than he really is. that is disgusting and obviously racist. McCain has gone into territory that is not what the United States stands for. It is possible to be seen as a war hero and then lose it all.

I think Matthew's point was Obama was  " unethinic" because he didn't throw his spear at McCain , while on stage . This is one of these phony contrived slams , to put Obama down, because if he DID bring up minority issues OR those scary ethinc issues , he would have said , IS HE ALIENATING WHITE VOTERS BY EMPASIZING BLACK ISSUES . As a matter of fact he did mention the middle class and average citizens , however Matthews doesn't believe blacks are part of that group .

I would agree with this mathews fellow.

Obama was certainly backing off the whole resentful black man thing, he did not once utter something like "white man's greed vs a world in need."

And you have not uttered once anything like a rational non-racist person would post.

Assuming that your post was supposed to make sense, I see that you cannot and will not counter my point, you unsurprisingly can only yell "racist!"

Obama is really good at sounding white or black. Oops... my bad. I meant African-American. He can be down wit da brothas or relate to all of us white folks who's greed runs a world in need.

Do you get tired of sleeping on a bare mattress because all your sheets have eyeholes cut in them?

Easy that was tooo funny!lol

It would be nice if you knew what the heck you were talking about.  I am Jewish and my wife is Chinese-Jamaican.  That's ok...  you're just stupid.