Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey's sexist attack on Salon editor Joan Walsh on MSNBC's Hardball last night - telling her, in response to her apt critique of Republican intransigence in responding to the economic crisis, that "I'm so damn glad you can never be my wife because I surely wouldn't have to listen to that prattle from you" - has been well lambasted all over the Web, along with plaudits for New York Times reporter Bob Herbert, who, appearing on the next Hardball segment, said Armey owed Walsh and Hardball viewers an apology (see video clips below).
One aspect of this Republican outburst which has not received enough attention, however, is Hardball host Chris Matthews' mild response. He did say that what Joan Walsh said was "not prattle," and, in the segment after Bob Herbert's, that Armey "went way overboard going after Joan" - but where was the outrage, the shouting down of jackasses by Chris Matthews, that has become one of the admirable hallmarks of his show?
Why didn't Matthews interrupt Armey, talk over him, and throw him off the show?
Perhaps he's a bit tone deaf to sexism, or maybe is so used to such trash-talk from some Republicans that he doesn't find it so outrageous. It is true, at least in my experience, that when you make a logical point that makes some Republicans uncomfortable, they respond with a personal attack. I noticed this the very first time I was on O'Reilly's Factor, and he started riffing on his amazement that someone with my views could be a professor at Fordham University (I was actually happy to hear this, because it gave the school good publicity).
But ubiquity of bad behavior is no reason to continue accept it. Matthews should have shown Armey to the door last night. I hope he makes up for not doing that by denouncing Armey in much stronger terms, tonight.
6 comments:
I definitely would side more with Rep. Armey on the economy if he's against the stimulus, but I agree that he didn't have to be suck a "Dick" to her.
wow - badd typo. I meant SUCH.
not such a bad typo :)
I hope everyone appreciates, by the way, the restraint I showed by not saying at the end of my most that "Matthews should have shown the Dick to the door" ... it had alliteration and everything...
After Armey's statement, Matthews was doing such a good job to give Walsh the floor and block Armey from continuing his barrage. Matthews even scolded him. Then he let Armey get in the last word. It would have been so much better had Matthews just stopped him cold and said, "You've already said too much. You're done." And then cut to commercial.
Maybe he didn't interrupt, because he actually agrees with Armey.
He should be prepared for people to make that assumption.
What a male chauvinistic pig. This man shows his true colors. We, as a society, will not progress as long people feel free to say such horrendous things to women and, in fact, to one another. Chris really made a mistake in not calling him out, on the spot, for such a statement. And his wife, if he has one, should start proceedings to divorce him right away. Our old pastor used to say this about his congregation, in private, "There's nothing wrong with this congregation that a few funerals wouldnt cure." You take it from there. LOL
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