Watch him explain the controversial remark in this video:
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[8:45 a.m. - 1/28/2010] – Chris Matthews Says “I Forgot Obama Was Black”
From the Huffington Post:
Chris Matthews is definitely going to take some heat for exclaiming that he “forgot [Obama] was black tonight for an hour… I said wait a minute, he’s an African American guy in front of a bunch of other white people.” Matthews was analyzing President Obama’s first State of the Union speech when he made the remark.
Here’s the full quote:
I was trying to think about who he was tonight. It’s interesting: he is post-racial, by all appearances. I forgot he was black tonight for an hour. You know, he’s gone a long way to become a leader of this country, and past so much history, in just a year or two. I mean, it’s something we don’t even think about. I was watching, I said, wait a minute, he’s an African American guy in front of a bunch of other white people. And here he is president of the United States and we’ve completely forgotten that tonight — completely forgotten it. I think it was in the scope of his discussion. It was so broad-ranging, so in tune with so many problems, of aspects, and aspects of American life that you don’t think in terms of the old tribalism, the old ethnicity. It was astounding in that regard. A very subtle fact. It’s so hard to talk about. Maybe I shouldn’t talk about it, but I am. I thought it was profound that way.
Watch the video:
at 10:32 pm
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at 10:35 am
He didnt say anything wrong..I understand what he was saying just by reading the comment..everyone is so focused that Obama is black..That we have a black president..but as he stood there and gave the State of the Union address he had no label.. He was not just a BLACK man..he was not just a WHITE man..he is our PRESIDENT. Point blank. I trully believe this is how this man meant it..sometimes people deserve the benefit of the doubt..we will never move on if we cant even begin to give white people the benefit of the doubt n not jump down their throats!!
at 10:29 am
Considering the era that the journalist was born in and the fact that I actually watch him on a regular basis, I feel this was taken way out of proportion. From what I have seen over the past few years CM has always been upfront and had no quams about appologizing for anything that may have offended or misrepresented anyone. He has been fascinated openly with the politics during the elction process and layed all the cards out frankly about who would and would not vote for Obama. He who listens to sound bites without finding out the truth will fall for anything– acting like republicans I think.
at 8:35 pm
Just to add. To me, this is along the same lines as the Martin Luther Coon comment. It’s about how were perceived. Honestly, it doesn’t bother me. I’m too busy trying to get us to perceive us better, to be worried about how Chris M, Mike Greenberg or the media in general does.
at 8:32 pm
@silkySatin08. One question for you. Why are the reasons he gave, not associated with Black men now? Have you ever heard someone say, “wow, I forgot he was white for an hour” If you have, the white person was probably speaking slang, wearing his hat backwards, trying to rap (i.e. Eminem). Why would someone say something like that? well, because it breaks the mold of what you’re used to seeing. If you saw Kobe Bryant out somewhere break dancing on a box on a corner, you wouldn’t say “wow, I forgot Kobe was black”, but if you saw Kobe speaking to a group of engineers, or to a group of mathematicians, and speaking intelligently and articulately, you just might. What the hell is post racial mean anyway? Try to keep up silky, it’s not that difficult a concept to grasp!
at 3:43 am
People are always looking for the negative instead of the positive….he said it right! People just wanted to interpret it wrong.
at 11:22 pm
I have an X who’s mother feel’s the same WAY with her 3 Colored Son’s & she wishes they were all born to be WHITE MEN & Won’t accept Any Thing and/or Any Body Less than A WHITE WOMEN FOR ALL 3 OF THEM! SO you got folk’s on that S**t decades before we got Obama & folk’s believe me, “he’s a lot blacker than some I’ve ran into in my life.”
at 12:52 pm
He meant it as he explained it and you did it too, or said the same things before. You want to see Obama not as that black guy who is different, and it’s rare that a black can make it, you want to see him without a label, just his title- PRESIDENT. You don’t want to say “oh that’s the black president”. So while so many are focused on race, he’s saying race is the last thing on his mind. Coming from a white man, it sounds bad, but I understood the intention when he first said it. He’s a white man who can look past race is all and doesn’t need to go by the white people propaganda that is shoved in his face about blacks. He can turn that off is all he’s saying.
at 2:00 pm
Jahz_Lynx1, u said it…
I wonder the same thing…How is that a compliment?
at 8:32 pm
so what? he forgot the man was black. I would not waste too much brain power on that one. Have we gotten to the point where any and everything said about a black person is a racist comment? I do indeed hope not.
at 4:49 pm
I think Matthews was saying Obama sounded like every other white politicians, saying what he thinks people want to hear with no clear delineated plan on bringing it about. The last time I heard that line, it was supposed to be compliment, before it crashed and burned{lol:} It was used to persuade a crossing of the cultural divide for reasons being mostly benifiting the other person. Everybody who’s dated cross cultures will have heard this line before. Why is this supposed to be a compliment?
at 2:27 pm
I dont care what Chris think.{smile} Who is he to me?
at 10:54 am
Matthews did a great job explaining his earlier statement. I agree with him actually. For damn once I believe people seen Obama as a president, a leader instead of “that black man”. So yeah I def agree.
at 5:29 pm
It was Martin Luther King Jr. who said “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character”. And, now when we have an instance when a “black person” is not looked at as being a “black person”, but just a “person” now we have a problem! Now I watch Chris Matthews frequently, and I know for a fact that he is NOT a racist person. Him saying that he forgot that President Obama was African American is no insult at all, and shame on those people that look at it as such. Why does everything have to be so black, and white with us? We are all PEOPLE and it shouldn’t matter if were black or white! And, to you people who are blaming the President for “YOUR” financial woes, GET A DAMN GRIP! You were broke before he became President! The man has been in office for A YEAR! So stop blaming everybody else for the wrong choices that YOU made, and be accountable for your own actions! Patience is a virtue, so be patient! I swear, if we didn’t have nothing to complain about, we would complain about that. Get it together people!
at 11:56 am
some black people will never open their eyes….i guess ignorance truly is bliss…
thank you Cali & _A_
at 11:44 am
Wait a dam minute, let me put my 2 cents up in here. First of all, Obama is the most articulate president the U.S. has ever seen so it’s no surprise that some folk to forget he’s black. Remember this same thing happened with Colin Powell. Second of all, Obama can’t just wave his hand and make all his promises take shape. Stop blaming him for the people who lost jobs, homes, etc. He tries reaching out to republicans but they spit in his face. His most difficult challenge is getting republicans to come on board, but they fight him tooth and nail because they don’t want him taking credit for fixing the mess they’re hero George W. created such as the 13 trillion dollar deficit.
As for Chris Matthews, he’s very intelligent and well spoken re: politics and often praises Obama’s accomplishments which is more than any republican has done to date. What’s more alarming is to see Dems adopting the mindset of conservatives and jumping on the “bash Obama” band wagon. If we had another conservative administration right now, all you Judas Iscariot democrats would really have something to complain about. Obama tries to avoid signing Executive Orders so as not to look like the dictator that just left the oval office. However, just recently the five conservative Supreme Court justices just gave corporations (even foreign ones) the right to influence the outcome of U.S. elections by putting gobs of money into the hands of crooked politicians. Now Obama has to try and undo what our crooked conservative side of the Supreme Court just did.
Anybody claiming to be a Democrat needs to know the difference between the two parties as stated: The Democrats want to give money to people who need it, while the Republicans want to give money to people who don’t. Every time one dem bashes Obama, it makes it that much more difficult for all other dems to get things accomplished. So all you dems running around whining about what Obama has not done need to shut up and take a good look at your options because the fact is with a conservative admin running things you don’t have any options. Loyal and intelligent dems have worked too hard to have simple minded dems trying to crash our party. If your not happy with how Obama is trying to handle things then take your happy A** over to the other side so they can screw you without the vaseline, and don’t come running back to us complaining about how the republicans dissed your sorry butts. Just ask Michael Steele how the republicans will throw you under bus, don’t just take my word for it.
at 10:57 am
This is a non-issue. He said it wrong but it was obvious that he meant no harm.