Really, Chris Matthews?

Tue, 02/24/2009 - 10:41pm

Did MSNBC's Chris Matthews really just say that the struggling Republicans needed to "outsource" their response to Indian-American Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal?

Seems like an unfortunate choice of words.

Update: Mediabistro has the full quote and also video of (apparently) Matthews whispering "oh God" as Jindal walks out.

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Fine by me!

by MDrew on Wed, 02/25/2009 - 3:48am

It's not like outsourcing to India among other places isn't a real phenomenon, against which Obama himself is leading a current charge. Matthews' flank is also covered by a legitimate meaning that can be ascribed to his words: that the response was outsourced by discredited Beltway Republicans to someone who has some kind of remote credibility on the fiscal discipline question -- though not much, as Jindal was once a Republican Congressman.

Congress, rather than governors

by McChris on Wed, 02/25/2009 - 8:05am

I didn't see it – no cable – but don't congressional party leaders usually provide the response SOTU and similar speeches. If the Republicans are breaking with the usual practice and have a governor respond, I can see Matthews saying something like, "Congressional Republicans outsourced the response to Governor Bobby Jindal." That isn't to say Matthews doesn't say tacky stuff, but I think it would make sense to think through which Republicans would be outsourcing.

The question is: Would he

by GH on Wed, 02/25/2009 - 8:20am

The question is: Would he have used that choice of words if Jindal weren't of Punjabi descent?

Probably not.

the real question

by MCJ on Wed, 02/25/2009 - 1:40pm

Actually the REAL question is: if the partisan tables had been turned and Jindal had been a Democrat being commented upon by a conservative pundit, would the media be in a state of total outrage?

Methinks the answer is: Yes.

See also: NY Post editorial cartoons.