Hm. Now whose theology might the tingly Tweetybird be calling into question here?
SCOTT WHITLOCK: Hi, Mr. Matthews, my name is Scott Whitlock. I’m with the Media Research Center and-
CHRIS MATTHEWS: What’s the Media Research Center?
WHITLOCK: We write about liberal media bias.
[Matthews visibly sighs and looks irritated. Audience laughs.]
WHITLOCK: Earlier tonight, you were talking about Nixon and the Southern Strategy and bigotry and things like that you and you said, quote, “If you’re really anti-gay, you become a Catholic now.” [Audience laughs.] I was wondering if you were saying that bigots become Catholic now and if you wanted to expand or apologize for that? [Audience laughs.]
MATTHEWS: I think there are people who have chosen to convert to the Catholic faith because they don’t like the liberal positions taken by their sectarian groups. That’s a fact. So, you can write that down. No, you can write that down.
WHITLOCK: So, you’re saying Catholicism is drawing bigots? Is that what you’re saying?
MATTHEWS: I’m saying that some people who are bigoted against gay people have changed religions. Yes. You got it right.
Video at the link. Matthews does not name anyone he believe has gone papist to get away from teh gay. It’s a more general smear directed at anyone who has converted to Catholicism in recent years (which would include Newt Gingrich). It’s also a general slam on his own church, since Matthews is nominally a Catholic himself.
By the way, I cannot imagine smearing my own church in the way Matthews has here. Can’t imagine it. While my politics are important to me, my faith is far more important. The same doesn’t seem to be the case for Chris Matthews.
There are two Catholics running for president. Both of them, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich, agree with Barack Obama’s stance on gay marriage. That is, they agree with his public stance on gay marriage — they’re all against it. So where’s the bigotry? In two candidates’ honesty, or in Obama’s dishonesty?
For what it’s worth, Obama won the Catholic vote easily in 2008. His abortifacient mandate may have put a repeat in jeopardy. But did Obama coast to his win courting Chris Matthews’ bigots?
That’s a trick question: Of course Obama coasted to a win courting bigots. Leftist bigots, who see their fellow Americans who take their faith seriously as bitter clingers. Chris Matthews stands as a proud member of that bigoted set.
Exit question: Why shouldn’t MSNBC fire their obviously bigoted, intolerant host?
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