As Jonah Goldberg noted in Liberal Fascism, the “Progressives” of a century ago were astonishingly racist, including such figures as Woodrow Wilson, Margaret Sanger, HG Wells, and George William Hunter, who wrote the book that John Scopes desired to teach in his classroom. A century later, and Chris Matthews demonstrates that everything comes full circle:
Matthews interviewed Bishop Harry Jackson, who has spoken out against Barack Obama’s endorsement of gay marriage. Speaking of Jesus Christ, Matthews ridiculously linked accusations that Mitt Romney once bullied a teen, nearly 50 years ago: “Do you think [Christ] would have been chasing after the kid with long hair and cutting his hair or he would have been the one protecting the kid with long hair in high school?”
Matthews sarcastically added, “But you’re with the guy who was going after the kid with long hair.” (Pastor Jackson informed the host that he was not, yet, supporting Romney.)
Fellow black minister, Reverend Delman Coates also appeared on the show. After Coates indicated he supported gay marriage, Jackson retorted, “Why not let the Muslims have polygamy and bigamy?”
This prompted Matthews to insultingly suggest: “I hope you evolve. Thank you very much. I’m just teasing.”
Considering Matthews routinely plays the race card, will he apologize for telling a black man to “evolve?”
Now we know why MSNBC hired Al Sharpton to appear on the network — it’s insurance that he won’t be hosting another show trial against a fallen MSNBC anchor.
Related: At Hot Air, Ed Morrissey notes, “Video: Preachers in Baltimore blast Obama for same-sex marriage stance:”
No one expects the congregants of Pastor Burns’ church to run out and vote for Romney, but they’re going to be a lot less enthused about Obama — and a lack of enthusiasm in his base will put an end to hopes of a second term. Maryland is a safe state for Democrats under normal conditions; it last went Republican in 1988, and Obama won it by 25 points in 2008. However, the same reason for that large margin of victory shows the risk for Obama, which is that 30% of the vote in the state comes from the African-American community that Pastor Burns and others serve.
Which is one reply to the question that Obama tacitly asks his base whenever he zigs to the right, alienating his anti-war base by not closing Gitmo and keeping in place many elements of GWB’s GWOT tactics, then zags to the left, alienating black and other minority voters in supporting gay marriage. Where is Obama’s base going to go?
Possibly not out of their homes on election day.
Update: Jim Treacher writes, “Ain’t no politics like identity politics ’cause identity politics don’t stop.”
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