This slipped my mind yesterday, but Mary Matalin made an outrageous statement on John King's CNN show on Sunday, referring to President Obama (transcript via Nexis):
So he can be rational, particularly since he knows these clods and demagogues in his party use references to him, from Jimmy Carter to Nancy Pelosi -- they're clever and come out and play the race card. And the -- and the Obama people themselves played the race card against, of all people, Bill Clinton -- yes, they did -- who is -- arguably had a more authentic black American experience than Barack Obama. But the Democratic Party has a long history of playing all the hate cards. If you're pro-marriage, you hate gays. If you're pro- life, you hate women. If you're pro-freedom, you hate government.
I'm curious--was it Matlin's work for Dick Cheney or George Allen that made her such an expert on blackness? Oh I know--it was being chief of staff to Lee Atwater. That must have been it. How exactly is Obama's experience not "authentically black"? What exactly makes Bill Clinton's experience more "authentically black" than Barack Obama's? Maybe she's riffing off Andy Young or Shelby Steele. Who knows. But the next time Matalin appears on CNN, she should be asked to explain what she meant.
In a debate about whether or not race is playing a part in the health care debate, Matlin made an indefensible and racially charged comment--one that at the very least, begged an explanation--and neither John King nor James Carville actually had a word to say about it. Matalin felt comfortable making such a statement on television, and with good reason! Neither of the other two people on the show felt there was anything wrong with it, or tried to correct her or ask what she could possibly mean. Imagine what she says in private.
Matalin made a ridiculous statement--and no one batted an eye. But it's almost understandable--had someone said something, they would have been accused of "playing the race card" because for some people, racism doesn't make them uncomfortable. Calling it what it is makes them uncomfortable. So neither of Matalin's colleagues said a word.
-- A. Serwer
