Chris Matthews Doesn't Like Reporter Interrupting Obama But Loves One Interrupting Trump

April 19th, 2011 7:50 PM

There are times when I watch MSNBC and wonder if there are actually producers paying any attention to what's going on.

Consider the following brief segment from Tuesday's "Hardball" wherein host Chris Matthews first derided a Dallas, Texas, reporter for being tough during an interview with President Obama and then immediately chastised Donald Trump for being displeased by the constant interruptions during his interview with NBC's Savannah Guthrie (video follows with transcript and commentary):

CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: First up, did you ever hear the old line from a reporter to a politician that goes like this, “Have you stopped beating your wife yet, sir?” Well here's the new version from an ABC affiliate down in Dallas, Texas. It's the same kind of setup.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN REPORTER: Why do you think you're so unpopular in Texas?

BARACK OBAMA: Well, look, Texas has always been a pretty Republican state, for, you know, for historic reasons.

UNKNOWN REPORTER (OFF CAMERA): However, he inferred his election meant Texas politics were changing.

OBAMA: We lost by a few percentage points in Texas.

UNKNOWN REPORTER: Well, you lost by about ten.

OBAMA: Well…

UNKNOWN REPORTER: 55-44.

OBAMA: I understand. I mean if what you're telling me is Texas is a conservative state, you're absolutely right.

UNKNOWN REPORTER (OFF CAMERA): After the interview, Mr. Obama pointed out that he doesn't like an interviewer challenging his comments.

OBAMA: Let me finish my answers next time we do an interview, all right?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEWS: Well, that makes me think that that particular anchorman just snagged his last presidential interview for a long while.

Time for the big number. During Savannah Guthrie’s interview with Donald Trump, we learned how to tell if the Trumpster doesn't like a question. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP: Excuse me, excuse me. Excuse me, Savannah, you brought this up. Excuse me, excuse me. That's another excuse me. Frankly, let me just tell you, excuse me, excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me, I told you exactly what I do. Excuse me. Excuse me. Savannah, excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me. I don't think you have to default.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEWS: All in all, eighteen "excuse mes" from Donald Trump today in one show interview.Wasn't that Steve Martin's line? Eighteen, tonight's very big number.

So, the Texas reporter should never get another interview with Obama because he asked him a tough question, but Trump was in the wrong despite being constantly interrupted by Guthrie.

And nobody at MSNBC including Matthews noticed the hypocrisy on display even when it came in the same two minute segment.

Is it because no one's paying attention or because they're all too hopelessly biased to see it?