Liberal MSNBC host Chris Hayes on Wednesday desperately tried to blame the anti-Hillary Clinton tone at the Republican convention on “invective” and “misogyny.” Talking to Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, he took a few isolated incidents and smear all the delegates: “Hillary Clinton is not popular in that hall. I understand that. But I wonder, when you see shirts around here or buttons that, like, use the word b-i-t-c-h to describe her... how do you feel about that?”
Highlighting Democratic vitriol, Blackburn shot back: “Have you read my Twitter feed or my Facebook page? You know, it kind of goes with the territory.” Conceding the point that liberals can be hateful, Hayes admitted, “I'm sure it is unspeakably ugly.”
Undeterred, however, he tried again with the sexism charge: “Let me ask you a more straightforward question then. Do you feel that some of the invective directed towards Hillary Clinton is misogyny, is about her being a woman?”
Earlier in 6pm hour, New York magazine editor Rebecca Traister appeared with Hayes to slime that the slogan “make America great” is simply a “dog whistle” to hurt “people of color” and “women.”
On Tuesday, Chris Matthews ranted that a “bloodthirsty” crowd was ready to “kill” Clinton.
REBECCA TRAISTER: I'm not sure that there is no ideology, because I think it is written on the hats. It’s make America great again. The ideology is one you can't parse it out through policy, exactly, but you can do it through code words and dog whistles. It is returning America to an earlier time where certain kinds of people had power and certain kinds of people didn't have power. And you can hear that in the speeches about the only obstacles in front of people achieving — it’s sort of anti-government programs, anti— all kinds of dog whistles about the kinds of government policies that benefit poor people, people of color, women.
Transcripts can be found below:
Place for Politics 2016
7/20/16
6:05REBECCA TRAISTER (writer at large, New York Magazine): I think the other part of the story that makes it so irresistible is that this is a campaign Donald Trump has run for years attacking the moral fiber, the American fiber, everything about Obama and his family and his presidency. And the fact the particular — and his attacks have been very obviously racist for many years. I mean, really rooted in racial language. The idea that this thing happened where the white woman appropriated the language of the black woman about the black family that her husband had been running against for however many years and then used to it sell her own family values is really, also also makes it a bigger model for what's happening here.
...
TRAISTER: I'm not sure that there is no ideology, because I think it is written on the hats. It’s make America great again. The ideology is one you can't parse it out through policy, exactly, but you can do it through code words and dog whistles. It is returning America to an earlier time where certain kinds of people had power and certain kinds of people didn't have power. And you can hear that in the speeches about the only obstacles in front of people achieving — it’s sort of anti-government programs, anti— all kinds of dog whistles about the kinds of government policies that benefit poor people, people of color, women.
6:31pm ET
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CHRIS HAYES: You know, obviously, Hillary Clinton is not popular in that hall. She's--- I understand that. But I wonder, when you see shirts around here or buttons that, like, use the word b-i-t-c-h to describe her, the degree of that, Trump shirts, Trump that, does that — how do you feel about that?
MARSHA BLACKBURN: Have you read my Twitter feed or my Facebook page? You know, it kind of comes with the territory. You have to shake it off. Great Taylor Swift song by title. You should go listen to that.
HAYES: So, you sort of feel like being a woman in the public sphere comes with that kind of invective, whatever---.
BLACKBURN: You wouldn't believe what I've been called and what has been said to me in my career. Whether it was in the private sector or the public sector. Go read my Twitter feed.
HAYES: All right. I will. I'm sure it is unspeakably ugly.
BLACKBURN: You wouldn't believe how liberals just stay on my case all day long everyday. We have people that are liberals, they're paid to come out and protest me.
HAYES: Let me ask you a more straightforward question then. Do you feel that some of the invective directed towards Hillary Clinton is misogyny, is about her being a woman?
BLACKBURN: No. I think what it is about is people don’t agree with her principles and her experience or lack thereof. I think she’s basically had one column. She’s been in government service. She has not built a business.
