Chris Matthews Explains "Oh, God!" Utterance

[Jackeens]

During today's Hardball, Chris Matthews will address the moment last night when a live mic caught him muttering "Oh, God," as Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal came out to deliver the GOP rebuttal to President Obama's address.

Here's a bit of what Matthews will say, according to an NBC spokesperson:

I was taken aback by that peculiar stagecraft, the walking from somewhere in the back of this narrow hall, this winding staircase looming there, the odd anti-bellum look of the scene. Was this some mimicking of a president walking along the state floor to the East Room?

Jindal has reportedly declined an invitation to appear on this evening's edition of Hardball.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/25/chris-matthews-explains-o_n_169876.html

[DevonRex]

1. Honest explanation. I've got to give him kudos for that.

[Kahuna]

15. Yep. Jindal looked very uncoordinated and awkward the way to walked

to his mark. I understand Tweety's utterance.

[camera obscura]

2. Someone should probably tell NBC it's "antebellum"

besides that, I don't get the big deal... most everyone, Republicans included, were groaning as he came onstage.

[MadBadger]

5. Its because his was on an open-mic and everybody heard it.

[acmavm]

41. Looks like Ray Romano with a tan.

[sandnsea]

11. anit-bellum, oh brother

That just makes my head hurt.

[Captain Hilts]

23. Shows that MSNBC is run by stupid people. nt

[BuyingThyme]

3. Makes sense.

[ErinBerin84]

4. I had seen the speech

but I had missed the part where Jindal strides in with the goofy smile until today....and oh god! It really was weird staging. So awkward.

[Occam Bandage]

6. Antebellum, meaning "pre-war." Not "anti-bellum," which I guess would mean "opposing war,"

though in a greek-latin mixed-up sorta way.

[Aloha Spirit]

28. Antibellum architecture could revitalize the Gulf Coast region.

As soon as we figure out what it is?

[bunkerbuster1]

36. Well, it's obviously the subversive LIBRUL media workin its evil ways...

they's sneaky.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

7. I really don't think he needs to explain himself.

I think Jindal needs to explain himself.

I think people who didn't think "oh god" when they saw that joker need to explain themselves.

I don't think Matthews does.

[ErinBerin84]

14. yep

and I doubt that Jindal not appearing is because he is "offended" or anything. He's being panned today. Andrea Mitchell said it earlier, and Jonathan Capehart kept saying that his whole response was so "curious".

[Clio the Leo]

8. Well now he needs to defend the invitation.....

.... seriously, Jindal is over and done. Who cares. Dont waste airtime on him.

[predfan]

9. anti-bellum...........against bellum............as in I hate bellum, don't even get me started.....

anti-bellum.

[michaz]

When I was watching it, what came out of my mouth was worse than that!

I really don't find it any big deal at all. It was what it was.

[livetohike]

10. I said, "Oh my God" so that reaction from Chris Matthews

doesn't seem strange to me. The person responsible for picking the setting made a bad choice, imo. People remember the visual more than the words.

[predfan]

13. It really was sort of a "Dark Shadows" moment, wasn't it?

[livetohike]

18. Dark Shadows!!! I loved that show. I watched it every day when

I got home from school in the 60's :-). Good analogy :thumbsup:.

[gkhouston]

31. Yes! It was the one thing we were allowed to postpone doing homework for, and

I remember some snooty neighbor being shocked, shocked that my mom would let her kids watch that show. Mom looked said neighbor straight in the eye and said, "Even my youngest knows it's all fake. Don't you?"

Yes, it was a Dark Shadows moment. All Jindal needed was some glow in the dark teeth.

[Arugula Latte]

35. There were two types of moms in the 60s.

Those who would let their kids watch Dark Shadows.
And those who would not.

My mom was in the latter category, so we went to our friends' house down the street to watch.

BTW, Barnabus Collins looks something like Craig Ferguson:

[livetohike]

38. Good one!

:-)

[DangerousRhythm]

47. HAHAHA

Oh man, I never even thought of that. HILARIOUS! And I LOVE Craig too... love love love. I used to watch Dark Shadows in the late 70s when I was like 3 or 4 years old at most. Fun times!

[ellacott]

33. Perfect analogy

:)

[Alleycat]

17. My 17 yo said Oh Jeez!!!!

The entrance looked extremely awkward

[livetohike]

19. It reminded me of the old "Loretta Young Show"

At the beginning of the show, she would descend this ornate staircase. She always had on a stunning, designer gown. I was waiting for her to show up in the opening scene behind Jindal :-).

[Captain Hilts]

24. Loretta Young's guide to living is one of the funniest damned things I've ever read.

Right up there with Joan Crawford's My Way of Life.

[watrwefitinfor]

42. I wondered if Jindal was going to slide down the banister. n/t

[Uzybone]

12. This reminds me of what Mike Kinsley said

A gaffe is when a politician tells the truth.

Matthews couldn't help himself from saying what we were all thinking, yet he has to explain himself.

[BklynChick]

16. gotta love Matthews!

[tigereye]

20. half of America was saying that!

:rofl:


hmm, they should have ignored it so it would go away. Wrong again, elephant party... :patriot:

[Captain Hilts]

21. It won't work Chris. You're just plain unprofessional and shouldn't be in front of a mic. nt

[MadBadger]

25. This is the fault of the tech guys/gals at MSNBC. His Mic should have been off

Do you think these people sit and quietly watch speeches without making comments?

[Captain Hilts]

29. True, but on a Big Night like this one. Belt and suspenders during the transition...GREAT

photograph!!

[MadBadger]

32. It seemed to be said 5-6 seconds after KO "introduced" Jindal

I would agree with you if it was immediately after, but 5-6 seconds is a pretty long pause when you watch the video.


And Thanks! I have to admit. Though I immediately thought of Kenneth as I was watching, I stole the pic off the newly created facebook group: Bobby Jindal is Kenneth the Page."

[xxqqqzme]

22. He was just the echo of what eveyone in

the country was uttering.

[Captain Hilts]

26. True.

[MADem]

27. Tweety's been in the business long enough to understand the perils of a live mike.

Obviously, the MSNBC sound team isn't on his Christmas card list, or something.

He fucked up. I think the "Oh God" had to do with his explanation, plus the fact he thinks that Jindal is a dweeb. I suppose he should be grateful that he didn't say "Look at that fucking asshole!" or something along those lines.

It was an "Anna Maria Alberghetti" moment for him (she took a massive noisy crap--offstage, of course--during a stage show she was headlining in, and forgot to turn off her mike). What can you do? Move on, smartly.

[Arkansas Granny]

30. I had a OMG reaction to the Jindal set, also.

It seemed like a "wannabe" moment.

[Pisces]

34. I was making comments when he walked out also.

[Zynx]

37. I said "Pfft".

I was distinctly unimpressed by the backdrop. It was almost as bad as Bush's Katrina speech where it looked like he was about to invoke a satanic ritual.

[hedgehog]

43. I can't find a picture, but if you want to talk satanic ritual, you should have

seen the exterior shot of the governor's mansion last night. It was lit up with a lurid green light.

[CTyankee]

46. "Welcome to Mardi Gras" was pretty creepy, too.

It sounded a bit like "welcome to my crypt."

[high density]

39. The stupid smile made me go OMG more than the awkwardly busy looking location behind him

He struts on to camera with the :D smile like a moron.

[d_b]

40. it's because he's a twat, chris

admit it.

[ErinBerin84]

44. I read

that Elizabeth on The View was whining about this last night....yes, Elizabeth of the "fair and balanced" is whining about lack of objective reporting, heh.

[lamp_shade]

45. I'll buy it. n/t