'I Forgot Chris Matthews Was White'

Last night, MSNBC anchor Chris Matthews had this to say in response to President Obama's State of the Union speech:

I was trying to think about who he was tonight. It's interesting: he is post-racial, by all appearances. I forgot he was black tonight for an hour. You know, he's gone a long way to become a leader of this country, and past so much history, in just a year or two. I mean, it's something we don't even think about. I was watching. I said, Wait a minute, he's an African-American guy in front of a bunch of other white people. And here he is president of the United States and we've completely forgotten that tonight—completely forgotten it. I think it was in the scope of his discussion. It was so broad-ranging, so in tune with so many problems, of aspects, and aspects of American life that you don't think in terms of the old tribalism, the old ethnicity. It was astounding in that regard. A very subtle fact. It's so hard to talk about. Maybe I shouldn't talk about it, but I am. I thought it was profound that way.

Later, perhaps realizing that he had offended, Matthews clarified his remarks, saying, "I think he's taken us beyond black and white in our politics, wonderfully so, in just a year."

You know, I had completely forgotten Chris Matthews was a white man. He's a talking ham for all appearances. He's made great strides to appear post-racial, gone so long without saying something offensive, that I'd completely forgotten that he has pale skin. Imagine that, just over 40 years since Dr. King marched on Washington and I found myself unable to recall what race Chris Matthews belonged to until he seemed to equate black with stupid, inarticulate, and unable to grasp complex issues that aren't related to basketball or rap music in a manner that would impress a roomful of white people. Right up until that moment, Matthews had been just another piece of commentary on a long night of commentary. And then suddenly, he was this white guy talking but without any consideration that his viewpoint might be considered narrow. Matthews (white) spoke as if the only black people he knows are Oprah and Cliff Huxtable. That's not bad for a white guy ... historic, really, from the past year or two until now. Seriously, it's something we never think about in the year since Obama's inauguration. Obama is black. He's always been black, and even (to paraphrase Whoopi Goldberg) if he spends every night in a tub of bleach, he will always be black. Wow, it was kind of Matthews to remind us. I think he's taken us beyond black and white in our politics, wonderfully so, in just a year.

Here's video of Matthews's statement: