“Unacceptable,” fulminated Christ Matthews, denouncing Rush Limbaugh as a “walrus” for saying that “never has the press been more supportive of a regime.”
This is what the liberal media deemed “unacceptable,” “loony-tune,” “John Birch Society” and “Father Coughlin” style talk, and angrily denounced those traitors so treasonously impugning La Precious.
And now? The media itself routinely calls the current democratically elected president a “traitor.”
Also note: In this clip, Chris Matthews and Chuck Todd note that it is Barack Obama who has broken tradition by referring to his critics by name, and they’re… okay with that. Kind of psyched about it.
Flash forward to today, when Trump referring to critics by name (or simply by network) is considered an Authoritarian Assault on Cherished Privileges of the Press.
CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: OK, let’s go to the politics pure and simple here, Chuck. Here’s the president — I want you to respond to this. Here he is with Harry Smith this morning on CBS “Morning News” going over his enemies list, basically. I’ve never seen a president — well, not since Nixon fought with Dan Rather have we really seen kind of rivalry where the president cites by names his critics. And they are his critics, in all fairness. Let’s listen.(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRY SMITH, CBS NEWS: Are you aware of the level of enmity that crosses the airwaves and that people have made part of their daily conversation about you?
OBAMA: Well, I mean, I think that when you listen to Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck…
SMITH: It’s beyond that.
OBAMA: … it’s pretty apparent, and it’s troublesome.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Criticism is “troublesome,” per the former president. Media criticism is “troublesome.”
MATTHEWS: Well, we’ve got the response to that. Here’s — here’s — you know, this guy is no frail flower, if you will. He doesn’t hide. Here`s what Rush Limbaugh said to “The D.C. Examiner” today. Quote, “Never in my life have I seen a regime like this, governing against the will of the people purposely — purposely. I have never seen the media so supportive of a regime amassing so much power, and I`ve never known so many people who literally fear for the future.”
This is to me — I`ll just give you a little editorial (INAUDIBLE) I’ve never seen language like this in the American press, referring to an elected representative government, elected in a totally fair, democratic, American election — we will have another one in November, we’ll have another one for president in a couple years — fair, free, and wonderful democracy we have in this country.
And this guy, this walrus underwater, makes fun of this administration, calling it a “regime.” We know that word, “regime.” It was used by recent presidents (INAUDIBLE) by George Bush, “regime change.” You go to war with regimes. Regimes are tyrannies. They’re juntas. They’re military coups. The use of the word “regime” in American political parlance is unacceptable, and someone should tell the walrus to stop using it.
Your thoughts, Chuck.
The press routinely intimates that Trump is a tyrant and is running a junta today. And yet in 2010, it was a sacrilege to even use a word that maybe suggests that.
Obama also called anyone that disagreed with him “enemies”. That is pretty unprecedented, but the media simply ignored it. Naw, no bias.