Chris Matthews: Matthews says Israelis Racist Don't Like Obama

Chris Matthews' guest Ethan Bronner eventually says Israeli's were nervous that Obama came into office and cozied up to Muslims, and distanced the U.S. Presidency from Israel. Then Bronner said "I would say that there is some level of prejudice about the fact that he had some islamic background through his stepfather....I think there's some sense here, that some degree of racism to be perfectly honest."

Well, okay, Bronner ignores Obama's Muslim father.

Gerbil-brained Matthews response:

Yeah, because they see it as a black man.

What? Bronner made it clear that the racism he was speaking of had to do with Obama's Islamic background.

Here's the full exchange, see the video at StoryBalloon:

Chris Matthews: Who’s more popular over here? Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden. Put them in order. Who’s the most popular figure over here in Israeli?

Ethan Bronner: Bill Clinton is the most popular of those four. And I would say Hillary is probably next. And then I would say Joe Biden. And then president Obama.

Chris Matthews: Okay, that tells you a lot. So tell me why the President of the United States is so far at the bottom? Is it his middle name? Hussein?

Ethan Bronner: I would say that there is some level of prejudice about the fact that he had some islamic background through his stepfather. But I think it has more to do with the fact that when he came in to office a year ago he wanted to recalibrate the relationship between the United States and the Muslim world. And the easiest way to do that was to put some distance between the United States and Israel. And he did that. And that made people nervous. I think there’s some sense here, that some degree of racism to be perfectly honest.

Chris Matthews: Yeah, because they see it as a black man.