On the November 6 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, discussing presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), host Chris Matthews said, "[W]ell, there she is clapping again," and asked his panel of Washington Post editorial writer Jonathan Capehart, Houston Chronicle White House correspondent Julie Mason, and Weekly Standard staff writer Matthew Continetti, "[W]ould somebody please tell me why she claps every time she goes somewhere?" Capehart postulated that Clinton was “responding to the crowd,” and Mason speculated that "[i]t's an affirmation," to which Matthews replied: “No, I think it's bizarre behavior. Anyway, I think it has something to do with -- men don't know what to do with their hands. I guess she's like us. Anyway, we'll be right back with more of the roundtable. I want an answer. Why is she clapping?”

Similarly, the next day on the November 7 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe, co-host Willie Geist said to Matthews, “I gotta ask you about, I was watching yesterday, you had this thing about Hillary and the clapping, you were caught up with her.” Matthews replied that Clinton is “usually standing in front of the camera, and she's clapping, like she's Chinese. I know the Chinese clap at each other, but what is she clapping at?”:

MATTHEWS: Yeah, would you explain that to me, what they're - every time you see a Republican they're looking for a leader, every time you see a Democrat, they're at a meeting. They love these lunchtime meetings. And they're always at -- she's usually standing in front of the camera, and she's clapping, like she's Chinese. I know the Chinese clap at each other, but what is she clapping at? I mean, it's like one of these wind-up things. Every time you see -- and now she rolls around the room, and sort of, it's like dances with the clapping while she's there. And every once in a while she shoots that pointed finger at somebody, she multi-tasks, she claps and points. But the clapping is just, it's so - Mika [Brzezinski, co host], is this the triumph of modern women? Is this some new level of greatness we've all achieved here? I don't know what it is.

Brzezinski later told Matthews, "[T]his is just like a man, or any of you people picking on Hillary Clinton for things like clapping! I mean, come on, are you going to talk about her clothes too?" Matthews replied: “Mika, you're unconvincing at the ramparts here. 'I Am Woman' time, jeez."

During the Morning Joe discussion of Clinton's clapping, MSNBC aired a video clip that appeared to have been taken during the 2006 New York State Democratic Convention. In the clip, Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton applaud as Elliot Spitzer (then running for New York governor) joins them on a stage. Spitzer and the Clintons then applaud as David A. Paterson, Spitzer's running mate, joins them on the stage.

From Morning Joe:

The following photograph accompanied a May 31, 2006, New York Times article discussing Clinton's appearance at the New York convention, with the caption, “Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and husband, President Bill Clinton, are joined on stage by the state Democratic ticket during the State Democratic Convention in Buffalo, N.Y.”:

Matthews has repeatedly highlighted Hillary Clinton's clapping, and has previously characterized it as “Chinese”:

• On the October 26 edition of Hardball, Matthews asked Sally Bedell Smith, author of For Love of Politics: Bill and Hillary Clinton: The White House Years (Random House, 2007): “What's with [Clinton's] clapping? Why is she always clapping? There we see her -- I don't know any -- is this a Chinese thing? What is this clapping? She doesn't clap like you do at a movie you like or something. She claps when she meets people.” Smith asserted that “the wonderful subtext” of Bill and Hillary Clinton clapping together “is they're clapping, but they're not really paying attention. She's whispering something to him and he's listening intently.” During the segment, MSNBC aired the same footage of the Clintons and Spitzer applauding during the 2006 New York State Democratic Convention it would later air during the November 7 segment on Morning Joe.
• As Media Matters for America noted, in a conversation with co-anchor Keith Olbermann during MSNBC's coverage of the November 7, 2006, midterm elections, while a clip of Clinton's Senate victory event played in the background, Matthews asserted: "[A]nd that clapping. I just don't get it. It's not appealing. It's Chinese or something. I mean, what is this applauding-yourself thing all about?"
• On the June 1, 2006, edition of Hardball, during a discussion of “Hillary Clinton's performance yesterday in her speech announcing her run for renomination for the Senate,” Matthews asked Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen, “What's all the dancing and clapping about? Why'd she come to the platform clapping and dancing? What's the celebration about?”
• On the February 7, 2000, edition of Hardball, during a discussion of Clinton's performance during her February 6, 2000, announcement that she would be running for Senate, jury consultant Jo-Ellan Demetrius asserted that Clinton was “trying to include the audience and it's just, you know, it's just not going off well at all. You know, this is a person that, I think, most people would feel very uncomfortable sitting next to because she's so robotic-like.” Matthews replied: “Well, I think she spent too much time watching Richard Nixon in the Great Hall of the People there because she's running around clapping hands like I don't know what.”

From the November 7 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe:

GEIST: I gotta ask you about -- I was watching yesterday -- you had this thing about Hillary and the clapping. You were caught up with her -- what --

MATTHEWS: Willie, would you explain that to me, what their --

BRZEZINSKI (co-host): Well --

MATTHEWS: Every time you see a Republican, they're looking for a leader. Every time you see a Democrat, they're at a meeting. They love these lunchtime meetings, and they're always at -- she's usually standing in front of the camera, and she's clapping, like she's Chinese.

I know the Chinese clap at each other, but what is she clapping at? I mean, it's like one of these wind-up things. Every time you see -- and she's -- now she rolls around the room, and sort of -- it's like dances with the clapping while she stands. And every once in a while, she shoots that pointed finger at somebody. She multitasks. She claps and points. But the clapping is just, it's so -- I mean, is this -- Mika, is this the triumph of modern women? Is this some new level of greatness we've all achieved here? I don't know what it is.

GEIST: I don't know.

BRZEZINSKI: OK, that's an interesting question. It sort of reminds me of Paula Abdul's clap for the contestants during American Idol. She's very supportive.

SCARBOROUGH: OK. OK, we better cut it there, because you just compared Hillary Clinton --

BRZEZINSKI: Oh, God!

SCARBOROUGH: -- possibly the next president of the United States -- to a woman that's have -- has a lot of issues. Chris has compared Giuliani with Gadhafi --

BRZEZINSKI: Chris started it! I mean, what are we --

SCARBOROUGH: We're in great shape.

BRZEZINSKI: See, but Chris, this is just like a man, or any of you people during this campaign --

SCARBOROUGH: Just like a man.

BRZEZINSKI: --picking on Hillary Clinton --

SCARBOROUGH: Ah, you know what?

GEIST: It's a fair question.

BRZEZINSKI: -- for things like clapping!

SCARBOROUGH: We're not picking on Hillary Clinton.

BRZEZINSKI: I mean, come on! Should we talk about her clothes, too?

SCARBOROUGH: I used to make fun of --

MATTHEWS: Mika, you're unconvincing at the ramparts here.

SCARBOROUGH: All right. Thank you so much.

BRZEZINSKI: Wrrr!

MATTHEWS: “I Am Woman” time, jeez.

From the November 6 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:

MATTHEWS: Do you know that she is still, Julie, still waffling on this hot potato issue of driver's licenses for illegal people in the country?

MASON: Right, it's true. It's true, 'cause I still --

MATTHEWS: She did a Candy Crowley interview and when you read the text here, it's like blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I don't want to -- you know, she doesn't want to answer the question --

MASON: I still don't know --

MATTHEWS: -- because she doesn't want to offend the Latino groups. She doesn't want to offend them, and yet, at the same time, she sees the poll numbers that show that that's a very unpopular view, so she's waffling.

MASON: It's true, Chris. I --

MATTHEWS: That's not what leaders do.

MASON: I still don't know where she stands on that issue. Do you? I have no idea.

MATTHEWS: No, I don't know. I know that she sympathizes with -- well, there she is clapping again. I don't whether she's clapping -- would somebody please tell me why she claps every time she goes somewhere?

CAPEHART: Maybe she's just responding to the crowd, Chris.

MASON: It's an affirmation.

MATTHEWS: She's clapping for them.

MASON: We should clap more.

MATTHEWS: No, I think it's bizarre behavior. Anyway, I think it has something to do with - you know, men don't know what to do with their hands. I guess she's like us.

Anyway, we'll be right back with more of the round table. I want an answer. Why is she clapping? Matt, please. Tell me. Why does she clap all the time?

CONTINETTI: She's happy, Chris.

MATTHEWS: Well, that's a good answer. We'll be right back.

From the October 26 edition of Hardball with Chris Matthews:

MATTHEWS: What's with her clapping? Why is she always clapping? There we see her clap. I don't know any -- is this a Chinese thing? What is this clapping? She doesn't clap like you do at a movie you like or something. She claps when she meets people. And she claps -- is that with Tom Friedman? I mean, she claps when she stands at a luncheon. What is all the clapping about?

BEDELL SMITH: Well, it's -- it's funny you should say that because that's the image on the cover of the book, of the two of them clapping, but --

MATTHEWS: What?

BEDELL SMITH: But it's -- but the wonderful subtext of that is they're clapping, but they're not really paying attention. She's whispering something to him --

MATTHEWS: Yeah.

BEDELL SMITH: -- and he's listening intently. And it's just another sort of visual --

MATTHEWS: Is this a --

BEDELL SMITH: -- image of --

MATTHEWS: I know. Look. Is this show business, this thing we're watching?

BEDELL SMITH: [Former Clinton press secretary] Mike McCurry said one thing to me that I thought was fascinating, which is that they have mastered the science of public interaction. So, when they're out there, they know exactly what to do and what plays.

MATTHEWS: Is it for show?

BEDELL SMITH: Well, they're performing.

From the June 1, 2006, edition of Hardball with Chris Matthews:

MATTHEWS: Welcome back to Hardball. Election Day 2006 is now just five months away, it's in November of course. Have Republicans lost their confidence? Sounds like it. Are Democrats sounding too confident? We'll talk about it with Hilary Rosen, Democratic strategist, and Ed Rollins, the Republican strategist. He's also advising KT McFarland, one of the Republicans hoping to beat Hillary Clinton this fall in New York.

Ed Rollins, you're a tough guy. Assess Hillary Clinton's performance yesterday in her speech announcing her run for re-nomination for the Senate.

ROLLINS: Incredible. I mean, she's a great talent. She obviously has this state, the Democratic Party, 100 percent behind her.

MATTHEWS: How good a speech did she give? Did you think her performance was good?

ROLLINS: I thought it was a good performance. I mean, I think that she is getting to be a much better performer and I think the critical thing is, you know, we don't underestimate her. We're going to have a tough primary on our side, and, at the end of the day, these people pay attention to us. I think she'll have a formidable opponent, particularly if my candidate gets the nomination. And I think the reality is, you know, we'll have to see.

We have to bring Republicans back into the fold to be viable, but she is as -- she's as good a candidate as I have seen. She's not quite as good as her husband, but she's as good a candidate as I've seen at the Senate level in a long, long time.

MATTHEWS: You're not just pumping her up because you're running against her, are you?

ROLLINS: It wouldn't matter whether I was running against her not. She's, you know -- there's a talent there, and, obviously, her husband's the best political strategist in America, bar none. Bar none.

MATTHEWS: I agree with that. I agree. Let's go to Hilary Rosen. Hilary, I thought her speech wasn't too good yesterday. She was unsure how to use whatever notes she had. She was looking down. It just seemed to be an odd day not to be prepared if it was such a big hype.

ROSEN: Well, I actually agree with Ed. I think that she put some things out there that people wanted to hear and, you know, I think, in some respects, she's so comfortable in that environment, that she felt like she could really just say some off the cuff and some prepared, and, sometimes, you go back and forth. But the things she said I think were important. She talked about how --

MATTHEWS: What's all the dancing and clapping about? Why'd she come to the platform clapping and dancing? What's the celebration about?

ROSEN: OK, this is the classic politician's problem, right? You look at political conventions throughout history, they never really know what to do when the crowd is on their feet, the music is blaring.

MATTHEWS: Yeah.

ROSEN: Nobody's quieted down yet. You know, what she's doing -- she's got some rhythm and she's excited about what she's doing, and that crowd loved her and she loves them -- a lot of friends in the audience. I thought it was a good day for her.

From the February 7, 2000, edition of Hardball:

MATTHEWS: We can't forget that the initial appeal of Hillary Clinton in New York to those voters up there was that she was the woman scorned, the woman abused by Bill Clinton. People rooted for her because she was the survivor of the president, not his friend, and now the president was on stage yesterday.

Jo-Ellan, that's a strange conflict. She has to sort of -- she was initially popular in New York because she was sort of running against Bill. Now she's got him on the platform with her. What's that say to you, the way she handled this?

DEMETRIUS: Well, I think that's what's expected of her. You know, it's interesting to note here when you first saw her leave the podium, she extended her cheek to [Rep.] Charles Rangel [D-NY], you know, again, it wasn't a warm, you know, going up and hugging as she is to her own family as she is right here. She's just not a person that you could feel, you know -- I love the -- just a little handshake to [former Sen. Patrick] Moynihan [D-NY], as well --

MATTHEWS: I'm sure he was thrilled by this whole moment.

DEMETRIUS: -- and clapping for herself.

MATTHEWS: I'm sure Pat Moynihan is thrilled by the idea of her being senator from New York, the state he grew up in and spent his whole life in.

DEMETRIUS: She's trying to include the audience, and it's just, you know, it's just not going off well at all. You know, this is a person that, I think, most people would feel very uncomfortable sitting next to because she's so robotic-like.

MATTHEWS: Well, I think she spent too much time watching Richard Nixon in the Great Hall of the People there because she's running around clapping hands like I don't know what. How do you explain that?

DEMETRIUS: Well, you know, the other thing that was very funny, and I don't know that we got to it on that particular segment, was, at the end, when the whole family came out, she was holding the president's hand and she started swinging the hand. It was almost as though someone in a professional situation -- there you go, they start swinging.

MATTHEWS: Right.

DEMETRIUS: It was like seeing a professional woman going skipping out of a board meeting.

MATTHEWS: Right.

DEMETRIUS: I thought it was horribly inappropriate.

MATTHEWS: OK, we've got to go. Jo-Ellan Demetrius, thanks for joining us.