Chris Matthews: Obama Announcement 'Is One Great Day in American History'

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The mainstream media remained in full-swoon mode this morning as Illinois Senator Barack Obama announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Typical was MSNBC. Shortly before turning coverage over to Chris Matthews, anchor Alex Witt declared that Obama "possess(es) all the charisma and ideals that are the legacy of Lincoln."

Chris Matthews then introduced as his guests the Chicago Sun-Times' Lynn Sweet, who recently disclosed her sorrow at not being able to follow Obama into a Chicago men's locker room, and Newsweek's Howard Fineman, who wrote last month that Obama "has a natural appeal that Sen. Hillary Clinton can’t match—though she is trying—and that makes even the sunny and engaging John Edwards (the golden boy of the last campaign) look boring."

After Obama's oration, Lynn Sweet described it as "soaring" and "inspirational". Fineman said Barack is running as "the trumpet of a new generation." Obama delivered "an appealing and powerful message" and "All Americans, whatever their political persuasion, should just sit back a minute and appreciate this moment." Obama, Fineman said, is "summoning the deepest themes of American life."

For his part, Matthews decided that "It's a grand day in history and it may lead to a greater connection to the world than we've had in the last six or seven years certainly." Obama "in many ways is like a young Jack Kennedy." "This is going to be remembered as one great day in American politics. . . . What a day it is in American history."

Will media liberals be able to maintain their school-girl crushes on Barack? Stay tuned.