Chris Matthews is suddenly getting a thrill up his leg for somebody other than Barack Obama.
On Tuesday's "Hardball," before playing a video clip of the Secretary of State joking around with some comedians in Australia, the host told his viewers, "Had you seen this Hillary Clinton back in 2008, I think a lot of people would have made her president" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
(TEASER)
CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: And a look at Hillary Clinton that might make -- well, let’s put it this way. Had you seen this Hillary Clinton back in 2008, I think a lot of people would have made her president. We’re going to show you a taste right now.
-----------------
(LATER)
MATTHEWS: Back to HARDBALL. Now to the "Sideshow." Tonight, we have got something for you that is really different. The interview you’re about to see was conducted by a pair of Australian comedians. Their guest is the American secretary of state, our own Hillary Clinton. For those of you who haven’t seen this side of her, this will be a real eye-opener, maybe even a wow.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We start with a gift. It’s potato chips or crisps.
(CROSSTALK)
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Oh.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It’s potato chips -- or crisps, I think --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It’s a flavor that the people of Australia invented. It’s the gravy chip.
SECRETARY CLINTON: I am thrilled.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As you should be, Madam Secretary.
CLINTON: I cannot tell you how much this means to me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you a collector of chips? Is this your first --
CLINTON: I am an eater of chips.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We recommend not.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, not those.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Use by -- well, it was use by two years ago.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you try to eat them, technically that’s an assassination attempt by us.
(LAUGHTER)
CLINTON: Shall I wait until I am out of Australian airspace?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your role great negotiation skills. Your husband also possesses those qualities. When you two can’t agree on what to get for takeaway dinner, who wins out in that type of negotiation?
CLINTON: You know, we practice different models of negotiation around important issues like that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
CLINTON: If I were to say to him, what shall we have for dinner tonight, if he says to me, oh, I don’t care, you choose, I know that’s a really bad answer.
(LAUGHTER)
CLINTON: Because then I’m stuck with the responsibility.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
CLINTON: So I will come back and I will say, all right. Well, so how do you feel about Chinese --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, good.
CLINTON: -- or Mexican or Italian?
And if he says a second time, you know, I really, really don’t care -- then I will go choose.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You want to make sure people don’t know that overhear half of the conversation, because you’ve got former a president talking to the current secretary of state, how do you feel about Chinese, Mexican?
CLINTON: Right. Right.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don’t know. I don’t really like Chinese.
CLINTON: Yes. No, no, no, that’s right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That could be catastrophic.
CLINTON: Well, that’s why we have our rooms swept every day.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In your role now as secretary of state, you have such high-level meetings. Have you ever said the phrase, you have just made a very powerful enemy?
(LAUGHTER)
CLINTON: No, but I have thought it.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MATTHEWS: Wow. I don’t know the political significance of all that. What I do have a strong sense of is this. Had more people seen that side of the former first lady and senator from New York, history might have gone down differently back in 2008.
Is Matthews really losing his loving feeling for Obama, or just being fickle?
Whatever it is, isn't it cute?