Chris Matthews, on Wednesday's "Hardball," admitted Barack Obama, along with his wife Michelle this time, gave him yet another "thrill." The MSNBC host gleefully described his feelings at seeing the Obamas arrive in England for the G20 summit this way [audio available here]:
Well there is something cool when they were both - there's a nice ‘60s term. When they were both walking to the helicopter the other day, Marine One, there was something like, when he looked at her, you could just tell he said, "Isn't this something?" You know you could tell like they were experiencing the-, the, I'm getting old here. The grooviness, the excitement of being this First American Couple heading towards Marine One, which is cool in itself, heading from there to Air Force One, to a quick flight across the Atlantic, on your own plane. And to meet with the world leaders as like the centerpiece of the world. What? I get-, I'm saying it again, I'm getting a thrill.
Matthews, who invited the Washington Post's Lois Romano and the Independent Women's Forum Michelle Bernard to join in on the Obama-watching fun, also giddily admitted: "We girls agree. I don't mind saying that. I'm excited. I'm thrilled. Any way I like it all! I like the picture, I like the substance. "
The following is the full exchange Matthews had with his panelists on the April 1, edition of "Hardball":
CHRIS MATTHEWS: Well there is something cool when they were both - there's a nice ‘60s term. When they were both walking to the helicopter the other day, Marine One, there was something like, when he looked at her, you could just tell he said, "Isn't this something?" You know you could tell like they were experiencing the-, the, I'm getting old here. The grooviness, the excitement of being this First American Couple heading towards Marine One, which is cool in itself, heading from there to Air Force One, to a quick flight across the Atlantic, on your own plane. And to meet with the world leaders as like the centerpiece of the world. What? I get, I'm saying it again, I'm getting a thrill. Go ahead. I can't say these things.
MICHELLE BERNARD: You look at them, you look at them and watching them go to Marine One and he so clearly loves his wife and I think people like looking at that also. It's, it's nice.
MATTHEWS: That is great stuff. I think George Bush liked his wife, loves his wife.
BERNARD: Oh absolutely!
MATTHEWS: I think it's pretty common, it's just very glamorous with these two. Yeah.
LOIS ROMANO, WASHINGTON POST: One of the women I interviewed in this story said what she liked about them is that they looked like they had just won the lottery.
MATTHEWS: Yes! Yes!
(crosstalk)
BERNARD: Like pinch me!
ROMANO: They look at each other and think this is so exciting.
MATTHEWS: You're going to Disney Land!
ROMANO: Yeah. And people feel that, yeah.
MATTHEWS: Any way we agree. We girls agree. I don't mind saying that. I'm excited. I'm thrilled. Any way I like it all! I like the picture, I like the substance.
