Chris Matthews Tells Jay Leno about "Spiritual Experience"

Chris Matthews has embarrassed himself too many times to count, but his appearance on Wednesday's Tonight Show may top them all.

Talking about the elections, Matthews compared the Republicans to the Iraqis.

MATTHEWS: It used to be the Democrats were the disorganized political party. Now, the Republicans are like the Iraqis, have you noticed?

They got their Shia wing, the fanatics. They got Huckabee. This is where I get into trouble. This is just where I get into trouble. Huckabee and Thompson are the Shiites. And the Sunni, the more moderate guys, are McCain... and who else do they got over there? And Rudy Giuliani. Then, they got Romney the Kurd. I mean, they're all over the place. Who is going to unite them?

Yes, the Republicans are like the Iraqis, but Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are great to be in a room with, according to Matthews.

He said flattering things about Hillary, her great sense of humor and her likability; but he fell to pieces when he described Barack Obama.

When Leno expressed how moved he was by Obama when he gave his exceptance speech after winning in Iowa, Matthews replied, "We're white American guys and we want this fight over with," referring to racial strife.

MATTHEWS: If you're actually in a room when he gives one of those speeches and you don't cry, you're not an American.

...I know we're supposed to be dispassionate, but I can describe it.

...When you're in a room with the guy, you feel great about this country. You feel like we can make it better. We can transit to something bigger and better.

And the race thing, I know it's always going to be around us, at least it seems that way, but this guy seems like he can... 'cause he's come from a white family and a black family, and he's married to a black woman.

And they're cool people. They are really cool. They're Jack and Jackie Kennedy when you see them together. They are cool. And they're great looking and they're cool, and they're young and they're... Everything seems to be great. I know I'm selling him now. I'm not supposed to sell...

If you're in [a room] with Obama, you feel the spirit moving. Now, I'm selling too much.

The spirit moving?

That sounds like Oprah-speak.

Did you catch that Matthews thinks that Barack and Michelle are cool? He said it FOUR times!

The fact that Matthews kept saying that he was selling too much revealed that he was, in fact, selling Obama.

After some talk about Bill Richardson and Mike Huckabee as potential VP candidates, Matthews went back to his true love, Obama.

MATTHEWS: The fact is I wouldn't be an honest reporter if I didn't tell you what the spiritual experience is like of being at a Barack Obama rally. And, it's just an honest statement.

So Matthews has a SPIRITUAL experience when he hears Obama speak.

Matthews wasn't just selling. He was fishing for converts.