Chris Matthews and Jay Leno

UPDATE: Chris Matthews and Jay Leno, November 18, 2008
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Oh joy!

Chris Matthews was Jay Leno's guest on the Tonight Show. What a great way to start the week!

Of course, Matthews was giddy, thrilled to talk about what he calls the "most exciting election in our lifetime."

He said, "It's gonna start the 21st century, a little late."

Good grief.

What have you been doing the past 7 or 8 years? Did you get that the 21st century has been on hold? I wasn't aware of that.

The libs have been waiting for savior Barack Obama. I guess time began when Obama started running for president, at least in Matthews' world.

Leno brought up Obama's Middle East tour. He didn't call it the hype of this new century or the photo-op tour. He didn't mention the ridiculousness of the U.S. media reporting on every footstep Obama takes.

Like a little boy, or maybe more like a school girl, Matthews gushed, "How 'bout that hoop? Did you see the shot he took at that basketball court? The guy hit a 40-footer."

"These demonstrations of confidence are good... We like to see these guys be able to perform outside their element a little bit."

Matthews is beyond being a cheerleader for Obama. He has a crush on him. It's uncomfortable to watch. It's creepy.

Leno brought up that the Iraqi government seems to endorse Barack Obama's plan for troop withdrawal.

Matthews could barely contain himself.

"How would you like to be George Bush right now? You're out there fighting the war, and the guy you set up in charge of Iraq says, 'Oh by the way, I think I like this guy Obama's way of looking at things.'

"That's a revolting development if you're McCain...and McCain is the good soldier and he gets completely undercut by these guys."

Matthews mocked Bush for his stance on no surrender in Iraq, no cutting and running.

About Bush, Leno said, "This is my favorite thing: He said, 'We're not for a timeline. We're for a time horizon.' Doesn't that sound like a retirement community in Florida?"

It was an Obama love fest all around, and at the expense of McCain and Bush. This wasn't just a pro-Obama conversation. It was an anti-McCain segment.

Leno brought up Matthews' "thrill up my leg" moment.

Matthews admitted that he's inspired by "Barack."

He said, "Some journalists only report what a guy says... I report all senses. I report all reactions."

Referring to his lack of objectivity, Matthews said, "I know this isn't old school..."

Matthews spoke of being enthralled with Obama's family background and how Obama grew up.

He said, "He has seen this country from two different directions like so few of us have seen on both sides of that San Andreas Fault of race in this country."

Matthews declared, "He's seen us as the world sees us. I just think it's inspiring. I admit it, OK? You can call it what you want. I was inspired by it and I said so at the time. And I took some heat for it, but I'd rather be honest and say what I feel than sit there like some kind of statue and say, 'Oh, that was noteworthy.'

"You know, I mean, I'm a frickin' American. I do have a reaction to things. I do react emotionally to my country. I care about this country. I want to look out for it. It's my job. I'm not just some umpire. I take a side -- us. That's who I'm rooting for."

Translation: Vote for Obama. I mean, Barack.

Matthews repeatedly called Obama "Barack." Have you noticed that the Dems and their mouthpieces in the lib media have taken to calling Obama by his first name?

Barack, Barack, Barack. I don't hear them calling McCain "John."

Then Matthews went into his unabashed Obama campaign shtick. He said that he hoped when Americans go to vote that they look at the candidates' background and the age of the two candidates and open up their hearts and not think about race.

He started yapping about kids not thinking about race and that the country really has changed since the 1960s. Apparently, Matthews believes that young America is a colorblind society.

He said to think about your kids' future and think the way they think. He called on the 70- and 80-year-old people to open up their hearts to the prospect of change and something different. He called on them not to be suspicious.

Matthews alerted the audience that he was about to speak completely objectively.

That's a joke.

He said Americans under 50 years old would vote for Obama and those over 50 would vote for McCain.

Matthews started to ramble more incoherently than he had before. He said, "We know there's gonna be not just an ethnic or racial divide. I don't like that phrase 'racial.' We're all the same race, but we know there's a generational divide."

He said one could predict the outcome of the election based on that.

What's so strange is that only minutes earlier Matthews talked of the San Andreas Fault of race in the country. Then, he dismissed racial divisions.

"It's not so much about gender or ethnicity. It's really about age."

Matthews was practicing ageism without hesitation.

He said, "It's just a different country. We have evolved as a country. And a lot of people find that scary and a lot of people find that wonderful."

So according to Matthews, race is not a factor, but if you want to discriminate based on age, no problem.

Matthews encouraged people to talk to their grandparents and encourage them to "open their hearts." In other wordsk, tell the old folks to vote for Obama.

While discussing McCain's choice of running mates, Matthews said, "Everybody knows McCain, at his age, will probably serve four years, and I'm not knocking it, but..."

Leno interjected, "Let's hope."

Matthews broke up laughing. Leno kept giggling.

I didn't think it was funny. Not at all.
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More Tonight Show news:

Conan O'Brien will take over the "Tonight" show next June - and what happens to deposed host Jay Leno after that is anybody's guess.

Leno's last show will be Friday, May 29, and O'Brien will start the following Monday, June 1, NBC executives told a Television Critics Association meeting Monday.

NBC is angling to keep Leno with NBC Universal but the late-night king has indicated he's ready to jump ship. Eager NBC competitors, including other networks and syndicators, are prepared to help him make the leap.

Ben Silverman and Marc Graboff, NBC Entertainment co-chairmen, were asked about the specter of Leno being hired by ABC and overpowering O'Brien and top-rated "Tonight."

"We really believe in the decisions we've made with our partners, including Jay," and stand by them, Silverman replied.

Graboff disagreed with the premise of the question, saying talks aimed at keeping Leno within NBC Universal post-"Tonight" are continuing.

But, Graboff added, "we've made our decision, we're happy with it, we're very confident the `Tonight' show will remain dominant in its time period."