Apparently, for Chris Matthews the thrill is gone.
It wasn't all that long ago that Matthews experienced a pleasurable physical reaction when he heard Obama speak.
CHRIS MATTHEWS: I have to tell you, you know, it's part of reporting this case, this election, the feeling most people get when they hear Barack Obama's speech. My, I felt this thrill going up my leg. I mean, I don't have that too often.
Alas, Matthews doesn't feel the thrill going up his leg the way he once did.
In fact, Matthews is now openly critical of Obama. He's disappointed.
Andrea Mitchell didn't like hearing what Matthews had to say. She tried to clarify his words, almost in disbelief that Matthews would speak so negatively of Obama; but Matthews had to set Mitchell straight. He is not happy with Obama.
Video.
Transcript
CHRIS MATTHEWS: That's one mistake. The other is when he was a campaigner, he did nothing but talk about what a great country this is, what an exceptional country it is, because a 'guy like me can make it here, and only in a country like this could I have made it.' He was very patriotic, very inclusive, and he was also very interactive in an interesting way.
Ever since he's been president, he's been elitist, and he's come with his teleprompter, and he's given his speech. He hasn't listened. He's talked to, at us, rather than with us.
ANDREA MITCHELL: Well, at least that's what he's projected.
MATTHEWS: No, he actually does bring the teleprompter with him and actually does know what he wants to say.
MITCHELL: But you don't think that he's interacted even though he's had these town hall meetings. You don't think that he's given the sense...
MATTHEWS: No, no. And I think he hasn't explained himself. Lincoln had to explain the Civil War, darn it. Roosevelt had to explain everything through the Great Depression. You have to take people along with you.
I think he is guilty of that elitist charge that he... If you're going to spend a $1.6 trillion deficit in one year, you better explain to the American people why you did it. He never explained economics the way he was taught it.
We were all taught in graduate school you have to run a big deficit during a grand recession. How about explaining that? Everybody didn't go to grad school. And how about explaining what you're doing in terms of health care and how that's gonna help us become a better economy in the long run? It will be painful in the short run politically, but economically it will give us something that we can base our lives on - guaranteed health care. He never sold it as an economic tool, a catalyst to greater growth down the road. Maybe it isn't, but he ought to sell it that way at least.
All the people care about is 9 to 10 percent unemployment rate that's not going down. Middle-aged people are losing their jobs. They're not finding them. And this guy's out doing his pet projects, and they wonder why he isn't their president, why he's only his own president.
That's amazing coming from Matthews.
He is not happy with Obama, the "elitist." It's interesting that Matthews complains Obama "hasn't listened." That's just like Russ Feingold, out of touch with the people.
The poor guy must be really disillusioned.
Matthews is not alone.
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