Matthews to Schmidt: At Least I Got ‘Thrill Up My Leg’ from Obama, You Got It from Palin

Chris Matthews: At Least the ‘Thrill Up My Leg’ Came from Obama, Not Palin (Mediaite)

If there’s one off-the-cuff remark that will follow Chris Matthews for the rest of his career as a pundit, it has to be time time in 2008 when he said, in reference to a speech by then-candidate Barack Obama, “I felt this thrill going up my leg.” It’s the one line for which conservatives love to make fun of him most, and he knows it.

During a Wednesday evening debate over divisions within the Republican Party, Matthews chose to voluntarily reference the infamous quote and defend the sentiment behind it. Republican strategist Steve Schmidt was denouncing the current state of the GOP, which he said is not defined by “who’s the most nutty person yelling the loudest, the craziest things in the room at any given time” when Matthews stopped him to ask a question.

“Don’t you regret that you solemnized the marriage between the responsible Republican Party of John McCain and Sarah Palin?” Matthews asked. As one of John McCain’s lead advisers in 2008, Schmidt was integral in the decision to bring Sarah Palin on as the vice presidential candidate.

“At least I got my thrill up my leg from Obama,” Matthews continued. “You got it from Sarah Palin.” He couldn’t get through that last part without laughing.

“I think mine went away faster,” Schmidt replied.