Toodaloo Tingles

Chris Matthews, the slobbering sycophant of the long-running MSNBC talk show “Hardball,” resigned on Monday night.

According to a published report in The New York Times, the 74-year-old had faced mounting criticism in recent days over a spate of embarrassing on-air moments, including a comparison of Senator Bernie Sanders’s campaign to the Nazi invasion of France and an interview with Senator Elizabeth Warren in which the anchor was criticized for a condescending and disbelieving tone.

Accompanied by his family, Matthews walked onto the “Hardball” set inside NBC’s Washington Bureau shortly before 7 PM to deliver a brief farewell.

“I’m retiring,” he told viewers in a solemn and brief monologue as his broadcast began at 7 PM. “This is the last ‘Hardball’ on MSNBC.”

Matthews made it clear the timing of his exit was not entirely his choosing. “Obviously, it isn’t for a lack of interest in politics,” he said, going on to apologize for his past insensitive comments.

“Compliments on a woman’s appearance that some men, including me, might have once incorrectly thought were OK are never OK,” he said. “Not then, and certainly not today.”

When the show returned from a commercial break, Steve Kornacki, tasked with hosting the remainder of the episode, seemed to struggle for words.

In February 2008, The World’s Most Dangerous Community Organizer won primaries in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia, known as the Potomac Primary, putting him well ahead of Cankles Clinton.  This was the moment when Matthews and fellow laughingstock Keith Olbermann were discussing Obama’s speech and Chrissy described exactly what happens to him when Obama speaks:

“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.”

His childish, moon-eyed hero worship was the source of relentless mockery for years afterwards for his “thrill going up my leg” crush.  He would never be taken seriously again.

In December 2015, while the Republican presidential debates were being covered in Las Vegas, Dan Joseph a conservative reporter for Media Research Center, punked him hard.

"How's your leg?" Joseph asked after introducing himself.  Watch.