Chris Matthews Charmed: Obama is 'Fred Astaire Out There!'

When "Hardball," guest and former John McCain adviser Mark McKinnon suggested Barack Obama, in his first few days in office, is discovering what George W. Bush found out, that being President is "a hard job," Chris Matthews, on Wednesday night's show, vehemently disagreed, saying Obama "doesn't look he's having a hard time...he's Fred Astaire out there...he still moves around with incredible alacrity."

The following exchange was aired during the February 11 edition of "Hardball":

MARK MCKINNON, FORMER JOHN MCCAIN ADVISER: But I'll tell ya he's discovering one thing that President Bush did early on and that, that's this is a hard job Chris. It's a really hard job.

CHRIS MATTHEWS: Yeah but he's not saying that.

MCKINNON: Well-

KAREN FINNEY, DNC COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: He's saying, "It's the job. I know this is what I signed up for."

MATTHEWS: He doesn't look like he's having a hard time.

MCKINNON: Yeah. Well he is. In fact I think he's being very candid about it.

FINNEY: No, well I think he's working hard.

MATTHEWS: Yeah, he's Fred Astaire out there. He is light-hearted, I mean he's light, he still moves around with incredible alacrity.