Review Of Hardball By Chris Matthews

Matthews, Chris. Hardball: How Politics Is Played: Told by One Who Knows the Game. Touchstone, 2004. Hardball, by Chris Matthews presents some of the tactics politicians use to get ahead politically. The book is chalk full of examples of each principle Matthews presents. Each chapter details one method congressmen and presidents use to move up in their careers, explaining the concept through stories of each politician employing the strategy. Presenting the ideas in this way gives a thorough understanding of the principle, and keeps both political and non-political readers interested through the whole book. In the introduction, Matthews defines hardball for readers. It “is clean, aggressive Machiavellian politics. It is the discipline of

In each chapter he explains the rule, not by writing out how to follow it, but by giving numerous examples of people who did and did not follow the rule. These examples drive the points home, ensuring that readers understand how it can be done. The great part is these rules can be used not only as guidelines for those trying to make their way up the political ladder, but also for those who want to understand politics better, as well as for others who want to rise higher in a field. Some of the ideas might even be helpful for the average person in their day to day

There were many names that occur often throughout the book, and some that only show up once or twice. All of this is done strategically to emphasize the importance of each political tactic. Including Abraham Lincoln in the chapter titled “keep your enemies in front of you,” helped to emphasize just how powerful it can be to put the people who want to tear you down in a place where you can keep an eye on them (97). Using a well-known figure adds a great deal of trust, readers can believe that this tactic is reliable since it worked so well for such a famous person of history. On the other hand, Matthews uses some lesser known figures as well. For example, Francis Patrick Sullivan is included in the chapter titled “Don’t Get Mad; Don’t Get Even; Get Ahead.” Matthews explains that he worked so hard to get even with the person he was running against that it ended up harming him. He did not get the spot he truly desired, and he admitted “Herbie lived rent-free in my head for eight years” (109). In this case using someone who we do not hear much about helps readers realize how big of a mistake it could be to not follow the advice of the book. Readers can assume that this person is not well known because they failed in politics, and they failed because they did not follow these simple