Told by One Who Knows the Game - How Politics Is Played

Matthews, now known for screaming at people on CNBC, was originally the author (Way back in the late 1980s) of this timeless book about how legislation is crafted, and deals are done.
After reading this book, you will agree that legislation is like sausage: You don't want to know how it is made or what goes into it.
Hardball is a brutal insight for the naive into the power game, the relationship game, and the lobbying game. Legislation is not drafted to protect the poor and innocent. Rather, it is drafted to aid the rich and powerful, and to advance the careers of the sponsors.
It is a fair characterization to say that this book is cynical, but it is also very accurate.

There is no more practical, enjoyable guide to retail politics than Matthews' Hardball; it's well on its way to becoming a classic and the "ones who know the game" know that it's mandatory reading. Hardball vividly explains how figures like Jimmy Carter and Lyndon Johnson got to where they were in politics -- using tactics like fighting for a seat at the table at any available forum and recognizing the value of rising stars who lost elections before they started winning. Hardball shows how the most unlikely politicians like Geraldine Ferraro and William Gray of Pennsylvania rose to surprising heights. You'll be delighted by the insights Matthews offers.

The "rules" were ones that are drummed into anyone interested in politics very early and often. So, if you are interested in the political scene know 'em and know 'em well. The stories that went along with those rules were pretty good too. HOWEVER, it was pretty disorganized and hard to follow within. Matthews is just like he is on tv--all over the place. One sentence he's talking about Reagan...the next, Clinton and then back to Reagan...all with unclear transitions that really made the book not so fun to read. But if you are interested in the basics and the general rules of politics you can take that away from this book.

Politics is a game that not everyone can play. One has to have certain qualities and be able to do certain things that the average person would never do. One has to follow a certain set of rules and look to the past for instruction on what to do in certain situations. In Hardball by Christopher Matthews, he writes "To get ahead in life, you can learn a great deal from those who get ahead for a living...People are jockeying for position, all the while keeping an eye on the competition. There's a magnetism to this world of make-or-break." According to Matthews, there are certain ways in which people can get a head in politics, and he gives many examples of the past to support these tactics. The four main areas in which these tactics lie are in: alliances, enemies, deals, and reputations. Matthews does a great job of explaining the game of politics to even I, who didn't know much about the game. Through the use of understandable examples that have occurred throughout this century, Matthews enables anyone to see the tactics that politicians use in getting ahead in Washington. Another great part of the book is that he makes politics meaningful to the reader by linking the way politics is played to the way life is sometimes played. In the process of examining Washington, he shows how the human mind works when dealing with allies and enemies. The language that Matthews uses sometimes is not understandable, but this is only to those that aren't too familiar with political vocabulary. The best part of the book is by far its humor. The examples that Matthew gives are not only insightful and meaningful, but also very funny at times. It is a delight to read about some of the humorous things that go on in Washington, a place normally viewed as a place full of dull, boring old men. However, it is far from just that.

As a TV personality, Chris Matthews is annoying and borish. HARDBALL has nothing to do with that. It is a contemporary classic in tradition of Joe McGuiness' THE SELLING OF THE PRESIDENT 1968. I have found HARDBALL to be so insightful that I've assigned it to a class I'm teaching on practical politics. While re-reading the book for the class, I was delighted to discover that the current edition has been updated to include newer stories and examples. This makes HARDBALL worth buying and reading again for those who read it before when it first came out.

this is a useful, practical account of how to succeed in politics.
Matthews concentrates on the practical, than the theoretical.
Overall, the advice is could be summarised as follows. Concentrate on the common denominator, forget the big picture, and focus on delivery to your constituents.
While all that has its usefulness, and probably explains why some politicians can overstay their welcome, it ignores the, what should be important - that is the 'vision thing'. What place does the big picture have if politics is left to only feeding re-election, and not doing anything important.
A chicken and the egg question, I know. That's a hardball question

Chris Matthews, his television show and media success aside, has risen from the frey to be one of the most respected political insiders in the beltway. Directly out of Holy Cross college he jumped into the political ring, taking some of the pitfalls along the way that serve to education and entertain. His very readable prose doesn't bombard you with political jargan that I have seen from other books, but rather divvies up his political know-how to your face for consideration. From the end of the first chapter I knew this book, indeed, was going to be worth my few hour investment.
For those involved in all aspects of life, Chris adumbrates some of the most important Machievellian techniques that inspire loyality in employees, political constituents, and relationships alike. From working with real examples--such as Ross Perot from the Reform Party position in 1992--abstract examples of how asking for help inspires loyality begins to permiate into my feeble mind. By asking for votes, rather than simply wishing support to be applied, Chris opens up the daunting task for political fundraising into not only a means to bolster your visibility among the 4th Estate, but also a way to gain votes. Learning from the top of his political power positions with former House Speaker Tip O'Neil, the author takes command of the axioms directed toward eloquence and polite pursuasion.
Clearly, you don't have to be seeking our nation's highest office to enjoy this book. The tenets of "keep[ing] your enemies close" and not getting even with your enemies carries a degree of sophistication we call can learn from. Moreover, you'll find each chapter choc full of stories which provide valuable insight which can be directly applicable to debate and discussion. As a supplement to Joseph Liebierman's "in praise of public life" this novel proves to have been an enjoyable read and I'm confident you'll enjoy just the same.

Do you have an interest in politics? Can political advice be successful in the business world? Hardball by Chris Matthews, addresses many different topics to help someone understand how to be successful in the political arena. This same advice can be used successfully in the business world.

This book does not focus on the ideology of any political affiliation. Chris Matthews uses real life examples of current and former politicians. He addresses how the politicians built their relationships through networking and strategic moves to acquire power.

For example, at the beginning of the book, it talks about former President Lydon B. Johnson during the time when he was elected to the Senate. He had formerly served in the House of Representatives. Before being sworn in as the new Senate, he called the young man who took the coats for all of the members of the Senate.

He found out who the key players were, where they ate, what activities and interest they had in terms of hobbies, as well as, political interest. This allowed him to get on the proper committees with certain powerful members of the Senate. He then could develop a personal relationship to help him acquire power without other members being threatened by the possibility of Johnson taking power from them.

He uses very relevant examples throughout the book. It tends to build on each concept as it progresses throughout. It is very well written. There are some really good lessons that will help you in life even if you do not decide to go into politics.

For example, he advises that you should not get mad, nor get even when controversy arises. You should instead strive ahead and anticipate any reaction that the competition may have. You can then repair a proper response and develop a proactive organization. This also goes into another chapter where it says to hang a lantern on your problem. This section basically talks about the public relations aspect, which continues on how to spin every situation to your advantage.

Another good section talks about how you should never forget who brought you here. Or in other words, who keeps you in business if it's related to the business aspect. All business as well as politics are based on the local area. You have a certain brand image that was developed.

Conversely, most business is about whom you get to know. It is about the personal relationships and the management of these relationships. Many people will go to a business because they feel as though they have developed a personal relationship and that business will properly help to satisfy the particular need or want successfully.

The most relevant chapter in my opinion is when this book uses a quote by Benjamin Franklin, "If you want to make a friend, let someone do you a favor." This quote has particular interest for me because this could be very vital advice when you are trying to build relationships in the business world.

If you could only read one book that would have the most positive effects on your life, this book is the book for you. It also addresses how to position in the mind of the voter. Which is extremely relevant to someone in the field of marketing. It is a good pre-requisite for reading the book by Al Ries and Jack Trout, Positioning.

By the end of the book, Chris Matthews will have you intrigued about playing the game of politics. It helps you become familiarized with many of the key political figures in this modern era and how they were successful in politics.

He talks about the rivalry between competing politicians. I was particularly interested in the rivalry between President Regan and Carter. There are just so many areas that he addresses successfully, its hard to single out what is the most important to address.

However, the best advice that Chris Matthews could give talks about the fact that the higher you go in business, the more you will be involved with the media. He talks about tactics that politicians use to manipulate the media and these tactics could be used successfully within the business realm. Because of my public relations training, I particularly enjoyed reading about political public relations and compared their tactics to what I have been trained. They are essentially the same type of strategies. If you do not know much about Public Relations, then this book would help to expand your knowledge. This could be particularly useful in the business world.

To conclude, Matthews has written a classic. If you have ever voted before, this book is a must read for future political considerations. It helps you to identify what is going on in the realm of politics and see through the smoke and mirrors per se. It allows you to make a better decision when it comes time to vote. It will also allow you to use many of these concepts within the business market to improve your general knowledge and thus improve the overall profitability of the firm.

Politicians are masters of getting their way, and this book explains how they do it. If you're an idealist (I consider myself one), you can learn from this book even as you avoid the dirty tricks that Matthews discusses. You don't need to agree with Matthews's perspective to learn from it.

Matthews does tell stories of some rather unprincipled, manipulative tricks. There's more to it than that, though. My favorite lesson of the book is its emphasis on the importance of other people (including opponents) in advancing one's goals. Matthews writes, "Regardless of your religious or philosophical preference, you cannot afford to be a solipsist, someone who believes he exists alone in the world. Focusing on your own ego is a guarantee of failure. The smart politician never takes his eyes off the OTHER fellow's ego."

My own spin on another important lesson of the book: getting someone to think something isn't the same as getting someone to DO something. How often do we see someone passionately arguing for a cause but doing nothing to advance it? Matthews looks at that issue from a couple of different angles (conceding principles to cause action, and advocating principles while covering up inaction). There are lessons, I think, for those who want to influence both thoughts and actions.

If you abhor politics and manipulation, read the book for perspective and not advice. I think there's stuff in here to enlighten the most hardened idealist...and, well, if you don't buy any of the rest of my review, this book may give you a helpful understanding of tricks that others might play on you!

I agree with some reviewers that this book is outstanding and is a must for politicians and their aides, particulary those who work in non profit making or governmental organisations. Higher their ranks, more applicable the strategies/tactics can be. However, I cant agree with some reviewers in that I think the book's principles are not that practical in business, bedroom or boardroom (I copied the 3"b"s from one of those reviewers). If you work in those "supposedly" non profit making organisations mentioned above or just want to read for fun, it's good. If you want to read a book that help you survive or thrive in profit making settings, you should better look somewhere else.

In politics, power comes in high numbers of support, skilled strategy, and any successful politician is not afraid to ask for help.
Most people are probably familiar with the term "spin," which Matthews states as "defining the events in the most self-seving way possible." (p. 171) But, Matthews also explains a couple of political maneuvers that some people may not be familiar with. "Lowballing" is the method of manipulating the public's expectation about an upcoming election result or poll with an articificially low estimate for possible future political gain. Matthews also explains the related technique of "sandbagging." He says, "One of the most effective means of diminishing your opponent's stature is to advertise his strengths, to set unreasonable expectations of his potential." (p. 201) Matthews sums up these latter two techniques thus: "In both lowballing and sandbagging, the principle is the same: create a handicapping system that makes any success of yours seem bigger than it is and your opponent's victory much smaller." (p. 202) If you watch enough "Hardball" on cable and understand these techniques, you can start to develop a finely tuned spin-meter and you will know when a politician is trying to pull the wool over your eyes. In the chapter called "Spin!", Matthews states that "to mass, uninformed and unanalytical audiences, the moral imagery always outdazzles the scientific." (p. 179) This is quite a sad statement about the public, in general.
Even more pathetic, is some of the quotes attributed to politicians, "If you can't drink their booze, take their money, [have sex with] their women and vote against them in the morning, you don't belong in this place." (p. 67) And also this one, "I would walk over my grandmother to help Richard Nixon." (p. 48)
With quotes and methods such as these, perhaps one can see why someone might not want a book like this to be published. At some point, we, the general public, have to look in the mirror and ask ourselves whether we like to be manipulated in this manner. And if we have the self-respect to say "no" to that question, then it behooves us to understand the methods of how this is done and not to be fooled. At some point, the general public has to start demanding a higher standard out of Washington.

For an undergraduate Political Science major, there is no better piece of literature to teach the truth of the political scene in America. Through intriguing and often comedic anecdotes, Matthews lays out how politicians operate, how to get things done and how to make the right friends in any political field. Easy to read and follow, Hardball evokes an interest in the reader that makes it hard to put down. Matthews opens the introduction with the statement that it is not a civics book; after reading it, it is obvious that Hardball does something that no civics book can. It creates a genuine interest through honest truth.

HARDBALL was a required reading for my AP Government class, but upon reading it I discovered that it different from traditional assigned books in a few ways. The book was easy to read, highly interesting, full of information, and very logical and understandable. The book teaches a series of axioms that all politicians ought to learn to succeed. There are also myriad examples of how some of today's most successful politicans, LBJ, JFK, Nixon, Reagan, etc, became to be. Beyond this, I believe that the tactics that Matthews writes about can be used to succeed in life. In fact, I would make the analogy that it is tantamount to a modern version of Sun Tzu's ART OF WAR in that both of these works teach important lessons to succeed in today's society. This is definitely a book I will read many more times to understand how to succeed in the future.

I am a college freshman that has always been interested in the public service field. I stumbled upon this book, and have been riding on a high horse ever since. I have since read this book at least six more times. Break out your highlighters cause you will be using them. FANTASTIC book. Nothing more can be said. FANTASTIC.

Chris Mathews details how politics is played in the real world of modern day America. It's a sad tale of bribery and scandal and total abuse of the voters.

What Chris leaves out is a solution to our political problems. Everyone has some inkling of how bad it has gotten. What few people are capable of doing is cutting through the red tape of bureaucratic minds and coming up with a real solution.

Fortunately for us. The SOLUTION to all our problems can be solved by simply turning the voters loose on the Internet. In a kind of twist on realty, it would become impossible for the bribery specialists to bribe ALL the VOTERS ALL the time. That will allow for many good laws to hit the streets.

After reading Chris Mathews book, the reader wants to either leave the country for good or blow his brains out.

Have faith. There's hope. [...]

As a book, "Hardball" works because its simple. It lists the rules of political victory, provides a funny story, a little insight, and then moves on. I can see why this book is so popular among young and inspiring politicos. It won't change the way you see the world, but it will help you see the world you know more clearly.

Whether you want to apply the techniques in this book to business, the bedroom, or the boardroom really doesn't matter. The soundness of them makes them applicable across all of life's battlefields. Like Machiavelli 500 years before him, Mathews reveals through examples like Ronald Reagan, Winston Churchill and John F. Kennedy how to get, keep and wield power.

Hardball is fascinating comprehensive novel on how power is gained and kept Chris Matthews leaves the political garble so often used in politics, and gets down to the simple truths. His book is not only easy to comprehend but entertaining to read. He gives one a true insight into politics as only an insider can experience and witness.
Much like the great Machiavelli his guide to politics is timeless and explains a politician's rise in power or loss of it. Chris Matthews gives the reader-fascinating stories of, assent to power, rivalry, ambition, manipulation, and the loss of power. There is no better way to see how his rules apply to politics than learning about the success stories using his rules and the failures when contenders failed to abide by them. This is the perfect book for both the politically savvy and the normal person interested in politics.

An essential read for anyone getting involved in politics. Chris Matthews teaches political maxims through parables. Learn how Presidents Reagan, Johnson, Kennedy, and many others used the lessons espoused in this book to get to the top. If I had a friend who was getting involved in politics and wanted to read only one book, I'd give them a copy of Hardball -- and then get out of their way.

A backstage pass to the life of politics! Christopher Mathews writes brilliantly on anything and everything to do with politics. This book not only keeps the reader engaged by unveiling the tricks of the trade of who gets ahead in politics but Mathews also shows that through hard-nosed work and determination, anything can happen. LBJ is the epitome of one who knows how to play Hardball. This book is for anyone who thinks they know everything about politics, and those who do not know anything. I recommend this book to anyone.

Chris Matthews goes beyond his highly rated CNBC show Hardball. In this book he really gives the reader a real life day to day account of life with the Washington D.C. insiders. He gives the reader some really good stories as well as some good quotes. (which many Hardball regular viewers like myself will recognise right away) For anyone that enjoys his show Hardball, or any of you political junkies out there, this is the book for you !

This book is a must for anyone interested or involved in the political arena. In fact, this should be the first book one should read before engaging in the political field. Historical facts coupled with personal accounts makes this a truly invaluable piece of reading material. Matthews is the man.

This book is a must for anyone running for election or for anyone working with a candidate. It is full of practical do's and don'ts..things that are obvious when they are read, but that do not come to most people spontaneously.

READ THIS BOOK

Chris tells the world of politics like no other. His fairness to the players only compounds his insight into how the game works. This book is a must have for anyone with any intention on getting into the game of politics, or is even half-way curious on how the machine works.

As usual, Chris Matthews misleads and this book is typical. He no more knows the rules of politics except the nasty ones where he lies to his viewing and reading public to mislead them. And the book is BORING! IT drags. This book was pure drivel and I wouldn't waste my time buying it. There are far better commentators, talking heads, and writers who can give you the rules of politics - don't follow this tripe that he spews. I wasted my money on this supposed expert who knows the game - don't waste yours!

This guy, Chris Matthews, is not standing up for America but for his own general interest. Like many Americans today, they are not interested in the basic fundamentals of our constitution or the rights of the people. He should be telling his viewers that the American people have spoken and are fed up with being ruled by our government nonsense. Why doesn't he talk about putting the government's resources/political energy into helping people and saving aborted babies. We have more serious problems going on and the media is afraid to talk it. This would be the real issues that God would be addressing at first. Chris Matthews is the type of guy that will take over a meeting or conversation and over-rule the conversation to make others look stupid. He needs to listen and understand, instead of bashing Republicans and Loyal America people. I Love America and do not want individuals like Chris Matthews destroying our Freedom. What's next Chris: Are you going to ask American to pay more taxes, at the expense of losing freedom, and be happy with it. When the government decides how to spend your money, then Americans have lost their Freedom to choose how to spend their American Hard Earned Money. That right: The Dumbicrates have already done that. STOP BASHING GUN RIGHTS AND REPUBLICANS. I will never watch "Hardball" the anti American media again. I am also going to let others know about this television program and the book.

Chris Matthews titled his book "Hardball - How Politics Is Played Told by One Who Knows the Game". A more fitting title would have been, "Hard On - A Political Sycophant reveals His Biggest Turn Ons".

Whoa, is it really that bad? Yes, Chris must have been waxing his noodle every night after sitting across the desk worshipping the Big Blow Hards he worked for like Tip O'Neill and Ted Kennedy. As he says himself "for years I had stood in awed attention at the grand debate, the daunting personalities, the big-picture spectacle". Seems he has forgotten that the big spectacle is being paid for by the common man going about his daily business making money to support and feed his family. For Chris the grand spectacle is the reality of life, the new Romans wading among the commoners. I think Chris would love seeing any liberty loving Americans thrown to the lions for the amusement of their masters.

It's Not Who You Know; It's Who You Get to Know, that's a frightening title, but not to Chris, he has to recount how a master politician like "the young man from Texas had a mission", which was to fake that he was interested in the other congressional secretaries living in the building by going to the shower four times a morning to get to slap towels and be a man. Yes, Lyndon Johnson "could rise to such heights", and be the man that got the country into a miserable war in Vietnam. Oops, Chris doesn't see any of the faults; no he sees the great man pushing his welfare, statist rules down the throat of the country for its own good, all with the nice name of the Great Society. LBJ got his way all right, the rest of us got higher taxes and a country that has continued to sink into a welfare bog. Chris also makes a great point how that everyone in Washington "owed his job to a particular senator". He recounts with glee that "sons and daughters of friends back home operated elevators that had been automated for years". Now if that is not a perfect picture of government in action, waste with no care, just raise taxes or increase the deficit and push the debt onto those children yet to be born. Like a good little Fascist he loves to tell us of one of his heroes and how "a call from Rayburn (Speaker of the House) might get the IRS auditors working" on an examination of a person that crossed him. I think Chris would have just loved to be sitting across from Hitler as he called for the extermination of people, what power Chris would think, oh, yeah. Yet Chris is not without compassion, when speaking of Ted Kennedy he just mentions "Chappaquiddick, the incident two years earlier in which a woman had died in a car driven by Kennedy". Notice how Chris makes it a simple accidental death, no mention of Kennedy leaving her to drown in his overturned car, his going back to the party and not mentioning anything about the accident when something could have been done to save her. He even leaves out sober Ted swimming back to his condo for a good night's sleep. No, Chris is a forgiving when the murderer is a man of political power. For Chris yearns to be a member of influence.

It's Better to Receive than to Give, or how to use a person's need for meaning in their life to advance a politician's goals. Chris is so turned on to the need of people and how they can be used that he just grins when he recounts the California assemblyman Jesse "Big Daddy" Unruh who said: "If you can't drink their booze, take their money, screw their women and vote against them in the morning, you don't belong in this place". How refreshing to hear a politican say it like it is, they are indifferent as to our concerns or the real issues in the country. If they help anyone it is only to raise money and get re-elected. As FDR's campaign manager said, we give the handouts and collect the votes.
Dance with the One That Brung Ya, and you didn't think chapter headings could get any cornier? Chris gives us the unvarnished story of pork spending, as he recounts, "Deals are what people make in Washington, deals pure and simple. A senator tells his colleague that he can count on him for support in getting funding for some crucial public-works project in the other senator's state. He is expected to deliver". What taxpayer doesn't cringe to think of a bridge being built to nowhere, or a re-surfacing of a road that was just paved a year ago? Simply valuable resources wasted. What Chris and his heroes have never understood is that the world revolves around scarcity. Resources that are wasted on pork are not being used to build up the tools and machines needed to increase production and raise the standard of living for the masses. Savings and capital are the key components of creating wealth and all waste is a horrible theft from hard working taxpayers, like spending the seed corn, foolish in the long run. Chris loves all statist Democrats and statist Republicans, believers in more central power and control, he laughs at a fellow Democrat, Jimmy Carter, for not playing up to the established political machine in Washington, and talks about only one Republican with anything close to praise, Ronald Reagan, strictly because Reagan abandoned his small government principles and expanded government and was slick in getting his way.

Keep Your Enemies in Front of You, another chapter of pain for the reader, with some of the same old cast of heroes for Chris to kiss all over, like LBJ and his crude wit of "better to have `em inside the tent pissin' out than outside pissin' in". Does that sound like a real leader along the lines of Thomas Jefferson? I think NOT! That old, ignorant, jackass caused 100,000 deaths (in action and later suicide) of U.S. military men, killed for nothing but a lie. That's not even counting the millions of Vietnamese maimed, and murdered. Chris can look past all this and just get stiff all over by thinking of that power being abused. As he recounts a story of Jim Baker trying to scuttle a man's campaign by inviting obscure state senators to the White House where "dams, bridges, hospitals fell manna-like upon their communities". Does Chris wince at this obvious waste? Maybe those dams, bridges and hospitals should be built where communities really needed those resources, NO! He thinks it only right for politicians to waste all they want for their own egos and advancement, forget about the country, the taxpayers are just the little people.
Don't Get Mad; Don't Get Even; Get Ahead, I have to admit that this is one chapter that contains some good advice about not trying to get even with people that have damaged your career or upset you professionally or personally. Chris sees it more in Machiavellian terms, but turning the other check is sometimes simply healthy behavior. Of course Chris still sees it in getting even, and he recounts a story of his favorite pork providing, gas-bag politician boss, Tip O'Neill. Seems somebody said Tip was a "fat, bloated and out of control -just like the federal budget", which is a very true statement. Unfortunately the person made it in front of the camera, which is really mean, and good old Tip made him pay for it by making sure that person's opponent received the contributions he needed to beat him. Chris just loves to see his favorite old gasbag tip the scales of justice. (Let's face it, you would need an elephant on the other side of the scales to balance out Tip O'Neill).

Leave No Shot Unanswered, another chapter with Chris explaining the ugly fact of politics, simply that politicians are liars and will constantly tell lies about opponents. Chris has different strategies: (i) Catch `Em in a lie (ii) Ridicule and (iii) Jujitsu. He gives examples and the one about FDR, our great dictator, stands out as something only a Democrat, statist, welfare worshipper would love. When Republicans were upset with FDR going for a 4th term and started pointing out some of his dictator type behavior, such as getting a Navy ship to pick up his dog (which is typical for Presidents). FDR ridiculed them in a speech at a dinner for Democrats (probably all boozed up) and spoke from the dog's point of view, rather cute, but obviously only a smoke screen to hide the truth. Of course Chris loves that story and simply glows with excitement.
Only Talk When It Improves the Silence, when will this book end? Pretty good concept, sometimes it's better to say nothing, especially something harmful to another person. In Chris' strange world of the giants of politics, he has seen silence force other people to fill the space. Sure that happens all the time, nothing new there, but of course a politician always uses it to force his agenda, his will, and his wants. Servant of the people, what a joke if you still believe that after reading about these career politicians, they only want and desire more power and influence.
Always Concede on Principle, another chapter on how politicians twist their own words to mean something else and get everyone else twisted up to the point they don't even understand what the politician is pushing. To Chris, this is a masterful skill, to me it is simply lying, but then I'm not surprised since politicians are the biggest liars in the world. Master criminals could take lessons from the crooks in Washington.

Hang a Lantern on Your Problem, actually this chapter was good, it discusses admitting mistakes first and owning up to any problems you have created. All in all good advice for anyone in the real world and even a politician.

Spin, this is truly a politician's middle name. Taking a bad fact and spinning it to tell a good story. His first example is the classic stockbroker trick (another person to watch carefully). "When the stock moves up, it's good news; when it drops, it's "profit-taking" - good news again". He tells a long story of how Mondale's handler figured he could win Georgia, but probably lose in all the other primaries being held in the South. So he made the rounds of reporters and kept repeating the story that if Mondale doesn't win Georgia, he's finished. Of course when Mondale won Georgia he made it seem like he had made a comeback, the opposite of the facts that Mondale was losing everywhere else. Here's a classic too, Chris in reverent tones mentions how handlers for politicians with a small audience will take partitions to cut down the size of a ballroom, so to the people watching on TV it looks like the room is packed, even though it was only one-third of capacity. Yup, lie, cheat, just win baby.

The Press is the Enemy, this chapter raises some good points, what any public figure needs to be aware of when talking to the press. Simply put never tell the press anything you don't want blasted on the front page. Chris gives some examples of people talking off the record, or saying things in a private group that included a member of the press and later seeing what they said reported on the nightly news. At times it can be embarrassing and can even destroy careers. Boy I don't feel sorry for those politicians one bit.
The Reputation of Power, Chris loves giving examples of how slick politicians can turn someone's words against them and do meaningless things that provide the illusion of something actually being done of meaning. His speaks to how Reagan called for a "budget summit" and the MSM latched onto the concept of a "budget" and started talking about budgets and getting things budgeted (the press can be pretty stupid is the real lesson here). So much talking about budgeting led the normal U.S. taxpayer to think that Washington really cared about the budget deficit and was going to do something about it. That's what families do when they exceed their budget, they back off spending in other areas. As Chris makes clear, the foolish U.S. taxpayer misunderstood the spin; Washington politicians had no desire to fix the budget and were only making everyone think that something meaningful was happening, all smoke and mirrors. Chris loves it when the politicians burn the taxpayer, it really gives gets him jacked up.

Positioning, the final chapter, sorry, but I did not finish the book, I'm just sick of Chris.

My final thought is - TERM LIMITS - no career politicians.

One wonders how Chris Matthews came to be. A booboisie who occasionally suffers debilitating tingles of the lower extremities, he shows no talent for any meaningful human endeavor nor has he ever been know to utter an English sentence of any particular sense or merit. Remember William Hurt in "Broadcast News?" Well, Hurt's lowbrow character is to Chris Matthews as H L Mencken is to, oh, Gomer Pyle. It's pathetic, really. And utterly embarrassing to witness.

One further wonders, what publisher is so clueless as to condemn 3 or 4 saplings to publish Matthew's book? And where are the several dozen fellow booboisie who gave this book a rating of 3 or more stars? Maybe some of his fellow puerile wannabes from MSNBC? I'm thinking so, for the correlation among the number of anchors on MSNBC, their typical Nielsen numbers, and the number of people giving this book 3 or more stars is stunningly significant.

Meanwhile, the ONLY reason I can think for owning a copy of this book would be to serve as an emergency source of wipes for an outhouse. But this makes no sense either, really, as there are cheaper books with softer, more squeezable pages to be had for this purpose.

If you want to completely waste your time by reading a monumentally unimportant book,then you can read this garbage.This guy thinks he knows the game,how its played,etc.He is actually a big part of the dumbing down and brainwashing of America.That is his game and he does it in the most dorky,chicken#%&! way humanly possible.If you want to know how the game is played,check out books by people who will give you the truth behind the show,not by these lame keepers of the lies like Dorkball here.The main Lie is 911.Look into it.Chris is nothing but an undeserving high paid dose of Dork!

More drivel from the liberal shill that is Chris Matthews. The most partisan person on cable news programs, none of what this guy has to say is interesting and this book confirms it. Waste of money. Read someone else like Mark Levin if you want to learn something. I'd give it zero stars if they allowed it.