Christopher Matthews Hardball

Before I started reading the book Hardball, by Chris Matthews, I had a preconceived idea of what the content of this book would be. From the title of the book I drew the conclusion that Matthews would write more about the darker side of politics and how it is 'really' played. I don't really know much about politics, and frankly, I don't care much for politics. However, when I hear the word hardball in the context of politics, I think of blood shed. I think of dirty tricks and blackmail and money changing hands in dark places. I even think of the mafia to some degree when I hear the word hardball. Perhaps my notion of hardball was a bit more than what Chris Matthews describes in his book. After

The book Plunkitt of Tammany Hall can leave readers with mixed feelings about politics from Plunkitt’s perspective. Plunkitt, himself, used some questionable tactics while he was a politician and defends what he did; such as the difference between honest graft and dishonest graft. Plunkitt lived in the world of politics for forty plus years and thrived in the middle of it all with his political machine, Tammany Hall. The views Plunkitt held differ from those of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America.

The film Swing Vote is an American political culture film that relies heavily on film subtext to depict the negative attitude many Americans have towards voting, corruption inside a political election, and the spectacle of media frenzy. While the film gives a light hearted impression of a rare political snafu it is still consistent with the main themes of other political films of manipulation, money lust, and power hungry political heads that will stop at nothing for their own personal gain. We also see the political candidates merely as puppets while their campaign managers are the ones truly calling the shots. Swing Vote is a unique political culture film because due to the ordeal in the film’s plot, the politicians are at a disadvantage when they are usually the ones in power. With the tables turned we see how they construct their corrupt schemes and the direct effect it has on the character representing the American perspective. The strong symbols that convey the cultural norms in America’s political system are in need of a deeper analysis.

It doesn’t matter how much experienced you’ve stocked on a resume. Getting ahead is sometimes falsely claiming to care for other concerns in order to gain the support of others. Yes, I agree that networking is an important aspect to get ahead in life. Many people I’ve met have emphasized that in order to be successful, one must network. I’m glad to know that Matthews took the risk of knocking on many top politicians’ doors in order to seek job opportunities, and I’m also glad that he took a lesson in starting from a smaller position than just sprinting to the top. A lot of people are desperate for a reward, but what they don’t realize is that it takes years to get to that destination. I’m satisfied with the majority of the content in this chapter; however, I would never waste my time trying to win the support of another politician in order for me to sympathize with a preoccupation I do not care for at

Brown states “all art rests on a political foundation but it need not concern itself with politics” (530). Accordingly, politics plays a role in a writer's background. Every writer is aware that politicians hide the truth, therefore, writers analyze the political system he or she

The very first thing Matthews wants us to know is how important personal relationships are in Washington. “Retail politics,” a method by which a politician wins people over one at a time, plays a huge role in this chapter. According to Matthews, retail politics is a very important and useful strategy in Washington politics. Lyndon Baines Johnson was a master of retail politics. Matthews describes in

The danger of politics lead to the principal factor of checks and balances, within the government and Founding Fathers, throughout the “most crucial and consequential [decade] in American history” (27). Politics were also what lead to the quarrel between John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson.

Throughout the course of American politics, superstar senators have risen from the frameworks of capitol buildings on federal, state, and local levels. Some were ruthlessly manipulative in their desire to achieve success, choosing to push their own agenda for the sake of a spot in history. Others served a more earnest cause, putting their country before their party. From the founding fathers to post World War II America, senators of the extremely partisan kind worked in Washington, these men certainly were not the last of the “cut throat” politicians, their actions setting a precedent for future men and women in their partisan agenda. However, noble men who worked endlessly for the prosperity, safety, and unity of America are often swept

The debate between Baldwin and Buckley was a very captivating event, with both speakers being professional authors. While Baldwin’s commentary displays the skills of a professional persuader, attending to both emotional argument and credibility, it lacks a certain aspect found in Buckley’s argument. Buckley’s argument is rooted in values and statistics, which are unchangeable. In the end, the turnout for the vote of the debate is five hundred forty-four to one hundred sixty-four, with Baldwin winning against

A good point here is counterpointing the weight of a politician’s private life versus the valid ideas turned into concrete plans that envision to make people’s lives

Next, testimonies from political scientists and professors are introduced. These testimonies add more credibility to the possible outcomes or obstacles proposed by the author of the article earlier in the piece.

The congressional cloakroom is a great advantage to any politician using the method of retail politics. For example, Lyndon Johnson wasted no time in discovering the leaders and the followers of the cloakroom, and quickly became associated with the leader (Richard Russel) of the “inner circle” of Congress. Becoming recognized among these important political figures made Johnson’s retail speeches much easier by swaying

To be on a legislative council generally you must run for office. To run for office, you must pick a political party. This is another issue in the discussion of politics that can raise many eyebrows. Although Ellen White frequently mentions avoiding political parties, it is my view that she is referring to the dirt and smearing that goes on in the political system. Furthermore, during Ellen White’s time politics was an even more backroom experience than it is today, something that I have studied in another class. (White E. , Gospel Workers, 2005) (Kellner, 2008)

n national finance he said, “Unless we can overcome this narrow disposition, and learn to estimate measures by their general tendency, we shall never be a great or happy people, if we remain a people at all.” (D, 116) He would do “whatever it takes to get my plan on the Congress floor… I wanted what I got. When you got skin in the game, you stay in the game, but you don’t get a win unless you play in the game.”

The purpose of this paper is intended to summarize my views on what has influenced my understanding of politics and government prior to taking this class, and how my understanding is now since completing this course.