Customer Reviews

Tip and the Gipper: When Politics Worked

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Wow, could the timing be any better for this book from TV personality and "Hardball" host Chris Matthews? His book hit the store shelves on the first day of the 2013 "Government Shutdown", with our domestic politics dominated by the political impasse between our terminally dysfunctional Congress and White House. It offers us the stark contrast of a detailed look at how politics worked back in the 1980's, when the House of Representatives was led by Speaker Tip O'Neill (D-Mass), Ronald Reagan ("The Gipper" **) was our President, and the two parties could actually work together to get things done despite the vast differences in their views.

Tip O'Neill's service in the U.S. House of Representatives began in 1953 (he had been elected in 1952) representing Massachusetts's 11th district (succeeding John F. Kennedy who was newly Senator-elect). He became Majority Whip in 1971, was House Majority Leader from 1973 to 1977, and was Speaker of the House from 1977 until his retirement in 1987. To those of us who still remember those days, he is one of the most colorful and prominent leaders from late 20th century U.S. politics. Ideologically, he was strongly Liberal, with strong views against the war in Vietnam, and he favored Democratic proposed programs such as universal health care and jobs programs.

After serving in the House beginning with the Eisenhower administration, continuing through Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon, and having held leadership positions in the House during the administrations of Nixon, Ford and Carter, Tip O'Neill was at the apex of his career, the most senior Congressional leader in Washington D.C., leading the Democrat-controlled House as Republican Ronald Reagan took office following the 1980 election. O'Neill had been Speaker for three years by the time that Reagan was elected, and he was not a fan of Reagan. In fact, at one point O'Neill called Reagan "the most ignorant man who had ever occupied the White House". O'Neill also said that Reagan was "Herbert Hoover with a smile" and "a cheerleader for selfishness", and said that Reagan's policies meant that his presidency was "one big Christmas party for the rich" (these quotes are taken from the Wikipedia article on Tip O'Neill).

The stage was therefore set for serious conflict between the two men, since Democrat O'Neill and Republican Reagan had such vastly different viewpoints. Reagan came into office with the mission to cut the size of government, cut taxes, and end the Cold War. His domestic and defense policies were strongly opposed by the Democrats, and O'Neill was their leader.

And so how did these two very different men work together? As it played out, their political skills and personalities allowed them to develop a mutual respect and even friendship that, despite their political differences, enabled them to fight fiercely for their respective points of view but then at the end of the day work out reasonable compromises that both sides could live with, so that programs could be created and progress could be made. They knew that each needed the other in order to get things done, and they behaved accordingly.

It turns out that Chris Matthews is a pretty good choice for someone to tell this story - he lived through these years, close to the center of the action as a top aide to Tip O'Neill for six years, and the detailed notes that he kept from those days, along with a great deal of research, provided him with a solid basis for writing this book (unlike many books of the type, this volume includes detailed notes to each chapter giving his sources, which included most notably President Reagan's personal diaries. The notes section of the book can be viewed using the 'Look Inside' feature that Amazon provides).

Matthews gives numerous examples in his book of situations where O'Neill and Reagan were able to work together to pass major legislation, for example:

- the 1982 revenue bill which substantially reduced the Federal deficit
- the bipartisan Social Security Reform Act of 1983
- the major overhaul of the Income Tax system - the Tax Reform Act of 1986 (TRA) - that followed the Kemp-Roth Tax Cut of 1981 and was the second of the two Reagan tax cuts

A final example I'll give here from the book illustrating the relationship that developed between the two men (there are many more in the book), is the role that Tip O'Neill played in 1985, when he led a group of Congressmen who traveled to the Soviet Union and met with Mikhail Gorbachev. O'Neill was entrusted to hand carry a personal letter from Reagan to Gorbachev, a notable early step in the long process that eventually led to the end of the cold War. And while O'Neill did not personally support the defense buildup that helped Reagan to put the pressure on the Soviet Union that helped lead to its fall, he did help Reagan's efforts with the Soviets by ensuring that the Congress did not undermine Reagan when he was involved in sensitive meetings and negotiations with the Soviets.

The point here is not to say that these achievements from the Reagan years were either good or bad. The point of the book is to describe the process that took place during those years, when we had leaders in Congress and in the White House who were able to to work together constructively in order to reach these agreements and support these programs and achievements. O'Neill and Reagan always kept the lines of communication open. They each fought hard for their respective positions on the important issues that they were arguing. And after all of the negotiating and fighting for their points of view, when the time came to find a solution that could be agreed and implemented, they were able to do that. And it is a great story, ultimately satisfying to both Democrats and Republicans, I think.

We could use some of this in Washington D.C. today.

I have not been a follower of Matthews in the past, but I enjoy reading about politics and this new book resonates with me. This is not just a book for those who may be fans of his point of view. We live in vastly different times from the 1980's described in the book, but politics is still about people and the story of how these two men got to know each other, and were able to negotiate and work together, is fascinating and about as relevant to today's American political situation as anything I could think of. The book is highly enjoyable to read and goes very quickly. It is a great recounting of political personalities and the inner workings of political deal making during the years of the Reagan administration.

COMMENT ADDED 10/3/13: I've watched Matthew's "Hardball" show the past couple of days since receiving the book and reading it, and I also have heard him being interviewed by Terry Gross on NPR Fresh Air this week. I agree with those who criticize Matthew's promoting his own book on his "Hardball" show. In fact, Terry challenged him on this during her interview, and he was unapologetic, responding that he had put a lot of work into the book and that he feels that it is important that people read the book (just like he feels that it is important that people watch his show), so he is going to promote it. (Nobody will accuse him for lacking ego, clearly). When Terry pointed out that he was making money from the book, his response was that he had put a lot of work into it and he deserved to be paid for it. His viewpoint is that people will be better off for reading this book, because it will "give them (the readers) a sense of the American political norm, and it's not what we have today. The American political norm is to have the Right and the Left finally reaching agreement in keeping the government working because they believe in our form of government, and I want to make that case."

As I mentioned earlier, I haven't followed Matthews prior to reading his book, but I am finding him to be an interesting commentator. I think that anyone wanting to obtain a balanced view of what is going on in politics will need to rely on more than one commentator in order to get different opinions and receive enough information to make their own informed judgement. With respect to Matthews promoting his own book on his show, I don't particularly respect that. I think that the book should be evaluated on its merits and not overlooked solely because of dislike for Matthews, for those who may feel that way. I do think that this book tells a worthwhile and interesting story.

(** For any who may be too young to remember, Reagan had taken as his nickname "The Gipper" from his role as George "The Gipper" Gipp in the 1940 biographical film 'Knute Rockne, All American', about the life of the legendary Notre Dame football coach).

I found the book Tip and the Gipper very interesting. This was a president and speaker who from 2 compleely different parties put the welfare of the country ahead of political goals. Much can be learned especially because of the recent government shutdown and the budget crisis because men in the same positions as Tip and the Gipper refused to act in the nations best interest and held firm to party goals.

Matthews has managed to write a book that crosses political parties. Whether you're a liberal Democrat or conservative Republican, this is a must-read! I think it's Matthews' best. I felt transported to Election Eve, 1980. You can feel what it must've been like to be with Carter as he was waking up to his huge defeat. The book's timing couldn't be better. I found it astonishing to see how these two men, Tip and Reagan, could come from such different political ideologies and still have such respect for each other. They made the people's business...work! Matthews manages to give such a balanced view and shows such reverence for both men that even loyal Fox News viewers or Rachel Maddow watchers will want to read this. I just bought three of these to give as gifts. It would benefit President Obama, Speaker Boehner, and every congressman to read this...and think.

By the way, when someone writes a review of "any" book on Amazon but doesn't choose to purchase that book through Amazon, it raises total suspicion as to anything you have to say.

Ah, the irony. On the very day that Chris Matthews’s book about how government used to work hit the bookshelves, the US government shut down. October 1, 2013 --- a day that will live in infamy? Let us hope not.

It is doubtful that there is any reporter in any medium more knowledgeable about the inner workings of the United States Congress than Chris Matthews. The bombastic political pundit, host of MSNBC’s “Hardball” with its provocative interviews and debates, holds an impressive list of credentials earned on the job. Fresh out of college with a degree in business and two years with the Peace Corps in Africa behind him, he came to Washington in 1971 with one goal: to work at the heart of America’s political system in the Congress.

Matthews worked his way up from Capitol Cop (a surprising number of influential members of Congress started out in that blue uniform and badge with a 38 on their hip) to flunky positions inside the great hall as an intern, until he got a job as a speechwriter on President Carter’s staff. The book opens with vivid insights into Carter’s doomed presidency and why it failed. When Carter was trounced in the 1980 election by Ronald Reagan, Matthews, a keen observer of political animals, watched in a mixture of awe and consternation as the dashing former actor wooed and won American voters with his charisma and witticisms.

Matthews soon found himself lucky enough to land a position on Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill’s press staff. There he received an education in political gamesmanship that no university could ever deliver, finally becoming a top aide in O’Neill’s office. He had a front-row seat from 1980 to 1986, as O’Neill and Reagan, as far apart ideologically as two men could possibly be, confronted problems not unlike what we face today. The President found himself with a House of Representatives made up of the opposing party, but was such a persuasive force that longtime Democratic legislators even switched parties. Reagan was determined to turn the government upside down. Yet these two men, at opposite ends of the political spectrum, found a way to work for the common good of America.

O’Neill was an old school, street corner politician who could call the people in his district by name. Unaccustomed to TV cameras and publicity, he got the job done in the time-honored manner of politicians of an earlier time, pressing the flesh and palavering with his fellow Congressmen from both sides of the aisle in late-night poker games and casual dinners. He then went home on weekends to his wife and children, and met with constituents.

But the face of Washington was changing. Reagan arrived on the scene with fanfare. Camera savvy and smooth talking, he was likable even to his staunchest opponents. When the lights came on, he was in his element. For the first time in his long career, O’Neill was at risk of fading into the background --- a tough thing to do when you are 6’3” and weigh over 250 pounds.

Matthews has crafted a behind-the-scenes perspective of the efforts of these two giants of politics, who learned to work together for the common good. As the government is mired in divisive battles in seemingly hopeless gridlock, it is a story for our times. If it were possible to require each and every member of Congress from both parties to read any book on statesmanship, TIP AND THE GIPPER might well serve as a guide to leading our country out of this quagmire.

Together, these two Irishmen found common ground to save Social Security, reform taxes and the welfare system, deal with Cold War covert operations, and bring peace to Northern Ireland. Winning some and losing some were part of the process, but their civility brought about some of the most important legislation of the times. The two most powerful men in Washington were able to put egos aside and do what they were sent there to do: make government work.

Reviewed by Roz Shea

Actually disappointing read. I finished the book but the lack of details, of interesting stories, etc. left me sorry I had purchased it. Too much about the author and too little in the details and/or interesting stories.

shows how congress should and could work.too bad our current congress and president do not take a strong look at how things can be

Tip and the Gipper

it was a little difficult in reading because I am of the age where I remember how they spoke and I keep trying to slow them dow

As a Massachusetts native, I really enjoy the nostalgia stories of that era. Messy but things got done.
Chris being at the side of the Speaker gives great insight to the 'sausage' making process that is government. Unfortunately for the country, we have the T Party wackos who only seem intent on destruction (T for terrorist).
Nice to see how things were at a more successful & enjoyable time.

Consistent with all his other writing! Informative, encouraging, funny and so well written. The timing could not be better amidst the political turmoil of our day.

Plainly written conversational style book that really brought you into the inner workings of how things get done in Washington. Chris Matthews first hand accounts of that time of our history when two great men knew that by working together to solve problems was what our founders intended with the separation of power and the good of the nation. I think I could sit for hours just listening to the stories Mr. Matthews could tell about the inside baseball of politics and never be bored. Fast paced with loads of historical information most of us have never heard before. I loved it from cover to cover.