Hardball: How Politics is Played Told by One Who Knows the Game, by Christopher Matthews

Hardball: How Politics is Played Told by One Who Knows the Game by Christopher Matthews compares politics to a game played by individuals seeking to gain and maintain power. Matthews defines hardball as “clean, aggressive Machiavellian politics. It is the discipline of gaining and holding power, useful to any profession or undertaking, but practiced more openly and unashamedly in the world of public affairs,” (13). Matthews offers maxims to explain tactics and truths that better a person’s position in the game of politics. These maxims include “It’s Better to Receive than Give”, “Keep Your Enemies in Front of You”, and “Hang a Lantern on Your Problem”. These three maxims have proven successful in bringing success to those who utilized the tactic.

The game of hardball is all about keeping up a good reputation to your peers and to the public. A successful politician can build up alliances. It is definitely impossible for someone to make their way to the top without any help. Instead of getting help, a person could make a mistake by “limit[ing] their horizons to missions they can accomplish alone” (15). These people ultimately lose the game. Matthews describes one way to forge an alliance in the maxim “It’s better to receive than give”. While confidence is a good thing, too much pride can end in disaster. A way to avoid looking too confident is asking for help. During the General Elections of 1978, Jimmy Carter asked for the help of those who had lost on election night. This is wise because they looked for work and wanted to be needed. Votes and alliances can be made simply because of a feeling of inclusion in the process. A politician asking for help is “offering a chance to join in the political action, to be part of his success”...

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...duals won the game and rose to power. Fundamentally, these people cared about what is deserved for the good of the people. Unfortunately, politics often has a negative view because of association with tyranny and abuse of power. Hardball: How Politics is Played by One Who Knows the Game does not help alleviate this view because of its tones of ruthlessness. Ambition, which is often viewed negatively, is a critical asset to succeed for one who wishes to make a name for them. Hopefully, one day people will not be as cynical about the point of politics. The real and true goal of politics is to generate leaders in the government that will make decisions based on the opinions of the people for the benefit of the people.

Works Cited

Matthews, Christopher. Hardball: How Politics Is Played Told by One Who Knows the Game

New York, NY: HarperPerennial, 1988. Print.