Synopses & Reviews
andlt;I andgt;TIP AND THE GIPPERandlt;/Iandgt; is a magnificent personal history of a time when two great political opponents served together for the benefit of the country. Chris Matthews was an eyewitness to this story as a top aide to Speaker of the House Tip Oand#8217;Neill, who waged a principled war of political ideals with President Reagan from 1980 to 1986. Together, the two men forged compromises that shaped Americaand#8217;s future and became one of historyand#8217;s most celebrated political pairingsand#8212;the epitome of how ideological opposites can get things done. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;When Ronald Reagan was elected to the presidency in a landslide victory over Jimmy Carter (for whom Matthews had worked as a speechwriter), Speaker Oand#8217;Neill realized Americans had voted for a change. For the first time in his career, Oand#8217;Neill also found himself thrust into the national spotlight as the highest-ranking leader of the Democratic Partyand#8212;the most visible and respected challenger to President Reaganand#8217;s agenda of shrinking the government and lowering taxes. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;At first, Oand#8217;Neill doubted his ability to compete on the public stage with the charming Hollywood actor, whose polished speeches played well on TV, a medium Oand#8217;Neill had never mastered. Over time, the burly Irishman learned how to fight the popular president on his key issues, relying on legislative craftiness, strong rhetoric, and even guerrilla theater. and#8220;An old dog can learn new tricks,and#8221; Tip told his staff. Of Oand#8217;Neill, one of his colleagues said, and#8220;If Martians came into the House chamber, theyand#8217;d know instantly who the leader was.and#8221; andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Meanwhile, President Reagan proved to be a much more effective and savvy leader than his rivals had ever expected, achieving major legislative victories on taxes and the federal budget. Reagan and his allies knew how to work the levers of power in Washington. After showing remarkable personal fortitude in the wake of the assassination attempt against him, Reagan never let his political differences with Democrats become personal. He was fond of the veteran Speakerand#8217;s motto that political battles ended at 6 p.m. So when he would phone Oand#8217;Neill, he would say, and#8220;Hello, Tip, is it after six oand#8217;clock?and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; Together, the two leaders fought over the major issues of the dayand#8212;welfare, taxes, covert military operations, and Social Securityand#8212;but found their way to agreements that reformed taxes, saved Social Security, and achieved their common cause of bringing peace to Northern Ireland. Oand#8217;Neilland#8217;s quiet behind-the-scenes support helped Reagan forge his historic Cold Warand#8211;ending bond with Mikhail Gorand#173;bachev. They each won some and lost some, and through it all they maintained respect for each otherand#8217;s positions and worked to advance the country rather than obstruct progress. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;As Matthews notes, and#8220;There is more than one sort of heroic behavior, and they donand#8217;t all look the same.and#8221; andlt;I andgt;Tip and the Gipperandlt;/Iandgt; is the story of the kind of heroism we need today.
Review
andlt;divandgt;"Amiable but tough-minded. . . . a solid book."andlt;/divandgt;
Review
"Matthews gives us an engaging, inside perspective (with creditable modesty about his own important role) of the mighty struggle between Ronald Reagan and Speaker Tip O'Neill, and how they bent, when they had to, to the national interest. There are many books written by Reagan's White House staffers, but this is the only account (aside from O'Neill's charming memoir) from inside the Speaker's office, and a valuable addition to American political history."
Review
"[A] gripping, behind-the-scenes, first-person account. . . . Though he was a front-row participant in the story, he admirably adopts an even-handed approach (not shying away from pointing out O'Neill's missteps) to serve up his big point: political combat is necessary and important for the nation, but it need not be self-destructive and nuclear. . . . Matthews is providing a public service by recounting an era when even the most ardent partisan gladiators could bend toward pragmatism."
Review
"Chris Matthews draws on his 30-year-old journals for [a] rich new book on Ronald Reagan, Tip O'Neill"
Review
and#8220;A superb tribute to the neglected art of compromise.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;A fortuitous pairing of subject and author. . . Matthewsand#8217;s account is pleasant reading, both useful and entertaining. . . The book succeeds in making Boehnerand#8217;s, or the tea partyand#8217;s, House look like a confederacy of dunces, addicted to 'government by tantrum.' Praise for Reaganand#8217;s skill at reaching across party lines also contrasts with President Obamaand#8217;s stand-offish image. Their clashes looked feverish at the time, but this book is an invitation to join Tip and the Gipper in tall tales about how grand it was in the old country."
Review
"Amiable but tough-minded. . . . a solid book."
Synopsis
Tip and the Gipper is a magnificent personal history of a time when two great political opponents served together for the benefit of the country.
TIP AND THE GIPPER is a magnificent personal history of a time when two great political opponents served together for the benefit of the country. Chris Matthews was an eyewitness to this story as a top aide to Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill, who waged a principled war of political ideals with President Reagan from 1980 to 1986. Together, the two men forged compromises that shaped America's future and became one of history's most celebrated political pairings--the epitome of how ideological opposites can get things done.
When Ronald Reagan was elected to the presidency in a landslide victory over Jimmy Carter (for whom Matthews had worked as a speechwriter), Speaker O'Neill realized Americans had voted for a change. For the first time in his career, O'Neill also found himself thrust into the national spotlight as the highest-ranking leader of the Democratic Party--the most visible and respected challenger to President Reagan's agenda of shrinking the government and lowering taxes.
At first, O'Neill doubted his ability to compete on the public stage with the charming Hollywood actor, whose polished speeches played well on TV, a medium O'Neill had never mastered. Over time, the burly Irishman learned how to fight the popular president on his key issues, relying on legislative craftiness, strong rhetoric, and even guerrilla theater. "An old dog can learn new tricks," Tip told his staff. Of O'Neill, one of his colleagues said, "If Martians came into the House chamber, they'd know instantly who the leader was."
Meanwhile, President Reagan proved to be a much more effective and savvy leader than his rivals had ever expected, achieving major legislative victories on taxes and the federal budget. Reagan and his allies knew how to work the levers of power in Washington. After showing remarkable personal fortitude in the wake of the assassination attempt against him, Reagan never let his political differences with Democrats become personal. He was fond of the veteran Speaker's motto that political battles ended at 6 p.m. So when he would phone O'Neill, he would say, "Hello, Tip, is it after six o'clock?"
Together, the two leaders fought over the major issues of the day--welfare, taxes, covert military operations, and Social Security--but found their way to agreements that reformed taxes, saved Social Security, and achieved their common cause of bringing peace to Northern Ireland. O'Neill's quiet behind-the-scenes support helped Reagan forge his historic Cold War-ending bond with Mikhail Gor-bachev. They each won some and lost some, and through it all they maintained respect for each other's positions and worked to advance the country rather than obstruct progress.
As Matthews notes, "There is more than one sort of heroic behavior, and they don't all look the same." Tip and the Gipper is the story of the kind of heroism we need today.
Synopsis
andlt;Bandgt;From the author of the andlt;Iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/Iandgt; bestseller andlt;Iandgt;Jack Kennedyandlt;/Iandgt;--and Tip O'Neill's former chief-of-staff--comes the firsthand, one-of-a-kind story of the friendship between President Reagan and the Speaker of the House.andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;pandgt;They were the political odd couple--the two most powerful men in the country, a pair who, in author Chris Matthews's words, "couldn't be more different or more the same." For six years Matthews was on the inside, watching the evolving relationship between President Ronald Reagan and Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill. Their philosophies were miles apart--Reagan intent on scaling back government, O'Neill fervent in defending it. Yet there was common ground too: long lunches shared on St. Patrick's Day and a mutual respect--political and personal. Three days after Reagan's shooting, Tip was the first outsider at the president's bedside. andlt;BRandgt;
Drawing not only on his own remarkable knowledge but on extensive interviews with those closest to his subjects, Matthews brings this unlikely friendship to life in his unique voice, rendering as lively and novelistic a read as Jack Kennedy and a timely object lesson in how bipartisan cooperation can work.
Synopsis
From the author of the New York Times bestseller Jack Kennedy—and Tip O’Neill’s former chief-of-staff—comes the firsthand, one-of-a-kind story of the friendship between President Reagan and the Speaker of the House.They were the political odd couple—the two most powerful men in the country, a pair who, in author Chris Matthews’s words, “couldn’t be more different or more the same.” For six years Matthews was on the inside, watching the evolving relationship between President Ronald Reagan and Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill. Their philosophies were miles apart—Reagan intent on scaling back government, O’Neill fervent in defending it. Yet there was common ground too: long lunches shared on St. Patrick’s Day and a mutual respect—political and personal. Three days after Reagan’s shooting, Tip was the first outsider at the president’s bedside.
Drawing not only on his own remarkable knowledge but on extensive interviews with those closest to his subjects, Matthews brings this unlikely friendship to life in his unique voice, rendering as lively and novelistic a read as Jack Kennedy and a timely object lesson in how bipartisan cooperation can work.
About the Author
Chris Matthews is anchor of MSNBCandrsquo;sandnbsp;andlt;iandgt;Hardballandlt;/iandgt;. He is author of andlt;iandgt;Tip and the Gipperandlt;/iandgt;;andlt;iandgt; Jack Kennedy: Elusive Heroandlt;/iandgt;;andlt;iandgt; Kennedy and Nixonandlt;/iandgt;;andlt;iandgt; Now, Let Me Tell You What I Really Thinkandlt;/iandgt;;andlt;iandgt; American: Beyond Our Grandest Notionsandlt;/iandgt;; andlt;iandgt;Hardball: How Politics Is Played by One Who Knows The Gameandlt;/iandgt;; and andlt;iandgt;Politicians: The Backroom World They Never Show Usandlt;/iandgt;.