Tip and the Gipper: When Politics Worked by Chris Matthews

Tip and the Gipper:  When Politics Worked by Chris Matthews

Title: Tip and the Gipper:  When Politics Worked
Author: Chris Matthews
Read by:  Chris Matthews

Publisher: Simon & Shuster Audio

Length: 10 CDs, approximately 12 hours
Source: Review Copy from Simon and Shuster Audio.  Thank-you!

I’ll admit that I don’t really know much about Chris Matthews.  I know he exists and that he is a political commentator, but I knew nothing else about him (not even his politics) before listening to this audiobook.  My entire reason for wanting to listen to this book was the title, Tip and the Gipper:  When Politics Worked.  I wanted to learn more about the Gipper, President Ronald Reagan, and Tip, Speaker of the House, Tip O’Neill.  I was born in 1978 and grew up in the 80’s.  I was too young to really care about the politics of the time at that point, and I wanted to learn more about them.  In our current time when politics really does not seem to work, I wanted to learn about a time when they did!

This book gave a great background of both Ronald Reagan and Top O’Neill’s rise to power.  Both men had completely different ideology, but they were able to put their differences aside for the good of the people.  I only wish our leaders today could do the same thing.  My favorite was that Speaker O’Neill told President Reagan that they could be friends after 6 PM.  And the two men did seem to get along wonderfully.  Things weren’t always rosy though as the two men did have major disagreements and frankly the way politics worked even back then annoys me (it’s  a lot about who you know and power plays).

I also liked how Chris Matthews told the story from his point of view.  He worked as a speech writer for President Jimmy Carter and then as an aid to Speaker O’Neill.  I liked the personal touch and remembrances.

Chris Matthews was a wonderful narrator and I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook on my drives to and from work.  I only wish I could keep listening to it!