Using his years of experience within the White House, Chris Matthews wrote Hardball, a book about how politics in the White House is essentially a game. Play it right, be successful. Play it wrong, and your political career could come to an end. Matthew’s outlines various maxims to play the game right, however there are two maxims that are essential to be successful; “Leave no shot unanswered” and “Always Concede on Principle”. A maxim also deemed “essential” in the book is to consider the press the enemy, however this is not necessarily always true. Many times, you can use the press to your advantage.
When in the political forefront, whether that be running for a position or already in the limelight, acknowledging and responding to accusations made against you is essential. When faced with a controversy or attack by the media, it is always good to be prepared to answer …show more content…
back, showing the general public you have nothing to hide.
Avoiding the issues at hand can backfire, giving the public a signal that you do have something to hide, raising doubt and suspicion. During Bill Clinton’s Presidency in the 1970’s, Hillary and Bill Clinton started the Whitewater Development Corporation, a business venture that eventually failed. Controversy spread regarding the real estate investments Hillary and Bill Clinton made for Whitewater. In addition to this, in 1978, Hillary Clinton was put in the spotlight regarding possible conflict of interest and disguised bribery regarding a series of trades of cattle futures contract. The Justice Department proceeded to open an investigation regarding the Whitewater scandal which built media pressure on Hillary Clinton. On April 22, 1994, Hillary Clinton held a press conference in the State Dining room of the
White house to address questions on the Whitewater and cattle futures controversy. During this press conference, Clinton admitted to being vague in her explanations and discussed her role in the Whitewater venture. By holding this press conference, Clinton perfectly executed the “Leave No shot unanswered” maxim. She won widespread praise after holding this conference, showing viewers her relaxed and calm composure. By tackling the claims she was attacked with head on, Clinton showed that she had nothing to hide. By putting her problems on the forefront, she showed strength, which in turn allowed people to move past the controversy much more easily. Politically speaking, agreeing on something you disagree with doesn’t sound like a smart idea, however politicians have used this trick multiple times to achieve in the end, what they want. Many claim that the media is a negative influence on campaigns, nitpicking every wrong action a candidate would make. However with negative coverage comes positive coverage, a factor that could greatly influence a candidate’s perception according to the public eye. One of Chris Matthew’s maxims outlines that the “Press Is the Enemy,” however press could do more good than harm. For example, when Hillary Clinton was running for the presidential candidate in 2008, she received more media coverage than any of the presidential candidates, being the subject of 17% of all stories [1].