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After his book signing, Chris Matthews broadcasted three live editions of 'Hardball with Chris Matthews' from the Drexel Quad.

MSNBC news personality speaks to students

By: Janhavi Purohit

Posted: 10/31/07

Chris Matthews, host and star of news shows Hardball with Chris Matthews and The Chris Matthews Show, was at Drexel University for a book signing early during the day of the Democratic Debate Oct. 30.

Matthews held a brief talk in which he addressed the student audience and answered a few questions. He began his address to students with his view of the modern-day political situation.

"I think I'm a skeptic. I ask the right questions," Matthews said. "Most politicians don't like to give answers."

The American perception of our country's role in the world also needs adjustment, according to Matthews.

"We're involved in an echo chamber of dim-wittedness when it comes to the world view," Matthews said.

He commented that as a country, we are not only giving ourselves too much importance, but are also losing sight of the fact that our image in the world is shifting rapidly.

"Our country is arrogant. We should know who our neighbors are," Matthews said.

Matthews remarked that as a country, Americans need to focus not only on our enemies, but should be strengthening our alliances and treating friendly countries with the same level of attention and care.

"We only pay attention to the countries who don't like us," Matthews stated.

Matthews also commented on the issues he felt needed to be addressed by the nominees.

"The only issue should not be the war we're heading to in Iran," Matthews said.

He encouraged students to ask about the debt situation, about their parent's pensions, corporate pensions, health insurance, social security, and medicare. Matthews pushed students to demand more information on issues aside from Iraq and Iran.

"The world's bigger than the al Qaeda. We have to deal with that world," Matthews said.

Matthews questioned the Bush administration as well, commenting that the issues they are focused on are irrelevant, while issues that could have been resolved are not given enough attention.

"Why didn't we focus on getting al Qaeda when we had them in our crosshairs? That's what I want to know," Matthews said.

Matthews said our current world has changed drastically from what it was years ago.

According to Matthews, the standard of living has increased, but salaries haven't. Where Americans were once able to live off one salary, it is now becoming more and more difficult to do the same. The world is shifting and America is no longer necessarily on top.

"We don't dominate the world anymore," Matthews said. Matthews pointed out the fact that a large amount of money is overseas, meaning that countries like Russia and China are becoming richer, while America is stuck at the status quo.

"The American economy is not growing," Matthews said. "It's a different world."

In terms of the candidates, Matthews commented that some were clearly advancing over the others.

"Obama needs to step it up because Hillary is coming out strongest," Matthews commented. "Obama has not put together a national campaign."

Matthews also pointed out that many of the candidates play to the voters and tend to shy away from making statements that may affect their polls.

"Not everything that sells is right. Does Hillary know this?" Matthews commented. "Are the candidates giving us what we want to hear, or the smart or clever answer?"

Matthews cited this election as being one of the most critical since 1932, when the country was going through the Depression, to the 1980 fight between Carter and Reagan.

"This is one of those change elections. People want to go to a different place," Matthews said.

Matthews also commented on the way our country functions in terms of protections and rights.

"We'd rather have more freedom and less protection. We're much more self-reliant. It's just a culture thing. It's a strange culture, but we have it," Matthews said. "This country is still cowboy, for better or worse."

Matthews took selected student questions after his talk, and the reactions to his attitude varied. Rachel Semigran, a senior majoring in English, raised a question about the media's role in swinging the elections for voters, and had her point rebutted almost immediately.

"He does it for effect. I didn't even get my question out before he interrupted me. If he's the one asking 'hard questions,' then he should allow students to ask some of their own," Semigran said.

Matthews ended the discussion with a quick poll of students in the audience. He asked which candidate students would vote for, given a choice between Clinton and Republican nominee Rudy Giuliani. The count in the room was 39 for Clinton and 22 for Giuliani.