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 Gorbachev.
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.
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