Drexel University held a book signing for Hardball host Chris Matthews at the Bossone Research Center on October 30th, 2007. The event was part of the Democratic Presidential Debate held on Drexel's campus the same day, and sponsored by the Pennoni Honors College. Nearly 50 students, faculty, and reporters from NBC and other prominent media attended the event.

Matthews is the author of Hardball: How Politics Is Played – Told By One Who Knows The Game (1988) and, most recently, Life's a Campaign: What Politics Has Taught Me About Friendship, Rivalry, Reputation, and Success (2007). He has received the David Brinkley Award for Excellence in Communications and 18 honorary doctorates from American colleges and universities, including Drexel. He has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and has contributed to NBC's Today.

The Dean of the Pennoni Honors College, Mark Greenburg, introduced Matthews. Greenburg emphasized the importance of writing that Matthews has mastered. "The basis of good reporting and critical thinking is writing," Greenburg said.

Matthews had a commanding presence on stage. Although calm and witty, he casually grilled the audience about their political views. He explained that what makes him different from other journalists is that he asks the questions that politicians are not ready for. "I think my job is to work for the public," he said.

Matthews described the arrogance that has a hold of this country: He asked one candidate who the leader of a certain country was, and the candidate didn't know. The majority of the population, including politicians, does not know who many political leaders are for other countries—unless that person is causing trouble.

"I'm afraid that the only issues of this campaign are the war, the need for change, and Hillary's gender," Matthews said. He brought up other issues that have not received much coverage, including China's growing economy and global warming. "The world is bigger than Al'Queda. The world is huge. We have to deal with that world."

Matthews also gave his forecast of the election: "This is one of those 'change' elections. People want to live in a different country. We aren't happy," he explained. He doesn't think that the politicians are giving smart answers, but clever answers. He emphasized the need for understanding: "The US is a relatively low-tax country. We're very much a cowboy country that generally chooses freedom over social responsibility. We don't dominate the world anymore."

During the Matthews lecture, he and an audience member started debating about media influence during the election. The rest of the audience witnessed firsthand how relentless and vicious Matthews' interrogation can be. He explained that the people of the media do not decide how much coverage a candidate receives. The candidate that he personally chooses to vote for rarely gets covered. This sparked the topic of representation in the government, something that Mathews is disgusted with. "I think it's sick how bad the representation is in our country. I'm going to keep voting for a black guy until one gets in there."

Matthews ended by answering a few questions and giving his foolproof advice for writer's block: "Jot down your ideas in boxes, put the boxes in order, make a rough draft, and polish it."

Copies of Life's a Campaign: What Politics Has Taught Me About Friendship, Rivalry, Reputation, and Success were available to buy at the event and at the Drexel Bookstore. Matthews thanked his audience and took the time to pose for a picture with various attendants. After hearing the passion he has for his work, it's clear that Chris Matthews is truly a journalist for the people.