'Hardball's' College Tour with John McCain

MATTHEWS:  We‘re back.

Do you like bright ties?

MCCAIN:  Yes.

MATTHEWS:  I was told men must wear bright ties.  But I have no idea, this thing looks like, I don‘t know what I‘m celebrating tonight.  Anyway, it‘s great to have you.

MCCAIN:  I should have worn my sunglasses.

MATTHEWS:  There‘s nobody better.  I was with you down at Clemson, right before the South Carolina where they beat the hell out of you down there and put out all that dirt.

MCCAIN:  Notre Dame.

MATTHEWS:  Have you forgiven the Bushies for what they did against you?

MCCAIN:  Sure.

MATTHEWS:  Karl Rove, you‘ve forgiven him completely?   You‘re not really Irish at all about this?

MCCAIN:  You have to—after I lost in South Carolina, I slept like baby, sleep two hours, wake up and cry, sleep two hours, wake up and cry.

Can I just mention, and I don‘t mean to polish any apples, but I have had the pleasure of doing this with you a few times.  I would rather do this than anything in America because this is what America is all about, and the future of America.  And thank you for coming today. 

MATTHEWS:  Thank you very much. 

(APPLAUSE)       

MATTHEWS:  In that spirit, everybody says, why don‘t young people vote.  And my answer is the college tour, which is why don‘t we bring politics to them.  And that‘s what we‘ve done here tonight. 

I want to ask you this, in all honesty, would you really commit suicide if the Senate went Democrat?  I couldn‘t believe your statement...

MCCAIN:  I thought that was a pretty good line.

MATTHEWS:  But is it that important? 

MCCAIN:  I think it‘s important to America, but I think it‘s—every once in a while, we should have a little levity. 

(CROSSTALK)

Let‘s give the news reporters something to work with.  If in three weeks, the polls hold true and the Democrats get, maybe what they don‘t deserve, because they get it because the other party blew it, but...

(APPLAUSE)

You know, Iowa State, I expected more than an 8^th grade response to what I just said.  That was—blew it, I get it.  You guys are amazing. 

If the party does fail because of being in too long, being used to the place, and you lose the House and the Senate ends up being on the edge there, what is the message from the American people to the Republican Party? 

MCCAIN:  We have to do a better job, we have to reform, we have to return to the fundamentals of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan.  But I don‘t think we‘re going to lose.  I think we‘ve still, we‘ve got three weeks to go.  I think we got a vigorous campaign, a good economy, the world is safer and America is safer than it was.  And I think we need to emphasize those themes. 

MATTHEWS:  You think Karl Rove has a little October surprised up his sleeve?

MCCAIN:  I don‘t think so.  I think that if we can make sure that Americans know that we have a safer world, we‘re fighting the war on terror as best we can, we have a good economy, we have a vision for the future, we can prevail.  But everybody knows this is a tough election, and to say otherwise would be just foolish. 

MATTHEWS:  Is a life in politics potentially a good life? 

MCCAIN:  Yes.  The greatest opportunities in my life has been in politics, and to be in places like this, no people like here in Iowa and all over this country.  I have had more privileges and more exposure and more friends and—it‘s the greatest thing—I‘m the luckiest man you will ever meet in politics.  I really am. 

MATTHEWS:  Senator John McCain, thank you for your service. 

MCCAIN:  Thank you.

MATTHEWS:  Senator John McCain, and the great people at Iowa State University who so graciously hosted our HARDBALL College Tour tonight.  What a great group.  Before we go tonight, Iowa State wants to say a special goodbye to you tonight. 

CROWD: (CHEERING)

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