Best of Alex Witt’s “Office Politics” – Part 1

>>> in this week's " office politics ," best of in the series. you wi i begin by asking chris matthews to explain what he calls the two parts of politics.

>> two parts of politics that i find great. one is the predictable part of it. and that's what i write rules about. there seems to be -- politicians get in trouble for the same things. forgetting the people at home. getting too washington. getting too high headed. and then they get in trouble. the left and right fights are predictable. incumbency, a tricky thing, but then there is the phenomenal. black president . because this one guy could do it. i don't think any other people could have done it, so we in the political commentarydidn't think up barack obama . i remember saying you just saw your first black president right there.

>>> as long as english language is spoken in the corner of the globe, people will be writing about barack obama because of the historic achievement in a country built on slavery, riveren with racism. for a man named barack hussein obama to become president at 46 at the time, remarkable, remarkable achievement.

>>> it was just a thrill to literally watch history unfold and be a part of that. the biggest challenge was it was exhausting, and there was a physical toll, which i wasn't prepared for.

>> what was it like then on election day ?

>> election day was one of the most exciting and challenging days of my life.

>>> one of the biggest challenges, when we do these special reports, you stand up and here is all the correspondents from the networks, standing side by side by side, all speaking at the same time when they give you the 2:00 warning before the president comes out. there is me, major garrett , john carl. standing side by side , the president is about to walk through that door and you're all trying to communicate literally three feet away from each other when are you blasting your broadcast voice out.

>> you hear what they are saying, the voices in your head as well.

>> it's terrible. i think it is -- having reported in some awful places, this is the hardest thing i have done, because you know that behind that door the president and his staff are listening to what you are saying, they are surely watching you, because they have asked me about things i have said shortly therefore, after, and he walks through the door. the biggest challenge in what we do, to keep your head about you when you are doing that.

>>> a million breaking news developments throughout the day when are you covering the white house . when you think about it everything relates back to the white house .

>> what about a favorite moment? did you have one from inauguration day .

>> watching the first family. i loved it. i watched maybe an hour of watching them in the reviewing stand and i kept thinking, my god, these are attractive, better off obviously elite in a sense people, and yet like any family at a wedding, a funeral, any kind of formal event, just sort of antsy and moving around a lot and the girls are cute.

>> they are cute. today at noon, more best of " office politics " and most memorable pictures from the worlds of politics, war, and history that stand out most in the minds of our office politic guests.