♪ >>> I’M CHRIS MATTHEWS LIVE FROM

>>> I’M CHRIS MATTHEWS LIVE FROM THE VAN DYKE THEATER AT FRESNO

THE VAN DYKE THEATER AT FRESNO STATE.

STATE. A SPECIAL "HARDBALL" TOWN HALL

A SPECIAL "HARDBALL" TOWN HALL EVENT.

EVENT. NOT SINCE BARACK OBAMA WITH A

NOT SINCE BARACK OBAMA WITH A CANDIDATE HAS SOMEONE IGNITED SO

CANDIDATE HAS SOMEONE IGNITED SO MUCH BUZZ SO FAST.

MUCH BUZZ SO FAST. HE’S 37 YEARS OLD, A GRADUATE OF

HE’S 37 YEARS OLD, A GRADUATE OF HARVARD, A ROHDE SCHOLAR, A

HARVARD, A ROHDE SCHOLAR, A NAVAL OFFICER DEPLOYED TO

NAVAL OFFICER DEPLOYED TO AFGHANISTAN AND A MAYOR OF A

AFGHANISTAN AND A MAYOR OF A SMALL CITY IN INDIANA,

SMALL CITY IN INDIANA, POPULATION 100,000.

POPULATION 100,000. PETE BUTTIGIEG.

PETE BUTTIGIEG. HE SAYS HIS EIGHT YEARS LEADING

HE SAYS HIS EIGHT YEARS LEADING SOUTH BEND, INDIANA GIVES HIM

SOUTH BEND, INDIANA GIVES HIM MORE EXPERIENCE TO BE PRESIDENT

MORE EXPERIENCE TO BE PRESIDENT THAN DONALD TRUMP HAD.

THAN DONALD TRUMP HAD. HE GAVE ME A TOUR OF HIS

HE GAVE ME A TOUR OF HIS HOMETOWN WHICH A DECADE AGO WAS

HOMETOWN WHICH A DECADE AGO WAS CITED AS ONE OF AMERICA’S TEN

CITED AS ONE OF AMERICA’S TEN DIES CITIES, THE SAME YEAR

DIES CITIES, THE SAME YEAR BUTTIGIEG WAS ELECTED MAYOR.

BUTTIGIEG WAS ELECTED MAYOR. >> HOW ARE YOU DOING?

>> HOW ARE YOU DOING? >> HI, PETE.

>> HI, PETE. >> SO YOU DON’T MIND BEING

>> SO YOU DON’T MIND BEING CALLED PETE BY THIS GUY?

CALLED PETE BY THIS GUY? YOU DON’T HAVE TO SAY YOUR

YOU DON’T HAVE TO SAY YOUR HONOR?

HONOR? >> THAT’S MY MAN.

>> THAT’S MY MAN. HE’S MY MAYOR.

HE’S MY MAYOR. >> HEY.

>> HEY. HOW ARE YOU?

HOW ARE YOU? GOOD TO SEE YOU.

GOOD TO SEE YOU. >> IN SOUTH BEND, THEY JUST CALL

>> IN SOUTH BEND, THEY JUST CALL HIM PETE, THE HOMETOWN MAYOR WHO

HIM PETE, THE HOMETOWN MAYOR WHO IS SUDDENLY A NATIONAL

IS SUDDENLY A NATIONAL CELEBRITY.

CELEBRITY. >> SAY HI TO PETE?

>> SAY HI TO PETE? >> WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE

>> WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING DO YOU FEEL MAYOR?

MORNING DO YOU FEEL MAYOR? >> YEAH, BECAUSE THE FIRST THING

>> YEAH, BECAUSE THE FIRST THING YOU’RE DOING IS CHECKING TO SEE

YOU’RE DOING IS CHECKING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED OVERNIGHT.

WHAT HAPPENED OVERNIGHT. IF IT WASN’T SOMETHING WORTH

IF IT WASN’T SOMETHING WORTH WAKING YOU UP OVER --

WAKING YOU UP OVER -- >> A CRIME REPORT?

>> A CRIME REPORT? >> I GET INCIDENT REPORTS AND A

>> I GET INCIDENT REPORTS AND A MONTHLY LOOK AT WHERE THE

MONTHLY LOOK AT WHERE THE NUMBERS ARE.

NUMBERS ARE. >> THE CITY WAS IN A

>> THE CITY WAS IN A DECADES-LONG DECLINE.

DECADES-LONG DECLINE. "THE INDIANAPOLIS

"THE INDIANAPOLIS TODAY INVESTMENT IN POURING IN.

TODAY INVESTMENT IN POURING IN. THERE ARE NEW CONDOS, PARKS,

THERE ARE NEW CONDOS, PARKS, RESTAURANTS, EVEN A NIGHTLY

RESTAURANTS, EVEN A NIGHTLY LIGHT DISPLAY ALONG THE RIVER.

LIGHT DISPLAY ALONG THE RIVER. ONE OF THE MAYOR’S PROUDEST

ONE OF THE MAYOR’S PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENTS, SIMILAR SEWERS.

ACHIEVEMENTS, SIMILAR SEWERS. >> IT’S LINKSED TO A SENSOR DOWN

>> IT’S LINKSED TO A SENSOR DOWN TO THE PVC TUBE AND THAT IS

TO THE PVC TUBE AND THAT IS GIVING YOU A LEVEL READING ON

GIVING YOU A LEVEL READING ON WHAT THE LEVEL READING IS HERE.

WHAT THE LEVEL READING IS HERE. IF YOU KNOW THIS IS CLOSE TO

IF YOU KNOW THIS IS CLOSE TO TOPPING OUT YOU CAN REROUTE TO

TOPPING OUT YOU CAN REROUTE TO OTHER PLACES AVOIDING AN

OTHER PLACES AVOIDING AN OVERFLOW.

OVERFLOW. >> I BET DONALD TRUMP’S NEVER

>> I BET DONALD TRUMP’S NEVER HAD ONE OF THESE EXPERIENCES.

HAD ONE OF THESE EXPERIENCES. >> I DOUBT IT.

>> I DOUBT IT. >> SO THERE’S DIFFERENT PARTS OF

>> SO THERE’S DIFFERENT PARTS OF EVEN THIS BUILDING, WHICH IS

EVEN THIS BUILDING, WHICH IS JUST ONE PART OF THE COMPLEX.

JUST ONE PART OF THE COMPLEX. >> THE MAYOR TOOK ME TO THE SITE

>> THE MAYOR TOOK ME TO THE SITE OF THE OLD STUDEBAKER PLANT

OF THE OLD STUDEBAKER PLANT WHICH CLOSED IN 1963.