Late Monday afternoon, MSNBC posted on its Web site blog that its popular political show, “Hardball with Chris Matthews,” would be coming to Villanova on April 15 with a very intriguing special guest: Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

The news came just days after another presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), attempted to stake his claim to the Main Line.

While Sen. Obama himself did not make an appearance on campus, his now-famous wife, Michelle Obama, delivered an emotional and heartfelt speech to a packed Jake Nevin Field House.

In his interview scheduled for 5 p.m. EST, Matthews plans on questioning Sen. McCain on the key issues of the 2008 presidential election, including the economy and the Iraq war, with Villanova students who will also have the opportunity to question the Republican presidential nominee.

“John McCain is the first to step up the plate, but as a Pennsylvanian I would love to host a Hardball College Tour for all three major candidates [including Sen. Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.),” said Matthews in the MSNBC blog. “Pennsylvanians deserve their place in the sun and each candidate deserves his or her time at bat.”

Bringing the acclaimed political show to campus with the Republican presidential nominee certainly brought a smile to Villanova’s President of College Republicans Stephanie Novelli.

Though she claimed to not have had a direct involvement in bringing “Hardball” to campus, she commented in an e-mail that the College Republicans are “definitely excited to be involved in the upcoming event.”

McCain’s appearance at Villanova will be sure to stir up more conversation as the presidential race heats up.

With the Democratic presidential primary approaching, presidential candidates shift their resources to Pennsylvania, a state many political experts have called a turning point. With 188 delegates at hand, the vote in Pennsylvania could be integral in deciding the Democratic presidential nominee.