WITHIN
ONE OUT TO DEEP RIGHT CENTER.
IT'S AT THE WALL.
HE'S GOT IT.
697.
>> RETIRING ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
SLUGGER, ALBERT PUJOLS, HE MOVES
PAST ALEX RODRIGUEZ INTO FOURTH
PLACE ON THE ALL TIME LIST.
THE CARDINALS BEAT THE PIRATES
4-3.
LET'S BRING IN PULITZER PRIZE
WINNING COLUMNIST FOR THE
"WASHINGTON POST," GEORGE WELL,
THE PAPERBACK EDITION OF
"AMERICAN HAPPINESS AND
DISCONTENTS
♪ IS OUT TOMORROW, AND I HAVE TO
BEGIN BY ASKING WHY DOESN'T
PUJOLS
PUJOLS STICK AROUND ANOTHER YEAR
AND REACH HANK AARONS OR BABE
RUTHS 714th.
>> WELL, HE COULD, JUST THE
OTHER DAY HE MADE A STELLAR PLAY
AT FIRST BASE, BUT HE DOESN'T
WANT TO GO OUT THE WAY WILLIN
THE CONTINUANCE OF POWER IN THE
THE BEAUTY OF THE BRITISH SYSTEM
IS THEY SEPARATE HEAD OF
GOVERNMENT FROM HEAD OF STATE IN
THE UNITED STATES WE MELD THOSE
TWO.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE US DRAIN
SOME OF THE INFANTILISM AWAY
FROM OUR PRESIDENTIAL WORSHIP.
>> JONATHAN LEMIRE.
>> GEORGE, GOOD MORNING, IT IS
INDEED JONATHAN, YOUR NEW BOOK
IS OUT IN PAPERBACK TOMORROW, THE TITLE I'LL READ "AMERICAN
THE TITLE I'LL READ "AMERICAN
HAPPINESS AND DISCONTENTS THE
UNRULY TORRENT 2008-2020."
I WANTED TO FOCUS ON ONE PART IN
PARTICULAR, YOU WRITE ABOUT THE
SUPREME COURT AND HOW IT'S
VIEWED BY THE PUBLIC NOW, IT'S
BECOME SEEMINGLY MUCH MORE OF A
POLITICAL ANIMAL THAN CERTAINLY
THE FOUNDERS HAD CONCEIVED OF
IT, AND I WANT TO GET YOU TO
TALK ABOUT, ESPECIALLY WHAT
YOU'VE -- HOW YOU SEE THAT
HAPPENING IN THE WAKE OF THE
PAST YEAR WITH THE ABORTION
RIGHTS WHERE THE SUPREME COURT
SEEMS OUT OF STEP WHERE POLAND
SUGGESTS THE MAJORITY OF
AMERICANS ARE.
>> THE SUPREME COURT IS SUPPOSED
TO BE OUT OF STOP WITH THE
MAJORITY.
THE SUPREME COURT IS NOT A
MAJORITY INSTITUTION.
A WRITTEN CONSTITUTION IS A
COUNTER MAJORITY UNDERTAKING.
THE SUPREME COURT IS SUPPOSED TO
CONSTRUE THE LAW, NOT SATISFY
PUBLIC OPINION.
WHAT THE COURSE DID OF COURSE IN
THE DOBBS CASE, THE ABORTION,
OVERTURNING ROE V. WADE WAS
RESTORE, RESTORE IS THE
OPERATIVE WORD, THIS IMPORTANT
SOCIAL ISSUE TO DEMOCRATIC
DEBATE, AND I THINK THE GREAT
MANY OF DEMOCRATS AND
PROGRESSIVES
PROGRESSIVES RESENTED THIS ARE
RETHINKING THIS IN LITEGHT OF TH
FACT THAT THE ROBUST DEBATE IS
REALLY SERVING THE POLITICAL
PROCESS AND IN SOME CASES,
SERVING THE ENDS OF THE
PROGRESSIVES AT THIS POINT.
>> GEORGE, YOU'VE HAD A
MARVELOUS CAREER, NEARLY AS LONG
AS QUEEN ELIZABETH'S TENURE,
ACTUALLY, BUT I WANT TO ASK YOU,
OVER THE YEARS IN COVERAGE, UP
TO TODAY, IS THERE ANY ELEMENT
OF TODAY'S REPUBLICAN PARTY THAT
YOU CAN FASTEN ON TO AND SAY,
YES, IT'S THE SAME TODAY AS IT
WAS IN 1974?
SFL
>> WELL, THERE ARE SOME
REPUBLICANS LIKE THAT.
I HAVEN'T BEEN A REPUBLICAN FOR
MORE THAN SIX YEARS NOW, BUT
THERE ARE MITCH DANIELS, FOR
EXAMPLE, WHO I WILL CONTINUE TO
SAY IS THE PRESIDENT WE SHOULD
HAVE HAD.
DOUG DUCEY OF ARIZONA, SUNUNU,
GOVERNOR OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, THERE
ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE
WHO WERE IN THE SMALL GOVERNMENT
FREE MARKET TRADITION, AND I
THINK THE REPUBLICAN PARTY WILL
REGAIN ITS VOICE.
>> WHEN?
>> WELL, LET'S SUPPOSE MR. TRUMP
RUNS.
SOMEONE IS GOING TO CHALLENGE
HIM, AND THE FIRSTERSON WHO
DOES IS GOING TO BE JOINED BY A
HALF DOZEN OTHERS.
THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
IF YOU HAVE MR. TRUMP ON STAGE
WITH SIX OTHER PEOPLE, HE HAS A
SOLID 30, 35%, AND HE WINS.
SO THE PRIMARY SYSTEM AND THE
NOMINATING PROCESS IN THIS
COUNTRY REWARDS INTENSE COMPACT
OFTEN SHRILL AND EXTREME
MINORITIES.
>> WE ARE TALKING WITH GEORGE
WILL, AND YOU ARE WATCHING LIVE
COVERAGE, NOW KING CHARLES HAS
LANDED IN SCOTLAND, LEADING A
PROCESSION TOWARD ST. GILES'
CATHEDRAL WHERE THEY WILL
CELEBRATE THE QUEEN'S LEGACY AT
A THANKSGIVING SERVICE.
WE WILL BE FOLLOWING THESE AS
OUR CONVERSATION WITH GEORGE
CONTINUES
CONTINUES.
JOE.
>> GEORGE, I QUOTED RUSSELL KIRK
THIS MORNING TALKING ABOUT QUEEN
ELIZABETH, AND YOU KNOW, KIRK,
WHICH IS LIKE BURKE, JUST, WELL,
LIKE YOU AS WELL, HAD WRITTEN
GREATLY AT LENGTH ABOUT THE
IMPORTANCE OF CONSISTENCY, OF
CONVENTION, OF THE CONSTITUTION.
AND I MUST SAY, I REMAIN
DISTRESSED WHEN I TALK TO MANY
OF MY FORMER NOT ONLY COLLEAGUES
BUT SUPPORTERS, FRIENDS, EVEN
PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR ME WHO WILL
REGURGITATE QANON CONSPIRACY
THEORIES, CONSPIRACY THEORIES
ABOUT ANTHONY FAUCI, ABOUT
MEDICINE, ABOUT SCIENCE, ABOUT
STOLEN ELECTIONS, ABOUT ITALIAN
SATELLITES. YOU NAME IT, IT SEEMS THAT OUR
YOU NAME IT, IT SEEMS THAT OUR
FORMER PARTY, MY TRIBE IS
TRANSFIXED BY CONSPIRACY
THEORIES AND HAVE MOVED IN MANY
CASES UNFORTUNATELY TO A
POST-FACT WORLD.
LET ME ASK YOU WHY, WHAT WAS IT
ABOUT OUR PARTY, WHAT WAS IT
ABOUT THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT
THAT LED SO MANY THIS DIRECTION?
AND HOW COULD THEY HAVE BEEN SO
OPEN TO A HUCKSTER LIKE DONALD
TRUMP?
>> THERE'S A SMALL NUMBER OF
AMERICANS WHO ONLY FEEL ALIVE
WHEN THEY'RE ANGRY.
I DON'T THINK MOST AMERICANS ARE
ANGRY.
I THINK THEY'RE EXHAUSTED AND
THEY ARE LONGING FOR A
RESTORATION OF NORMALITY.
JOE BIDEN'S GREAT UNFORCED ERROR
WAS NOT TO REALIZE THIS.
INSTEAD HE EMBRACED THE
CONSERVATIVE, THE PROGRESSIVE
AGENDA OF PROGRESSIVES WHO HAVE
NEVER EMBRACED HIM.
HE ENDORSED BASICALLY THE AGENDA
OF THE ELIZABETH WARREN, BERNIE
SANDERS WING OF THE PARTY THAT
GOT ONLY ONE IN THREE VOTES IN
THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION
SCRAMBLE OF 2020.
SOMEONE IS GOING TO COME ALONG
IN EITHER PARTY AND SAY DEEP
BREATH, AMERICA, CALM DOWN, WE
ARE NOT ENEMIES, WE MUST NOT BE
ENEMIES TO TAKE A LINE FROM
LINCOLN'S GREAT FIRST INAUGURAL
ADDRESS, AND THAT PERSON IS
GOING TO BE EMBRACED BY THE
COUNTRY BECAUSE MOST AMERICANS
ARE NOT TUNED INTO THIS STUFF.
MOST AMERICANS ARE RAISING
CHILDREN, GOING ON WITH THEIR
LIVES.
>> BUT JOE ASKED YOU ABOUT THESE
REPUBLICANS AND WHAT HAS
HAPPENED TO THEM, AND, I MEAN,
YOU HAD SOME THINGS TO SAY ABOUT
JOE BIDEN, AND THE QUESTION IS
ABOUT THESE REPUBLICAN LEADERS
IN POWER RIGHT NOW WHO CAN'T
SEEM TO QUIT HIM, WHO STILL BOW
TO A HUCKSTER.
>> AND I'VE GOT TO SAY, GEORGE,
MORE DISAPPOINTING TO ME,
FRIENDS, FAMILY MEMBERS, MOST OF
THE PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR ME IN
1994 WHEN I WAS VERY CLEAR ABOUT
BEING A SMALL GOVERNMENT
CONSERVATIVE, VERY CLEAR ABOUT
WHERE I STOOD ON ISSUES.
THERE IS NOTHING THAT DONALD
TRUMP IS SAYING THAT REMOTELY
REFLECTS WHERE YOU WERE OR WHERE
I WAS.
I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY
WERE THEY SO OPEN TO THIS
HUCKSTER WHO IS NOT
CONSERVATIVE?
>> THE ANSWER TO THE WHY AND TO
MIKA'S QUESTION IS THEY'RE
AFRAID OF THEIR VOTERS.
THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
IT'S A VERY INTERESTING
PHENOMENON, A POLITICAL PARTY
LED BY PEOPLE WHO ARE TERRIFIED
OF THEIR VOTERS.
IF YOU'RE TERRIFIED OF YOUR
VOTERS YOU CAN'T REALLY LIKE
YOUR VOTERS VERY MUCH, BUT THEY
ARE AFRAID THE ONLY THING THEY
HAVE TO FEAR IS BEING PRIMARIED
FROM THE RIGHT, AND THEY DO NOT
WANT TO ENRAGE THE INTENSE BASE
AND THAT MAKES THEM INELIGIBLE
TO TALK TO THE BROAD MIDDLE.
IT'S AN OLD AX YUM THAT AMERICAN
POLITICS IS HEALTHIEST WHEN IT
TAKES PLACE WITHIN THE 40 YARD
LINES AND THAT'S NOT WHERE WE
ARE RIGHT NOW IN THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY.
>> AMERICAN HAPPINESS AND
DISCONTENTS, THE UNRULY TORRENT,
2008 TO 2020 IS OUT NOW IN