FILLS ME WITH SORROW, REALLY.
>> HOW DO WE PUT AMERICA BACK ON
ITS AXIS.
PEOPLE TO SPENT THEIR ENTIRE
CAREERS PUTTING IT INTO AMERICAN
PERSPECTIVE.
JOHN F. KENNEDY AND THE GREAT
AMERICAN SPACE RACE BOOK.
DOUGLAS BRINKLEY.
WE ARE PRIVILEGED TO HAVE HIM
ALONG WITH THE AUTHOR OF "1845."
HE’S A REAGAN BIOGRAPHER.
ARE YOU CONCERNED WHERE WE ARE
RIGHT NOW AND CAN YOU PUT IT IN
PERSPECTIVE WITH OUR PAST?
>> SURE.
THANK YOU FOR ASKING ME TO BE
ON.
I’M NOT PARTICULARLY CONCERNED
TODAY BECAUSE THIS NATION IN
FACT HAS VERY RARELY BEEN
UNITED.
WE HAVE ALMOST ALWAYS BEEN
DIVIDE.
WE WERE DIVIDE DURING THE
AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND THE
CIVIL WAR.
OUR ENTRY INTO WORLD WAR I.
THE ON TIMES IN AMERICAN HISTORY
WE WERE DIVIDE.
WE ARE MORE MARKED BY OUR
PERIODS OF DIVISION RATHER THAN
UNITY.
BRIAN: WOULD YOU CONCUR WITH
THAT, DOUG?
>> I DO.
THAT ELECTION OF 1800, WHEN WE
HAD TWO OF THE FOUNDERS, JOHN
ADAMS AND THOMAS JEFFERSON
HAMMERING AT EACH OTHER.
NOBODY EVEN KNEW WHAT A
TWO-PARTY SYSTEM WOULD LOOKS
LIKE IN 1800.
IT WAS BRUTAL.
BUT WE SURVIVED THAT.
AND WE HAVE A TWO-PARTY SYSTEM.
OCCASIONALLY A THIRD PARTY MAKES
A DIFFERENCE.
I THOUGHT IT WAS TOUCHING THAT
JOHNSON AND ADAMS WHO BOTH DIED
ON JULY 4 CORRESPONDED WITH EACH
OTHER TO SHOW THAT EVEN THOUGH
THEY WERE POLITICAL ADVERSARIES,
THEY COULD BECOME FRIENDS
BECAUSE THEY WERE AMERICAN
CITIZENS WHICH IS THE HIGHEST
CALLING OF ALL.
BRIAN: BUSH 41 AND BILL CLINTON ENDED UP BEING GOOD FRIENDS.
ENDED UP BEING GOOD FRIENDS.
BUSH 43 SEEMS TO BE TIGHT WITH
MRS. OBAMA AND BARACK OBAMA.
SHOULD WE TAKE HEART FROM THAT
OPPOSITE PARTIES COMPETE BUT END
UP NOT BEING PERSONAL BECAUSE WE
AGREE WE LOVE THE COUNTRY?
>> YES, THEY AGREE THEY LOVE THE
COUNTRY.
BUT THOSE ARE MORE PERSONAL
FRIENDSHIPS THAN IDEOLOGICAL.
RONALD REAGAN AND GERALD TRRD GE
NEVER WENT UP.
REAGAN WENT DOWN TO THE OPENING
OF THE CARTER LIBRARY IN
ATLANTA.
CARTER SAID NOW I KNOW WHY I
LOST TO YOU AFTER REAGAN’S
SPEECH.
OUR POLITICS AND HISTORY IS
MARKED BY AFFECTION, DIVISION.
BUT THE AFFECTION IS MORE ON A
PERSONAL BASIS NOT IDEOLOGICAL.
BRIAN: IF THEY DECIDE IT SHOULD
BE 9 YARDS FOR A FIRST DOWN, I
DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THAT
POSITION.
HERE IS PRESIDENT BIDEN BLOWING
UP OVERSEAS AT THE SUPREME
COURT.
>> ONE THING THAT HAS BEEN
DESTABILIZING IS THE SUPREME
COURT OF THE UNITED STATES,
OVERRULING ROE V. WADE AND
CHALLENGES PERSONAL PRIVACY.
IT’S A MISTAKE IN MY VIEW FOR
THE SUPREME COURT TO DO WHAT IT
DID.
BRIAN * OVERSEAS IN MADRID
SAYING THE OUTRAGEOUS BEHAVIOR
IN A 6-3 DECISION.
AREN’T WE SUPPOSED TO BE COEQUAL
BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT?
>> I THINK HE SHOULDN’T HAVE
SAID THOSE REMARKS OVERSEAS.
IF HE’S GOING TO DO IT, DO IT AT
HOME.
FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT AFTER HE WON
IN 1936 AND EARLY 1937, HE TRIED
TO PACK THE SUPREME COURT ADDING
6 NEW NEW DEAL VOICES.
HE WENT FOR IT AND HE GOT SHOT
DOWN LARGELY BY FELLOW
DEMOCRATS, PARTICULARLY
DEMOCRATS IN THE SOUTH SAID
THAT’S WAY OUT OF BOUNDS.
PRESIDENTS CRITICIZING THE
SUPREME COURT IS NOTHING NEW IN
U.S. HISTORY.
BIDEN IS NOW FACING DIFFICULT
POLL NUMBERS AND BEING WITH A
SUPREME COURT THAT RULED AGAINST
HIM ON GUNS, ABORTION AND THE
ENVIRONMENT.
BRIAN: .
VOTING WORRIES ME MOST.
YOU SHOULD CHALLENGE, I
UNDERSTAND THAT, IT’S NOT NEW.
BUT ANDREW JACKSON WHO WAS A
HEARTBREAK TORE JOHN QUINCY
ADAMS.
HE WON THE POPULAR VOTE.
IT GOES TO THE HOUSE.
NOT ONLY DOES JACKSON ACCEPT IT.
HE GO TO THE PARTY AT THE BALL
AFTER THE INAUGURATION.
HE SAID I AM GOING TO KEEP MY
POWDER DRY, I WILL BE BACK, AND
WAS.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT MINDSET?
>> DIVISIONS HAVE BECOME -- WE
USED TO SAY POLITICS IN SMALL
TOWNS WAS SO VICIOUS, WHAT THEY
FIGHT OVER IS SO LITTLE.
SOMETIMES IT’S LITTLE, SOMETIMES
IT’S BIG.
THE OLD-STYLE POLITICS OF
CAMARADERIE I THINK ARE PRETTY
WELL DONE BECAUSE OF THE NEW
MEDIA, BECAUSE OF THE INTERNET.
BECAUSE OF WHAT PEOPLE ARE
SAYING AND WHAT PEOPLE CAN DO.
THE TWO PARTIES HAVE CHANGED THE LAST 50 YEARS.
LAST 50 YEARS.
IT USED TO BE LIBERAL
REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS.
NOW THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS
ALMOST ALL CONSERVATIVE AND THE
DEMOCRAT PARTY IS MOSTLY ALL
LIBERAL.
THEY DON’T COMPROMISE ON
ANYTHING.
THEY ONLY GET THEIR WAY BY
GAINING POWER.
BRIAN: WE KNOW KENNEDY AND
NIXON, THERE WAS SOMETHING
UNSAVORY GOING ON THERE.
BUT IN 2000, PEOPLE NEVER
ACCEPTED BUSH 43 AS PRESIDENT.
YOU HEAR ABOUT THE I WILL
LEGITIMACY OF TRUMP.
TRUMP CHALLENGING THIS ELECTION.
WE HAVE TO GET PAST THIS HOW?
>> I THINK THERE IS A PUBLIC
DEBATE ABOUT THE ELECTRIC STORM
COLLEGE AND A STRAIGHT-UP
POPULAR VOTE.
IT ALWAYS THROWS PEOPLE OFF IF
AL GORE GETS MORE POPULAR VOTES
BUT HE’S NOT THE PRESIDENT.
BUT THERE IS A REASON FOR THE
ELECTORAL COLLEGE AND I THINK
IT’S GOING TO STAY. BRIAN: I HOPE IT STAYS, AND I
BRIAN: I HOPE IT STAYS, AND I
HOPE WE START ACCEPTING RESULTS.
CRAIG, DOUG, THANKS FOR PUTTING
IT IN PERSPECTIVE.