>> WOW!
>> Stephen: NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> GREAT TO SEE YOU.
>> Stephen: CONGRATULATIONS ONLET RELAUNCH AND REBIT, OF
"FIRING LINE."
I WAS A BIG FAN OF "FIRING LINE," EVEN WHEN I WAS A KID.
>> REALLY, YEAH?
>> Stephen: BECAUSE I LOVED THE WAY WILLIAM F. BUCKLEY, WHO
CREATED "FIRING LINE," THE LONGEST HOST ON TELEVISION.
>> SO FEW PEOPLE POINT THAT OUT.
>> Stephen: CVS HOE PASSIONATE ABOUT HIS ARGUMENT OF SRVEATISM,
AND THE WAY HE THOUGHT THE WORLD SHOULD BE.
HE WAS ACTUALLY THE FATHER OF THE MODERN CONSERVATIVE
MOVEMENT.
MY FIRST QUESTION TO YOU IS, YOUNG LADY, NOW THAT YOU ARE
TAKING OVER "FIRING LINE," WHEN HE CREATED "THE NATIONAL
REVIEW," HIS MISSION STATION WAS, "IT STANDS AFFORD HISTORY
YELLING STOP AT A TIME WHEN NO ONE IS INCLINED TO DO SO OR TO
HAVE MUCH PATIENCE WITH THOSE WHO SO URGE IT."
MARGARET HOOVER WHAT, DO YOU STAND A THWART, AND WHAT ARE YOU
YELLING?
>> TO THE WONDER AND ENJOYMENT OF MANY, I WILL NOT BE WILLIAM
F. BUCKLEY.
I AM NOT TRYING TO BE WILLIAM F. BUCKLEY.
AND THAT LEGACY IS SUCH A HERALDED LEGACY.
HE IS IMPORTANT TO SO MANY PEOPLE AND I APPROACH THIS WITH
A REAL RESPECT FOR HIS LEGACY AND WHAT HE BROUGHT TO THE TABLE
BUT I AM NOT HIM AND WILL NOT TRY TO BE HIM.
>> Stephen: IT WAS A CONSERVATIVE SHOW WITH
CONSERVATIVE ARGUING WITH ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE-- POLITICAL,
CULTURAL.
DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A CONSERVATIVE?
>> I CONSIDER MYSELF A CONSERVATIVE TO A CERTAIN
EXTENT.
I MOONLIGHT AS AN L.G.B.T.
ADVOCATE.
I RUN AN L.G.B.T. ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS WITH
REPUBLICANS.
( APPLAUSE ) WE WORK WITH REPUBLICANS AND WE
MAKE THE CASE THAT FREEDOM MEANS FREEDOM FOR EVERYONE, AND WHERE
THAT REALLY LENDS ITSELF AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME IS TO SECURING
FULL CIVIL RIGHTS PROTECTIONS TO L.G.B.T. AMERICANS BECAUSE THERE
ARE STILL 28 STATES WHERE YOU CAN BE FIRED FOR BEING GAY, AND
IT'S THINGS REPUBLICANS DON'T KNOW.
IT'S MOSTLY IN RED STATES.
THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE SOCIALLY CONSERVATIVE WHO WOULD
NOT SAY I AM CONSERVATIVE BECAUSE OF THOSE VIEWS.
>> Stephen: WHAT IS YOUR CONSERVATISM?
WHAT'S THE ROOT OF IT?
>> WELL, THE HISTORY OF THE MODERN AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE
MOVEMENT THAT BUCKLEY PUT TOGETHER IN THE 60s REALLY HAD
THREE TENETS.
THEY WERE ANTICOMMUNISM.
THERE WAS FREE-MARKET LIBERTARIANISM, AND THERE WAS
THIS TRADITIONALIST COMPONENT THAT WAS INFORMED BY HIS
RELIGION, HIS CATHOLICISM.
I THINK ON TWO TENETS, I'M ON PRETTY STRONG GROUND-- NOT THAT
I'M AN ANTICOMMUNIST ANYMORE EYE STILL AM.
BUT WE WON THAT.
HISTORY HAS PASSED THAT POINT.
>> Stephen: WE'RE BACKSLIDING A LITTLE BIT.
WE'RE BACKSLIDING A LITTLE BIT.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> AND THAT'S WHERE THE CONCERN BECOMES MORE RELEVANT AGAIN
BECAUSE THERE ARE AUTHORITARIAN REGIMES THAT ARE GAIN.
ONLI DO -- >> Stephen: DO MILLENNIALS
KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.
WHEN YOU SAY "LIBERAL DEMOCRACY" SOME PEOPLE ONLY HEAR THE WORD
"LIBERAL" AND THEY DON'T MEAN THE BASE OF THAT IDEA IS A FREE
DEMOCRACY.
>> RIGHT, AND THE TERMS ARE IMPORTANT.
AND WHEN YOU DRILL DOWN, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.
YOU CHARACTERIZE TTHEY DON'T THINK IT'S CRITICAL TO LIVE IN A
FREE SOCIETY OR KNOW NECESSARILY THE TENETS OF FREE SOCIETY.
WHAT I THINK WE NEED TO DO, BOTH ON THE SHOW AND GENERALLY, I
THINK THIS IS PROBABLY THE LARGEST CONTEST OF MY LIFE IS,
MAKE THE CASE FOR THE IDEAS BEHIND THE BILL OF RIGHTS, FOR
FREE SPEECH, YOU KNOW, FOR FREEDOM FOR INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM.
I MEAN, THIS IS WHERE I FALL ON THE SIDE.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE MAJOR CONTEST OF OUR MOMENT.
>> Stephen: DO YOU THINK THAT THE MODERN CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT
THAT BUCKLEY BIRTHED FROM HIS HEAD LIKE ATHENA--
>> THERE ARE MANY OTHER FIGURES IN THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT.
>> Stephen: WHO MADE IT COOL.
>> HE WAS THE ONE WHO PUT IT ON TELEVISION.
>> Stephen: HE WAS THE ONE WHO MADE IT--
>> HE WAS THE ONLY ONE ON TV.
>> Stephen: HE WAS A STAR.
HE WAS SOMEONE WHO COULD GO OUT THERE AND USE HIS WORDS LIKE A
TOMMY GUN AND SHOOT DOWNTOWN OPPOSITION, AND PEOPLE LOVED
WATCHING IT.
EVEN IF THEY DIDN'T AGREE WITH HIM, HE WAS ENJOYABLE TO WATCH.
BUT DO YOU THINK THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT HE HELPED,
DO YOU THINK IT EVEN EXISTS ANYMORE?
IT IS EMBODIY, MOSTLY IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
EVEN BOEHNER SAID THERE IS NO CONSERVATIVE PARTY.
THERE IS A TRUMP PARTY.
>> BOEHNER IS RIGHT.
YOU YOU MIXING WHAT IT IS TO BE A REPUBLICAN, WHAT IT IS TO BE A
CONSERVATIVE.
I THINK THEY'VE BOTH BEEN OVERTAKEN BY TRUMP IN THIS
MOMENT.
THE PARTY HAS BEEN TRUMPIFIED.
THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT IS MORE A CONSERVATIVE PO POPULISM
THAT HAS LITTLE TO DO WITH THE TENETS THAT BUCKLEY PUT TOGETHER
OR REAGAN PUT TOGETHER AND PLILT PLIT SIZED.
REAGAN TALKED ABOUT THE THREE LEGS -- SOCIAL CONSERVATIVES,
FISCAL CONSERVATIVES, NATIONAL SECURITY CONSERVATIVES.
THERE STILL IS AN ENTRENCHED CONSERVATIVE ARCHITECTURE THAT
EXISTS IN WASHINGTON, D.C., BEYOND IN THE THINK TANK WORLD,
THE ACTIVIST WORLD, AND THEY WOULD SAY CONSERVATISM IS DOING
FINE.
THERE'S A REAL RIFT IN THE PARTY.
YOU SEE COMMENTATORS LIKE CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER-- MAY HE
REST IN PEACE-- AND GEORGE WILL.
>> Stephen: WHO SAID DON'T VOTE FOR REPUBLICANS IN 2018,
VOTE FOR DEMOCRATS.
THAT SEEMS THERE MIGHT BE A PROBLEM.
>> THERE IS A REAL RIFT BETWEEN CONSERVATIVE INTELLECTUALS, MANY
CONSERVATIVE INTELLECTUALS AND SORT OF THE CONSERVATIVE
APPARATUS THAT STILL EXISTS IN D.C., IS STILL WELL FUNDED AND
IS STILL SORT OF MOVING AHEAD SAYING, "EVERYTHING IT IS FINE.
NOTHING TO SEE HERE, FOLKS."
AND THEY SAY TRUMP IS RELATIVE CONSERVATISM, THEY APPROVED A
SUPREME COURT JUSTICE, GOTTEN RID OF REGULATION--
CONSERVATIVES, THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO SAY IT'S FINE.
I'M MORE WITH GEORGE WILL AND CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER, AND THE
FOLKS WHO HAVE A REAL PROBLEM WITH THE PRESIDENT AND HIS
APPROACH.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO GO, BUT BEFORE WE DO, WHAT GIVES YOU
HOPE?
>> LOOK, WHAT WE'RE DOING AT "FIRING LINE" IS RESTORING A
RIGOROUS CONTEST OF IDEAS TO TELEVISION.
IT'S THE ONLY PLACE WHERE YOU CAN GET 30 MINUTES, ONE SUBJECT,
ONE GUEST, AND DO A DEEP DIVE.
>> Stephen: REALLY DIG DOWN.
>> YES, AND WITH PEOPLE I AGREE WITH AND WHO I DON'T AGREE WITH
AT ALL.
THAT'S-- ONLY BY ENGAGING WITH PEOPLE WE DON'T SEE EYE TO EYE
WITH, BUT ONLY IN A RESPECTFUL WAY CAN WE HAVE DISCOURSE AND
TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK.
RIGHT.
"FIRING LINE" AIRS FRIDAYS ON PBS.
THE HOST MARGARET HOOVER, EVERYBODY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH COMEDIAN SEAN DONNELLY.