1 00:00:04,880 --> 00:00:07,680 Speaker 1: In this episode of Its World. In his latest hop 2 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:12,879 Speaker 1: ed What Reagan taught Me about Civility, Fred Ryan reflects 3 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:18,200 Speaker 1: on President Reagan's legacy of principal civility and why it 4 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:24,120 Speaker 1: matters more than ever in today's divided political climate. Quote 5 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 1: Reagan taught us a crucial lesson that's in short supply 6 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: today and a healthy democracy, everyone needs a way to 7 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:37,320 Speaker 1: leave the room with dignity. The Ronald Reagan Center on 8 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 1: Civility and Democracy's mission is to work with organizations across 9 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 1: America to promote civil discourse, help us to find common ground, 10 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 1: and advance our democracy to inform patriotism. I'm really pleased 11 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 1: to welcome my guest, Fred Ryan. He is the chairman 12 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 1: of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, and his 13 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 1: eating the launch of the new Center on Civilian Democracy. 14 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:08,480 Speaker 1: From twenty fourteen to twenty twenty three, he served as 15 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:13,039 Speaker 1: publisher and CEO of The Washington Post. He also was 16 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 1: co founder and CEO of Politico from two thousand and 17 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 1: seven to twenty fourteen. Fred, Welcome, and thank you for 18 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:35,199 Speaker 1: joining me in Newts World. 19 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:37,480 Speaker 2: Well, thank you, mister speaker. It's a pleasure to be 20 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 2: with you. 21 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:40,120 Speaker 1: I mean, you've probably had quite a crap known you 22 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 1: a long time. It's amazing how many things you've done 23 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 1: during your career. 24 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 2: I keep trying when you look. 25 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 1: Back at where we were after Watergate, the Vietnam War, 26 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:58,520 Speaker 1: the bitterness of the Reagan Ford nomination fight in seventy six, 27 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: and then of course defeats Carter, and yet there's something 28 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 1: about Reagan's style, about his approach to life that allowed 29 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:13,640 Speaker 1: him to be very conservative without necessarily being very divisive. 30 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 1: When you looking back on all that, what do you 31 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 1: think the key to those was? 32 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 3: Well, I think he believed is I know you did 33 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:23,600 Speaker 3: when you were leading Congress, that you had to have 34 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:26,360 Speaker 3: firm views, you had deep views, you didn't compromise on 35 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 3: those views or those principles, but you could still find 36 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:32,359 Speaker 3: ways to find common ground to get things done. And 37 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 3: I think President Reagan felt in fact, he even said 38 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 3: it several times when those of us on the staff 39 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 3: would be frustrated with things that were happening on Capitol 40 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 3: Hill and swearing at the Congress, that he would say, 41 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:48,399 Speaker 3: you got to remember something. They were elected by Americans too, 42 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 3: and not just the Republicans. I think also I remembering 43 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 3: that the Democrat representatives were also elected by Americans, so 44 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 3: I think he felt that, particularly as president, it was 45 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 3: his responsibility to find ways to find common ground, to 46 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 3: get things down on areas where agreement could be found. 47 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 2: And you know his famous expression. 48 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 3: I'm sure he shared it with you because of your 49 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 3: close relationship with him, but he would say, if you 50 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:14,800 Speaker 3: could get eighty percent of what you want in this deal, 51 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:17,360 Speaker 3: take it and try to get the rest next time. 52 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 1: It's something a lot of our folks today don't quite 53 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 1: get that. You know, incremental progress is still progress. It's 54 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:24,840 Speaker 1: not our defeat. 55 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 2: Well, it's a little bit. 56 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 3: I think part of the problem today that's changed from 57 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:32,360 Speaker 3: that era is that it's become more of a zero 58 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 3: sum game. It's not enough for you to win. Your 59 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 3: opponent has to have a humiliating loss. And it's kind 60 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 3: of crazy. If you look at the rest of our 61 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 3: lives in business or in the other things we do, 62 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 3: you always try to find a way for both sides 63 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 3: to go away from the table feeling they got something. 64 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 3: Nobody wants to go back to their caucus or to 65 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 3: their company and say, yeah, we got nothing, it was 66 00:03:56,720 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 3: a total loss. We should be humiliated instead to the 67 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 3: extent you can do it and be true to your principles, 68 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:05,839 Speaker 3: find ways that both sides can get something that they want. 69 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 3: And that's what Ronald Reagan was a master doing. Is 70 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:11,120 Speaker 3: you know, you're one of your predecessors, top O'Neill, And 71 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 3: he could not have been further apart politically. He had 72 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 3: a conservative Republican from the west and a liberal Democrat 73 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 3: from the east. They disagreed on most things, but they 74 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 3: found ways to get things done on the. 75 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:24,040 Speaker 2: Areas where they could agree. 76 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:25,840 Speaker 3: And I think the other thing newed is that they, 77 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:30,839 Speaker 3: unlike a lot of circumstances today, they could find a 78 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 3: way to have a personal relationship even though they were 79 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:37,679 Speaker 3: at odds ideologically on so many things. And that personal 80 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:40,479 Speaker 3: relationship I think helped them get some of the things 81 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:41,240 Speaker 3: done that they did. 82 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 1: How much of this civility on Reagan's part was sort 83 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:50,920 Speaker 1: of a principal understanding of power and how much it 84 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:54,360 Speaker 1: was just personnelity. The way he grew up in Illinois, 85 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 1: the way he and Nancy related, I mean, to what 86 00:04:57,200 --> 00:05:00,919 Speaker 1: extent was it a remarkable personal trait? And to what 87 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 1: extent was it the application of a set of principles 88 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 1: that he had learned in dealing, first of course as 89 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:10,120 Speaker 1: the head of a union leading a strike in Hollywood, 90 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: and then later on as governor and as a candidate. 91 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:16,760 Speaker 3: He grew up in the heartland and he brought those 92 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 3: values with him. They were instilled in him from his 93 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 3: mother and just from the community. He lived in a 94 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:24,320 Speaker 3: small town where everybody knew each other, counted on each other, 95 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:28,040 Speaker 3: did things together. So I think a lot of it 96 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:30,320 Speaker 3: was just innate with him. And he grew up at 97 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:34,239 Speaker 3: a time when America was we were united, we fought wars, 98 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:37,680 Speaker 3: we stood for things together, and I think that was. 99 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 2: Part of it. 100 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:40,680 Speaker 3: But he also knew, for as you mentioned from his 101 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:45,680 Speaker 3: previous experience as governor with a hostile state house, as 102 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:48,599 Speaker 3: the head of the Screen Actors Guild at a very 103 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 3: difficult time, you had to know how to accomplish what 104 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:56,000 Speaker 3: you want, stay firmed to your principles, but get the 105 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:58,960 Speaker 3: deal done. And I think he was very good at 106 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:03,080 Speaker 3: kind of operating in those environments. Part of what he 107 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:05,800 Speaker 3: did was he always made sure that he did everything 108 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:07,920 Speaker 3: he could to have the American people on his side, 109 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:11,279 Speaker 3: and if there were times where he was at odds 110 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 3: with Tip O'Neil or others on Capitol Hill. He go 111 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:17,719 Speaker 3: to the Oval Office do the address to the nation, 112 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:20,159 Speaker 3: and the phones would light up on Capitol Hill and 113 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:22,159 Speaker 3: it would help move his agenda forward. 114 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 1: I have been very struck by a book that Tom 115 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:29,839 Speaker 1: Evans wrote called The Education of Ronald Reagan, about Reagan 116 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 1: at General Electric for eight years and what he learned 117 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:40,279 Speaker 1: from Lemuel Bouvard about the importance of communicating with people 118 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:45,400 Speaker 1: and then having people lead the leadership because in the end, 119 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 1: the leadership has to follow. There's a very elegant strategy 120 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 1: for a company that had five communist union leaders. They 121 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 1: couldn't negotiate with him, so they had to somehow educate 122 00:06:56,800 --> 00:06:58,280 Speaker 1: the murders. I don't know if you've ever had a 123 00:06:58,360 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 1: chance to look at that book. 124 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:02,400 Speaker 3: He got to know Tom Evans, and he's a very 125 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:06,279 Speaker 3: thoughtful guy. He was on President Reagan's Private Sector Initiative 126 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 3: task Force, and that's why I got to know him, 127 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:11,840 Speaker 3: and I thought his book was very thoughtful. And that 128 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:15,400 Speaker 3: period at GE, he learned a lot about America and 129 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 3: he learned a lot about how to communicate to Americans 130 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:21,680 Speaker 3: when he was doing that work with GE, and he 131 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:25,400 Speaker 3: would travel from factory to factory and give a speech 132 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:27,800 Speaker 3: and then take questions, and it helped him, I think, 133 00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:31,920 Speaker 3: really hold his communication skills even more, but to get 134 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 3: a sense of what was really on working people's minds 135 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 3: and to have an understanding of what their priorities were 136 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:40,640 Speaker 3: and what their values were. And I think that played 137 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:43,680 Speaker 3: a very important role in preparing him for his public service. 138 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:46,360 Speaker 3: The other thing that ties in a little bit to 139 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:48,560 Speaker 3: that is I asked him one time when he was 140 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 3: giving a talk on this world net. At the time, 141 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:55,080 Speaker 3: it was the first global network where he was literally 142 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:59,800 Speaker 3: speaking on every American asset around the world, on Radio 143 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:02,760 Speaker 3: Free Europe and Martee and all these things called global nets. 144 00:08:02,760 --> 00:08:05,360 Speaker 3: So it was maybe one of the largest audiences that 145 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:07,160 Speaker 3: any American president ever spoke to. 146 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:09,360 Speaker 2: And I asked him, do you get. 147 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:12,239 Speaker 3: Nervous when you think about how many millions and millions 148 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 3: of people are listening to you? 149 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 2: And he told the. 150 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:16,520 Speaker 3: Story you may have heard from him as well, where 151 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:19,880 Speaker 3: he talked about when he got started in radio, as 152 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:22,000 Speaker 3: you know, that was his dream job, originally to be 153 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:25,400 Speaker 3: a radio announcer, and the auditioned he got the job, 154 00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:28,240 Speaker 3: They put him in a dark booth with no windows, 155 00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:32,440 Speaker 3: and they said announce, and he kind of stumbled for 156 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:35,040 Speaker 3: a minute. He wasn't sure what to do and couldn't 157 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:38,000 Speaker 3: quite figure out the role. And then he said he 158 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 3: was thinking about the barbershop where he went every two weeks, 159 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:43,480 Speaker 3: and every time he go in there, the guys in 160 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:47,160 Speaker 3: the barbershop had that radio station on, and he knew, 161 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:50,080 Speaker 3: I'm talking to them, and he just started talking in 162 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:52,760 Speaker 3: the announcers booth as though he was having a conversation 163 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:56,320 Speaker 3: with those guys in the barbershop. And what he told 164 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:59,240 Speaker 3: me was, he said, you know, even if it's a radio, 165 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:02,200 Speaker 3: if it's an inn of this new satellite Global Net, 166 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:05,160 Speaker 3: I feel like I'm talking to the guys in the barbershop. 167 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:07,880 Speaker 3: And it was a way to kind of always keep 168 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 3: his communications at a very human level, a very personal level, 169 00:09:11,559 --> 00:09:14,840 Speaker 3: instead of sounding stiff or talking down to people. 170 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:20,679 Speaker 1: Franklin Roosevelt had a similar device. All of his fireside 171 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:27,800 Speaker 1: chat radio addresses were written for a illiterate, dead upstate 172 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 1: New York farmer who Roosevelt knows a child, and his 173 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:34,440 Speaker 1: theory was, if I can explain it so he would 174 00:09:34,559 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 1: understand it, everybody in the country will understand it. A 175 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:40,960 Speaker 1: very similar kind of sense of grounding. You talk a 176 00:09:40,960 --> 00:09:46,640 Speaker 1: little bit about Reagan storytelling. And it strikes me that Lincoln, Fdr. 177 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:52,240 Speaker 1: And Reagan all had a technique of storytelling. In my 178 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:55,680 Speaker 1: experiences when on rare occasion as a very junior member, 179 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:58,400 Speaker 1: I would end up flying on Air Force One, and 180 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:01,120 Speaker 1: after they took off, he would come back and chat 181 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:03,120 Speaker 1: with us and he would tell stories. 182 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:03,320 Speaker 2: We had. 183 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:06,440 Speaker 1: One of my most treasured pictures is the two of 184 00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:09,680 Speaker 1: us in shirts leaves, laughing on Air Force One and 185 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:13,960 Speaker 1: he would tell stories. And I realized after well, you 186 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:16,839 Speaker 1: were totally wrapped up. He goes, here's Ronald Reagan. He's 187 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:20,240 Speaker 1: a president United States, he's a movie star. He's talking 188 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:22,720 Speaker 1: to you. He's telling you these funny and he collected 189 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:25,439 Speaker 1: lots of funny stories. And then of course he'd run 190 00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:27,600 Speaker 1: out of time and leave, so whatever you were going 191 00:10:27,679 --> 00:10:31,040 Speaker 1: to ask him, he never quite got around to. And 192 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:35,120 Speaker 1: I am convinced that Roosevelt, Lincoln, and Reagan all had 193 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:36,120 Speaker 1: that same technique. 194 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:39,920 Speaker 3: You know, it's a bit disarming first. And by the way, 195 00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:42,320 Speaker 3: I remember you'd on one of those Air Force one 196 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:44,800 Speaker 3: trips when he was flying down to Atlanta to speak 197 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:46,200 Speaker 3: the American Bar Association. 198 00:10:46,760 --> 00:10:49,480 Speaker 2: I think we were seated near each other dates when 199 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:50,520 Speaker 2: he hears coming back. 200 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:54,160 Speaker 3: President Reagan would often begin a meeting or end a 201 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:57,560 Speaker 3: meeting with a joke or a story. He did like 202 00:10:57,600 --> 00:10:59,040 Speaker 3: to tell stories, as you know, and he had a 203 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:01,200 Speaker 3: lot of great ones and great jokes. But I think 204 00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:04,000 Speaker 3: he found it would first off, it would take the 205 00:11:04,040 --> 00:11:05,240 Speaker 3: anxiety out of the air. 206 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:06,760 Speaker 2: It would disarm people. 207 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:10,040 Speaker 3: And there were times where I remember when I was 208 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:12,840 Speaker 3: a member of his staff, and a couple of times 209 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:16,120 Speaker 3: when members of commerce were demanding to see him, and 210 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:19,080 Speaker 3: sometimes I was the person who was walking him into 211 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:22,199 Speaker 3: the Oval office for their meeting, and they would be saying, 212 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:24,559 Speaker 3: I'm going to give him an earful, I'm going to 213 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:26,760 Speaker 3: straighten him out because he doesn't know, you know, and 214 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:27,800 Speaker 3: they were ready to go. 215 00:11:27,679 --> 00:11:28,559 Speaker 2: And they're pumped up. 216 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:30,800 Speaker 3: He come in and he would say, well, I know 217 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:32,400 Speaker 3: you have something important to say, but first let me 218 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:34,840 Speaker 3: tell you, and he would tell a little story, and 219 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:37,440 Speaker 3: by the end of it, they would just kind of 220 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:40,160 Speaker 3: look and say, well, that's just great, mister President, so 221 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:42,360 Speaker 3: nice to see you and keep up the great work. 222 00:11:42,640 --> 00:12:00,840 Speaker 1: It was very disarming. You also told us I had 223 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:04,840 Speaker 1: never heard of Reagan at the eyes in our library 224 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:08,079 Speaker 1: trying to eat and people coming up over and over 225 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:12,560 Speaker 1: and over again. And his reaction was very much like 226 00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:16,400 Speaker 1: Lincoln's would have been that he was actually grateful that 227 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:18,840 Speaker 1: they would talk with him. I mean, he wasn't offended, 228 00:12:18,880 --> 00:12:24,360 Speaker 1: he wasn't irritated. What he gained strength from people chatting 229 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:27,240 Speaker 1: with him. I think that's a remarkable capacity. 230 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:30,200 Speaker 3: This was after he left office and I was on 231 00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 3: his staff and a couple of us had traveled with 232 00:12:32,520 --> 00:12:35,640 Speaker 3: him to visit the Eisenhower Library, and as you know, 233 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:39,679 Speaker 3: he had a great relationship, great admiration for Eisenhower. And 234 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:42,920 Speaker 3: we arrived at the library and from the moment he 235 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:45,840 Speaker 3: walked in, people were just grabbing him and mister President, 236 00:12:45,920 --> 00:12:48,920 Speaker 3: look this way, take a picture, look this way. People 237 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:53,120 Speaker 3: were just tugging him every direction, giving him things to sign. 238 00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:55,640 Speaker 3: Sign this, sign that, and a couple of us on 239 00:12:55,679 --> 00:12:57,800 Speaker 3: the staff were looking at each other saying, oh gosh, 240 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 3: this isn't going so well. And then he sat down 241 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:02,360 Speaker 3: to eat, and while he's eating, people are coming over 242 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:04,320 Speaker 3: and tapping him on the shoulder and getting him up 243 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:05,160 Speaker 3: for photos. 244 00:13:05,520 --> 00:13:08,160 Speaker 2: So afterwards I was writing with him when we were. 245 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:10,839 Speaker 3: Going to get on the plane to fly back to California, 246 00:13:11,360 --> 00:13:13,320 Speaker 3: and I figured, well, I better address this saying. And 247 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:15,079 Speaker 3: I just got in the car and I said, well, 248 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:17,359 Speaker 3: mister President, I think I need to have a conversation 249 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:20,680 Speaker 3: with you about the people there tonight. And I was 250 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:22,840 Speaker 3: about to say, you know, I'm sorry. I guess we 251 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:25,719 Speaker 3: didn't do good enough staff work to give you some privacy. 252 00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:27,839 Speaker 3: And before I could even say it, he just said, 253 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:33,000 Speaker 3: aren't people great? I said, yes, that was the message 254 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:37,079 Speaker 3: I was about to tell here. You know, I think 255 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:40,800 Speaker 3: it's a unique asset for anyone in public service. You 256 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:43,200 Speaker 3: just have to be a people person. You have to 257 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:45,920 Speaker 3: like people, and you have to know that you're giving 258 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:49,320 Speaker 3: part of yourself to them. When you become a public 259 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:52,559 Speaker 3: servant or an elected official, they view that you're close 260 00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:55,040 Speaker 3: to them and you connected with them, and they don't 261 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:57,720 Speaker 3: feel that they're intruding when they come over and want 262 00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:00,360 Speaker 3: to engage with you and take a photo or ask 263 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:01,400 Speaker 3: you other things. 264 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:07,199 Speaker 1: You were with Reagan, you helped launch with it GOO. 265 00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:12,000 Speaker 1: You were at the Washington Post. What do you think 266 00:14:12,120 --> 00:14:15,760 Speaker 1: went sour? Why did we? I mean, in some ways, well, 267 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:17,760 Speaker 1: Clinton and I fought a lot, and I have a 268 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:21,000 Speaker 1: reputation of having been very partisan, which I was because 269 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:23,280 Speaker 1: I was trying to create a majority for the first 270 00:14:23,320 --> 00:14:26,400 Speaker 1: time in forty years. We could fight half the day 271 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 1: and have negotiations half the day, and then have a 272 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:35,360 Speaker 1: drink in the evening. Yeah, And somehow, I don't know 273 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:38,760 Speaker 1: whether it was Borsh or Obama or just the nature 274 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:42,400 Speaker 1: of what happened to the country, but somehow that capacity 275 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:47,200 Speaker 1: for interaction just sort of dried up. 276 00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:51,320 Speaker 3: What you were doing with the President Clinton was in 277 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:54,400 Speaker 3: the great tradition of Reagan and Tip O'Neil, you could 278 00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:58,440 Speaker 3: disagree and disagree strongly, but you could have a drink 279 00:14:58,480 --> 00:15:01,280 Speaker 3: and find a way to engage and. 280 00:15:01,240 --> 00:15:02,200 Speaker 2: Keep a channel open. 281 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:04,520 Speaker 3: I think part of what we see today is those 282 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:08,040 Speaker 3: channels aren't even open. One of the questions as we 283 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:10,560 Speaker 3: launched this center here that we've spent a lot of 284 00:15:10,600 --> 00:15:13,120 Speaker 3: time trying to address is what you had just asked, 285 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:14,320 Speaker 3: is how did we get here? 286 00:15:14,880 --> 00:15:15,560 Speaker 2: A couple of things. 287 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:18,160 Speaker 3: I know you've written a number of pieces about our 288 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:20,840 Speaker 3: founding fathers, and we've kind of went all the way 289 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:23,720 Speaker 3: back to that is you know, George Washington, in his 290 00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:27,080 Speaker 3: farewell address, talked exactly about. 291 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:28,080 Speaker 2: Some of the things we're seeing today. 292 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:30,600 Speaker 3: He said his fear was that we became divided into 293 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:34,920 Speaker 3: factions and even went on to say that sometimes those 294 00:15:34,960 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 3: factions might try to exact revenge on others, and it 295 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:42,480 Speaker 3: was clear that the concern was not so much external 296 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:46,520 Speaker 3: threats for our future, but internal. So we've asked, you know, 297 00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 3: how do we go from an era where rigging and 298 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:51,560 Speaker 3: tip O'Neil could get things done, you and Clinton could 299 00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:54,120 Speaker 3: get things done to a point now where we are 300 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:57,440 Speaker 3: so divided. And I would say, they're really a handful 301 00:15:57,480 --> 00:16:00,200 Speaker 3: of things that we've identified. It's five things, actually, but 302 00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:03,240 Speaker 3: they're more. But one is just as a society, we've 303 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:06,360 Speaker 3: become less trustful of institutions. 304 00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:07,480 Speaker 2: Just in general. 305 00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:10,480 Speaker 3: There's really no institution that is trusted the way that 306 00:16:10,560 --> 00:16:14,160 Speaker 3: it once was, whether it's the government, media, the courts, 307 00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:16,840 Speaker 3: And that's a change where you know, early on in 308 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 3: our country's history, when Alexis to Tokville did his travel, 309 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:22,120 Speaker 3: he pointed out how we were creating these communities in 310 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:24,960 Speaker 3: these institutions that were helping us to get things done. 311 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:26,600 Speaker 2: Well, there's less of trust to that. 312 00:16:27,120 --> 00:16:29,400 Speaker 3: A second one, though we've talked about in the media, 313 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:33,000 Speaker 3: it's media companies and to be canon is not all, 314 00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:38,560 Speaker 3: but many have business models that thrive on exploiting differences 315 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:41,680 Speaker 3: and to get us to kind of gravitate to our 316 00:16:41,680 --> 00:16:43,960 Speaker 3: comfort zones. How many times do you put on a 317 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:45,880 Speaker 3: cable channel there might be one on the left or 318 00:16:45,920 --> 00:16:48,560 Speaker 3: one on the right, and it starts off with the 319 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:52,320 Speaker 3: opinion host saying you will not believe what they did today, 320 00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:54,760 Speaker 3: and then for the next hour you hear about those 321 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:57,720 Speaker 3: terrible people on the other side. That's become a bit 322 00:16:57,760 --> 00:17:00,480 Speaker 3: of a model where for the cable channel, I mean, 323 00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:03,880 Speaker 3: to get revenue, you need viewers, and in many cases 324 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:08,040 Speaker 3: get viewers, you need outrage. So the outrage market has 325 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:13,920 Speaker 3: helped social media. Third one, social media has really accelerated 326 00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:17,360 Speaker 3: that the anonymity of social media where people can say 327 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:19,040 Speaker 3: things you don't even know who it is. You wouldn't 328 00:17:19,080 --> 00:17:22,040 Speaker 3: be saying things to someone's face that you'd say on 329 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:25,879 Speaker 3: social media. And it also social media kind of it 330 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:29,920 Speaker 3: connects us to like minded factions like the George Washington's 331 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:32,639 Speaker 3: I'm like minded. Try if we find comfort, the algorithm 332 00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:35,840 Speaker 3: steer us there, and outrage really is the power of 333 00:17:36,119 --> 00:17:39,080 Speaker 3: that's the oxygen of many social media sites. The other 334 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:41,160 Speaker 3: thing I would say is I think a little bit 335 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:44,240 Speaker 3: and you with your experience sowhat in Congress and current 336 00:17:44,359 --> 00:17:47,879 Speaker 3: relationships in the past may disagree, but I think the 337 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:51,240 Speaker 3: model has changed a little bit. People used to rise 338 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:55,040 Speaker 3: to positions of power in Congress because of their subject 339 00:17:55,040 --> 00:17:59,440 Speaker 3: matter expertise, or because of their parliamentary skills, or maybe 340 00:17:59,480 --> 00:18:02,280 Speaker 3: of their fun raising skills. And now you have people 341 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:05,640 Speaker 3: not so much positions of power, but positions of visibility 342 00:18:06,119 --> 00:18:09,639 Speaker 3: because of what they post it's outrageous on social media, 343 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:12,280 Speaker 3: and how they land a cable hit, and then how 344 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:14,520 Speaker 3: they raise money off of that. And then the last 345 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:16,679 Speaker 3: thing I'd say is, and we're trying to work in 346 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:19,960 Speaker 3: this area particularly, is there's just a lack of knowledge, 347 00:18:20,119 --> 00:18:23,919 Speaker 3: is you know, American citizens, students in general, of our 348 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:27,040 Speaker 3: own history and civics and how it works. And you've 349 00:18:27,080 --> 00:18:30,360 Speaker 3: seen the numbers where a majority of Americans cannot name 350 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:33,680 Speaker 3: all three branches of government. Twenty percent of Americans can't 351 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:35,959 Speaker 3: name a single branch of government. And I think if 352 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:39,199 Speaker 3: you don't understand the country, you don't trust it, and 353 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:42,399 Speaker 3: you kind of defer to this dark sense that we 354 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:45,720 Speaker 3: have a history of oppression and injustice, and you don't 355 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:48,080 Speaker 3: have the sense of belonging to a big national culture. 356 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:52,680 Speaker 1: You may be launching this into the two hundred and 357 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:58,359 Speaker 1: fiftieth anniversary at exactly the right time because, in a sense, 358 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:01,400 Speaker 1: the tie you mentioned earlier with the one Shington, all 359 00:19:01,560 --> 00:19:06,560 Speaker 1: the founding fathers understood that they had to have some 360 00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:14,119 Speaker 1: ability to communicate collectively, to have substantial arguments, and in 361 00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:18,080 Speaker 1: the end, to find a common ground around which to 362 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:20,640 Speaker 1: build a country. And in that sense, I think there's 363 00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:25,159 Speaker 1: a great opportunity for you this year to use the 364 00:19:25,720 --> 00:19:30,720 Speaker 1: two hundred and fiftieth anniversary as an opportunity to reintroduce 365 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:33,080 Speaker 1: the American people to stability. 366 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:36,119 Speaker 3: We are hoping that that can be an outcome of 367 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:38,200 Speaker 3: the two fiftieth that one of the terms for saying 368 00:19:38,240 --> 00:19:41,080 Speaker 3: we're hoping there'll be a time where Americans fall in 369 00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:44,800 Speaker 3: love with their country again and hopefully learn more about it, 370 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:47,720 Speaker 3: become better informed and better informed in terms of what 371 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:50,800 Speaker 3: democracy requires. Is you've written and know so well from 372 00:19:50,840 --> 00:19:54,160 Speaker 3: our founding is this idea of being a citizen rather 373 00:19:54,200 --> 00:19:57,160 Speaker 3: than a subject was a unique idea. It was something 374 00:19:57,200 --> 00:20:00,480 Speaker 3: that was a bit experimental and today we just accepted 375 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:02,879 Speaker 3: and we think that's how it is. But part of 376 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:05,520 Speaker 3: it was incumbent on being a citizen and not the 377 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:09,280 Speaker 3: subject of a monarch or a dictator. Is that you 378 00:20:09,359 --> 00:20:13,000 Speaker 3: have certain obligations, certain civic obligations, and one of them 379 00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:15,560 Speaker 3: is knowing civics and knowing a little bit about our 380 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:19,760 Speaker 3: history and knowing how certain qualities are expected from people 381 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:22,159 Speaker 3: living in a free country to preserve that freedom for 382 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:23,000 Speaker 3: the next generation. 383 00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:43,760 Speaker 1: We've sort of come full circle from learning from Reagan 384 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:47,199 Speaker 1: to now trying to teach us Reagan, what are some 385 00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:50,800 Speaker 1: of the plans you have at the Center on civility 386 00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:51,560 Speaker 1: and democracy. 387 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:54,960 Speaker 3: We've tried to break it down into three areas that 388 00:20:55,040 --> 00:20:57,720 Speaker 3: you mentioned at the very beginning, and one is promoting 389 00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:01,480 Speaker 3: civil discourse. That is some thing that is so essential 390 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:04,159 Speaker 3: in the country a day, I think partly because of 391 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:07,960 Speaker 3: technology and the way we've organized our lives, is this 392 00:21:08,040 --> 00:21:11,800 Speaker 3: idea of just engaging civilly with your fellow Americans, whether 393 00:21:11,840 --> 00:21:16,600 Speaker 3: it's in the classroom or the neighborhood or elected service, 394 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:19,120 Speaker 3: it's so important. So one thing we've done is our 395 00:21:19,240 --> 00:21:22,240 Speaker 3: education team is created we call the Civil Discourse Project, 396 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:26,960 Speaker 3: and we put this together for K through twelve students 397 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:30,040 Speaker 3: and it's geared by the level for teachers to teach students. 398 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:32,680 Speaker 3: There's no political bias to it, because what we're trying 399 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:34,240 Speaker 3: to do is we're trying to reach out people on 400 00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:36,399 Speaker 3: the right end, the left, and in the middle, but 401 00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:40,160 Speaker 3: teach people how to engage more civilly in classrooms and 402 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:41,200 Speaker 3: with their peers. 403 00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:42,520 Speaker 2: We created this. 404 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:46,199 Speaker 3: We launched it last year with the Department of Defense 405 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:48,240 Speaker 3: school System. As you know, there are hundreds of thousands 406 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:50,520 Speaker 3: of kids around the world who are at the DoD schools, 407 00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:51,560 Speaker 3: and we did. 408 00:21:51,440 --> 00:21:53,760 Speaker 2: It as a test and they love it. The teachers 409 00:21:53,800 --> 00:21:55,080 Speaker 2: love it. It's a teaching tool. 410 00:21:55,119 --> 00:21:58,400 Speaker 3: So we're now working to roll that out state by 411 00:21:58,440 --> 00:22:02,080 Speaker 3: state to all fifty dates as something that can be 412 00:22:02,119 --> 00:22:06,240 Speaker 3: hopefully used in the classrooms on this idea promoting civil discourse. 413 00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:08,400 Speaker 3: We have coming out and tied in with the two 414 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:13,159 Speaker 3: fiftieth what we're calling the Civility Handbook. It's pocket size, 415 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:16,760 Speaker 3: like those little pocket constitution that we all have, and 416 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:20,880 Speaker 3: it's simple rules on how to act more civilly, engage 417 00:22:20,920 --> 00:22:24,200 Speaker 3: more civilly, be more successful as an American. That's coming 418 00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:27,520 Speaker 3: out in the spring. So one area where look civil discourse. 419 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:30,520 Speaker 3: The second where we're talking about is finding common ground, 420 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:33,680 Speaker 3: and that's to find ways to bring people together who 421 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:37,440 Speaker 3: are opposites, whether they're opposites politically opposites. We've done it 422 00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:40,040 Speaker 3: in the sports space. We bring people together from opposite 423 00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:42,440 Speaker 3: teams where they talk about how they want to win, 424 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:44,560 Speaker 3: They want to defeat their opponent, but they don't want 425 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:46,240 Speaker 3: to kill their opponent because they want to play them 426 00:22:46,240 --> 00:22:49,280 Speaker 3: again next season, and they want to honor the referees 427 00:22:49,359 --> 00:22:50,040 Speaker 3: because there have. 428 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:50,800 Speaker 2: To be some rules. 429 00:22:50,840 --> 00:22:53,720 Speaker 3: So we've been doing these common ground form where we've 430 00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:58,400 Speaker 3: had Democrat governor, Republican governor, Democratic senator, Republican senator. We've 431 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:01,200 Speaker 3: got a number of these coming up now. We've done 432 00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:03,560 Speaker 3: with sports. We had just before the Army Navy game, 433 00:23:03,600 --> 00:23:05,840 Speaker 3: we had the players from Army and Navy and we 434 00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:07,160 Speaker 3: had the anchors of the game. 435 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:09,120 Speaker 2: So these common ground forms. 436 00:23:09,160 --> 00:23:11,840 Speaker 3: And then the last thing is this ties even real 437 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:14,800 Speaker 3: more directly into a two fifty, and that is this 438 00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:18,560 Speaker 3: informed patriotism, this idea of just helping. 439 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:20,640 Speaker 2: People know a little more about their country. 440 00:23:20,680 --> 00:23:23,840 Speaker 3: And we've had Ken Burns came out to premiere his 441 00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:27,560 Speaker 3: documentary on the Revolution at the Reagan Library. We've had 442 00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:30,879 Speaker 3: Amy Cony Barrett coming out talking about Gorsich and others 443 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:33,639 Speaker 3: in the legal community talking about the importance of the 444 00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:37,199 Speaker 3: law for society, this whole idea of informed patriotism. 445 00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:38,520 Speaker 2: And we're doing a summit this year. 446 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:41,719 Speaker 3: We're doing the first Civility Summit, where we have students 447 00:23:41,720 --> 00:23:45,199 Speaker 3: from all across the country particularly selected to come to 448 00:23:45,359 --> 00:23:48,000 Speaker 3: Washington to talk about and these are all people who 449 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:51,320 Speaker 3: want to be officeholders. How hopefully when they become the 450 00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:53,560 Speaker 3: next generation of leaders, they'll be able to bring that 451 00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:54,280 Speaker 3: to the four. 452 00:23:54,640 --> 00:23:59,080 Speaker 1: I think that that's a very impressive and comprehensive approach. 453 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:02,120 Speaker 1: Try to figure out how much of it you can 454 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:06,919 Speaker 1: make audio and video because people don't read, yeah, and 455 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:09,280 Speaker 1: then second trying to figure out how much of it 456 00:24:09,359 --> 00:24:14,080 Speaker 1: you can make autonomously interactive on the Internet so people 457 00:24:14,440 --> 00:24:18,800 Speaker 1: can get involved in learning how to collaborate almost spontaneously, 458 00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:22,800 Speaker 1: forming local groups and having tools that help them have 459 00:24:23,119 --> 00:24:25,439 Speaker 1: local groups. What you're doing, Fred, I think is a 460 00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:29,280 Speaker 1: very useful thing. I think Reagan would be proud of you, 461 00:24:29,720 --> 00:24:33,080 Speaker 1: and I think it certainly fits his tradition and his 462 00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:36,280 Speaker 1: spirit and anything we can do to help. I want 463 00:24:36,320 --> 00:24:37,800 Speaker 1: you to know that we'll be in your corner. 464 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:40,439 Speaker 3: Well, thank you, thank you for those kind words. You know, 465 00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:42,800 Speaker 3: I think part of what we need to do and 466 00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:46,040 Speaker 3: you are uniquely able to do. This is everyone knows 467 00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:49,280 Speaker 3: when you brought their public majority back, there were very 468 00:24:49,320 --> 00:24:53,600 Speaker 3: strong principles at stake. There were strong positions that were taken, 469 00:24:54,080 --> 00:24:57,000 Speaker 3: and you were able to govern and get those things done. 470 00:24:57,119 --> 00:25:00,760 Speaker 3: You didn't have to compromise on your principles to get 471 00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:04,240 Speaker 3: the deal done. Here tweaking on a certain detail of 472 00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:07,240 Speaker 3: a bill, but you didn't compromise and people. I think 473 00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:09,800 Speaker 3: one of the obstacles we have right now to try 474 00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:12,640 Speaker 3: to get us past this is people feel that if 475 00:25:12,680 --> 00:25:16,760 Speaker 3: they're engaging, they must be compromising. If somebody on the 476 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:18,959 Speaker 3: far left and somebody the far right can find an 477 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:21,160 Speaker 3: issue where there's seventy percent approval rate, and they ought 478 00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:24,119 Speaker 3: to be able to get something done. But now since 479 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:28,439 Speaker 3: we've moved into these camps, it's almost like you're trading 480 00:25:28,480 --> 00:25:30,720 Speaker 3: with the enemy if you try to get a deal done. 481 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:33,840 Speaker 3: I talked to one governor who was a Republican governor. 482 00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:37,400 Speaker 3: He was at the Obama White House. He was head 483 00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:41,320 Speaker 3: of the Governor's Association and he shook hands with Obama 484 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:44,080 Speaker 3: and the picture went out and it got posted on 485 00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:47,080 Speaker 3: the internet that he was somehow a trader because he 486 00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:50,400 Speaker 3: was a Republican governor, head of the Republican Governor Association, 487 00:25:50,520 --> 00:25:53,679 Speaker 3: and he's shaking hands with a Democrat. And we have 488 00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:56,120 Speaker 3: to kind of get beyond that, because if you can't 489 00:25:56,119 --> 00:25:58,440 Speaker 3: even shake hands with somebody, it's going to be difficult 490 00:25:58,520 --> 00:26:01,880 Speaker 3: to find ways to add it's an agenda that benefits 491 00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:02,600 Speaker 3: all Americans. 492 00:26:03,080 --> 00:26:04,760 Speaker 1: Somehow, we have to get back to the notion that 493 00:26:04,840 --> 00:26:08,879 Speaker 1: we're all Americans, yes, and therefore we start with a 494 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:12,960 Speaker 1: common ground, which is really a challenge. But I want 495 00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:15,560 Speaker 1: you to know I will do everything I can to 496 00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:18,560 Speaker 1: be helpful, and I think what you're doing is really important. 497 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:22,679 Speaker 1: Our listeners can learn more about the Ronald Reagan Presidential 498 00:26:22,720 --> 00:26:26,000 Speaker 1: Foundation and Institute and the New Center and Civility and 499 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:31,480 Speaker 1: Democracy by visiting your website at Reagan Foundation. I really 500 00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:34,800 Speaker 1: want to thank you for the lifetime commitment you've made, 501 00:26:35,240 --> 00:26:37,600 Speaker 1: going all the way back to working with President Reagan 502 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:40,280 Speaker 1: and then serving for so many years all on the 503 00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:43,520 Speaker 1: Reagan Foundation, which is I think one of the great 504 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:46,960 Speaker 1: centers of learning in America. Everybody should go to Seami 505 00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:51,360 Speaker 1: Valley and experience what an extraordinary institution that is. 506 00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:54,080 Speaker 3: Well, you're very kind, nude, and I know we've been 507 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:56,399 Speaker 3: fortunate to have you there on many occasions, and I 508 00:26:56,440 --> 00:26:58,840 Speaker 3: hope that we can welcome you back again sometime soon. 509 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:05,040 Speaker 1: Thank you to my guest, Tred Ryan. Newworld is produced 510 00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:09,119 Speaker 1: by Gingrid three sixty and iHeartMedia. Our executive producer is 511 00:27:09,160 --> 00:27:13,639 Speaker 1: Guernsey Sloan. Our researcher is Rachel Peterson. The artwork for 512 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 1: the show who was created by Steve Penley. Special thanks 513 00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:19,720 Speaker 1: to the team at Gingrich three sixty. If you've been 514 00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:22,960 Speaker 1: enjoying Newsworld, I hope you'll go to Apple Podcast and 515 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:25,560 Speaker 1: both rate us with five stars and give us a 516 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:28,800 Speaker 1: review so others can learn what it's all about. Join 517 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:32,240 Speaker 1: me on substack at Gingrich three sixty dot net. I'm 518 00:27:32,320 --> 00:27:34,359 Speaker 1: Newt Gingrich. This is Newt World.