I am so disappointed! How did I miss Joe Donohue's interview with Doris Kearns Goodwin. Long before Heather Cox Richardson.........Goodwin was a marvel. Her books, her language, her speech, her presence added a dimension to American History that was captivating and respectful. I will never forget the night of the Gore-Bush election. I stayed up all night watching Tom Brokaw, Tim Russert, Jon Stewart and Doris Kearns Goodwin. It was the absolute best news cast I had ever seen. They had no idea what was going on, no script, no interviews, no talking heads......just four brilliant individuals who held me captive throughout the night. Television at its best. It was a front row seat, an intimate conversation, with four of my favorite people in my living room. How did I miss this recent event?
I too attended the event and I whole heartedly concur that listening to Doris Kearns Goodwin respond to WAMC’s Joe Donohue’s interview questions ( interspersed with her specific comments and advice about current political events) was spectacular and awe inspiring. For me ( and I think many of the 600 in the audience) when the conversation drifted from the historical reminiscing of the Nixon- Kennedy Presidential Election debate to current events was a high point and Doris Kearns Goodwin was at her best.
Joe Donohue asked “ what should we as voters be looking and listening for concerning the best qualities in each candidate ...as we approach another opportunity to experience an upcoming presidential debate?”
I must paraphrase here but I think I’ve got the gist of her response. Doris Kearns Goodwin replied ... the candidate should be able to provide and inform you of their honesty, their candor, their integrity, their willingness and ability to work with others...and they must be able to demonstrate that they can be a president who can make hard decisions that will serve the common interests of our nation putting aside their own personal or political self interests.
The 600 in the audience roared with applause and approval...but the best was yet to come.
As silence in the great room was restored, Joe Donohue lowered his prepared notes, leaned into his hand held microphone
and said “ Oh F*CK! ....what about the other guy?”
The audience roared with spontaneous and uncontrolled laughter for about a minute.
Way to go Joe.....that’s exactly what I was thinking and the question could not have been more succinctly stated.
What a great event. Thank you to the Northshire Bookstore, WAMC, the Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs and of course Doris Kearns Goodwin and Joe Donohue .
Weren’t we LUCKY to hear that phenomenal woman! (But I could have done without the f word fo((for the sake of our kids)). Kudos to Rachel At Northshire for bringing this wonderful lady into our midst.
Thank you for your review of attending that lecture by Goodwin. I certainly wish I’d been there, but surely am glad you did and shared with your readers!
Thank you for this coverage of this event. I moved away from Saratoga just as the Preservation Hall renovation finished, and my tickets to see Howard Jones christen the place were useless as the pandemic postponed that event. So it was great to see the inside, and your review of the powerful Selma speech is uplifting. Glad Goodwin is on the road and talking. We so need her voice. So thanks for sharing.
It is a great little hall. I saw one other play there a year or so ago. It offers challenges with a three-sided stage but it worked. Another great addition to the local arts community and the fact it partners with Proctors is another benefit.
"Humility, empathy, resilience, accountability, your word is your bond..." Doris said. "Character is what we need to be looking for."
The Republican Party is living with quite a conundrum.
There’s only one politician who can unite its base — Donald Trump. The problem? He’s a confirmed philanderer and liar who is a twice-impeached, criminally-convicted felon and is under numerous federal criminal indictments. As if that’s not bad enough, he’s been found liable for sexual abuse, defamation, running a fraudulent company, and owes half a billion dollars in civil judgments. Yet, Republican candidates for office must pledge their fealty to their liege or face likely demise in primary races. So, in order to keep or attain their elected offices, or aspire to a position in the federal government they profess to despise, they must debase themselves by endorsing a man who has repeatedly demonstrated his supreme lack of fitness to govern.
Our Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is our local example.
John Stewart said something the other night. He said Trump was right about the system being rigged - toward the rich. It's people like Trump who benefit.
While our justice system is designed to be fair and impartial, applying equally to all (and I suspect it’s among the best we humans can implement), it is flawed and favors the wealthy.
For example, those with sufficient financial assets, like Trump, can afford to hire attorneys to drag out criminal investigations and court proceedings, thereby leveraging due process rights to their advantage. This is quite legal, but it’s a strategy unavailable to lower- or moderate-income individuals who cannot afford the significant legal costs. In addition, those with sufficient wealth can afford to repeatedly appeal motions and verdicts in their civil and criminal court cases, which is, of course, their legal right. But it’s a legal right available only to those who can afford it.
Essentially, the wealthy are more equal than the rest of us.
Those are just two obvious examples that apply to Trump in particular. I’m sure there are many more.
Tell me, W Tucker, how is the justice system not rigged towards the rich?
Bob, I do not see how the examples you provide show dishonesty or deception within the system. What they do show is that some people hold an advantage that others do not share.
When you ask……. Tell me, W Tucker, how is the justice system not rigged towards the rich? It is a question I cannot answer. How can someone show the nonexistence of something?
To turn it a different direction. The Supreme Court decided that campaign contributions was free speech so they the wealthy get to buy lots more free speech - politicians? - than the rest of us.
Well, they can afford lots of lawyers and be in litigation for years, so that would favor the rich. I never said it was deceptive or dishonest. Your words.
Ken when you wrote “John Stewart said something the other night. He said Trump was right about the system being rigged - toward the rich. It's people like Trump who benefit.” See no quotes and sentence “It's people like Trump who benefit.” Was I wrong to assume that you agree with the statement “ the system being rigged”?
I read the book and once again was amazed how DKG makes history so interesting and personal. Reminded me of her ability to put a female sensibility on Eleonor Roosevelt in "Eleonor and Franklin".
Also, I smiled when you said your son had never heard of her - I had same experience with my 20 yr old grandson. Makes me wonder what else the younger generations are missing - even though they seem to be so well informed in other ways.
Thanks for your coverage of this lecture, I wish I had known about it beforehand.
As a mea culpa, while I introduced my son to historians like David McCullough (and his books) and later made him go to hear a guest speaker named Jon Meacham while he was in college (he got him to sign my book), I actually have never read any of DKG's books. I have her latest so it is next up.
Thanks for the impressive story about an impressive historian and political expert. A great crowd too. I have never met her but my wife, as a long ago veteran producer at Meet the Press, always admired Doris Kearns Goodwin not only as a scholar but for her congeniality. One Sunday, after appearing on a Meet panel, Doris played along wonderfully with a surprise birthday celebration for Tim Russert: she donned a feather hat and boa and jumped out of the top of a stunt (cardboard) birthday cake and imitated Marilyn Monroe, belting out a birthday serenade to Tim. What a great person!
There are no words to say how much I enjoyed this extraordinarily fine article.
I was lucky enough to be one of those 600 people. Happened to see her again on morning Joe and MSNBC. The very important thing she said is that we must fight harder for democracy than we are now. Kudos to Northshire for sponsoring and arranging this. This article makes me feel like you should be writing op Ed pieces in the Post Star EVERY chance you get. More people need to hear these type of things. Go Ken!
Doris Kearns Goodwin is wonderful. Her “Team of Rivals” is a classic We are blessed with a number of competent historians in our day, I.e., Jon Meacham, Ron Chhernow, Walter Isaacson, and.the recently deceased David McCullough, to name a few. . Then, on the other hand, we have those pols and others who would diminish the importance of history by embellishing the teaching of it and rewriting it to fit their own partisan agendas.
Thank you. I appreciate all the valuable information that gets lost in the flood of “ breaking news”. Now, well into my niinth generation, realize we need to talk less and listen more. Thank you again.
I am so disappointed! How did I miss Joe Donohue's interview with Doris Kearns Goodwin. Long before Heather Cox Richardson.........Goodwin was a marvel. Her books, her language, her speech, her presence added a dimension to American History that was captivating and respectful. I will never forget the night of the Gore-Bush election. I stayed up all night watching Tom Brokaw, Tim Russert, Jon Stewart and Doris Kearns Goodwin. It was the absolute best news cast I had ever seen. They had no idea what was going on, no script, no interviews, no talking heads......just four brilliant individuals who held me captive throughout the night. Television at its best. It was a front row seat, an intimate conversation, with four of my favorite people in my living room. How did I miss this recent event?
I just agree with you SO much! I LOVE what you said.!
I too attended the event and I whole heartedly concur that listening to Doris Kearns Goodwin respond to WAMC’s Joe Donohue’s interview questions ( interspersed with her specific comments and advice about current political events) was spectacular and awe inspiring. For me ( and I think many of the 600 in the audience) when the conversation drifted from the historical reminiscing of the Nixon- Kennedy Presidential Election debate to current events was a high point and Doris Kearns Goodwin was at her best.
Joe Donohue asked “ what should we as voters be looking and listening for concerning the best qualities in each candidate ...as we approach another opportunity to experience an upcoming presidential debate?”
I must paraphrase here but I think I’ve got the gist of her response. Doris Kearns Goodwin replied ... the candidate should be able to provide and inform you of their honesty, their candor, their integrity, their willingness and ability to work with others...and they must be able to demonstrate that they can be a president who can make hard decisions that will serve the common interests of our nation putting aside their own personal or political self interests.
The 600 in the audience roared with applause and approval...but the best was yet to come.
As silence in the great room was restored, Joe Donohue lowered his prepared notes, leaned into his hand held microphone
and said “ Oh F*CK! ....what about the other guy?”
The audience roared with spontaneous and uncontrolled laughter for about a minute.
Way to go Joe.....that’s exactly what I was thinking and the question could not have been more succinctly stated.
What a great event. Thank you to the Northshire Bookstore, WAMC, the Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs and of course Doris Kearns Goodwin and Joe Donohue .
Weren’t we LUCKY to hear that phenomenal woman! (But I could have done without the f word fo((for the sake of our kids)). Kudos to Rachel At Northshire for bringing this wonderful lady into our midst.
Honestly, I don't think there were any kids there, unless you count a couple of people in their 40s.
Thank you for your review of attending that lecture by Goodwin. I certainly wish I’d been there, but surely am glad you did and shared with your readers!
Thank you for this coverage of this event. I moved away from Saratoga just as the Preservation Hall renovation finished, and my tickets to see Howard Jones christen the place were useless as the pandemic postponed that event. So it was great to see the inside, and your review of the powerful Selma speech is uplifting. Glad Goodwin is on the road and talking. We so need her voice. So thanks for sharing.
It is a great little hall. I saw one other play there a year or so ago. It offers challenges with a three-sided stage but it worked. Another great addition to the local arts community and the fact it partners with Proctors is another benefit.
Excellent. Very evocative. Thanks you.
"Humility, empathy, resilience, accountability, your word is your bond..." Doris said. "Character is what we need to be looking for."
The Republican Party is living with quite a conundrum.
There’s only one politician who can unite its base — Donald Trump. The problem? He’s a confirmed philanderer and liar who is a twice-impeached, criminally-convicted felon and is under numerous federal criminal indictments. As if that’s not bad enough, he’s been found liable for sexual abuse, defamation, running a fraudulent company, and owes half a billion dollars in civil judgments. Yet, Republican candidates for office must pledge their fealty to their liege or face likely demise in primary races. So, in order to keep or attain their elected offices, or aspire to a position in the federal government they profess to despise, they must debase themselves by endorsing a man who has repeatedly demonstrated his supreme lack of fitness to govern.
Our Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is our local example.
You forgot that he also promised to be a dictator and put his opponents in jail.
LOL
True. For those of us who support our democratic values and our justice system, that alone disqualifies Trump.
But, sadly for our country, that’s partly why most Trump supporters will vote for him. It’s why his base unites behind him.
John Stewart said something the other night. He said Trump was right about the system being rigged - toward the rich. It's people like Trump who benefit.
Ken, how is the system rigged (controlled by deceptive or dishonest means) toward the rich?
I’ll put in my two cents here.
While our justice system is designed to be fair and impartial, applying equally to all (and I suspect it’s among the best we humans can implement), it is flawed and favors the wealthy.
For example, those with sufficient financial assets, like Trump, can afford to hire attorneys to drag out criminal investigations and court proceedings, thereby leveraging due process rights to their advantage. This is quite legal, but it’s a strategy unavailable to lower- or moderate-income individuals who cannot afford the significant legal costs. In addition, those with sufficient wealth can afford to repeatedly appeal motions and verdicts in their civil and criminal court cases, which is, of course, their legal right. But it’s a legal right available only to those who can afford it.
Essentially, the wealthy are more equal than the rest of us.
Those are just two obvious examples that apply to Trump in particular. I’m sure there are many more.
Tell me, W Tucker, how is the justice system not rigged towards the rich?
Bob, I do not see how the examples you provide show dishonesty or deception within the system. What they do show is that some people hold an advantage that others do not share.
When you ask……. Tell me, W Tucker, how is the justice system not rigged towards the rich? It is a question I cannot answer. How can someone show the nonexistence of something?
To turn it a different direction. The Supreme Court decided that campaign contributions was free speech so they the wealthy get to buy lots more free speech - politicians? - than the rest of us.
Well, they can afford lots of lawyers and be in litigation for years, so that would favor the rich. I never said it was deceptive or dishonest. Your words.
Ken when you wrote “John Stewart said something the other night. He said Trump was right about the system being rigged - toward the rich. It's people like Trump who benefit.” See no quotes and sentence “It's people like Trump who benefit.” Was I wrong to assume that you agree with the statement “ the system being rigged”?
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rigged
: manipulated or controlled by deceptive or dishonest means
Not my words, the meaning of rigged per merriam-webster dictionary
I read the book and once again was amazed how DKG makes history so interesting and personal. Reminded me of her ability to put a female sensibility on Eleonor Roosevelt in "Eleonor and Franklin".
Also, I smiled when you said your son had never heard of her - I had same experience with my 20 yr old grandson. Makes me wonder what else the younger generations are missing - even though they seem to be so well informed in other ways.
Thanks for your coverage of this lecture, I wish I had known about it beforehand.
As a mea culpa, while I introduced my son to historians like David McCullough (and his books) and later made him go to hear a guest speaker named Jon Meacham while he was in college (he got him to sign my book), I actually have never read any of DKG's books. I have her latest so it is next up.
Thanks for the impressive story about an impressive historian and political expert. A great crowd too. I have never met her but my wife, as a long ago veteran producer at Meet the Press, always admired Doris Kearns Goodwin not only as a scholar but for her congeniality. One Sunday, after appearing on a Meet panel, Doris played along wonderfully with a surprise birthday celebration for Tim Russert: she donned a feather hat and boa and jumped out of the top of a stunt (cardboard) birthday cake and imitated Marilyn Monroe, belting out a birthday serenade to Tim. What a great person!
-Dave Nathan
Bethesda, Maryland
LOVED your story!
Wow, what a great story. Wish Joe Donahue had asked her about that.
There are no words to say how much I enjoyed this extraordinarily fine article.
I was lucky enough to be one of those 600 people. Happened to see her again on morning Joe and MSNBC. The very important thing she said is that we must fight harder for democracy than we are now. Kudos to Northshire for sponsoring and arranging this. This article makes me feel like you should be writing op Ed pieces in the Post Star EVERY chance you get. More people need to hear these type of things. Go Ken!
No one ever asked so I started this Substack newsletter.
She also said, “One who can put country above oneself.”
I wish it had been live-streamed.
Doris Kearns Goodwin, listened so often to her on PBS. Yes young couple in 93, no satellite only antenna TV. Rational and factual.
Great article Ken.
Live streamed would be great!
Doris Kearns Goodwin is wonderful. Her “Team of Rivals” is a classic We are blessed with a number of competent historians in our day, I.e., Jon Meacham, Ron Chhernow, Walter Isaacson, and.the recently deceased David McCullough, to name a few. . Then, on the other hand, we have those pols and others who would diminish the importance of history by embellishing the teaching of it and rewriting it to fit their own partisan agendas.
Also, thanks for your “reporting” on the Sunday event with Dr. Goodwin!
Saw Doris Kearns Goodwin speak at SUNY Albany several years ago. What a fantastic speaker and author. I’ve read her books and learned so much.
Thank you. I appreciate all the valuable information that gets lost in the flood of “ breaking news”. Now, well into my niinth generation, realize we need to talk less and listen more. Thank you again.