tom perez democratic ãbthe dnc's role in the candidate's campaign. in the upcoming debate next week in ohio. that's sunday at 10:00 a.m. and again at 6:00 p.m. eastern on c-span. online at c-span.org or listen live on the free c-span radio app >> starting now, it's booktv on c-span2. >> weeknights this week we are featuring booktv program showcasing what's available every weekend on c-span2. tonight we show you some of our in-depth guests. next we will hear from conservative author and historian lee edwards. at 10:00 p.m. journalist naomi klein talks about consumerism, free-market capitalism and climate change. and after that professor of history and american studies at yale university joanne freeman.

>> author lee edwards, who is russell kirk and why is he such a hero to conservatives? >> russell kirk was an unknown obscure assistant professor of history and michigan and michigan state with amoco college. one day he woke up and said i want to write the book about all the conservatives that have lived and worked and made a difference in our history. no one had ever done that before. as a matter fact, lionel chilling the preeminent electoral of the day said conservatives don't really have any ideas and when they do express them to express them in irritable mental gestures. so that was the distain the contempt if you will, the liberals had for conservatives. russell kirk came along and said i don't think that's right and he put together this

marvelous book the conservative mind which liberals said was impossible. conservatives don't have mine. but when they began reading the book and they realized what he had done was put together really a masterpiece which had proved that there was and had been a conservative tradition in america since the founding. .....

>> now he had written and published this in london in 1944, then it was published here in 1945, and the reader's digest picked it up. they did a digest. extraordinary, the sump 16 and 17 billion americans is in circulation for the reader's digest at the time, read that book. what is important, about that reader's digest version is that two gis, coming out of world war ii read it. the red in the digest.

one was an arizona businessman who had come out of the war inside one ofwh my going to do now. i don't know so i might go back in the business. think i'll get into politics. his name was barry goldwater. he read this. we need interviewed him later. he said it mayday difference in the way he looked at economics. inm society. the other g.i., was sometimes hollywood actor, put down a pretty code films. in couple thoughts of good. he read it also. his name was ronald reagan. when i interviewed him, years later, he said the same thing. what a difference that one book had made. in the way that he looked at society and economics and himself. soon a close america like 1946 question and more. >> it was a nation wanting to get back to what it called

normalcy. they taught a very toughgh for. monday people died, hundreds and thousands aside. so the gis returning and wanted to get married they wanted to have babies, and they want to buy a little house perhaps the picket fence. maybe with ad tire floating off of the tree theth back. edey just wanted to enjoy live once again after facing death when you're in world war ii. it was a time when we were in political transitionti from the democrats to the republicans. that was the models as a matter fact of the republicans in 1946. it had had enough. if you have had enough, and that's precisely what happened. they look to thehe very famous 80th congress the so-called do-nothing congress switch in.of

fact, an extraordinary bus to do. working with harry truman, the building blocks of the policy of containment area the truman doctrine, the marshall plan, the nato, all that came out at that so-called do-nothing congress. that same time, on leadership, the senate who is the ohio senator, they cut taxes and spending at the same time. the country was better for it. at least that's what republicans argued. scenic who was robert task and what was his role in the modern conservatism short >> robert taft was a brilliant senator elected in the 19 from ohio. he took it upon himself to challenge a new deal. i don't know, thank you. william howard taft, president,

chief justice of the supreme court. he robert, is the brilliant guy always prepared and always knew what was happening on the singapore always wheeling to take on the democrats and a new deal. what happened is that people looking around on the new bill came out to the senate they would turn obama say what is telus with this is all about. they knew he'd takens the timeo read and do it and be able to discuss it. he was a conservative but didn't call himself a conservative. we didn't have a conservative movement in 1946, and 47 and 48. bob taft sometimes he cities a liberal sometimes a conservative, but most of the time i have discernment. >> when would you the beginning of the modern conservatism strivers. >> thing really begins with that book the road.

>> but there was no movement at the point. when did that moment start. >> zero wind in the moment start. well, that did not occur for another decade. when this extraordinary young man named buckley junior, decided that he was going to start a magazine. but he said, it's not going to be just amazing, i'm going to do the same thing with this journal and this magazine, but the new republic did in the 1920s and 1930s. which is to prepare the american people for the new deal. our progressive era. though looking at where we were in 1935, there is no movement. he said we desperately need this magazine. to bring about a conservative movement for what we believe in the limited government and the

traditional american values and the free enterprise and all of these wonderful ideas that are the found of conservatism. with amazing, we can begin to create this movement. what is interesting here is that what were we going to call it. when bill wrote, at yale, four years earlier in 1951, he said in talking about himself, i'm not conservative. i am an individualist. and in division list. by 1955 we need started national news. he said this is the conservative journal and i am a conservative but what happened. in the interim was that in the 1953, russell kirk had written the conservative mind. and had given her movement and are nation movement, and a.

the conservative movement. that went out russell admitted, ourselves the individual listed society. doesn't roll off of your tongue is it too terribly easy. but the impact from this one book the conservative mind had been a lot. it would have very easily abandoned the individualist. >> inner autobiography just right, you write that you became a conservative clause of communism. >> they really began for me, in 1956, i was in paris on the g.i. bill so that part of the government i believe and i think it's a wonderful idea. doing some study and going to classes going to place classes. from spending more time that cafés late into the night.

and in october, 1956 and i had just gotten out of the army and i was sitting in on the bank i was going to be another great novelist hemingway. out of the defense, came the radio broadcast that the people of hungry and risen up against the soviets and said get out of town. the miracle of miracles, the did. the soviets went through tanks in budapest. for two weeks. and he sick them back in and slaughtered thousands of young men and women and men in my edge, i was 23. i was so stricken by that. i looked around and thought what can i do work in my country do. it was a very weak press release out of the white housese, disappointing greatly. we didn't do anything moreof thn

that. resolution of the united nations condemning the actions. and i resulted at that., that whenever i decided to rest my live, i would help those who are opposing communism as best as they could. so i became ani lp anti- communm clause of the budapest resolution of the 1956. see you next see you 1956 in the white house and that was dwight eisenhower. >> yes. keep in mind the for the republican party is one thing, the conservative party is another. and weic can't judge the ups and downs of the movement based upon the ups and downs of the party which is just interested in election. the movement and conservative movement is in a lentil intellectual movement and a political movement and interested in principles and ideas. that is where i come from. i think that's where most conservatives come from.

subject. >> so eisenhower and task collided. they certainly did 1952. >> bob taft came to chicago and republican national convention with something like 500 delegates. he thought it was going to get the nomination. he is opposed by davidmi eisenhower, the great work world figueroa of world war two. the leader of normandy invasion all the rest of it. and above taft his amazement and stare, the switching from him to ike.hi one politician asked, why. why did you do that. in a marvelous made it through. he said we loved bob taft that we love victory more. in the new that if eisenhower the top of the ticket was

win-win. his one to beat harryic truman d bring back republican in the white house for the first time since 1932. fdr so that was a very grave disappointment shall we say to bob taft and a conservative. clause we sick well, we've got to nominate a conservative. clause we think that that will bring out the forgotten americans. the silent majority. the did happen a decade later. >> back to your autobiography, just right. i read and reread why not victory. yes, i thought we must recognize the enemy for what he is and proclaim victory as a goal and use our strengths to oppose communism wherever itt exists. that was a crusade worthy of choice. whatev is that. >> why not victory is the little book written by gary goldwater in 1962, came out after the

conscious of the conservative witches in an armless bestseller. so 3 million copies and is running for the presidency in 1964. it was his statement as to what kind of foreign policy he would pursue. and at the top the list, would be not just claiming for a time, not just talking about accommodation or that sort of lets make a deal every now and again but we wanted victory in the cold war. we wanted to end the cold war. that was a statement which he proclaimed vividly. eloquently in 1962 with why not victory. and it had an influence on ronaldd reagan. >> when was the first elected in to the senate. >> 1952. coming out of world war ii, looking around for something to do, and decided who knows, it might even be fun.

that's what i said. it might even be fun. these are typical of very cold water. he didn't take himself is it too seriously. intake politics is it too seriously but when it came to acting on principle, he would always pay attention to it and the constitution, was as northstar. that was the most important thing to him. be back legislature sleep when was he known for. >> he was known for strong national defense and making sure there would bena sufficient weapons for our military. if you were to be called into battle. korean and vietnam wars. probably his most famous and really long-lasting legislation came in his last year. 1986, we need was responsible for the first reform of the national of the defense department for the first time

since it was organized in the 1940s. colin powell, brought him in after a couple of years later with the persian gulf war broughtn in senator goldwater s the very, i want to know that we were as successful as we were but with the persian gulf war taking this saddam and his people out of kuwait. clause of what you did and what you did as a blended to bring about the first reform of the defense department in 40 years. >> will show some video and this is from 1964. i think you'll recognize it. >> i would remind you, that extremism in the defense of liberty, is no vice. cut back screaming [applause]

remind you all, the moderation in the pursuit of justice is no applies. >> that was 1964, public goal national convention, barry goldwater had been nominated the night before. this was his acceptance speech. i think it can be fairly said. one of the most bumps famous may be the famous, acceptancent speh and political history of nationalk conventions. i was there. i had been director of communications. for the goldwater for committee.

i had felt like dancing on the ceiling. after we won the nomination but i have to say i was not happy with that speech. i felt he would use the word excreting -ism would have a kickback and would have a negativeex connotation in the minds of monday americans and that it might very well have been a mistake. by the way, i had nothing to do with the composition of it. nor did couple of the other most political types in the committee. we were disappointed and we were nervous and i think there was no span dodgers at the time. today, if somebody mayday speech like that, immediately following, they moved to a big room that would've been various

spokesman for the candidate. here's what that meant here's what he had to say, historical perspective for and on and on and on. they did not exist. that dive boat spin city did not exist in 1964. so we left it to the media and to the politicians to interpret it. we didn't have a chance to say, what's wrong with extremism. after kenny, henry, give me liberty or give me death. the idea of the just couple of months earlier, martin luther king jr. from a birmingham jail, talked about extremism. i want to be extreme in my pursuit of justice. so here we were possible alternatives and ways of explaining what barry goldwater said. but what people heard was

extremism is no vice. that's what they heard. and the pursuit of justice got dropped out in the minds of most people. in a course our opponents lyndon johnson or others, all said extremism it's not like that. that's gold water. >> winning the nomination was a fight for the republican party was in it. >> was in the beginning. the beginning of the transformation of the republican party into the conservative party which is what it isg tod. so began in 1964, george will had a pretty funny line about that staying. go pray goldwater was right, 16 years is it too early clause of course in 1980, ronald reagan won the presidency with essentially the same platform. in the same policies the very goldwater was recommending inth 1964. especially why not victory. >> this is the question you ask your books, can conservatives

govern. >> i think they can. i think the two best examples and we've only talked about one. bob taft and the so-called do-nothing congress. that's a republican congress did all of the smaller marvelous things. cut taxes and spending put down the building blocks of the policy of containment, but stopu the soviets. in 1980, we had ronald reagan. one of the great presidents and not only in the 20th century, but american history. extraordinary things he did. restoring america's confidence in themselves. sparking a period of economic prosperity like we had not seen before in peacetime. winning the cold war. that was an extraordinary accomplishment. >> joining the draft goldwater team was right being called from class aa harrisburg, the play for the washington nationals.

>> [laughter] yes it was. >> what were you doing at the time and how did you get the call. >> i've been in washington dc doing press work for hiscr secretary. and then going to work for a small pr firm. it then came the draft committ committee, i immediately volunteered. as there press or a press assistant. i was. i was accepted that. in november of 1963, i was hired as ahi news director of the drat goldwateraf committee. and that afforded me an opportunity then when they formed the goldwater for president committee to become the director of that. off of i have say, if i may, i was doing some traveling press

secretary and doing the same things the january february but we need a really somebody to be officially director of communications. so they hired a gentleman, unfortunately within a week he had a heart attack. and had to resign. he looked around and there was the edwards in the corner but he was is it too young and is it too inexperienced. they hired another veteran and brought him in and he worked out for about two weeks and then turned out that he was an alcoholic. so also the skirt chaser. so he had resolved. they looked around said well there's edwards. he's is it too young and is it too inexperienced but a seer. he is here okay will give you a chance. so that's how i became the director of communications of the goldwater for president committee. but i did a pretty fair job to the convention.

>> that's how liberals talk conservatives who thought. houck rockefeller in scranton of the other soft gold with delegate as nazi storm troopers who would unleash kristallnacht on those who oppose him. >> yeah pretty. early on, the republican liberals, like rockefeller and others. were determined to paint barry goldwater as an extremist. some kind of wild cowboy out of the west. what was at stake of course was republicanof party. this going toe control it. in the eastern liberal establishment had control it, since forever. and here so long came barry goldwater in the west in the southwest and the south. they said none overbought not going to give up to these people. were going to sit down with all her might and that means tarring

and rushing barry goldwater, calling him in an extremist, so be it. but as it turned out, we've done her homework with the help picking up delegates and all of the various pace at that time. in those days peter, not so much the primaries, when did matter that stake commission, the county and local images. and we had steadily lined up delegates as early as 196341964n in the actual dimension. so it is going on, that we were going to win the nomination. in that method they're very goldwater can say whatever he damn well please. and really let the people know what was at stake here. >> we need remembered thinking about nelson.

>> i think probably what i remember somebody who had a checkbook and who would write out checks and do things to win off of we could both of it was to persuade delegates. engage in tough tumbling. in a primary. but i think most of that he was for us, a young conservative. in a big government liberal that he thought that if there were a problem all you had to do is just spend money. i will solve it. so what was the difference between him and a liberal democrat. none whatsoever. so were not going to go that way. were not to go the route. it turned out that he was somewhat of a communist.

i give you a blessing that only came to domestic issues. he was a a big government guy vy happy to do stuff, and we were tired ofme that normally the yog conservatives meet tired of it but the older conservatives who have been around for. decades ad were blood he will tired of it we said it's time for a change. >> what is to me to be a conservative today edwards #. >> i think is the veryy exciting time. people are a little bit conservatives are a little bit worried. we are fighting is it too much. we are arguing is it too much were disputing is it too much, like the hatfield his and mccoy his. i said that's great. if that means vitality shines. of live. not of a movement that's cracking up. for that is onki its last leg, people are fighting and debating

and arguing so strenuously clause something of value is concerned here. and that is the conservative movement which is still a major actor in american politics. at the same time, we have an opportunity to accept change. i think that is part of what it eans to be a conservative today. not to be so resistant that they won't allow anything to happen even edmund burr said that change is inevitable. the question of being prudent change. that's what a traditional conservatives, are looking for the right kind of leadership in the right kind of debate and discussion. so i welcome all this going on right now. all of the various strands and strains of conservatives and. that is good. and coming out of that, will be a bigger and better and i think more relevant conservativebi movement in the years ahead. >> going to read you a quote. mary would just go absolutely

crazy if you know watching this today. he would be yelling at the television. he would think it's embarrassi embarrassing, the situation we have with donald trump. it's not the republican party or the country renew 25 or 30 years ago. that was susan goldwater march 21st 2016. >> and if there's something to be said for that. at the same time, goldwater was a practical politician it's not just a matter of principle which he was the concert gents a conservative is also tactical. he would've said liniment now 63 million people voted for the sky, why and what is he doing. i think he would begin staying latino, supreme court nominations date, deregulation, stacked cuts strong military national defense being buildup,

being concerned about trade that is not just free affair. think very goldwater would've applauded all of those things. i'm pretty sure he would've. at the same time, he probably would've said something like well why did it trump his mother wash his mouth out with soap. make them understand we don't need a potty mouth. goldwater would not infuse the word party. >> as you become known as the conservative historian and historian of the conservatives. >> i don't think i am. the story of the moment is nash. marlis several years ago now. intellectual history of the conservative movement of 1945. that is the bible. that is the premier that we refer to only want to know what

happened 40 and 50 and 60 and up until the 70s. george nash is the marvelous careful and painstaking brilliant historian and account him as the historian. of theso historian conservative movement. i have written some books and biographies and histories so of coming upt maybe a fifth or six and maybe making my way up in this race. it is our out to be historian. i really started out all those years ago, just right, to be about novelist. that didn't work out so well. i wrote three novels which are not published thankfully it they would've been in the baseman that i got into political writing which is where i was for 20 to 25 years. and when and i am burned out. i have had it and worried about campaigns not all that.

i go to the academy in a teaching right and so i went back to school and get a phd, began teaching and that's where i've been the last 20 or 30 years. i guess i have also picked up a little bit from church. i love that live of his. what is history going to say about you mr. churchill. he said, i know clause i'm going to write it. i well, i think what i am trying to do in a small way, with my work is to paint a picture of a conservative movement sometimes from the inside that sometimes a little bit from the outside so that people 20 to 50 years from now will be able to refer to my books and understand the conservative movement better and in more depth. >> for the book she wrote is reading the right book the guide for the intelligent

conservative. what are some of the books of a container. >> there hundred and nine books so my favorite books are in their conscience of a conservative by a buyer for goldwater i think is the pretty good book the buckley's got something in there, the road to certain, we have about eight or nine different categories and we took this hundred and nine books and put them into various statesmanship, economics, politics, history and so forth and what we did, was to take the book like say the road certain and then to boil it down just a page or a page and a off to try to get people to see what it is and perhaps to spark their interest in it and make the pickup the whole book and read

it. actually, that'll book it's only hundred 25 pages is one of the hardest things i ever did clause i had to read a book and then condensed down into three or 400 words. there really it's not easy and takes an amount of concentration and focus to do that. i couldn't do it for more than a couple of books depending on the day. it took us a while. >> conservative resolution, i think you talk about your novel. >> mac my best selling book, was really my first book. this spoiled me enormously. it was so easy to write a bestseller. it was the first i have to say,

biography of ronald reagan. i had met him in 1965 and interviewed him and then he of course was elected governor the year following in the 67, i said i think he is going to be a contender and 68, i am going to write his story now. which is whatt i did. the political portrait of him. as the first political biography and as a result of that, when a people were looking for a biography, and wanting to find out a little bit more about this actor, was he just an actor. there is my book. the paper book sold hundred and 5,075,000 copies. it wasco wonderful. >> originally appeared? >> no, should have printed it. [laughter] >> also a founding member of the

young americans. how did that comeg about. >> in 1960, there was the republicans party which was stl in hands of the l liberal establishment. in that same year was woodberry coldwater published conscious of a conservative. he's holding in our books that i did. and he sold 3 million copies of the conscience of a conservative. we began taking young conservatives, when i was working as a press secretary to the senator, my weak 20s, there was these young conservatives in various areas where it what we need is the conservative youth group. to influence the old republicans and maybe the republican party. let's get together.

subject to any debbie frankie with the two organizers of it. the bill buckley's cooperation they redid hosted at his home in sharon, connecticut and something like 90 of us shared up in september 19602 found the first conservative youth group. they became young americans. >> it stood fornd government bad upon the constitution and for free enterprise and that system which is best and bring prosperity to the most number of people. for traditional american values clause we talked about in the sharon statement, was our founding document about god-given rights. we acknowledge that there is a god. there is magnificent heeding being. also there's a need for a strong national defense clause communism was the leading most

dangerous enemy of the day was something which we said it must be defeated. that in the sharon. those were the ideas, 45 basic ideas of americans freedom. i think in the conservative movement. his only 300 something works. the sharon statement. i drafted a written by m stanton evans. the interest editor of a newspaper in america. it still stands up very well is one of the best single short concise principles of conservative principles. >> will politics was going on at the time. a presidential election in 1960, where were you allik on richard nixon? >> is our first choice.rs [laughter] our first choice was very full f bladder.

as a matter fact, he was put in nomination. but there was also just enough of the pragmatism if we can't have barry goldwater, richard nixon his not a bad second choice. after all he was responsible back in the 1940s, somebody who understands politics. understands, and we work for him and we did. monday young conservatives of the day worked as volunteers. not always volunteers for the nixonn campaign. naturally we were downcast we need lost to john kennedy. but at the same time, we said, 1964, we are going to run barry goldwatergo and we began working

to that end. as early as 1962. our finished rallies in new york city. >> your fealty down that you have chance of winning. >> the morning and 64? no. [laughter] we, i was pretty temples. the surveys. in january of 1964, after tragically john kennedy had been murdered. by economists. beautiful and we ran goldwater versus johnson and scranton rockefeller nixon, and we had 2t shows us as the 70 some percent as london-basedd johnson. better with richard nixon.

and he got less than 30 percent. it was clear that the american people would not p want another president, three presidents in juan pierre. which is what you would've had, kennedy johnson goldwater so we knew from the beginning. ldin goldwater was a senator frm the beginning. he did not win. he knew. so why did run. clause young conservatives likeo me, thanked him and implored h him, to do it. >> admitted that later. privately that's the only reason i am running is clause i wanted to keep faith with young conservatives like you. >> we talked a little bit about young americans for freedom and william f buckley, this video from 1991 red. >> news from the homefront it's not not good. we have the public administration and we alsoo had

the welfare state, conservatives anywhere would not be happy to exchange the domestic programs of 1960. founded for those for today. eleven years of a republican administration. >> william f buckley. our figueroa. our model and our dream. he did so much for the conservative movement that it is hard to quantify. and i symptom up in michael biography that by reason of his self, he was very wealthy man and his social standing, that he could have been the playboy of the western world. but yet, he chose the same goal of the conservative movement.

more something like for 60 years. and you do, to make that sacrifice, is something we will never tend to forget. and he deserves, the point of fact is we talked earlier about that magazine which became the genesis of a movement, he succeeded. national review did come that important. i think at the same time, going back to my., i think bill would say let's keep in mind, the conservative movement, republican party. it is true, a republican party has its political instrument. >> that could change nothing so. it has become not less but more

liberal. now flirting with some socialist ideas. i will say were stuck the republican party but it remains our political instrument. at same time, we don't measure our success only by who wins or who loses. >> , steve measure it. >> by what happens in the culture. i would happens in education one of the things which as you can s see happening more and more n, see young conservatives are now all over the place when it comes to the social media. they have their own blogs, their own websites and so forth. we see more and more young peoplele staying on to become a professor. and i want to see if i can possibly match wits with those

liberals and maybe not so prominent universities. i look to an awakening frankly, here in america and i think that is going happen clause conservatives make contributions and culture, and also i think in terms, of the importance of faith. i would not just leave and reason, but also into faith and i think those things reason and faith, are the two wings on which the constitution is flying by. i think where we are, we sort of keep our balance also between reason and faith so i'm optimistic. but i am always optimistic as i see young people not just coming to washington dc. getting into politics.

monday do. example thered. are 65 state thk tanks now. colombian people are going to work for those things. in making a difference there in the state legislature and state capitals. fromw. coast-to-coast. and assigns all w of the place. the renaissance, the conservative resident renaissance. >> good afternoon and welcome to boutique a cspan2 once a month we invite one operon to talk about his or her body of work. this month is author lee edwards and we talked about several of his books. he is written well over 20 some are not going to go through the full list. hopefully will be able to show you a lot of the book jackets as we go. but this is your chance to talk with mr. edwards about his history and about conservative ideas about ideas that are not conservative. two it is their code some fight any 200 if you live in the east and central time zones 20274

2027488201 for those of you in the mountains and pacific time zones. nephi don't want to make the phone call, where the lines are busy, and you can't get through, were going to go through all of our social media sites. other ways to get all of us make a comment, then we can read on the air facebook twitter and e-mail, etc. so we will cycle through those as we go. and mr. edwards for another hour and 15 minutes. i will begin taking those calls in just a few minutes. before we leave, william f buckley. avoid to read a quote. from 2000. when alex said less, he is mesmerized by his reflection. as donald trump were shaped a little differently, he would compete from ms. missre america. but whatever the depth, of self enchantment, the downward dog has to say something so what does trump say, that he is the

successful businessman and that is what america needs in the oval office. there is some plausibility in e is, mr. buckley writes though not much. the greatest ease of american presidents, like the new public spring displays. harvesting the energies to win the cold war, had little to do with the bottom line. >> this famous bill buckley. we definitely need him right now. to take on mr. trump. that needs to be done by someone like bill buckley. at the same time, if i were sitting and bill was there, i would say let's take those look at some of the things that he is accomplished. when you're in this first couple of years. beginning with kavanagh and gore his agent on from there. i think at same., you might say well all right, are those victories in sufficient balance of what we do have with the man

as not a very inspiring national leader so i think that's the kind of debate that we would have. i think what we need more of right now. >> pro military. less regulation, conservative justices. stacked cuts and all donald trump administration. >> right. conservative ideas. as of the conservative policy. so that is why there is a lot of challenge to conservatives these days is how do we handle mr. trump. i think something else needs to be said about them. in a positive way and that is a recognized the populist strain. in america.

better than any of the other candidates. i back in 2016. i have written that we have had the popular strain in conservatism since perry valdwater and if you look at goldwater his coming to prominence, that was clause he was appealingap to the limited government grassroots, element of america. same thing if you jump ahead to 1980, and the moral majority. there again, silent majority, they forgot an. these are all themes which began with goldwater continue with reagan, and continue with the contract if america at the same time. all of those hadnt been vetted y looking at folding the conservative people. and in the tea party. surfing the populist movement. so we can see this heart of

populism for some 40 to 50 years coming to the present and for some reason, only mr. trump saw it. he recognized iton and use it to win the nomination and then the election of barely of course. we'll have to see what what happens. to michael soon according to your take on 1988. this was a use of the conservatives. george hw bush as vice president 1988. >> my opponent, while rule out raising taxes but i will and the congress will push me to raise taxes and i will say no and they will push and i'll say no and the push again and i'll say to them, read my lips. [applause]

>> left fellow [laughter] certainly we held him to account. and we need raised taxes, we e were furious. hell hath no fury like a conservative scorn. and we had w been devon stating lead to scorn as a result of. that. and frankly, we made him pay for it. clause 92, we need ran for reelection, a lot of conservatives back lost perrault. again, the populace. that strain which is started way back in the 1950s or 60s, continuing to the 1990s, there was. embodied in ross perot. as we know bush lost as he

should've. given that he lost his borings a little bit a great deal and wasn't sure what he was and how he should present himself to the american people and think it's is that which is why ross perot got 19 million votes. >> did you vote for 92. well i don't know if that want to go into that. [laughter] i usually vote republican but not always. >> if someone would one book. which one would you recommend to get a sense of who you know a conservative movement, utc. >> i think what goldwater biography. i'm really proud of that. i really poured myself into it. i did something like 200 interviews and visited presidential libraries on target at writing it and grasping it. i think i pulled off.

they have pulled it off. i think it is really a good book. i think if you want to understand what happened in 1964 knew one of understand goldwater and you want to understand the conservative movement, it is all there in one book. you don't havel 33. >> what was his relationship with lyndon johnson and richard nixon, ronald reagan, other presidency spent time with. >> can vary from person to person. he really espied lyndon johnson. he was just an ass kicker. he didn't want to get in with him. i will spell it out. and so he knew the running against him was going to be a real crucible. that he was going to be tarred and feathered. is going to be accused of all terrible things. but at same time, i might offer

a choice and not an echo. the conservative choice. do that.termined to nixon, initially admired. nixon campaigned heavily for us in 1964. and is in place. hundred and 35 spaciousas for u. and then nixon turned around 1965 after nixon and announced he was probably going to run in goldwater endorsed nixon in 1965. for the presidency in 1968. he liked reagan and respected him but they never really personally hit it off. what's interesting, off of they knew each other in phoenix arizona, the in-laws and relatives and so forth, they never really hit it off. i don't know why that was.

i think i have written or suggested one of the reasons was that goldwater was just jealous of ronaldal reagan. and he and reagan had made it to become present work goldwater never did. do not have the opportunity. he felt maybe reagan did not work his way of as goldwater had. the political system. and all of a sudden there he was governor and then president. i think some very mixed feelings and the senator with regard to ronald reagan. >> does take some calls. see what america wants to ask you. eric and middle ear park in new york. >> edwards, i have the pleasure of have the paperwork this written called the left of him. the conservative moment though you mentioned populism. a bully from the very beginnings though, has never really been

united movement. in this populism was already racing. you mentioned barry goldwater. not appreciating ronald reagan. i interviewed him in the 70s after jimmy carter was elected president. on people believe is the man not given enough credit for what he did for conspiracy. he published in a review. he had met with ronald reagan and dragon did not care for him. russia's opinion of goldwater was he wasn't a conservative at all. why theer conservative movement, and also from the very .. >> you got a lot of the table there. you gotta tell you us a little bit of that yourself. you sound pretty connected. >> i am connected.

i lived you wrote, in new york, offended interest both in how i see the decline of western civilization, i do not see anything positive for us after president trump finishes his presidency, there's only so much women can do. he's not conservative. i think the administration, . - >> why are you connected? >> clause i have intellectual integrity. i am a gentleman and i go out to meet people. >> thank you sir. a lot on the table there the edwards, where would you like to start. >> i think that eric kiss it, i think eric needs to have a little more faith.

with the right principles and the right ideas both as a movement and as a nation. if you look at where we came from. in the founding, on the idea that we have that marvelous document, the constitution, the declaration of independence. we have the ability of people like madison and jefferson and adams in washington and so forth. their spirit is still with us. their gift is still with us in the constitution. in the declaration of independence and what we have to do is figure out the best way to apply those ideas and those principleses where we are today. and that is what ronald reagan did as president, and i think is what very old water would've tried to do it if he had been elected. for example, there would be no great society in barry goldwater had been elected president.

that experience determined that trillion dollar experiment. even there, can conservatives govern and do they have the right ideas. i think has been proven. with regard to the two bills, and buckley and bill rusher, so happens you may ask me later, what is your next book going to be. it's always one that comes so long. i'll take it f away from you no. it is called unsung heroes. i'm looking at it as i'm running a series of profiles of conservatives. the either been forgotten or not sufficiently recognize. as a matter of fact i'm going to add to that list, and writing it sort of one profile of the time. they will put together in a book a year or two from now. i'm going to add bill rusher, he was right, he was important is important. in monday ways.

>> will tell mentor be included in that book. >> yes he will be. he did a a wonderful job. it was by the way, ronald reagan his favorite newspaper. . . next call for lee edwards comes from going in frilly michigan. hi glenn, how are you doing? >> fine. thank you all very much for taking the call. two things, if i may, historically, mr. edwards, how

would you say the impact of phyllis shaklee was on the conservative movement and bringing it up to today, i recently saw a prominent conservative mark levine on booktv promoting his latest book on freedom of the press. he was talking about how of mass ãa because legal and illegal has changed so gemuch. to quote him "ronald reagan will be able to get elected dog catcher today" it's a one priority state very far left democrats. that plus what the culture war political correctness. >> glenn, we will leave it at those three issues. phyllis flatley, ronald reagan in california and overall the

culture wars. a >> phyllis was an extraordinary woman. she was the first lady of the conservative movement, no question about that. she really was the first person to create a profamily movement from the conservative point of view. and she would with what's called the eagles where she trained women at the local level to speak up for traditional american values, the family, the community, i think that she was one of the more important women of the late 20th century in terms of the american politics. >> before we leave, what about the issue of abortion being ã ⌟ >> phyllis came along after roe versus wade that was one of the

things that produce the front profamily movement. since that time, sing since roe versus wade, pro-life issues have become an integral part of the conservative movement and of the republican party. that is something that mr. trump should be given credit for. he's been very vocal about that and i think he needs to be commended for that. i don't agree, i think ronald reagan, if he ran in california might surprise a lot of people with just how well. he was such a master communicator. i think he could have reached out. i think probably by now the people of california have not had a conservative alternative in how many years? if somebody came along who was charismatic, who was principal, who understood some of the basic values and would be able to say people of california, let's not abandon such things

as the family, as the community as the constitution, i think ronald reagan would do amazingly well there. might not win but i think he woulrun a closer and better race because i think that not only in terms of his charisma but because he would have been able to articulate conservative principles in a relevant and appealing way today. >> and finally, the cultural wars. >> andrew breitbart did a wonderful statement of his in which he said that politics is downstream from culture. it so happens that the heritage foundation, which i am a fellow, was not into the culture wars until the early 90s. then we looked around and we realized yes there is a culture war going on we must get

involved in it and we have been up to here since then. we think that it's absolutely vital to talk about education. that you check about what's hacoming out of hollywood and, the way, what's coming out of nashville is a counter to what's coming out of hollywood when it comes to visit. we would be looking at what mr. burke called little cocoons of society. our churches, our communities, our families all of those things that's part of what's going on in the culture war. because the other side has been to terribly vocal and has a bit of a head start on the conservatives, they seem to be winning the race. i don't believe that. i see signs, i said earlier, of

another great awakening in this country. one based upon faith, one based upon people going to church, one based upon belief in a nuclear nfamily. i see all those signs and i'm encouraged by what i see. looking forward to enjoying the beginning of such a great awakening. >> hugh, ashland virginia, please go ahead with your question for lee edwards. >> ãbi actually share common background with grpresident trump, i'm looking to help him unite the country but i have a problem that i would like doctor edwards to address and to thank him for his service. i'm a vietnam era veteran. in the 2016 campaign when he was running for npresident he said he could shoot tsomebody

fifth avenue. with all the shootings going on around the country and the chaos, how would you say those words are resonating today? they never made sense to me then, they don't now and they are hurtful. i would like to help him change and understand before the words come out of your mouth, my ã said words are very powerful. choose very carefully whether you will use words in a positive or negative way. >> i think it's a very eloquent statement and i think you are absolutely right. it's unfortunate, he's a new yorker. he's from queens, he's from new york and he has this tendency to hit back whenever he's hit, without thinking through what he is saying. without calculating perhaps the ultimate impact of that. all we can do is to hope and maybe pray that people around him will persuade him to be a little more careful because

certainly the business about shooting somebody on fifth avenue is not the kind of rhetoric which you want from your national wleader. >> patricia is going in from estate we've just been talking about. trinidad california, hi patricia. >> hello. thank you for taking my call. and thank you mr. edwards for your continuing interest for so many years. i met barry goldwater in 1964 in portland oregon park of all places. he was barbecuing hamburgers and later in the decade in 1968 i briefly met then governor reagan and i was very impressed with both of those gentlemen. i wonder if you have any thoughts on a candidate for president following perhaps president trump second term, someone younger, articulate. dignified along the lines of senator cotten of arkansas are

perhaps jim jordan. i just wondered if you had thoughts on the up-and-coming future ccandidate. >> patricia, very quickly, you sound like you been an activist republican over the years. if you could give us a sense of your involvement in politics and then a sense of what you think about president trump. >> and very interested and engaged in politics. in a small community. i've never run for office. but my grandparents in portland oregon were very active in the hrepublican party and hence wh i was 16 years old took me to the barry goldwater rally. i was a huge fan of william buckley right after i got my first television in the 60s in san francisco where i worked for united president of nashville. and was actually in our bureau the day before robert kennedy was assassinated.

and in conjunction with my job at upi organized upi convention in san francisco and that's when i met then governor reagan. it's strange to be living in a ate where we have so few conservative ãthat are articulate its discouraging. there are a few of us left in california and i hope doctor edwards is right in thinking that if someone like governor reagan, president reagan, were able to run today that he might win. >> patricia, thank you for coming in. we are going to get an answer first of all, we are going to . show you some video of somebody you may not have heard of, you made a rhythm, this is somebody named walter judd. >> oh yes.

>> it has more than 300 chapters on the college campuses. it's national and local leaders and convention here at the chicago coliseum june 1969 take a major credit for the writing mob actions takeovers and burnings on college and university campuses throughout the nation. >> we've always been quite willing to talk about it. >> i will talk about socialism anywhere in the senate, anywhere. [laughter] >> i am walter h judd, this film is presented by the national education program in searcy arkansas to inform and to impress upon american citizens who love their country, the true nature and the true magnitude of those

forces linked to world communism better working within our nation for its reoverthrow. we do not challenge freedom of dissent on college campuses or anywhere in america. we acknowledge the existence in colleges and universities of broad areas for improvement and we support efforts toward changes, beneficially affecting the future of american youth. this documentary is devoted to an entirely unrelated movement for change. a movement of revolution which openly declares its sds

ãbthis is mark rudd april 1968 at columbia university new york city. rudd had been named chairman of the sds chapter at columbia after returning from a three week tour of cuba where he visited fidel castro. >> we tyhave tore down for university buildings, three of which usually have classes. we had mass meetings of 800 600 people respectively. >> roads sds groups and rack brown student afro-american society paralyzed the university. brown, one of the leaders of the student nonviolent coordinating committee has agitated all over america. >> the black students of columbia university joined by a few members of the black community had been in hamilton all for 56 hours, more than that now. the brothers in here will stay here until the university is willing to talk on their terms and we are going to need the community of harlem and both support down there so we let

columbia know if they don't want to deal with the brothers in here they will deal with the brothers on the street. >> all right lee edwards, we have patricia in california and to figure out who walter judd is. let's start with walter judd, who was he you've written a book about him? >> walter judd was an extraordinary man who was a medical missionary in china in the 1920s and 1930s. who worked and treated as nations nationalist chinese and communist chinese and then became a member of congress for some 20 years and became an advisor in foreign policy china japan and so forth, asia to presidents eisenhower, very close to eisenhower. he was once considered as a possible running mate for eisenhower in 1952. after retiring became what he called a missionary for

freedom, doing, by the way, a radio program which was sponsored by the american security council and was a daily three minute commentary which wound up in 1000 radio station. he was one of the best heard americans from the 60s, 70s into the 80s. and then finally slowed down and gave an opportunity to say doctor judd, because of your insight, particularly into china, which remains such a major issue right now, let me write your book. which i did. but not before he went over every line of my book, of my manuscript. we got together sitting on two chairs in the kitchen and he went through every single line. it did not change that much, i'm happy to say. he was a scientist, he was a surgeon, and he wanted things

to be just so. it was my second biography. >> to tie this into what patricia was asking about, would he have been one of those people that should've been president in your view or could have been present in your view? >> he could have been. if he had been the vice president and run with ike, 1956, could have been. he would have been very formidable candidate. he gave the keynote in 1960 at the republican national convention and stampeded the convention. i was at 11 straight conventions over the years. signs began appearing, walter judd for vice president. [laughter] he really destampeded that convention. >> who is that youngish conservative you are looking at

post donald trump? >> i think some of the names, is it sue? >> patricia. >> patricia mesh and definitely should be on the list and others as well in the senate. i can think of at least and a half a dozen who have come to heritage who have spoken have impressed us by reason of their intelligence of their understanding of conservatism. a basic what we call first principles of the founding. it's one of these things that a great opportunities. another reason for my optimism i have to say is because heritage has this marvelous intern program. we bring in about 150 college students every year. we have two or three who work in our particular center, principles and politics, coming

to work and working with these young people it's stimulating. it keeps you going. i'm excited still about going to the office every day and being able to talk with and mentor these young men and women. >> let's hear from guillermo who is also calling from li california. my question is, abraham lincoln woke up for his 150 years longer they asked him why did you leave your party and he did it he said i didn't leave the ã ãrepublican party.

75% views were democrat, 75% hispanics were democrat. 95 percent of blacks are democrat. you are a dying party, your party is supported by white old people. >> guillermo, we will get an answer in two seconds. give us a sense of your politics. >> the sense of my politics? >> yes sir. >> i used to subscribe to the national review, russell kirk, i read all the books. i used to read william buckley. i am hispanic, i met immigrant, american citizen, a vietnam vet and am very concerned, believe me, i have read william

buckley, the countries of the conservative. i might have a ricky ricardo accent but i'm very active in politics and i am very concerned about the situation with donald trump. i think the republican party ã ãi've seen few people george well is my hero. [indiscernable] you got your two supreme court justices, you got your tax cut, but i'm going to make a a prediction and i'm going to finish, in 2015 when donald trump was walking down the escalator, i was in the spanish radio ic used to have a spanish

radio show and i told people, he's going to be president. he's going to be president. i made a bet and i won. i'm going to make another prediction, this is gonna be he the last or two more election cycles the republican party is going to be sorry the they ever back donald trump. he is a new yorker ãbwe pray he doesn't talk anymore stupidity. the republican party has to wake up. >> guillermo, thank you for the explanation. the gop left me and the gop has sold its soul. >> of course that's one possible scenario. if we look at the elections coming up though, there are other possible scenarios. it depends on who the democrats nominee. it depends upon the economy. it depends upon what's

happening overseas. i think it's really important not to get so caught up in the fate of the republican party. yes, it's a party which is been conservative more or less. most of the time, the last 5060 years, thanks in large measure to the work of the conservative movement but that might t chang. that may change. who knows.there might be a third party which comes along finally. i would say i would make my prediction and not of the predicting business i'm a historian at a profit but i would say that if the republican party were in poor or aid or whatever eight years whatever it might be were begin to fade that would not be the beginning of one party country here in america a third party a

new second party would come to light and might be very interesting to see what kind of shape and what kind of content it might have. that would be my prediction there. >> we will put the phone lines on the screen if you want to produce a bid in our conversation this afternoon with lee edwards 202 is the area code, ãb we will also scroll through our different ways of getting a hold of us via social media and uthis email came in and this i from mike in illinois, what is the best conservative future for healthcare? >> i think it is one in which you would have elements of the following. health savings accounts at which you would be able to set aside money to pay for your

healthcare but then use it for other purposes if you want. it would be healthcare in which you would be able to cross state lines it would be healthcare in which previous conditions would not affect whether or not you are supposed to have healthcare or not. good healthcare would be one which there would be competition. if you look at healthcare in both canada and great britain, i've done a little but i don't pretend to be a specialist but i have done a little bit and you see that where you had that kind of one payer system that the weight which you are involved in getting operations are six months, eight months, 12 months, sometimes weeks before you can see your internist, your gp. these are all things that as

americans we have not accepted quite the contrary we believe in choice we believe in competition and i think it's possible to put together the right kind of the healthcare program which includes those elements and yet at the same time maintains what we have presently which is medicare and medicaid. >> from our facebook page chuck poses ragan was a traitor who started the u.s. death ãb death spiral gop is responsible for majority of the debt. >> that's true. >> the national debt multiplied seriously under ronald reagan. my only response to that, what price piece? the reason why that was wrong into several hundreds of billions of dollars was because

ronald reagan was determined he was going to win the cold war he was going to help win it. as he put it, he said it might sound simplistic but i have a solution and a way to end the cold war. we win and they lose and he said by building up the military and what happened is that the soviet said we cannot possibly compete with the united states in arms race we just can't do it we don't have the means. mikhail gorbachev understood that. so he in effect sued for peace so i would say, to ask yourself what price piece, was it worth running up the national debt as much as ronald ragan to end the cold war which included conflicts hot and cold affected people on every continent in which tens of thousands of americans died but to end that at long last add to do it at

the bargaining table and not on the battlefield. >> kathleen in lawrence cannsas. >> i want to complement c-span your wonderful program you have different points of view on. i'm calling him because i don't know where else to ask the question i'm older and not a technocrat. i'm a liberal, i grew up in california but i transplanted to the midwest and i'm concerned about the midwest being considered flyover states. my question is the constitutional one. i'm worried about the erosion of the power of congress and am wondering why when it takes the senate to ratify treaties why just one person, the president can pull out of treaties.

i'm not sure all of these are treaties that the iran deal, the assault, the mid range missiles treaty. the paris climate control. why doesn't the senate also had to ratify when we pull out of treaties? >> kathleen we will get an answer in two seconds. i want to ask you, why are you a liberal?re >> i grew up in california, my parents were conservative. by the way, i was interested to find out that eisenhower was wanting to be ãbboth democrats and republicans wanted to recruit him but i'm a liberal. , i believe in enlightened capitalism but they say the democrats attacks the spam and

publicans are spanned and i think i'm a liberal because i believe in compassion about some of our social problems. if you didn't pay the premiums and have a placard in your wall they would it save your house from burning. we don't believe we should have a competing fire stations now. i think we should have a competing healthcare. in. >> thank you very much. that was very well said we appreciate your retime. lee edwards, what you hear from kathleen? >> it's a wonderful question. i'm with you i wish congress would speak up more and take a

more activist role as it should under the constitution. it is the keeper of the purse, he used to be many years ago that they would submit the budget and that the president would react to it but we got into the habit not so many years ago of the president producing in a budget and the congress reacting to it. it's a question of leadership. the power is there that if congress wants to it can challenge the president when it comes to spending, when it comes to treaties and if a president does not implement a treaty which has been improved and ãapproved and passed by the senate it's my understanding that then it can the senate can take action and demand that the president do so but that would require some very large cojones on the part

of the senate to be able to stand up to the president and that's what has been lacking. a question of leadership. of ..... ongoing - - >> yes. i think it appears as though republicans don't give a >> i'm only concerned about the bottom line. the facts and figures in dollars and cents. not people. that is the fault of communication on the part of the republican party. some presidents have tried to address that. george w. bush, compassionate conservatism and so forth. and certainly conservatives also can be guilty of that. if they are to literature in. it can only be set concerned about that golden individual. what about the community. what about larger entities as

well. so that is aat challenge. this debate that is going on right now, among conservatives about the future of conservatism and they are talking just about that. i think you are going to see conservatives paying for understanding and more concerned about feelings and perhaps in the past. >> david scullion from baltimore. hi dave. >> hi thanks. i am confused about some definitions. i think conservative. and pro-life or gun control. i begin education. in conservatism it is in economics, i don't get it.

seems to me extremes. how did racism get in there. >> dave before we let you go, what he think about the present attention that's been given to your city. >> [laughter] invited trump to come. he would be scared. in income before. it was going to any cancel out. we were great city, we have a lot of problems. compassion, talk to my base, were 70 percent black. >> are a day, thanks. the statement baltimore. >> innovate, and his latest book, which is really quite remarkable piece of work. george will, talks about healthy

conservativeth sensibility. what a conservative is concerned with. essential think the conservative is trying to conserve. his made it through is the constitution. an founding and the wisdom which was expressed and classified by such people as madison hamilton, adams, and theam others. so that is number one. number two, we have to keep coming back h again it seems to me, two basic ideas. pro-life, yes, anti-gun, what is involved there. it is really a question of choice, isn'tes it. with regard to the second amendment. the question should you be allowed to have a gun or not. the question of choice.

with regard live, we would say as conservatives, that the family is the building block of civilization and were not going to be saving the people, not to declare themselves to be gay or lesbian or transgender or whatever. but the same time, you can't say that that is more important for my vital or more necessary than a basic nuclear family of a man and a woman. i think people would just keep going back to the basic ideas. limited government. free enterprise, traditional american values, individual freedoms and nothing to make this important., he said yes, freedom is important. economics, great libertarian and self-described. he said yes freedom is important. but what isre also more importa, is what you do with that freedom. so that means we are talking

about individual freedom and responsibility. >> want to talk about the importance of 1994, i want to start by showing just a little bit of video. >> this it's not just a platform produce a set of ideas or just a brochure. there will be all of the legislature language, everything will be developed by the price of the september and will be available to all of you and the americanto people, literally people will be able to take out the out of the tv guide of the october 27th edition a month after the if it in two weeks election. you turn out the whole. you'll be able to keep it. attenuator, the turn to cspan2 and within an hour or two, below either of these guys are different in their keeping the word in israel, or is politics as usual. >> was from 1994. never going to show you some

video two years later. >> in that video it's not quite ready. so not going to show you that. but the video we wanted to show you was bill clinton staying they are of big government is over. so that was newt gingrich, adoptive america than bill clinton. >> was a little premature. [laughter]bi talking about the area or era of the government being over. it certainly was over or to say was reduced. or limited when you're in the 1990s and famously with welfare reform which the congress and republican congress as price, is vetoed twice by bill clinton then he finally gave in and said okay let's have welfare reform. their course was also balanced, three or four balanced budgets. when you're in the 1990s.

what was that possible. cooperation with the democratic president, and republican congress. if you arere going to bring abot reform in this country, bring to break the deadlock that we have right now in a man's leadership of both's sides, it was a come together and cooperate together and work together. if you don't have that, we're going to have made large which is the divided nation, a divided country. to me, the contract with america in 1994, is another evidence of the populace strain. and conservatism because it went out and tested every spirit of america pulling and surveying all the rest of it, to make sure what did the grassroots think about these balanced budget and all the rest of it. the stackedge reform. to me it is a pit of triumph, another victory for populism but

i do particularly kind of populism. talking about old-fashioned, constitutional populism. the populism based upon the constitution. i keep coming back as does thet movement, to that a sensual founding document constitution. >> is checked out pets in the republicans getting together doing something, it will be compromised and only get you to 60 to 70 percent. of what your original will was. >> yes but this is what politics is all about. it is aboutut compromise. you have to know when to take your principles and apply them in to see exactly where they're going to leave you. you better be careful here, we would don't want to give up more than you should give up to save faith with your principles. >> a lot of folks today are scared early suspense said the lot are squared of the primary

on the left or the right because they are deceived as a compromised. >> again, the candidate has the right financing organization platforms and needs charismatic enough, he's not going to be defeated. he's going to be able to overcome a challenge on the left or from the right. and sometimes depending upon the congressional district, this was what and that's what you can hope for. not going to best able to get my perspective. somebody that is so conservative. to me, there are so monday opportunities outso there. i get a little bit frustrated. when people don't realize the promise that there still is in this country. and that is why i am a dragon conservative.

i am an optimist. these things are possible in dragon proved that it was possible. we have been through all when you're in the 1970s, trauma after trauma after trauma as a nation. but it was watergate, vietnam, the murder of john f. kennedy back in the 60s and so forth. people said that's it were never going to be able to back on track again. then reagan came so long and was able to restore the confidence. we are suffering at the time the tremendous economic downturn. but he did, that taxes, supply-side, started a period of economic prosperity. in fact very well, the cold war is always and have with us and reagan said, were not. we went and they lose. timmy, to do all three of those, people said it was impossible but ronald reagan did it and i said we could learn a hell of a lot from that kind of leadership. and that kind of inspiration. >> carl integer say, you are on

with the edwards book tv. >> i mentioned that in 1964, goldwater had a fundraiser here in jersey. but my question is with yukon man's about trump. trump isn't the first republican who goes back to democrats traditionally talk to republicans. i am delighted that he doesn't. i support him and sheer every time i hear his comments. >> thank you carl in new jersey. just to add onto that, owner a little quote before we hear from you. this is from the wall street journal recent by fred segal the manhattan his institute. he was writing about the title

as you can't blame trump for baltimore. anna says the president trumps worst manners leads or tends to obscure the hard to acknowledge reality. he often has a. >> i think that's true. obviously, about 63 america million americans who last time we had an election, agreed with his analysis of donald trump. people likeer somebody who is tt way. i think that's one of the strengths but sometimes you can overdo things is it too. i think that's where speaking as a conservative somebody wants to build lamarck balance perhaps i wish any be a little bit more careful some of the times at all times. >> was your role. >> the heritage foundation was a miracle.

and that it was the idea of two unknown congressional staffers, the idea that it should be a conservative thing we have nei. it was the idea that we want to produce timely concise research indicates people before the debate occurs. the people said were less interesting idea but i'm notop interested. and so and i'll try for years to get somebody to become interested in finance their ideas of conservative think tank. and finally, they met course as an course brewery. that's the best damn beer in america as far as we are concerned. i'm sorry to say, regret say, i

had nothing to do with the formation of heritage. years later, i asked joe cars, interviewing for my history biography of the former leading the way. why did you do it. $250,000 invested in this untested idea by two unknown congressional his staffers. there were nobody. lisa number one, then a business plan, they knew other points to the money salaries transportation publications printing postage telephones and so forth. and secondly, they wanted to make a difference right away. not next year, not six months from now, make a difference right away. and that is why i put up the money and we need did. and sorry the ball. that folder has never been enough for god. nor has it.

>> he always presenteded himself as the head of something but he said what is important is to look at the organizations. what is the think tankai doing d what are its elements and how is it stabbed spending his money. what are its goals. what has it learned about how to be a better and more efficient organization. let's be as much like a business as possible. i think because of his business training, he graduated from martin, they was able to realize from a different lee iacocca his one example of somebody who was very much upfront. so forth and didn't see it that way the focus on the organization of the individual. >> conservatives tend to be all white men. according to one of our callers earlier was the head of the

cottage and nation. >> our current president of the heritage foundation is an african-american woman. j. she is marvelous. charismatic principle, reaching out to various groups and she is making a difference. she's making a difference with the african-american community already in thinking with that heritage andta by association te conservative movement. she is going to be an extraordinary game changer for us. she alreadyy is. >> george is in bloomington, illinois. you are on with the edwards. >> thank you. i've been watching c-span since it was invented in 1979. i've been watching mr. edwards over the years. and i purchased and read one or two of his books. i didn't realize he was up to 20. i'm very interested.

>> twenty-four. >> twenty plus yes. excellent, i'm looking forward to reading it. i am still not quite retired but in any case, i've been a follower of bill buckley his career monday years. clear back to the original programs. there is a common also is regarding mr. buckley, who once had for university of chicago professor as a guest. mr. edwards would know that. but i went in a case, are particularly interested in the respect of the president trump stuff. federal judicial nominations.

hundred and 45 recently and almost 165. i understand. he's only halfway through his first term are a little bit more than that way before so most. i believe that in response to them to the comments made about president trump, mr. edwards comments, have been right on. with everything he has said. sometimes i wish it would just read is twitter. it seems to me, true measure of long-term impact of regardless of if he gets reelected. i tend to vote for him again. most of us in my family. he said already and continued to have a very long-term impact on the countries and protocol.

>> okay with that the., let's get the point in the response from lamberts. >> i think is right. perhaps conservatives applaud and are delighted with annie's absolutely right the nunnally supreme court, mr. cavanaugh buo also at the appeals loophole and down for that as well. that when he or before is through, his first term would be probably close to severalbe hundred federal judges and what is important about thatat politically, of course is the republican majority in the senate has approved those coming so long to something which senator mcconnell deserves credit and the long-term impact of that over the next 20 and 30 years, is considerable.

it probably comes close to measuring what ronald reagan did. back in the 1980s and we know that has certainly mayday difference as well. >> donald in south bend, indiana. donna please go ahead. >> hi, i initially called, i'm 57 years old, i remember the reagan era. one of the things that really upset me, was this thing about the welfare queen. i had no proof at the time we need was talking about it and was not true. but i didn't really believe. and it was basically proven incorrect or wrong. the reason why i am a democrat is because being a conservative,

seems to be a conservative. you guys to slogans to get your base going. but to be a democrat, you have to sit down and think things out and that takes time for some people just don't have the time because they arere working. we work and we are working, or taking care of family and everything. then again, who and digest all of the stuff. >> hey donald, we do in south bend. >> also want to do. also i am a proud union member. i am a mailman. i'm an noc member. that's another thing, the current president of the united states, wants to pretty much god

the post office. we don't want that to happen. >> are a donald, thank you we are running a little short on time but we got the point and we got mr. edwards to respond. >> ronald reagan was a union member. he was the first union leader to be elected president. six or seven times, and of course he was a democrat but most of the foremost of his live. it, missourimo somebody mentioned earlier, it was felt that it we need read switch the republican party, internet left the democratic party but it left him. and he was comfortable with it. also, in terms of the welfare queen. sorry to be argumentative

but a point ofgu fact, reagan ws correct. she was somebody who hadn't worked the system for monday different getting payments for monday different addresses and names and she did drive the big fancy car. and if anything, not staying that he underplayed her, her use of the welfare system. but she was somebody who was an did as a matter of fact, i believe convicted i think that sick to jail. i want to be careful about that mission say that but with regard to the charges that he made, she had taken advantage of the system to receive multiple soecks with multiple sources of income and he was ronald reagan was correct about her. >> , just tell donald in south bend, is the new book out by josh levin. we have covered it on book tv

and it is called the point. it is about that story. so if you're interested, you can go to book tv untoward and you can look up a queen or look up josh levin in the search function at the top and you can watch that program online. it has aired about the way, you watch any book tv program that we have aired over the past 20 years online and booktv.org. now before we say goodbye to you mr. edwards, ussr author what their favorite books are and what they're currently reading. when the virtuous is your favorite. so long with russell kirk and ernest hemingway and thomas burton, frank, the wonderful wizard of oz. what is i come from. i left it in. >> thank young peter. i love to talk about it. this was the first book i ever read. so that's number one. number two i would just enchanted by it. it was magical.

it was this wonderful land of oz. it was so inviting. i wanted to move there. but how can i buy an airplane ticket i was only five or six when i read it but how could possibly get there. and also to me, as i learned later, it had an happy ending unlike the grim others in the grim details were people avoids dying and being gobbled up and so forth. the wizard of oz is with everybody happy. everybody achieving the goals in i can take a brain and i can take a heart. >> was about the gold standard and summer. >> this is made of stuff. he never had that in mind at all. i did some study and mr. mann. he was trying to tell a wonderful story. as a people that read into it more than that was really there, he wanted to enchant young people and he does so. i'm happy to say i was one of those fortunate people who did. again this wonderful weather books.

thomas and jefferson sick him i cannot live that went out books. >> we also show our viewers but lee edwards is currently readi reading. the last homily and george wilson conservative sensibility. that's his latest book. george's sentiment of a great christmas and the poking her and walter the divine plan. on a depth. the edwards is in our guest this month on in-depth and we appreciate your time. >> thanks much peter, great to be here. >> the new cspan2 online store now has book tv products. go to cspan2 start on hard to check them out. see the snow, for book tv and all of the cspan2 products. next, is book tv monthly in-depth program with this