is the well-known best-selling author who's written over 20 books, biographies on james monroe, patrick henry and his latest book called mr. president george washington and the making of the nation's highest office. what did you discover new about george washington and this biography? >> the constitution had executive power in a president of the united states, but it failed to disclose what those powers were to visit and it didn't even tell the president how to use them. it told them simply that he was to execute the office of the president. what does that mean? it means nothing today. it meant nothing then and that is what the framers wanted. they had lived for years under an absolute monarchies in indolent and under the tyranny of that malarkey and they were not about to recreate the rtc they created a figurehead in the first president of taking the oath of office was to be just that and george washington and penn the commander-in-chief of the revolutionary army army that defeated the world's most powerful army on earth and one the nation's independence. they adored him and they elected him

could find george washington, thomas jefferson, james madison, george mason, john marshall and patrick henry? we ain't going to find them. now, at some theoretical level they are there. that is, human beings with the capacity for leadership are there, but the situation doesn't permit that group to rise to the surface. and so the question is, why did that situation exist in 1776? now, there is another answer to this, which is that great leadership only emerges during times of great crisis. and this makes eminent sense, the pressure that the crisis creates. and yet we can all think of examples where there's a great crisis and there's no leadership. like now. [laughter] [applause] >> or the coming of your -- world war i in europe. so what was special, you can't say there was something special in the water back there then. you can't say god looked down upon the american college and bless them. supernatural explanations are not admitted. even if you're an evangelical you're not allowed to use those in a historical conversation. i don't know whether i have a good answer to this, but some of the is