we're in rushville, where is elwood? >> well, rushville is in east central indiana, elwood is in the northeastern part of the state, north of rushville about, oh, an hour and a half from here, a little over an hour from indianapolis. in madison county. >> and why is elwood so important to the 1940 campaign? >> well, for my grandfather, what he chose to do in his acceptance speech, to accept the nomination, he held the acceptance speech in the formal acceptance in elwood, indiana and still to this day it's the larmest political rally ever in the history of indiana. >> in the books here, the historical seat, people were honking horns and cheering that the hometown boy was the republican nominee something seen as improbable going into philadelphia. >> oh, no question. he was the dark horse. and during that time period, during the nomination speech you had stories of beer cans that were -- that were many feet high, that were -- it was such a hot, hot sweltering indiana day that was out there. and so people -- it was a carniv

so for wendell willkie to be here in rushville, indiana.f he couldn't talk to the people here in rushville, he thought that this was most important to go on to other places, other cities throughout the country. it would be much harder to do. >> and his remarks, 70 years ago this month, october of 1942, did the book face criticism? >> it did. it did sell millions of copies. many people liked it very much. but the criticism was deep and endures in a sense. america was, as we've said several times now, very isolated before the war and there were many during the war who still believe that america was best as america alone and not part of some larger entity like an international organization, the u.n. as it came to be known. there are many americans of this generation who had never been out of the country, who had never been out of the state or even the county in which they were born in. so the provincialism, the lack of knowledge about the world is central to what willkie is trying to do in this book in explaining in clear and forceful language

we are in rushville, indiana. at the home of wendell willkie, his home literally three blocks from where we are now. welcome to the conversation. >> thank you, c-span. this is a great program and i hope a lot of people take advantage of this great service you are giving to the american people. my question -- i have a couple of comments and questions. but first, being in the suburb of akron, ohio, known as copley, i wanted to know a little bit more about wendell willkie's role as an attorney for the goodyear tire & rubber company where he, during that time, was heavily involved in akron city democratic politics. and my second comment is with wendell wendell willkie being the dark horse candidate at that time, do you see him being -- like herman cain, with no political experience and a business background that sort of thing and he is starting to look better compared to governor romney and governor perry and the others that are basically career politicians? >> you bring up two good points. let's talk about akron ohio

he married a librarian in the neighboring town of rushville where he owns indiana farmland. his land on needs and problems not from books, not from brain trust reports, not from boss ridden city machines but by living and working and talking with us, face-to-face, shoulder to shoulder. and it is face-to-face that he'd like to meet you now. to talk for a few minutes about the problems confronting our america. >> i would like to talk to everybody in this country about the issues of this campaign. but you understand that the size of the country and the time i have to devote to this campaign makes that impossible. i do take this method of presend senting to you the views on the fundamental issues on this cam pawn up campaign. because i'm a business bhan i'm very proud and was farmally connected with a large company, opposition have attempted to picture me as an opponent of liberalism. i was a liberal before many of those men heard the word. and i fought for the reforms of the theodore roosevelt and wood row wul silson before another roosevelt adopted and distorted the word liber

. ♪ ♪ >> he married edith willk in the town of rushville where it is indiana farmland. ♪ ♪ >> not frommachine, but by living and working and talking with us, face to face, shoulder to shoulder and it is face to face that he'd leak to meike to meet to talk about the problems confronting america. >> i would like very much to talk to everybody in this country personally about the issues of this campaign, but you understand that the size of the country and the time i have to devote to this campaign makes that impossible, but i do take this method of presenting to you, my views on some of the fundamental issues of this campaign upon which my convictions are very strong and very clear because i am a businessman of which incidentally i am very proud and was normally connected with a large company that the opposition have attempted to picture me as an opponent of liberalism and i was a liberal before many of those men heard the word and i fought for the rewards of the elder theodore roosevelt and woodrow wilson before another roosevelt adopted and distorted the word liberal. i believe that the