Former CBS anchor Dan Rather interviewed TIME Magazine's Joe Klein about the upcoming presidential elections last night in a live TV discussion that emphasized money's role in presidential primaries.
Broadcast live on the HDNet airwaves from Richardson Auditorium, the event was the first of several "Dan Rather Reports" town hall meetings to be held across the country. Structured as an hour-long news program, it was entitled "Race to the White House: Talking Politics at Princeton University." The filming included short breaks meant to coincide with live commercial breaks.
The program was hosted by the Wilson School, whose dean, Anne-Marie Slaughter '80, welcomed Rather to campus. She said she hoped the show would not only be "a local forum, but also a national forum" for political debate.
Rather and Klein stressed two themes throughout the program: the importance of money in the presidential primary season and the need for candidates to confront difficult issues. "To me, a candidate won't be credible until they tell me something I don't want to hear," Klein said.
Rather was the anchor of CBS Evening News, leaving CBS in March 2005 following controversy over false information he presented on the air about President Bush's history in the National Guard. "Dan Rather Reports" has been on HDNet since October 2006.
The program began with Rather introducing himself and showing a pre-filmed segment discussing the role of funding in the presidential race before heading into a commercial break.
After the commercial, Rather introduced Klein, a political journalist who wrote "Primary Colors," which centered on the 1992 Democratic presidential primary, and "The Natural," an analysis of Bill Clinton's presidency. Klein said "there is something different" about the 2008 race. "Sometimes the American people are focused and interested in the election," he said. "This time people are dead serious."
Rather and Klein speculated on candidates for president in 2008 — both those who have announced their candidacy and those who have not yet said whether they will run.
Drawing on the time he spent covering the Clintons, Klein said that he foresaw problems for Hillary Clinton's campaign. "In 2008, we will have had 20 years of Bushes and Clintons ... two prohibitively weird families," he said.
Rather called Rudy Giuliani a favorite among the Republicans. Klein said he thought former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack exited the race too early and argued that the most undervalued Democrat is former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, father of Cate Edwards '04.
Klein said that if Al Gore or Newt Gingrich were to enter the race, both would do so closer to the primary season. "This next year is going to be a year for the insiders," he added.
Rather and Klein also answered questions from the audience. The questions were preselected and came from members of the Wilson School.
Slaughter asked, "Should we be focusing on what [the candidates] would do in Iraq or what they would do in the broader Middle East?"
Rather said that the question should not be confined to the Middle East, noting that he also sees mounting danger in Afghanistan. Klein said the focus should be on the candidates' general thought processes rather than their specific plans for the region.
While walking off stage, Klein said he "thought [the questions] were good, especially given their sophisticated foreign policy bent."
Students responded positively to the show.
"I thought it was interesting, but I was a little disappointed that there wasn't any [unplanned] audience interaction," Greg Yanez '09 said.
Libby Hutton '09 said, "I thought it was a really interesting debate ... and less partisan, which is good."
Read More
PSafe increases patrols after Brown and Sydney attacks, says no threat to Princeton
Hayk YengibaryanThe email from campus officials follows a mass shooting at Brown University that took the lives of two students and injured nine others and a terror attack at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney.
The email from campus officials follows a mass shooting at Brown University that took the lives of two students and injured nine others and a terror attack at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney.
Dean of Graduate School hosts TigerSide Chat to celebrate 125th anniversary
Ambre Van de VeldePriestley highlighted Princeton’s continued leadership in graduate education, noting four new PhD programs just within the past three years: biophysics, bioengineering, quantum science, and material science engineering.
Priestley highlighted Princeton’s continued leadership in graduate education, noting four new PhD programs just within the past three years: biophysics, bioengineering, quantum science, and material science engineering.
‘I thought someone was playing a prank on me’: Princeton releases early action decisions for the Class of 2030
Hayk Yengibaryan and Benedict HooperConsistent with past practice, the University did not release data on the number of students admitted through Single-Choice Early Action (SCEA).
Consistent with past practice, the University did not release data on the number of students admitted through Single-Choice Early Action (SCEA).