About this episode
Newt Gingrich interviews Senator Lamar Alexander about his memoir and reflections on American politics and leadership.
Newt talks with Senator Lamar Alexander, former Governor of Tennessee and U.S. Education Secretary, about his memoir, “The Education of a Senator: From JFK to Trump.” He traces his public life from a 1963 Justice Department job under Robert Kennedy, where he heard Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, through the rise of “digital democracy,” social media, globalization, the Great Recession, and the Obama and Trump eras, arguing that social media and economic disruption have transformed American politics since around 2008. Alexander contrasts gubernatorial and senatorial leadership, likening governors to Moses and Senate leaders to drum majors who must recruit, align, and manage diverse “marchers,” and notes that many governors find the Senate frustrating while some senators struggle as pragmatic executives. He credits Howard Baker with teaching him to be an “eloquent listener,” to “learn to count” votes, and to remember “the other fellow might be right.” Relationships, he argues, are the essence of the Senate: he cultivated them by visiting House counterparts, maintaining…
People in this episode
Host: Newt Gingrich
Guest: Lamar Alexander
Topics covered
- political memoir
- American politics
- leadership styles
- social media impact
- presidential politics
- historical reflections
Keywords
- Lamar Alexander
- Newt Gingrich
- politics
- memoir
- leadership
- social media
- Trump
- Obama
- Howard Baker
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: U.S. Education Department
Books & works: The Education of a Senator: From JFK to Trump
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