John Dickerson: A President's Job Is To Lift Americans Up

ME, TOO, BECAUSE MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS CBS' CHIEF
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT AND THE ANCHOR OF "FACE THE NATION."
PLEASE WELCOME JOHN DICKERSON.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )
>> Stephen: ALL RIGHT.
HEY!
>> HI.
>> Stephen: NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK.
>> Stephen: WHAT A SAD AND STRANGE WEEK THIS HAS BEEN,
HASN'T IT?
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: TRULY UNNERVING AT TIMES.
>> DESTABILIZING.
I MEAN, IT WAS DESTABILIZING IN CHARLOTTESVILLE SATURDAY, THEN
THE MORE WE LEARNED ON SUNDAY, AND NOW IN REACTION TO THE
PRESIDENT'S REMARKS, YOU'VE HAD MORE OF THAT DESTABILIZATION.
>> Stephen: LET'S TALK ABOUT TUESDAY.
THE PRESIDENT'S IMPROMPTU PRESS CONFERENCE IN THE LOBBY OF TRUMP
TOWER WAS THERE TO TALK ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE BUT IT QUICKLY
FELL INTO TALKING ABOUT EQUIVOCATING BETWEEN THE
RESISTERS TO THE FASCIST ELEMENTS AND THE PEOPLE WHO WERE
MARCHING UNDER THE NAZI FLAG.
>> RIGHT.
>> Stephen: WHICH WAS SHOCKING FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
YOU'VE STUDIED THE PRESIDENT.
YOU'RE A STUDENT OF HISTORY, YOU'VE COVERED POLITICS FOR A
LONG TIME, HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE?
>> NO.
NORMALLY, PRESIDENTS COME INTO THESE MOMENTS AND LIFT THE
COUNTRY UP.
THEY ARE THE RELEASE VALVE FOR THE PRESSURE.
THEY DO A MORAL STACKING.
THEY TAKE THE DISTURBING EVENTS, EXPLAIN TO THE COUNTRY WHAT'S
HAPPENED AND GIVE SOME COMFORT.
IN THIS CASE, THE PRESIDENT WAS THERE AND IT'S CLEAR HE WANTED
TO FIGHT OUT THESE ISSUES.
ONE IS THERE WERE LEFT-WING PROTESTERS, WHICH THERE WERE.
BUT THAT WASN'T THE KEY POINT.
THE KEY POINT IS THE PROTESTERS, THE NEO-NAZI ARE ANTITHETICAL TO
EVERYTHING AMERICA STANDS FOR AND HE'S THE LEADER OF AMERICA.
SO HIS FIXATION ON THE QUESTION OF THE LEFT-WING PROTESTERS
OVERSHADOWED THAT AND THAT LED TO CONFLICT AND FIGHTS AND
PEOPLE SPEAKING OUT AFTERWARDS WHEN HIS ROLE REALLY AS
PRESIDENT IS TO RELEASE THAT PRESSURE, IT CREATED MORE.
>> Stephen: WELL, THE REPORTS ARE THAT HE FELT GOOD AFTER THAT
PRESS CONFERENCE.
HE MIGHT BE THE ONLY PERSON OTHER THAN DAVID DUKE, OTHER
THAN HIS BUDDY DAVID DUKE WHO ACTUALLY FELT GOOD AFTER THAT.
( LAUGHTER ) DO YOU BELIEVE THOSE REPORTS?
ARE THOSE CREDIBLE REPORTS?
>> WELL, I DON'T KNOW.
YOU DON'T EVER WANT TO TRY TO GET INTO SOMEBODY ELSE'S HEAD,
AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF THAT.
BUT I THINK YOU CAN IMAGINE BECAUSE YOU KNOW A COUPLE OF
THINGS, ONE, HE DOESN'T LIKE TO THINK HE'S FORCED INTO DOING
SOMETHING.
HE BELIEVES WHAT HE BELIEVES IN AND HE DOESN'T WANT TO BE TOLD
TO FULFILL A CERTAIN ROLE.
>> Stephen: SO SATURDAY WHEN HE EMPHASIZED MANY SIDES, MANY
SIDES, AND MONDAY HE CAME OUT AND GAVE THE ROTE STATEMENT
WHICH REPORTS ARE IT WAS PREPARED FOR HIM, THAT WAS ARM
TWISTING BY THE STAFF?
>> I THINK HE FELT HE DID THE WORK HE NEEDED TO ON SATURDAY.
HE CONDEMNED THE GROUPS AND HE POINTED OUT WHAT HE WANTED TO,
THE AD-LIB OF OTHERS WERE CONTRIBUTING TO THE VIOLENCE.
IT WAS ON HIS MIND AND HE SAID THAT SATURDAY.
HE CALLED OUT THE RACISTS BUT THE THRUST OF HIS REMARKS IS HE
WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT MAKING THE POINT THE LEFT WING WAS STILL
INVOLVED.
>> Stephen: MORE THAN SAYING THE LEFT WING WAS STILL
INVOLVED, HE ALSO SAID THERE WERE GOOD PEOPLE PROTESTING THE
NIGHT BEFORE, AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THOSE PHOTOS, IT'S PEOPLE
WITH TORCHES, PEOPLE WITH NAZI INSIGNIA, AND I THINK ONE OF THE
THINGS MOST SHOCKING TO EVERYBODY IS THAT A PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES WOULD SAY ANYONE WHO WOULD MARCH UNDER A
NAZI BANNER, WHATEVER YOUR INTERSECTION ONCE YOU GET TO THE
EVENT AND KNOW IT'S ORGANIZED BY NEO-NAZI, WHY STAY?
>> GOOD PEOPLE DON'T MARCH WITH NAZIS.
THEY WERE ALSO CHANTING JEWS WILL NOT --
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: BY THE WAY, GOOD
PEOPLE DO NOT MARCH WITH NAZIS IS THE EASIEST CLAP LINE IN THE
WORLD.
( LAUGHTER ) WHY DIDN'T TRUMP USE IT?
HE LOVES PEOPLE TO APPLAUD FOR HIM.
>> THIS IS ONE OTHER EXTRAORDINARY THING ABOUT
SATURDAY AND TUESDAY, THIS IS THE EASIEST THING IN THE WORLD
FOR A PRESIDENT TO DO IS TO DENOUNCE --
>> Stephen: IT'S A LAYUP.
THERE'S NOT A SPORTS METAPHOR TO CAPTURE HOW EASY THIS IS
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: IT'S TEEING OFF
FROM INSIDE THE CUP.
( APPLAUSE ) >> BUT THIS IS IMPORTANT,
OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE THESE IDEAS ARE DIRECTLY IN OPPOSITIONO THE
COUNTRY HE LEADS.
SECONDLY, HE HAS DIFFICULTY.
PEOPLE ASSOCIATED HIM WITH THOSE GROUPS, DAVID DUKE SAY THEY'RE
MARCHING INTO HIS NAME.
HE COULD HAVE LOOKED INTO THE CAMERA AND SAID I NOT ONLY
DENOUNCE WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN BUT ANYONE WHO WILL VOTE FOR ME
BECAUSE YOU THINK I BELIEVE IN THESE THINGS, I DON'T WANT YOUR
VOTE AND YOU SHOULD GO BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: DIDN'T BOB DOLE DO
THAT?
>> YES, BOB DOLE DID IT, GEORGE H.W. BUSH DID IT, RONALD REAGAN
DID IT.
THEY SAID TEASE THINGS IN THE HINT OF A CHANCE SOMEBODY WITH
THESE VIEWS WOULD SIGN UP.
BOB DOLE SAID HERE'S THE EXIT, I DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH
YOU.
THEY DID THIS UNPROMPTED AFTER AN EVENT LIKE THIS WHEN THE
NATION TURNS TO A PRESIDENT AND SEEKS GUIDANCE PARTICULARLY ON
THIS MORAL PLANE.
AS F.D.R. SAID, IT'S PRIMARILY A JOB OF MORAL LEADERSHIP.
>> Stephen: THAT'S THE JOB OF THE STATESMAN PRESIDENT.
THAT IS THE DIGNITY THAT MAKES RECEIVING A MEDAL FROM THIS MAN
OR THE HONOR OF BEING WITH HIM IS CAPTURED WITH THAT BEHAVIOR,
HE HAS TO MANIFEST THAT.
>> RIGHT, YOU HAVE TO KNOW THAT THIS IS PART OF YOUR JOB AND
OFTEN WHAT IT REQUIRES IS -- I MEAN, HE CLEARLY WANTED TO MAKE
AN ARGUMENT ABOUT HIS POINT OF VIEW.
ALL THE TIME AS PRESIDENT, YOU HAVE TO SUBLY MATE YOURSELF.
>> Stephen: THAT IS NOT HIS STRENGTH.
( LAUGHTER ) >> L.B.J. SAID BEING PRESIDENT
IS LIKE BEING A JACKASS IN A HAIL STORM, YOU HAVE TO
SOMETIMES JUST STAND THERE AND TAKE IT.
IT'S LIKE A MARRIAGE, IF YOU WANT TO ARGUE THIS TILL THE LAST
POINT, YOU MAY CONTINUE THE ARGUMENT AND WIN, BUT THERE'S A
COST.
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO SAY I HAVE THIS POINT OF VIEW AND WANT TO
GET IT ACROSS BUT I'M NOT GOING TO BECAUSE I HAVE A LARGER
OBLIGATION AND THE LARGER OBLIGATION IS WHAT I HAVE TO PAY
ATTENTION TO MORE THAN THIS POINT WHERE I THINK I'M RIGHT.
>> Stephen: STICK AROUND, BACK WITH NOR JOHN DICKERSON.

John Dickerson: A President's Job Is To Lift Americans Up

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