Every Thursday, the Spy hosts a conversation with Al From and Craig Fuller on the most topical political news of the moment.
This week, From and Fuller discuss Speaker Mike Johnson’s successful stopgap funding resolution to keep the federal government running until February next year. Al and Craig also trade thoughts on former Obama advisor David Axelrod’s recent commentary suggesting that Joe Biden should consider not running in 2024.
This video podcast is approximately fifteen minutes in length.
To listen to the audio podcast version, please use this link:
Background
While the Spy’s public affairs mission has always been hyper-local, it has never limited us from covering national, or even international issues, that impact the communities we serve. With that in mind, we were delighted that Al From and Craig Fuller, both highly respected Washington insiders, have agreed to a new Spy video project called “The Analysis of From and Fuller” over the next year.
The Spy and our region are very lucky to have such an accomplished duo volunteer for this experiment. While one is a devoted Democrat and the other a lifetime Republican, both had long careers that sought out the middle ground of the American political spectrum.
Al From, the genius behind the Democratic Leadership Council’s moderate agenda which would eventually lead to the election of Bill Clinton, has never compromised from this middle-of-the-road philosophy. This did not go unnoticed in a party that was moving quickly to the left in the 1980s. Including progressive Howard Dean saying that From’s DLC was the Republican wing of the Democratic Party.
From’s boss, Bill Clinton, had a different perspective. He said it would be hard to think of a single American citizen who, as a private citizen, has had a more positive impact on the progress of American life in the last 25 years than Al From.”
Al now lives in Annapolis and spends his semi-retirement as a board member of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University (his alma mater) and authoring New Democrats and the Return to Power. He also is an adjunct faculty member at Johns Hopkins’ Krieger School and recently agreed to serve on the Annapolis Spy’s Board of Visitors. He is the author of “New Democrats and the Return to Power.”
For Craig Fuller, his moderation in the Republican party was a rare phenomenon. With deep roots in California’s GOP culture of centralism, Fuller, starting with a long history with Ronald Reagan, leading to his appointment as Reagan’s cabinet secretary at the White House, and later as George Bush’s chief-of-staff and presidential campaign manager was known for his instincts to find the middle ground. Even more noted was his reputation of being a nice guy in Washington, a rare characteristic for a successful tenure in the White House.
Craig has called Easton his permanent home for the last five years, where now serves on the boards of the Academy Art Museum, the Benedictine School, and Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. He also serves on the Spy’s Board of Visitors.
With their rich experience and long history of friendship, now joined by their love of the Chesapeake Bay, they have agreed through the magic of Zoom, to talk inside politics and policy with the Spy every Thursday.
Paula B. Reeder says
Did you guys coordinate on your color coordinated dress for tonite? Had to chuckle at the look-alike dress.
Agree with your observations on the aburdity of the actions of the far right GOP caucus and the need for thoughtful consensus necessary to move our country ahead.
OBr /
Craig Fuller says
Thanks for this comment, but you give us way, way, way too much credit! LOL
David A Turner says
Craig, Your comments about Axelrod didn’t address Kamala Harris or Joe Manchin.
Manchin has some strong boosters here in Chestertown and appears to be an attractive candidate to head a potential third-party presidency. It may all depend on how good a candidate he is next year. But he’s a genuine moderate. Probably to your and my left. If ever a third party had a chance, the likelihood that Biden will face Trump sets a real low bar for a Manchin victory.
Like you, I’m a Reagan Administration alum (speechwriter, and editor of Reagan’s Management Magazine under Don Devine). I was mentored (dislike that word) by Peter Hannaford and your predecessor Bob Gray.
And maybe like you, I voted for the only serious candidates who could avoid a Trump presidency in 2016 and 2020.
But again, Harris.
An incompetent, identity-politics VP, who’s leadership skills have disappointed all but our most devout, hardcore liberal friends. She flubbed the one assignment West Wing gave her, “it’s too hard.” Achieving hard goals — like solving the migrant problem — is why Americans select a president and vice president. So now, someone else will have to tackle this disaster.
She has yet to find her policy voice, unless you count her speech in Florida where she came out against slavery and its benefits. Visionary. And yet, from Biden’s appearances, she could get into the White House through the back door next term.
As an aside, one of my neighbors speculated that Harris has intentionally kept her talents shrouded in order to make the President look better. I’d like to see that argument used by the DNC. Finally, imagine a VP debate next year pitting her against VP candidate Nikki Haley?
Over the next months, I would enjoy hearing your thoughts re. the predicament of conservatives and moderates.
Could Al be wrong? Maybe all of us in the Republican diaspora, and all the genuine middle-of-the-roaders, should not shoulder-in behind President Biden this time.
Deirdre LaMotte says
How easy it is for people, particularly those who still are Republicans… shame on them,
that Party is no longer conservative nor is it
patriotic…to have the nerve to attack a
former Senator, the first Black VP. She is
doing what all VPs have done and that is to
serve their President. Curious this Black women
is constantly attacked. Why aren’t I surprised? And you want to talk about “identity based politics”? How about your
Trump’s VP whose “identity” was spending
4 years supporting a complete idiot and
embarrassment to our nation. A man who put his
out-there far right religion before our diverse,
fabulous nation of many cultures and religions?
And Nicky Haley? With her proclamation for a six week abortion ban in her state?
Sorry, not buying it and her Party has lost
it’s appeal because it no longer adheres to any values, only dystopia and autocracy.
Your Ronald Reagan would never be nominated by this new anti democracy
coalition so my advice is to read the tea leaves.
Voting 3rd Party is voting for Trump.
Live with that, ugh.
Craig Fuller says
Thanks for your thoughtful comment. And, fair enough….but, David Axelrod hasn’t yet endorsed anyone as far as I know.
I certainly share your view that Republicans from another era are in a fix…..I’ve really wondered if we just have to get through this cycle before people are willing to accept that the path the party is on leads more often to defeat than victory…..and, victory really is better!
As for Senator Manchin….he’s a decent fellow with a very small base (WV). Fate handed him a circumstance where he could appear nightly on cable tv and for a politician from West Virginia, that was a pretty exciting place to be. Once his critical vote was no longer essential, life just wasn’t the same. Then, the polls told him pretty convincingly that he was not going to be reelected by the voters of WV….hence, his base was shrinking.
He was welcomed by the NO LABELS group and suddenly he was back in the news. It feels good, but I just don’t think it is real.
Yes, there are more people who now choose to identify with neither major political party than there are people who claim a national party. Sounds promising for a non-aligned candidate and I’m sure Senator Manchin as well as former Governor Hogan will explore the possibilities. But after considerable study and discussions with people who are looking at every possible outcome, I think the likely outcome is best labeled “spoiler.”
Now, it is a political environment the likes we have never seen, but I still believe the voters will elect a candidate from either the Republican or Democratic Party.
That brings us to Vice President Harris.
There is no office more challenging for an ambitions and active elected official to hold than Vice President. Every instinct that got a person elected to (usually) multiple offices must be sublimated as Vice President. The person is the only other elected official in the White House, but is there to serve and support the President and be ready should they be called upon.
I think Kamala Harris just got it wrong from the start.
That said, for President Biden, she still resonates with important constituencies across the country and in some critical states. Hence, I think she stays on the ticket. Should Biden step away, she would be challenged by several other Democrats.
Finally, our Republican Party. I do not believe Donald Trump can be elected President. The news surrounding him is horrible now and will only get worse. In fact, his only chance might be if an independent were to enter the general election and pull voters away from Biden, but even that is a stretch in my mind. I think when Republicans go into the voting booth next year, regardless of what they have told pollsters, they will vote for someone other than Trump in larger numbers than we now see. My own view is that Nikki Haley would be our strongest candidate next November, but the path to the general election is challenging for a party who still has many committed to losing elections.
Thanks for listening. All of this will get a lot more discussion in the weeks and months ahead.
David A Turner says
Deidre, You may have gotten a number of points wrong in your comment about my reply. Sorry about that. However, we do disagree about Harris’ record of achievements. Her race and sex, and even her politics don’t prevent me from voting for her to keep Trump out of the Executive Office. And, you’ll note, I voted for her in 2020 to give her an opportunity.
But nor do her race and sex prevent me from pointing out she is a failure — in the sense of Daniel Quale, who was Vice President when you served in the WH. In fact, I suspect that it was Quayle’s glaring deficiencies, just as much as Perot’s 3rd party, that produced Clinton’s minority-vote victory. We may disagree about that, but should learn from President Bush’s mistake of keeping Quayle on the ticket. Both Quayle and Harris are lovely people, I hazard. Just not presidential timber.
I’m keeping my eye on the ball. Biden/Harris didn’t win the election by 11 million votes in 2020. Electorally, they won it by 42,000 votes spread out over six districts in five states. Millions of diaspora Republicans and people more moderate than you and me voted alongside me in 2020. There’s no room for a mistake of Harris’ magnitude by President Biden. I’m wondering if we’ll all line up again, and do as you insist next year?
Al From says
I have no dispute with this analysis of Kamala Harris. She was very disappointing in 2020 as presidential candidate and her performance as VP has not improved her standing. But she poses a dilemma for Biden. For voters who believe Biden won’t make it through his second term (and polls indicate there are a lot of them), having her on the ticket is hardly reassuring.
But like it or not — and I certainly don’t — the Democratic Party has become much more an identity based party and Harris represents the two most important constituencies in Democratic primaries — African Americans and college educated women. With so many Democrats wanting Biden not to run, dropping her would be a big problem for him.
On Manchin, who I know well, I’m convinced he would get a small percentage of votes and I have a hard time seeing any state he could win. The last two third party candidates to win electoral votes were George Wallace in 1968 and Storm Thurmond in 1948. Thurmond won less than 3 percent of the popular vote, but it was concentrated in a small number of Deep South states that (before the Voting Rights Act) had tiny electorates. Wallace got 13.5 percent of the vote and also won a handful of southern states. Both were unique in that they were segregationist candidates running in virtually all white segregationist electorates. Those circumstances changed as the Voting Rights Act took effect in 1970 and the party reforms came in starting in 1972. For the last half century, no third party candidates has won an electoral vote.
I don’t really see a niche for Manchin. He looked attractive to a lot of us when he was the key senator preventing Biden from moving left on spending bills. Personally, I think he did Biden a big favor. But Manchin, as David Turner indicated, is left of the Republicans. Don’t forget all Republicans voted against the Inflation Reduction Act which Manchin essentially authored.
In polling a generic middle of the roader always does better than a specific candidate, particularly when put up against unpopular candidates like Trump and Biden, but I have a hard time seeing even one state that Manchin can be competitive in, let alone win. What he can do is take three or four percent mostly from Biden and thus help Trump win tight swing states.
I wish that the Republican diaspora was made up middle of the roaders. But even if it is, it’s too small to make much difference for a third party candidates. Assume it’s 10 percent of Republicans — and that’s probably high — that’s about 3 percent of the electorate. In 2020, those voters were the target of The Lincoln Project — and that turned out critical for Biden.
If you believe as I do that if Trump is the GOP nominee, 2024 will be an up or down vote on democracy, it’s important that the anti-Trump pro-democracy vote consolidate behind the strongest anti-Trump candidate — and for now it looks like that will be Biden as imperfect as he is.
Here’s why. Trump has a solid base of true believers — he won between 46 and 47 percent in his two runs. It may go down a little this time, but I doubt much. But that’s less than a majority so that if the anti-Trump vote is unified he can’t win. But the swing states that determine the outcome are tight and any splitting of the anti-Trump vote will likely flip those states to Trump.