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 the impact of the Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. presidential candidacy and his unanticipated success with fundraising despite his advocacy for conspiratorial theories. Al and Craig also talk about Senator Joe Manchin’s recent trip to New Hampshire and the dangers of the “No Labels” movement for American democracy.
This video podcast is approximately 19 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.
Reed Fawell 3 says
Al From’s last bit of commentary this got my attention.
Yes, the Carter, Reagan, Clinton, Obama, and Trump presidential campaign’s were all successful insurgencies, but according to Al, Trump’s this go round threatens the American “democracy,” and so it must be stopped by all (legal) means necessary. I suggest it is fair enough for reasonable people to hold that opinion based on facts. But how about Biden? The real problem, and far greater threat, lies in the fact that half the country, including folks as intelligent and thoughtful as Al, fairly hold the opinion that Joe Biden’s campaign, based on serious fact, threatens their version of America’s “democracy ” and so Joe must be stopped by all (legal) means necessary.
And, as to Trump, I recall that Al From believes we have reached a Civil War moment. I don’t necessarily disagree with him, because half the country is just as firmly and fairly opposed to Biden’s campaign. And now positions continue to harden on both sides, and so are spreading to ever wider and deeper loss of voters confidence in political parties, government institutions, and political opponents, and their culture and values, and indeed the founding values of the nations itself. And as usual, no one is right. But matter are continuing to spin out of control, and most of leaders blindly continue to feed the flames.
So this is deadly serious business. Throwing out any options to Trump and/or Biden is madness on both sides equally. This includes the No Labels folks. But even they are insulted, demeaned, stripped of platforms and the most fundamental of rights to participate in our political system. This is sure proof of the madness gripping our body politic and its institutions, and their ability to function as intended.