The March to Midterms: A Bipartisan Discussion on the State of American Politics at Home and Abroad
As midterm elections approach, Chris Whipple, documentary filmmaker and author of The New York Times bestseller “The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency” and the highly-awaited, upcoming book: “The Fight of His Life: Inside Joe Biden’s White House,” moderates a bipartisan discussion on White House governance and the state of American politics with two former White House chiefs of staff: Andrew Card and Jack Watson. Card, George W. Bush’s confidant and top adviser, was the longest-serving White House chief of staff. Watson, one of Jimmy Carter’s top advisers, served as assistant to the president for intergovernmental affairs and secretary to the cabinet before becoming his final chief; he later practiced law and served as a consultant and unofficial ambassador to the governments of Russia, China, Brazil, Zambia and Australia. From their experience in “the second most powerful job in government,” these former chiefs bring unique insight into presidential governance: Card from a Republican viewpoint and Watson from the Democratic side of the aisle.
They’ll tackle provocative subjects such as: Is bipartisanship dead? How serious is the threat to democracy from authoritarian demagogues? What can presidents do about runaway inflation? How does a White House chief tend to “the care and feeding of the president”? As the conflict in Ukraine grinds on, what are the challenges of being a “wartime president”? What makes Vladimir Putin tick? (Card was at Bush’s side for every meeting with the Russian autocrat.) How will the results of the midterms affect Joe Biden’s presidency? How old is too old when it comes to a second presidential term? They’ll also preview snippets from Whipple’s upcoming book on Joe Biden’s White House, to be published in January 2023.
