Campbell Conversations is an interview-based public affairs show. The show is hosted by Grant Reeher, Director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. The Campbell Conversations leads WRVO’s “Weekly Edition” segment, on Fridays at 6:30 PM and is rebroadcast Saturdays at 4:00 PM. For a complete listing of WRVO stations, visit http://wrvo.fm.
The half-hour show features extended, in-depth interviews in which Reeher goes beyond and behind the current news cycle to explore more lasting questions about public affairs. Guests include notable people from Central New York — writers, politicians, activists, public officials, and business professionals — whose work affects the public life of the community, as well as nationally-prominent figures visiting the region to talk about their work.
“In the Campbell Conversations, we try to provide the extra space for the depth I am always hungering for as a listener,” said Reeher. “I hope listeners will find the guests’ commentary as interesting as I do when I have the privilege of talking with them.”
Upcoming Conversation
There is nothing more powerful than the truth. That’s the faith that has sustained Tom Devine’s three-decade campaign to promote and protect whistleblowers in the corporate and governmental realms. Listen as he describes the challenges that whistleblowers face, the protections they now have, and the additional support they still require. Devine argues that competent government performance and fair business practices depend on the ability of workers, when necessary, to “commit the truth.”
Past Conversations
County Executive Joanie Mahoney works on the front lines of the “unfunded mandate” issue, a phrase we’ve been hearing with increasing frequency at all levels of political discussion. What exactly is the problem with unfunded mandates? From the county executive’s perspective, they tie her hands regarding innovation and efficiency, and introduce some fundamental problems for good governance. The conversation also explores the local political scene in Syracuse, in particular the souring of the political tone during the past year. Would she ever consider becoming a conservative Democrat rather than a liberal Republican? Listen and find out.
Perhaps no one is better suited to evaluate President Obama’s new investigative and prosecutorial unit on abuses in the mortgage industry than former governor and attorney general Eliot Spitzer. As a prosecutor and attorney general, he was known for his aggressive pursuit of financial abuse; he warned us about the ultimate financial collapse; and he has written about these topics extensively since the crisis in 2008. How likely is it that the new unit will produce results? Does it represent a genuine pivot point for the president, or is it just election year positioning? What challenges will it face from the industry? In addition to these questions, governor Spitzer also discusses the story that NPR originally broke, that Freddie Mac made investments geared toward people not being able to refinance their mortgages, which runs against the mission of the institution. Finally, he reflects on what he’s learned from his experiences at CNN, and whether he’s contemplating a return to public office.
Is Iraq better off today than before the U.S. invasion? Hazim Hamed, a former high-ranking official in the Iraqi government, says no. Perhaps equally disturbing is the influence that he sees being exerted by Iran on the country’s affairs. Did the U.S. leave too soon? Tune in for this eye-opening, provocative, and at times tragic account from someone on the inside.
Why does Mitt Romney’s Mormonism present a political challenge for his candidacy? What is Mormonism’s relation to Christianity? Religion expert and retired religion professor James Wiggins responds to these questions, and also considers the paradoxical place that religion occupies in American political life. Part of the understanding of the role of religion in politics, Wiggins argues, is found in our religious diversity, and the great diversity within Christianity itself.
What made Upstate New York such a hotspot for the abolitionist and women’s rights movements? Was it just geography, or was it something about the people who lived here? Historian Judith Wellman, an expert on the Underground Railroad and the women’s rights movement in the 19th century, answers this question and offers other stores and information that illuminate this time period and counter some of the stereotypes we have about our region’s place in history.
It's an entirely political discussion on this week's Campbell Conversations, as Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle and political consultant Scott Armstrong consider the Republican presidential field in light of the Iowa Caucus results. Among the questions they consider are: What surprised them? Is the party dangerously fractured as it heads toward the general election? What could unite it? Are the norms of the Republican Party changing in important ways? Is Romney still the nominee apparent? And what are the calculations about a vice presidential candidate at this point?
Jim Greene is not an academic Dickens scholar, but he plays Dickens and runs the Dickens Christmas Festival in Skaneateles. In this holiday version of the Campbell Conversations, he talks—often in the character of Dickens—about the meaning and the writing of “A Christmas Carol,” the Christmas holidays, and his experiences in the town. Given the stark portrayals of poverty in his writing, what would Dickens have made of the Occupy Wall Street Movement? Here’s one person’s take. All in all, the conversation contains holiday wisdom worthy of Dickens’s tale.
A little over 100 days ago, Sharon Contreras began her appointment as the superintendent of the Syracuse City School District. She inherited deep challenges--low test scores and graduation rates, and an austere budget climate. Following her "first 100 days" period of listening and assessment, she is issuing a strategic plan to improve the city's educational system. In this conversation, she relates what she has learned about the district so far, and previews the emphasis that will be placed on establishing a core curriculum, and making investments in teacher and leadership quality--and she also addresses the budgetary trade-offs involved in those decisions.
When we think about China these days, its emergent international economic power dominates most of our attention, but how are economics and changing demographics affecting the Chinese culture? In this Campbell Conversation, Bill Jankowiak, an anthropology professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas and an expert on Chinese culture, discusses the cultural paradoxes and tensions that economic growth and the rise of individualism have created for this society. Jankowiak is a particular expert on Chinese youth culture, and he also describes how that culture is changing, and how those changes affect the norms surrounding love, sex, and the family.
Public trust in government—especially the federal government—is at a modern all-time low point. What are the biggest challenges to a well-run government? What are the best ideas for improving it? Which government agencies are particularly well-run, and which not so well-run? As the Managing Director of the Strategic Issues Team at the U.S. Government Accountability Office—better known as GAO—trying to answer these questions is just part of Chris Mihm’s day job. He also deals with projections for the long-term financial solvency of the government, as well as overseeing the effective implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act—better known as the stimulus package. In this conversation he engages all those topics, and explains why this is actually an exciting time to be involved in government service.
The expansion of Syracuse’s Carousel Center Mall—the first stage of the grander and still-planned project called Destiny USA—seems to be getting some traction of late. Parts of the expansion will be open later this month. David Aitken, a Destiny executive and spokesperson, discusses the expansion and the future plans for the project, and reflects on why the Destiny project has been such a political and economic lightning rod for the region’s residents and the media. He also discusses the exterior appearance of the expansion and the possible tensions—and synergy—between this project and the efforts to revitalize the downtown.
If, like many Americans, you’re worried about the future of Medicare, you’ll want to listen closely to this conversation about the program and the contentious politics surrounding it. In a very information-rich interview, nationally recognized expert and University of North Carolina professor Jonathan Oberlander breaks down the elements of Medicare, the different proposals to change it, and explains why this huge—and popular—government program has become such a political lightning rod in recent years. He also prognosticates about different possible futures in terms of Medicare’s structure and cost. The bottom line to the future Medicare beneficiary: The program is solid, but you’re going to need more money.
Campbell Conversations returns to the upcoming November elections, with a discussion among six of the nine candidates for State Supreme Court Justice in the six-county fifth judicial district—a district that encompasses much of WRVO’s listening area. The conversation is broken into two parts—part one this evening focuses on the peculiarly American practice of electing judges. The rest of the world uses some kind of examination or appointment system. Electing judges poses difficult challenges: What kind of information about the candidates is readily available to voters? Do the party labels tell voters anything that’s useful in sorting them out? Why are candidates reluctant to say more about their own views and values? Part II returns with a discussion among six of the nine candidates for State Supreme Court Justice in the six-county fifth judicial district—a district that encompasses much of WRVO’s listening area. Today’s conversation is the second half of a discussion that started Friday evening. In this segment the candidates discuss a letter sent to them by Administrative Justice James Tormey, which raised concerns about the conduct of the campaigns. They also discuss the party nomination system and the potentially problematic role of campaign contributions.
A list of participants and party designations [as of this writing the Independence Party designation has been invalidated]:
Tom Buckel – Democrat and Working Families
Erin Gall – Republican
Patrick MacRae – Democrat and Conservative
James McClusky – Republican and Conservative
David Magnarelli – Democrat and Working Families
Michael Young – Republican
Not participating:
Prescott Klosner – Republican
Charles Merrell – Democrat and Conservative
John Stone – Conservative
Perhaps the most intriguing local race this November is the match-up in the fourth City Council district between Democrat and Working Families Party candidate Khalid Bey and Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins. Hawkins has run for many seats in the past, including governor and U.S. Senator, and not come close to winning, but the last time he ran for city council he garnered about 40 percent of the vote. This race may be his best shot. The seat is typically held by a Democrat. In this lively conversation, the two candidates describe the specific new initiatives they would propose to the Council, the most important differences between them, and the biggest challenges facing the city. In individual questions, Hawkins addresses how he’d try to be effective as a third party member on a Council dominated by Democrats, and Bey explains what phrases on his personal website like “Egyptian and Taoist alchemy” mean for his own personal development, and how he’d try to work in a bi-partisan manner if elected. This is a useful conversation for anyone concerned about the city’s future.
What is the state of American democracy? What are the roots of our democratic shortcomings, and what do we need to do to improve the health of the political process? Jean Bethke Elshtain, democratic theorist, ethicist, and noted public intellectual at the University of Chicago—and author of Democracy on Trial—wrestles with these mighty questions in this substantively rich interview. Elshtain has also written an influential book on just war—Just War Against Terror—and she considers the American involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan through that lens. Was the war justified? Was it worth it?
Dan Grossman is a freelance environmental journalist who has frequently appeared on NPR and the BBC, and has written for the New York Times, Rolling Stone, and Scientific American. He’s won a prestigious Peabody award, and has been funded by the National Science Foundation and the Fund for Investigative Journalism. In this conversation he puzzles over the enduring controversy surrounding global warming, despite a clear scientific consensus, and he describes some of the problems that scientists have in communicating their findings to the public. He also argues that we fundamentally underestimate the level of commitment required to address the global warming problem. And along the way he describes some of the more interesting people he’s encountered in his adventures.
North Country Republican Patty Ritchie has finished her first term in the State Senate as the representative for the 48th district, following a campaign in which she was deeply critical of the ways of Albany. In this interview she assesses the institution and the political process that she's now a part of, and describes what she views as her most important contributions so far. She gives the governor a very bi-partisan grade on his performance, and talks about her most difficult vote of the session.
Ann Marie Buerkle’s first term in Congress has had no shortage of controversial issues. In this interview from August 30, the representative from the 25th district reflects on her experiences so far, and addresses the record-low approval rating for Congress. She asserts that the problem is more in the Senate than the House, and she describes the partisanship she has encountered in Washington. She also relates her own efforts to build some bi-partisan working relationships. The conversation then focuses on the issues of the debt, the deficit, and spending—and she explains just how far she is willing to take her “no new taxes” stand in upcoming issues. Finally, she assesses her own political future in light of redistricting.
Mark Morabito lost his wife, Laura Lee Defazio Morabito, in the September 11th attacks--she was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 11, one of the two planes flown into the World Trade Center. In this interview he remembers the day and looks back at the 10 years that have passed--and how that event, and that loss, have affected his own life. What is a vivid historical event for most Americans is a wrenching personal loss for him. He talks about how some of his political views, as well as his views about life and death, have changed, and he also describes how he plans to mark 9-11 this year.
I left the interview thinking about this combination of an immediate personal loss and a historical event that remains vivid for those old enough to remember it, but which is also receding in time. And I was reminded of a moment several years ago when Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. visited our Syracuse campus to give a speech about the environment. Along the way he referenced John F. Kennedy’s presidency and his memories of that time. He then began a sentence with “When my uncle was murdered…,” which stopped me cold, and in that moment reframed my sense of the Kennedy assassination—what had been a historical event captured on amateur film became a crime victim’s personal story.
I imagine that dealing with that paradox will follow the families of the victims of 9-11 throughout their entire lives.
Syracuse’s Say Yes to Education Program was introduced three years ago with great expectations. Words like “transformative” were used to describe the hoped-for impact of this program that mixes an extensive in-class and extra-curricular support network with the ultimate promise of free college tuition. The program has had past success elsewhere in targeting smaller numbers of children within a school, but it’s never been applied to an entire school district. Three years on, is it realizing its promise? The question is particularly timely, as the program is slated to be financed solely by the city in 2013, and it would then account for ten percent of the entire school budget. Pat Driscoll, the operations director for the program, addresses these issues, and also discusses just what makes the program so different from previous efforts to overcome the educational challenges that disadvantaged students face.
After serving as Public Information Officer and Interim Syracuse Aviation Commissioner, Christina Reale was recently appointed permanently to the Commissioner position, which includes overall management of the Syracuse airport. In this conversation, she provides information about the plans for renovating the airport, and changing its governance structure from being city controlled to operating under an independent regional authority. She also discusses the airport’s fiscal health, the pricing at the airport—for both concessions and flights, the growing role of women in aviation management, and the large-scale changes in passengers’ airport experiences, post 9-11.
Tim Atseff from The Syracuse Post-Standard. Prior to his recent retirement, Tim had worked 46 years for the paper, starting off as a copy boy and working his way up through the art department to become a managing editor, before creating and editing three regional magazines published by the paper’s parent company—Central New York Magazine (sometimes called The Good Life), CNY Business Exchange, and Central New York Sports. In this interview, he looks back at his time with the paper, and reflects on the new economic challenges the industry is facing. He also discusses the highpoints and lowpoints of the paper’s performance, its coverage of the Destiny project and its political endorsements, and the business models for the new magazines he created.
The interview left me thinking about the dual roles of a newspaper—on the one hand a profit-driven business that happens to supply information as its product, and on the other a public-service institution that’s uniquely responsible for providing its community the civic information it requires in order to function democratically. Both roles were evident in the way that Tim talked about his experiences over the years. Clearly there are inherent tensions between the two—had there been more time, I would have liked to explore the paper’s coverage of Destiny in more detail, for example. A former colleague of mine now teaching at Harvard, Tom Patterson, has argued that the profit-driven role leaves the American media poorly suited to fill its public service role (see his book Out of Order, among others). I don’t have a ready substitute in mind, though in the broadcast world I am a big fan of the BBC (and of course NPR!). The “Beeb” or “Auntie,” as the BBC is often called, provides several TV channels and a variety of quality radio stations, along with a really fine website. I think the British citizens get pretty good value for their license fee. But I continue to ponder the American conundrum.
Ash Sangha may have the most interesting elected student position on the planet. As the President of the Oxford Union Society, he meets the worlds’ top political and business figures, and major celebrities, as well as presiding over the famous Oxford Union debates. In this conversation, he discusses how the debates work, their role in British society, and the cultural differences between the U.S. and U.K. when it comes to high-spirited but reasoned and polite political debate. You’ll also be surprised to find out just how cheap an elite university education in Britain is, by American standards.
Sandra Kaiser is the Minister Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in London, which means she oversees public affairs and public diplomacy. In this conversation she talks about Britons' changing views of America, going from the Bush Administration to the Obama administration, the recent visit by the President and First Lady to the country, and the importance of the so-called "special relationship" between the U.S. and the U.K. She also discusses aspects of current British politics as they relate to the U.S., and responds to a question about the impact of WikiLeaks on current Embassy work.
Do more elections mean more democracy? Check out this week's Campbell Conversations to hear a powerful argument against that assumption by Professor Philip Norton, a Member of Britain's House of Lords and a leading expert on British political institutions and British politics. Lord Norton engages the debate over whether the House of Lords should become an elected body and also discusses the raft of significant political changes Britain has experienced over the past 20 years. Using the measure of clear democratic accountability, Norton asserts that reform isn't always what it appears to be. His points should have resonance for anyone concerned about the state of American democracy.
For decades, Noam Chomsky—MIT professor and seminal figure in linguistic theory and philosophy—has been an iconic figure of Left dissidence in the United States and around the world. In this conversation, he discusses his controversial views about the killing of Osama bin Laden, and argues that President Obama’s foreign policy is simply an extension of the Bush administration. He considers his own identity as a radical, and asserts that the economic elite control both policy and politics—an observation he grounds in an alternative reading of Adam Smith. However, he also applauds the continuing openness to change from below and the freedoms that he’s enjoyed as an active dissident in America.
For years political reformers in New York have been calling for a non-partisan alternative to the current system of legislative redistricting. With a new census, and a heightened level of frustration with Albany, now seems the time for change. The League of Women Voters has joined with other reform organizations to press for a different system. In this conversation, Barbara Bartoletti, the League’s Legislative Director, makes the case for change and responds to the challenges that any alternative system must face. She also discusses the politics surrounding this issue as well as the other reforms she sees as necessary to reform Albany.
Jan Carnogursky was a dissident leader in Communist-controlled Czechoslovakia, who was jailed prior to the “Velvet Revolution,” which freed him. He went on to serve as the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic, and then later its Justice Minister. In this interview he relates growing up in the Soviet system and becoming a dissident, his experiences in prison, and the exciting and challenging times as a leader of an emerging democracy and a politician who had to learn the political skills required in democratic politics. He then connects some of these experiences to current revolutions and current politics more generally.
Juan Cole is the Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History at the University of Michigan, and the author of the acclaimed blog Informed Comment. He’s also a much sought after public commentator on Middle Eastern affairs. In this interview he provides a deeper historical context for understanding the Arab Spring. He discusses how the movements have both demonstrated and helped to foster a greater public role for women, and why they happened when they did—in terms of political development, decay, and corruption, and the effect of cascades and tipping points. He also describes how the movements are in part statements of nationalism as well as protests against corrupt leadership and calls for democracy, and why Iraq won’t be a model for them going forward. Finally, he argues that the movements are not likely to open up new avenues of influence for extremists, and explains why he’s relatively optimistic about region’s future political prospects.
Zephyr Teachout was one of the original pioneers of the use of the Internet in politics, as Director of Internet Organizing for the 2004 Howard Dean presidential campaign. Since then she’s served as the National Director of the Sunlight Foundation, and she’s currently a law professor at Fordham University. In this conversation she considers how the Internet has changed political campaigning, political organizing, and the role of money in politics, and its impact on the revolutions in the Middle East. She also discusses how technology can open up government, as well as her concerns about the Internet’s impact on our political life. Finally, from her uniquely up-close and first-hand perspective, she recalls the story of the creation of the “Dean scream.”
Jon Trickett is a Labour Member of Parliament, who served in both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown's Cabinets. He was also a leader, from the back-benches, of the protest within Parliament against the Iraq War. He's now in the Labour opposition, acting as a strategic advisor to Labour Leader Ed Milliband. In this conversation he discusses the American response to the financial crisis and the broader issue of government spending, both here and abroad. He also weighs in on the attempts at the state level to alter the collective bargaining power of public unions. His views are heavily informed by his own class background, which he confronts directly at the conclusion of the interview. Jon Trickett is a Labour Member of Parliament
The Campbell Conversations may have found the perfect person to provide the context and background for this week’s events in the Middle East, as well as likely scenarios going forward. In his 36-year foreign service career, David Newton has served as an ambassador to both Iraq and Yemen, and has also been the director of Radio Free Iraq. In this conversation, he discusses events in Yemen, the consistency of U.S. policy in the Arab region, the Obama doctrine, and the possible effects of the “Arab spring” on Iraq and Iran. He also identifies what he sees as the biggest mutual misconceptions between the U.S. and the Arab world.
Dan Maffei is the former Member of Congress from New York’s 25th district—a seat he lost last November in a razor-close election to Ann Marie Buerkle. In this conversation—his first broadcast interview since conceding to Buerkle—he sorts out the factors that he’s considering in deciding whether or not to run again. In that process he reflects back on the past campaign and how hard the loss was for him. He also responds to the recent criticisms surrounding the bonuses his congressional staff received on their way out. The topic then shifts to potential Republic presidential contenders, and the many ways—according to Maffei—that moderates and moderate political conversations are disadvantaged in the current political system. Finally, there’s a discussion of our current involvement in Libya. If you followed the race in the 25th district with any interest, you won’t want to miss this interview.
Frank Cammuso is the long-time political cartoonist for The Syracuse Post-Standard. He's also a humorist and satirist--his pieces have appeared in The New Yorker among other venues--as well as a comic book writer. In this conversation, he relates the creative and editorial process for the political cartoons, the anticipated and unanticipated reactions that his cartoons--which he describes as "visual columns"--generate, and the situations and events that have most challenged him as a cartoonist. He also discusses his other creative work.
Oren Lyons is Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan of the Onondaga Nation. In this conversation he relates the governance structure and decision-making processes of the Nation, and how they are woven into the Nation's spiritual heritage as a complete way of life--one that emphasizes respect and consensus. It's especially relevant to today's political environment of divisiveness and hostility. Lyons also explains why the Nation chose not to pursue gambling and casinos as a source of income, and its recent involvement with the Hydrofracking issue.If you’re at all interested in wine, you won’t want to miss this Campbell Conversation with Bob Wojnar, the national sales manager for Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery in the Finger Lakes. Bob provides a fascinating background of the development of wine making in the area, why the area does better with certain kinds of grapes, and the place of wine in the economic development of the region. The conversation spans the wine universe, from the finer points of local “terroir” to the wine slushy at the State Fair.
To try to get some deeper context and understanding of the recent events in the Middle East, Grant Reeher speaks with two guests—Shaimaa Zoghaib, who teaches at a university in Cairo, and Imen Yaakoubi, who teaches at a university in Tunisia. Both are living temporarily in the Central New York region, and watched the protests unfold from here. Among other topics, they discuss how the base of activism in Egypt extends beyond youth, and the historical basis for the stored-up citizen anger in the region. They also describe why they are they are optimistic—if cautiously optimistic—for their nations’ futures.
Lauren Berger is known as the Intern Queen--she's had 15 of them--and she's the CEO of a business of the same name. In this interview she discusses the role of an internship in starting a career, how to find an internship that provides the best fit, and how to get the most out of the experience. She also talks about the rewards and challenges of starting your own business. This conversation should be of great interest to students in high school and college, as well as the parents of those students.
In the first extended public comments from a member of the Jordan-Elbridge School Board, Mary Alley, President of the board, has a frank discussion with Grant Reeher about the controversy surrounding the board's actions during the past year. Among the topics are why she waited until now to speak publicly, her sense of why many members of the community have been so angered by the board's decisions, how the board members have tried to deal with the constraints they are under regarding public comment about the grounds for their actions, the ultimate impact the controversy is having on the community and the role of the press in that impact, and what needs to happen from here in order for the community to heal.
Since 2009 Robert Blake has served as Assistant Secretary of State for Central and South Asian Affairs, and prior to that was U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives during the height of the civil war in the Sri Lanka. In this conversation he talks about the general region of central and south Asia, but also more specifically about India and its central importance to the United States, on its own and in relation to China and the Middle East. He also discusses the bloody conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tiger rebels, which killed thousands of civilians.
Chris Fowler is founder and executive director of SyracuseFirst, a non-profit organization dedicated to buying local. Chris was inspired to start the organization after spending time in Austin and thinking about what makes for a vibrant community. In this conversation, he discusses just what the encouragement to “buy local” means, and why it’s a good thing for the community—including its connection to local civic engagement. He also responds to some of the criticisms these efforts have received. It’s a thought-provoking interview.
Longtime Channel 9 Chief Meteorologist Dave Eichorn is now teaching meteorology and pursuing an advanced degree in Environmental Science. He discusses past notable winter storms, climate change and the politics surrounding it, and the challenges to having productive public conversations on the topic. He also describes how climate change is already affecting us locally, and the experience of going back to school after a full career. It’s an informative and delightful conversation you won’t want to miss.
This week Grant Reeher talks with newly elected Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle, of the 25th district. She looks forward at the new term, including her own individual policy priorities and committee assignments. She also discusses President Obama and the prospects for further cooperation and compromise with Congress, and looks back at her surprise upset of Dan Maffei.
Steven Kern, director of the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, discusses the role of art and museums in a community, the challenges and opportunities for a museum in a smaller city located in a suburban and rural region, and the relation between art and politics. Along the way, he also describes the current exhibitions on tap, the thinking behind the Turner to Cezanne exhibition, and his own favorite museums beyond Syracuse. It’s a lively and wide-ranging conversation filled with rich content.
Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney is nearing the end of her first term, and she sits down with Grant Reeher to discuss her accomplishments and challenges to date. She also describes the importance of the City of Syracuse for the health of the region, the county’s current and future budget problems, the sales tax issue, and Medicaid. The conversation then turns to electoral politics and her endorsement of Andrew Cuomo, her co-chairing of his transition team, and why she’s running again for county executive rather than pursuing other options. It’s a good look back, and a peek forward.
Roger Hardy, a long-time middle east and Islamic Affairs analyst and author of The Muslim Revolt, returns to the Campbell Conversations following an appearance on the program this past June, in London. Hardy has retired from the BBC and is now a scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, DC. This conversation focuses on President Obama’s efforts to engage the Muslim world and the deep challenges he faces over the next couple years—in part because of the promises he made in his campaign and the early months of his administration. The conversation also takes a look forward in the region.
Grant Reeher engages in a post-election analysis with Christine Fix and Scott Armstrong. Fix is a long-time Democratic Party campaign activist and manager, who has worked for several Syracuse mayors. Armstrong heads his own public affairs firm and is a past director of the Onondaga County Republican Committee. The three discuss notable and surprising elections in the region, dissect the Maffei-Buerkle recount, consider the likely effects of the elections across the state for Albany politics and the state’s budget process, and end with some presidential predictions regarding 2012.
Lakshmi Singh is the mid-day newsreader for National Public Radio. In this face-to-face conversation, she reflects on the tensions regarding objectivity when it comes to delivering the news and selecting stories. She also discusses how the Internet has changed the way radio news works, and the peculiar nature of her own fame.
Anne Kornblut, award-winning White House correspondent for The Washington Post, discusses how the Obama administration has made—or not made—the transition from effective candidate to effective president, and how the upcoming elections could affect his presidency. Kornblut is also the author of Notes from the Cracked Ceiling: Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, and What It Will Take for a Woman to Win, and she draws on that material to talk about gender biases in politics and the use of negativity in campaigns.
Kathleen Hall Jamieson is an internationally known expert on campaign dynamics, media, and rhetoric. She's a communications professor at the Annenberg School of The University of Pennsylvania and also Director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center there. Among her many publications is the recent book, The Obama Victory: How Media, Money, and Message Shaped the 2008 Election. In this conversation, she describes how media, money, and message are playing out in the mid-term elections, and discusses the role and appeal of the Tea Party movement. She talks in detail about the presidential leadership challenges President Obama has faced--and how the rhetoric and tactics of his campaign have made it difficult for him to govern effectively, given the situations he has faced.
Fall Elections 2010
Matt Doheny, the Republican nominee for New York’s 23rd congressional district, discusses his overall approach to the role of government in the economy, which is informed by his past experience in the business world. Included is a treatment of government spending and an argument that all government programs must be re-examined afresh. Other topics include Doheny’s reasons for supporting “don’t ask, don’t tell,” until the military concludes the policy doesn’t work.
Congressman Dan Maffei of New York’s 25th district looks back on his first term and describes what he sees as his best accomplishments, as well as his biggest mistake. He defends his vote on health care reform and explains its place in his campaign, and also explains why he’s recently been talking about Social Security. Along the way he discusses the problems of partisanship, media coverage, and campaign finance, and voters’ current frustrations with politics.
In a wide-ranging discussion, Republican Andrew Russo—who is challenging incumbent State Senator Dave Valesky for the 49th District seat—describes what he sees as the problem with professional politicians and why he won’t become one; why as a citizen he didn’t vote in the historic 2008 election and what he’s learned from not having voted more often; and how he’d try to change the Medicaid and pension programs in order to save the state some money. He also sets forward a strategy of how me might behave and vote in the Senate, along the lines of a free agent rather than a party member.
Incumbent State Senator Dave Valesky, who is pursuing re-election in New York's 49th senate district, reflects on his most recent term of service, his efforts at reform, and argues that despite appearances and real problems, the process in Albany has actually improved. He also discusses his leadership role in the senate, and how citizens might best distinguish between Albany political culture and his own efforts there.
Ann Marie Buerkle is the Republican challenger to Rep. Dan Maffei for New York’s 25th congressional district. Grant probes Buerkle’s views about the role of government and public spending, and explores her stands on health care, stimulus spending, bailouts of large corporations, and taxes. She also discusses some of the claims that Maffei has made about her positions, as well as her endorsement by Sarah Palin. (Note that Dan Maffei will appear on the program at a later date this fall.)
Recent Conversations Guests
In a wide-ranging conversation reflecting the guest’s own work, Grant Reeher talks this week with Sean Kirst, the popular and award-winning columnist for the Syracuse Post-Standard. Among the topics touched on are the challenges the Upstate region has faced and the strengths it has to draw on, the essence of good commentary and its relationship to a community, the sports-related books Kirst has authored, and … litter. Along the way Kirst reads from his own favorite column, and throughout the conversation he weaves the personal side of things into his more general observations—as he does with his writing.
Grant speaks with Oswego City Mayor Randy Bateman. He discusses the fiscal challenges facing the region and the measures his administration has taken to meet them, as well as the abatement of sewage overflowing into the Oswego River. He also describes how he tried to get the city back on its political feet in the wake of the scandals that rocked the city, and draws on his own positive experiences in politics to reflect on the problems of extreme polarization and partisanship. Tune in for a refreshing view of politics and politicians.
Sorayya Khan is an Ithaca-based novelist who writes about Pakistan. In this conversation, she discusses the political and interpersonal concerns that drive her work, as well as the writing process. Along the way, she also weighs in on American understandings of Islam, and the controversy over the Muslim community center planned for lower Manhattan.
Long-time Syracuse City Court Judge Langston McKinney--the first African-American to sit on that bench--has announced that he will retire at the end of the year. In this Campbell Conversation, he looks back over his career as a lawyer and judge, and candidly discusses some of his most controversial decisions. What emerges is a thought-provoking assertion of the link between justice and community.
Frank Lazarski, President of the United Way of Central New York, discusses the findings from his organization’s recent “Community Needs Assessment,” which showed some disturbing trends for Syracuse’s most vulnerable populations. He also talks about the differences between government’s and the non-profit sector’s approaches toward social problems, their effects on each other’s efforts, and the effects of the recent economic downturn on the community.
Reeher builds on the conversation about classical music he began with Christopher Cook in London, when he talks with Daniel Hege, Music Director of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra. In addition to looking at the upcoming season, Hege discusses his approach to musical programming, innovations in the listening experience for live performances, the importance of the orchestra to the Syracuse region, and the challenges that regional orchestras face. Listen and discover why Hege is such a popular figure on the musical scene in Central New York, and beyond.
Deborah Stanley, President of State University of New York’s College at Oswego, discusses the improvements she has helped to bring to the college, the changing of nature of higher education, and the critical role that colleges like Oswego play in their communities, especially in tough economic times. She also describes a current legislative proposal to strengthen the SUNY system.
Conversations from London
Roger Hardy has spent the last 24 years as a Middle East and Islamic Affairs analyst with the BBC World Service. He's also been a visiting fellow at Princeton University, and this fall will be a visiting fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, D.C. He is the author of The Muslim Revolt: A Journey through Political Islam. In this week's Campbell Conversation, he draws on his extensive experience to discuss Western misconceptions about Islam, the role of radical elements within Islam, and the difficult and delicate path to better relations between Islam and the West. He assesses the long-term effects of the Iraq War on the problem, as well as President Obama's policies to date, including developments in Afghanistan. It's a conversation full of insight on a complicated set of issues.
Conservative Party member Sheila Gunn is a former political reporter for The Times of London and former press spokesperson for Prime Minister John Major. She talks about the recent national election in Britain, and the new coalition government joining Conservatives with Liberal Democrats. She also comments on politics in the States, weighing in from across the Atlantic on Sarah Palin, Tea Partiers, and others. Find out who "sends a chill" down her British Conservative spine.
Christopher Cook is a cultural historian and well-known classical music writer and presenter. Cook describes his new BBC radio documentary about Goethe's Oak at Buchenwald--a fascinating and compelling story. He also discusses the state of classical music, and along the way offers a review of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra's upcoming season. Tune in to find out what most caught his eye, and why.
Jon Trickett is a Labour Member of Parliament and former Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Trickett reflects on his time with Brown and discusses why Labour lost the recent general election--and what the days immediately following the election were like, when Britain's governing arrangement was uncertain. Trickett was also an early critic, from within the then-governing Labour Party, of the War in Iraq, and he discusses Iraq as well as the current war in Afghanistan. In addition, he offers advice for the future direction of liberal and Left politics, both in Britain and the U.S.
Past Conversations Guests
Congressman Dan Maffei of the 25th District talks frankly about his first term in the House—both the ups and the downs—and also about the problems with the public’s lack of confidence in government and politicians. He discusses his thinking on the health care reform package, and considers possible difficulties in his bid for re-election.
Grant Reeher engages WCNY anchor and producer George Kilpatrick in a wide-ranging conversation about how the media covers politics, voter anger, his work as a role model in the African-American community, and race relations more generally. Kilpatrick also says—for the first time publicly—that he might consider a run for public office.
Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli of the 120th district has been in Albany for 12 years. In this interview he engages in honest conversation about political representation, the political process, and wresting with the state budget. Although he’s open about Albany’s problems, he argues that it’s not as bad as most people think. Tune in and see if you’re convinced.
Dr. Mindy Thompson Fullilove, a Columbia University social psychiatrist and author of Root Shock: How Tearing up City Neighborhoods Hurts America and What We Can Do About It, discusses the harmful legacies of urban renewal, and in particular its effects on Syracuse. She also describes the challenges faced by Syracuse’s Downtown and what might be done to enrich that space, as well as how “place” profoundly affects our lives and our health, regardless of where we live.
Laura Nader, Berkeley anthropologist, author, and activist—and sister of Ralph Nader—discusses the problems she sees with American democracy and the challenges of corporatization. In a political world increasingly characterized as nasty and distrustful, she decries a “niceness epidemic” and the outbreak of “trustanoia.” Tune in for a different perspective.
Eliot Spitzer, former governor and state attorney general, candidly discusses the financial crisis; the Obama administration; problems in Albany; and his own career.
State Senator Dave Valesky is the highest ranking elected state official from upstate New York. He arrived in Albany with an extensive background in public television. Here, he talks about the political culture in Albany and the struggle to change it; what the media and politicians need to better understand about each other; and how the budget process needs to change.
Bill Fitzpatrick, Onondaga County District Attorney, discusses how crime and law enforcement in the region have changed; the political and personal tensions that district attorneys deal with; and some memorable cases. He also explains why he won’t be running for state attorney general.
Mark Barie and Joanne Wilder, two upstate leaders of the Tea Party movement, share what motivates them and their members, how their activism is likely to affect the upcoming congressional elections, and where the movement is headed in the future. They also discuss Democrats they might support. What you learn may surprise you.