The 2012 Ideas Festival gathered scientists, artists, politicians, historians, educators, activists, and other great thinkers for a week this summer.
Aspen Ideas Festival: What does it take to be an effective president?
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Five long-time observers of the presidency tell an Aspen Ideas Festival audience the keys to leading the country and working with Congress. The discussion features a former senator, a former White House adviser to four presidents, and three experienced award-winning journalists.
Guests
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George Mitchell: US Senator (D-Maine) 1980-1995. Senate Majority Leader 1989-1995. US special envoy for Middle East peace 2009-2011.
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David Gergen: Director of the Center for Public Leadership at the JFK School at Harvard. Senior political analyst for CNN. Served as a White House adviser to presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton. Author, "Eyewitness to Power."
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Andrea Mitchell: NBC News chief foreign affairs columnist and host of MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports." Covered the 2008 presidential campaign for NBC News. Author of "Talking Back," a memoir about her experiences covering 5 presidents, Congress and foreign policy.
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Joe Klein: Columnist and senior writer at TIME. Author of "The Natural: Bill Clinton's Misunderstood Presidency," and the novel "Primary Colors," which was inspired by the 1992 presidential election.
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Michael Kranish: Boston Globe's deputy Washington bureau chief. Co-author of "The Real Romney." Co-author of "John F. Kerry: The Complete Biography," and "Flight from Monticello: Thomas Jefferson at War." Former reporter at the Miami Herald.
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Ron Brownstein: Moderator. Political director of The Atlantic and editorial director and weekly columnist, National Journal. Pulitzer Prize finalist for his coverage of the 1996 and 2004 presidential campaigns.
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