With the idea of asking them to move to blair house so she could come in and do reparts of the white house. Each first lady brings in an interior decorator, and nancy reagan did an incredible job, bringing in ted grave torii do it in a lighter yellow into guest the first one who finished the family quarters. Didnt have a chair to hang your pants on in the bedroom, and mrs. Reagan and ted graver, hollywood decorator, very famous, he had an eye for comfort. Every bedroom did have a chair and a chest and a it was liveable for the first time ever. Host i apologize. What i meant was they lost the election and here she was stuck in the house. Guest when i talked to her still her biggest regret is they lost, that was 235 35 years ago. There is again and again, specially oneterm president s, the feeling of the wives, bitterness. Betty ford was quote as saying whatever follows you they didnt deserve to be there, and its because these Women Campaign very hard for their herses and getting to the potential of the president ial library, the commitment the first ladies make is huge. Lady bird johnson visited every president ial library, wanted to make it perfect, the johnson library, and i interviewed her assistant whoa talk about how bittersweet it was for lady bird because she would be sitting at her office in the library and mary her deceased husbands voice in the fake setup of his office, coming in over the loudspeakers, and how much she enjoyed it but how bitter it was, and nance reagan on the anniversary of Ronald Reagans death could be found sitting at the Reagan Library by his grave, by herself, with only kryzewski secret Service Agent, no one eggs0. Nancy reagan did an incredible job. Its one of the best. And its because of her. Also had margaret thatcher. Hugely important people coming to speak. Speak was very involved in fundraising for the library and i just think the commitment. Jackie kennedy is another great example of someone would went with ted kennedy to solicit money, and the reagans helped. The real point of bipartisanship how people came together because jfk was of course he was killed, obviously so he couldnt she was in awe unique position of having to get support for the library, and she reached out across the aisle to nancy reagan. Guest laura bush is active with the george w. Bush down at smu in dallas as well. Well, both first ladies, Lady Bird Johnson and nancy reagan participated in cspans american president series. Heres a little bit from Lady Bird Johnsons interview. When the president said he was going to quit in 1968, did you agree with him . In 68 . Oh, goodness, yes. We had been talking about this for well, ever since we ran and 64 and won. In end, wife why did he quit . Money opinion he knew he wouldnt have in case he one he didnt have four more years. Nowdays, he they were wearing thin and costing too much and pulling up your spirit right out of your boots and going on, and if he lived he would not be able to do the sort of job that he wanted to do. Guest well, sadly he died not shortly after he left the white house, and he said his family was cursed to the men in his family did not live past a certain age. Speaks to the point of protection i was talking about, too, that the first ladies feel this need to protect their husbands and so lady bird was very relieved he wasnt running again. And vietnam, they could hear the protesters in lafayette park. Something that i hear lucy johnson and she talks about just the strain of living in the white house at that time, being so immense. What she is saying there is something that a lot of these women would feel in their heart of hearts. Pat nixon did not want president nixon to run again after the 1960 defeat and he went into private practice. She the happiest years of their life is when they were living in new york city. So, he wanted to get back into it. Theres other great letter that Jackie Kennedy wrote to pat nixon, they lived a few blocks away from each other in new york city, and Jackie Kennedy writes and says, the dream your dreams are finally being fulfilled, but essentially what she is saying is be careful what you wish for because she had been in the white house. She knew this is something that would be very difficult for their family. Guest and Richard Nixons memoir, he published a letter from jackie, basically saying, you were sent, you were sparring partners all the way from the time same class. You finish off and its a direct tie, and here you have too start all over again. I know exactly what youre going through. Quite a letter. I want to say one thing about lady bird. Her major contribution in history starting the environment al movement. She made a very risky decision to make these tapes public. She knew they existed. I dont know what role cspan had in these but you were the first to air them so i want to give you a plug here. Lyndon, all this thoughts and all this virtues and all his bad language, liker listening in like youre listening in, and she thought, blemishes and all that the man she knew would rise above that and probably be given a fair view by history now. Thought it was very courageous decision on her part. Guest the first lairdy to campaign ablown in 1964 and was an emissary to to south. A lot of southerners were not happy with the Civil Rights Act and she went down with the lady bird express train, and there were people chanting, black bird go home, and things like that, at her, and she sat on the back of the train bravely. They even had secret service macsure there were no bombs on the railways. A vary serious thing so she was very gutsy and her letters are fascinating and she was probable lie the linchpin for the former first ladies. She kept in touch with everybody. She would call Roslyn Carter during the height of the iran hostage crisis and check in she was very engaged, and she never guest she came to all the openings of the libraries. She came to everything. Host you mentioned the phone calls, the lbj phone calls. We want to play one for you. General, i want to visit with you in the next day or so on a problem out in the southeast asia, and i just wondered if what your schedule was and how that would affect it. Id like to go in with you and get your advice. I dont know whether you have anything you need to do back this way or not, but if you did, in new york or gettysburg or something, could i have a jet pick you up there anytime it suits you and you could come back here, and then while youre here, i would call you and invite you to come down and counsel with mement im a little concerned about the believing the appearance we have an emergency or something. I see. Well, i can do something. Have you got anybody in new york you need to talk to at all . Well, ive always got a up there, mr. President. Why dont you go back there, whenever you think, tomorrow, or the next day, met me have my plane pick you up there. Ill send my jet star out there either tonight or the morning, and you go visit him and then you can come on down here and spend a day with me at the white house, and let me say for the public that i understood that you were going to be in new york, and i wanted to advise with you on the general problems and i asked you to come down and visit with me, so it doesnt look too dramatic that we got a real emergency. Its not that deep, but its deep enough that i want to talk to you. Guest what did i do . Host get you could comment. Guest i love the tapes. I love the tapes. His language is funny and local but he make this point so quickly. Doesnt drag anything around. Makes what he is sag be hard to write it guest two marvelous segments with lady bird. One is after johnson has this First Press Conference he calls her to critique him and she is the only one he would take that kind of dregsing dressing down from. He looks like a stage from the other one, great deal of empathy and also a sense of her management strengths. And in 1964 one on johnsons aides was arrested on morals charge. He wad been. Whats a morals charge should arrested in the ymca guest a great story about lady bird being an incredible p. And person and he is not a standup guy. He doesnt want the runs to make an issue of it, like most of our current president s. A problem to be managed. She said, its more than a problem be to managed. Theyve been with us a decade, and walter has six children, and hes got a wife. More than that, we have a lot of servants working for us. We have a lot of domestics and people working now. Theyre watching to see how youre treating their colleagues. Thats what she is telling him. We cannot let that happen, lyndon. He says, now, now, now, just get hem out of the public and deal with him later. The later was after the election because he was afraid goldwater would make an issue. Thats her, empathy, manage she learned how to turn him. What is go for you is no tot think how the servants are going to treat you. Host lets hear from phillip in florida. Caller good afternoon. Thank you for cspan2 and thank you for in depth. I try to watch it when its on please go ahead. Caller more of statement than a question, but i wanted to your guests to talk about it. During world war ii, fdr is commander in chief, were fighting a twofront war, millions of soldiers all around the world, and right when he passed away, he was in warm springs, georgia, and there was one phone line to the cottage that he was staying at, and i found that very interesting and i think it says a lot about how our government worked or at least how it worked with fdr, that Something Like that could happen. That he was leaving the war to the people who knew how to fight the war, and he had the overall objectives, but he was hands off in that way. And i was interested in host all right, thank you very much. Who wants to tackle that one. Guest first thing i would say for those watching this and havented visited warm springs, i urge you to do so. Its very humble cottage he designed him. You can see his stamp collection. You can see his martini mixers and you can see some of the portraits taken of him the day he died, when he collapsed. You may or may not find out that lucy mercy was with him and the first concern of the secret service was getting her out of the house before eleanor another problem to be managed. Roosevelt, along with lincoln, was probably our greetest commander in chief and some ways roosevelt had better luck with generals. He worked very hard to find the right generals but he did. He suggested once he found ike he let million haaser let him master dday, and loved george marshall. He knew how much marshall wanted to lead the war. Guest but marshall would not until after his death admit or say he was a great man. He didnt. He wouldnt say it. And he ordered his staff to treat bernard brook with very special care. He says hes only the only way i can get to the president. Host what was the white house like during world war ii as a war center . Guest let just imagine an old house adapted. It had to begin with, the outside of the war outset of the war it was a stone house, but the interior is plaster with wooden lath in those days and some steel. It was a fire trap. And they tried to move the president out of it and he wouldnt hear of it. And so Civil Defense suggested that they paint the house black and put kind camouflage on the roof and cover the skylights and he said, no. So he consented to have wet sand buckets in every room, and of course he took great pleasure during the war of dumping them and having them dry. But he it was full of people, as always, and the down in basement the ground floor, as its called, was the map room, which he it was inspired by churchill to create that, and he created a very utilitarian room, and he went was wheelchaired down there and when churchill was in townhe was often down there, too. Theyd come in at 2 00 in the morning, drinking brandy, and all in the men would worked there remembered in the recollections are very comfortable colorful and that area was in the east wing was built he also wanted to build a museum to the white house. So he had the plans, which he considered himself quite an architect, and he had all that and the minute the war started are pal harbor he got in the money to do it. Because they were building a bomb shelter under it. And he didnt really want that, about they did. And so the east wing was built for that purpose but it was finished the walls werent finished and had burlap, like a sack over the walls and staff moved in it immediately. Host you write about maps being covered and had to be cleaned. Guest they would cover up the maps, such top secret information in there so when they were cleaning the room wouldnt see. This is the same room where bill clinton was the first president to testify before a grand jury. Thats what i find so fascinating about the white house, is these layers laura bush used the writing desk that as Jackie Kennedys and went out to riverdale, maryland, facility to find this writing desk and bring it back and to just think of each family, the green room is where the lincolns son was laying after he died. And so i think you just its incredible to think about the just what happened there in the last relatively short period of time. 227 years. Guest who was laid out. Guest lincolns son. Guest the green room guest the map room . But to think another of that macabre scene. Host where did the maps from world war ii end up. Guest the Roosevelt Library there are some there now. There are mams there. I thought Hillary Clinton was responsible sponsor that. Guest they come on the market now and then. They had a little boats stuck on the maps to where his sons were. And he always wanted to see that. And churchill went in there, would go in there and say, heres hitler, where is the bastard. Host kim, youre in iowa, thank you for holding on. Caller yes. I have a comment and a question about my comment. David rockefeller is one of the most prominent members of the worlds wealthiest family a Vice President since dwight eisenhower. He wrote in memoirs part of a second secret cab cabal. The sid host whats your question . Caller well are talks about the Super National sovereignty of the world bank which is surely josh all right. We appreciate your comment. Well move on to tom in cal spell, mt. Tom, good afternoon. Caller hi. Im just curious. There has been a book written about the Clinton White house and the problems that the staff and the soldiers and they had with the clintons. Is it a true book. Host Kate Anderson brouwer, referring to the secret service oath who came out with a book this year, gary. Guest yeah. Host theres been a couple of books, jed clean has had a couple out. Ed clean has had a couple out. Guest departments on who you talk about. When i interviewed the head caught uhousekeep if at the white house she has only glowing things to say about Hillary Clinton and how kind she was to female staff. Then i interviewed the head engineer at the time who describes having to disman tell send shands heres on Inauguration Day and Hillary Clinton being annoyed that this wasnt done quickly enough. It really depends on who you talk. To there is there is would a great feeling among the women on staff of sympathy for her. Especially what happen when they were going through monica lewinski. A very public and humiliating thing. Its not a black and white kind of issue. Some people it is incredible to me, though, looking at this election, the amount of people dish the vitriol and people really do hate her but the people who know her and have worked with her, largely do say nye things about her and there are moments with her where she is incredibly compassionate. For my book about the first ladies i talked with her aides as first lady and they described her visiting these very Sick Children in romania, and every one in her staff was just crying. It was just a terrible scene, and she was stoic throughout, and at the end she got into the car and had sunglasses on and her aide said i dont know how you keep it together and she said to her aide, imagine i if i started crying in front hoff the kids. There lives are so difficult to see the first lady feeling sorry for them would make their lives worse, and so i think there is a sense of she has a sort oven veneer of being this power hungry person throughout was side of her that people dont de. Host in your book the residence christine limerick, the head house keeper. She left. Guest because she got into a fight with nance reagan, and nancy reagan was very upset about these nancy has porcelain boxes and chris told me the first ladies like to collect things because they dont have to dust around them, and mrs. Reagan had these wonderful, beautiful, expensive items and some were broken and she was understandably very broken, and one was broken by a secret Service Agent by accident, and another by a maid dusting, and she was called up to basically take a verbal lashing about this and chris toll me that she was very close to talking back and that is what caused her to leave because you cannot talk back to the first lady. In fact the chief usher at the time came up and said ill take over from heave. You heard enough. Because mrs. Reagan was so upset. Had boxes pack up in storage for a long time until she felt comfortable taking them back out again. So its very personal and she came back when barbara bush was there. Guest you can see howmilesanhour reagan would have felt. Youre in a place with 60 people there all day or more, certainly staff of 30. And there you are, and they can come in and out of your quarters, go in your bedroom, trisha nixon put a string or thread over her door, just to know if people had gone in there. And you dont have any real control over it and you kind of pull in, i think. Following up on what you say, there are too darn many eyes in the white house itch really do. The kennedys tried to get a letter where people signed and said they would not guest that looked bad. Guest i understand it and im sure if youre at buckingham palace, you guest thats true. Guest its that kind of intrusion on the house that is considered a home. An office but first and always a home. And when people go to visit there, go to dinner, theyre going to the home of the president and his wife, and they little under the wine glasses and people go away and never forget it. Was tuesday white house and put always these things and all these memoir being written that are ugly, may have not be true. Maybe. But guest they dont have to sign nondisclosure agreements, and i do agree as a reporter i like it because its so interesting and gives you a Human Element to these people who are so iconic and you have no concept what betty ford maybe betty ford you do because she was outspoken but what nancy reagan was like and its a little insight too into their hull humanity. Host clear in maining good afternoon. Youre on booktv. Caller good afternoon, everyone. I would like to know if what first lady enjoyed being first lady, who loved living in the white house, and was loathe to leave . Host lets take that even further and go around the table very quickly and end with Al Felzenberg telling us which president enjoyed being president. Guest a great question. One of the easer answers because i think its in modern history undoubtedly barbara bush. I think she loved every minute of it. When i talked to her she said she would go back if she didnt have to have the responsibility. She loved the food, she always the white house chef told me she was always so compliment ricer didnt want anything changed. Thought nance ya reagan had done a great job with the decorating and the one who just enjoyed it. Going out for her daily swim at the White House Pool and visit the florist and the resident staffers told me she was the most relaxed first lady. She was truly she has a very biting sense of humor, famously, but she was just fun and she joked around with people and she loved every mint of every minute of it. Host bill. Guest general grants wife because she begged him to run again and he wouldnt do it. And he wouldnt tell her cigar smoke everywhere, she would get in private car to go to new york after the nation racing of his citior, the on the sofa and went. The second one was maimy eisenhower. She was a character, everybody in the white house adored her. She knew everybodys birthday, and had probe presents for. Guest gave away the maimi eisenhower dolls. Guest they lived in fewer houses than the bushes. But places, for 36 or 37, and theyve got their first house up in gettysburg and they loved it. And if at any time they could leave, theyve did, and he liked to fly the plane. She went in the car because she wouldnt trust him in a plane but they loved living in. She loved living there. Peopling liked her. She is little and would stand on a box in the blue room and shake hands. It wasp endless and people loved her. Guest she loved entertaining. She loved children. But that some people think not that he didnt have talent. He had great talent but as a young officers bride the eisenhowers place is where you wanted to get. Always interesting people. She was magnificent hostess. Guest one thing. She was not so kind to Jackie Kennedy. Did not like her and guest should would call her the college girl and that transition was very hard. Guest the called kennedy that young man. Young whippersnapper. Guest right. Guest i loved the little story when eisenhowers went to white house and he had a lot he was the first had had huge numbers of people. But always in the dining room, state dining room, and he worked at the tables where they did funny things to get more people squashed in there and mostly businessmen and lunches or breakfasts, maybe dinners but he undertook to tell the chef what he want at his party, and she took the menu to him and said you run the office, i run the house. And he never interfered with her menus anymore. Guest on the jackie tape came out a couple years ago, you could hear jackie complaining to the shoe didnt this would. Host jackie just had a csection for john kennedy, jr. And the asked for a wheelchair and west writes about this is in memoir. A great story where this wheelchair was woes supposed to be available for her for the white house tour of the election and before the inauguration, and mysteriously never showed up. So she had to walk through all the rooms of the residence with mrs. Eisenhower and pain darkened her face me and was in so much pain after the csection. And then later on west said after jackie was first lady he said why didnt what was wrong . See she said i never got my wheel care i as to afraid of mrs. Eisenhower to ask. She was 31. Mamie, a huge mamie was the pink whole thing. Host go to cspan. Org, our first lady soars, the first lady series visited the get gettysburg home of the eisenhowers and you can see mamie pink is still prevalent rather there and she had a little button for ontario when she warranted to call the people who were sending dinner to clear the plates. She just kind of pushed down on the button and houston they came. Lets hear from reba in mississippi. Caller thank you for taking my call. And i think you have a dream job, and if you ever want to retire id like your job. Host amen. I agree. Caller my question is, for the panel, is if they feel comfortable, if theyre able to address the possible of having the first man in lieu of the first lady in the white house and what that might be like when her talking about menus and and if you want to address his history as well. Thats any question. Guest well, i did an ive talked and spoken with people about this and i have written an oped about it in the New York Times this summer, its still likely to happen but seemed likely to happen at this point to have the first first gentleman which is historic, and more than 220 years we have never had a man in this position. I was channel surfing and saw this movie, kiss fort my president , from the 1960s and its a historical. Polly bergan was the first woman president and fred mcmeasure riff is the manned and it ends with the first woman president getting pregnant and decides to quit because she wanted to take care of her family. Gives you insight into how far we have come to now this seems very likely to happen, and i think that Hillary Clinton will have to hire a very experienced social secretary because bill clinton will not be picking out the dinner menu, he probably wont eave an east wing office so Hillary Clinton has talked to herself about having a hand in this, which i think is unfair, that anyone would expect her to as president. President has really gotten involved in that side of the white house. The first lady and some social secretary who do this tolling so theyll hire someone who is close to them, maybe patricia marshall. So one who can be the first lady, really, while bill clinton is an emissary around the world. He could go out of washington. Hillary talk about putting him in charge of the economy, so he cant have a cabinet position abuse of antinepotism. Guest he can be part of what Andrew Jackson called the kitchen cabinet. Would put him in charge of dead great things when the run are yous ran the congress. Neither he nor they said so at the time but he did. Might want to read a couple of things. A big reader. Might want to read what ms. Thatcher had to say about dennis. How dennis came to deal with that role. Denis ran an oil company behalf she was in politic. Learned how to take two steps behind her, and long suffering prince phillip, as played that part brilliantly and its been written about elsewhere. One thing comes to mind. The one thing we can say about the these purloined white house email whether theyre true or not. Chelsea comes out quite good. She comes out as somebody who understands what her mothers best might be. A nancy reagan kind of roll. The protecter. Blew the whistle on many things. She would be also very good adviser behind the scenes. Not a social secretary as much but most first ladies take on causes. We dont know what bill clintons cause would be. He certainly done a great deal with his foundation and as president women dont know what that is but she would be a very good one to manage it for him and direct it. You asked me who enjoyed being president more than anyone. With awe all the trials and tribulations would have to say bill clinton. He has read books about every one of his predecessors many times. He has an extraordinary political memorabilia collection. He probably gave more farewell addresses than anybody in history. It took him forever to get to that convention. That nominated al gore. Stopped everywhere and gave a speech and completely dwarfed george bush. They showed clinton giving a speech leaving washington and arriving in new york and going to chappaqua, town none of us could pronounce. He loved every minute of it. Even when he has have his problems. That it line, not to the left, got to go in bible. He enjoyed it. Host we have each of our guests well come book after the break, we asked each of our guests to recommend some books on president ial history, and we want to show those to you now. For the First Time Since 1944, the two major part candidates will be spending Election Night in new york city. Both voted in new york today. Hillary clinton voted in chappaqua. Heres a look. [cheering] [cheering] bill and Hillary Clinton voting this morning in chappaqua, new york. Donald trump also voted this morning in new york in the city of manhattan on east 50 six st at ps 59. Heres what that looked like. Let security get in. President. R future how much is that . Will give you this, so you make a little profit, ok . Have a good time, everybody. Thank you. What are you hearing about early returns so far . Mr. Trump very good. Would you like a sticker . How are you feeling today . Mr. Trump it is a great honor. [inaudible] mr. Trump very excited. It is a great opportunity. There is tremendous upward there is tremendous enthusiasm. You see it and everyone should all over the world you see it in everyone. It is all over the world. A great feeling. We do want to win. [inaudible] ok, you are going to fill out the ballot. Mr. Trump i like the hair color. Thank you so much. Once you are done, you will go over to the basketball hoop and hand it in. Mr. Trump thank you. Thank you. Are you ok . Yes, im good. Thank you. Are you ok . Yes, im great. Who did you vote for . Mr. Trump tough decision. [inaudible] you have any plans for tomorrow . Mr. Trump we will see what happens. Its looking very good. Right now its looking very good. Donald trump voting earlier with his family. Shortly thereafter the campaign had requested that a clark county judge in nevada preserved evidence from polling places in nevada. They allege they violated election rules by staying open later in earlier voting hours. Slate meanwhile reporting on the turnout in florida, saying florida turnout has exceeded already its 2012 levels, and looking at North Carolina, the Washington Post in a story following the turnout in North Carolina and some of the voting issues theyve had, the North Carolina voter election saying it will meet to consider a request to keep the polls open longer. Including request from durham voting was delayed. Our live coverage coming up at 8 00 eastern here on cspan. And another perspective from canada, live coverage in the canadian broadcasting corporation, Election Night coverage. That will be live at 8 00 p. M. Eastern over on cspan2. OnElection Night, tonight cspan, watch the results and be part of the National Conversation about the outcome. Be on location at the Hillary Clinton and donald trump Election Night headquarters and watch victory and concession speeches of key house and senate races. Watch live tonight on cspan, on demand at www. Cspan. Org, or listen to live coverage using the free cspan radio app. Cspans washington journal, live every day with news and policy issues that impact you. Coming up wednesday morning, we are starting an hour earlier, at 6 00 a. M. Eastern, getting your reaction postelection day, breaking down the results. Yourthe conversation with phone calls, emails, facebook comments, and tweets. Live at 6 00 a. M. Eastern wednesday morning. On this election day, our look at past victory and concession speeches continues. Massachusetts senator john kerry lost to president george w. Bush in the 2004 election. 286. Lectoral votes to after a latenight, senator kerry conceded the following day in boston. After that, president bushs concession victory speech. Thank you so much, you just have no idea how warming and how generous that welcome is, your love, your affection, and im gratified by it. Im sorry that we got here a little bit late and a little bit short. Earlier today, i spoke to president bush and i offered him and laura are congratulations on their victory. We had a good conversation. We talked about the danger of division in our country and the need, the desperate need for unity, for finding the common ground, coming together the comn ground coming together. Today i hope that we can begin the healing. [applause]. In america, it is vital that every vote count and that every vote be counted, but the outcome should be decided by voters not a protracted Legal Process. I would not give up this fight if there was a chance that we would prevail, but it is now clear that even when all the provisional ballots are countsed, which they will be, there wont be enough outstanding votes for us to be able to win ohio. And therefore, we cannot win this election. My friends, it was here that we began our campaign for the presidency. And all we had was hope and a vision for a better america. It was a privilege and a gift to spend two years traveling this country, coming to know so many of you. I wish that i could just wrap you up in my arms and embrace each and every one of you individually all across this nation. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. [cheering and applauding]. Thank you, thank you, thank you. [applause] thank you. Thank you. We still got your back thank you, man. [applause] and i assure you you watch, ill still have yours. So hang in there. [applause]. I will always be particularly grateful to the colleague that you just heard from who became my partner. My very close friend, an extraordinary leader john edwards and i thank him for everything he did. [applause] john and i would be the first to tell you that we owe so much to our families. Theyre here with us today. They were with us every single step of the way they sustained us. They went out on their own and they multimultiplied our campaign all across this country. No one did this with more grace and with courage and candor that i love than my wife teresa. And i thank her. [cheering and applauding] thank you. And our children were there every single step of the way. It was unbelievable. Vanessa, alec, chris, andre and john from my family and Elizabeth Edwards who is so remarkable and so strong and so smart. [cheering and applauding] and johnny and kate who went out there on her own just like my daughters did and also emma, claire and jack who were up beyond their bedtime last night like a lot of us. [applause]. Awant to thank my i want to thank my crew mates and my friends from 35 years ago that great bands band of brothers who crisscrossed this country on my behalf through 2004. Thank you. They had the courage to speak the truth back then and they spoke it again this year and for that i will forever be grateful. And thank also as i look around here to friends and family of a lifetime. Some from college, friends made all across the years. And then all across the miles of this campaign. You are so special. You brought the gift of your passion for our country and the possibilities of change and that will stay with us and with this country forever. Thanks to democrats and republicans and independents who stood with us and everyone who voted no matter who their candidate was. And thanks to my absolutely unbelievable dedicated staff led by a Wonderful Campaign manager mary beth cahill. Who did an extraordinary job. [cheering and applauding]. Theres so much written about campaigns and theres so much that americans never get to see. I wish they could all spend a day on a campaign and see how hard these folks work to make america better. It is its own unbelievable contribution to our democracy and its a gift to everybody, but especially to me and im grateful to each and every one of you and i thank your families and i thank you for the sacrifices youve made. And to all the volunteers all across this country who gave so much of themselves. You know, thanks to William Field a 6yearold who collected 680 a quarter and a dollar at a time selling bracelets during the summer to help change america. [applause] thanks to Michael Benson from florida who i spied in a rope line holding a container of money. Turned out hed raided his piggy bank and wanted to contribute and thanks to an 11yearold who started kids for kerry all across our country [applause] i think of the brigades of the students and people young and old who took time to travel, time off from work, their own Vacation Time to work in states far and wide. They braved the hot days of summer and the cold days of the fall and the winter to knock on doors because they were determined to open the doors of opportunity to all americans. They worked their hearts out and i wish you dont know how much that i could have brought this race home for you, for them. And i say to them now, dont lose faith. What you did made a difference and building on itself [applause] building on itself we go on to make a difference another day. I promise you that time will come. The time will come. The election will come when your work and your ballots will change the world and its worth fighting for. [applause] i want to especially say to the American People in this journey you have given me the honor and the gift of listening and learning from you. I have visited your homes, i visited your churches, i visited your community halls, ive heard your stories i know your struggles, i know your hopes. They are part of me now. And i will never forget you and ill never stop fighting for you. [applause] thank you. You may not understand completely in what ways, but it is true when i say to you that you have taught me and youve tested me and youve lifted me up and you made me stronger. I did my best to express my vision and my hopes for america. We worked hard and we fought hard and i wish that things had turned out a little differently. But in an american election, there are no losers because whether or not our candidates are successful the next morning we all wake up as americans. [applause] and that is the greatest privilege and the most remarkable good fortune that can come to us on earth. With that gift also comes obligation. We are required now to Work Together for the good of our country. In the days ahead we must find common cause. We must join in common effort without remorse or recrimination without anger or ran core. America is in need of unity and longing for a longer measure of compassion. I hope president bush will advance those values in the coming years. I pledge to do my part, to try to bridge the partisan divide. I know this is a difficult time for my supporters, but i ask them, all of you, to join me in doing that. Now more than ever with our soldiers in harms way, we must stand together and succeed in iraq and win the war on terror. I will also do everything in my power to ensure that my party a proud Democratic Party stands true to our best hopes and ideals. I believe that what we started in this campaign will not end here. [applause] our fight goes on to put america back to work and to make our economy a great engine of job growth. Our fight goes on to make affordable healthcare an accessible right for all americans, not a privilege. Our fight goes on to protect the environment to achieve equality, to push the frontiers of science and discovery and to restore americas reputation in the world. I believe that all of this will happen and sooner than we may think. Because were america and america always moves forward. [applause] ive been honored to represent the citizens of this commonwealth for in the United States senate now for 20 years. And i pledged to them that in the years ahead im going to fight on for the people and for the principles that ive learned and lived with here in massachusetts. Im proud of what we stood for in this campaign and of what we accomplished. When we began, no one thought it was possible to even make this a close race. But we stood for real change, change that would make a real difference in the life of our nation and in the lives of our families and we defineed that choice to america. Ill never forget the wonderful people who came to our rallies who stood in our rope lines, who put their hopes in our hands, who invested in each and every one of us. I saw in them the truth that america is not only great but it is good. [applause] so with a grateful heart i leave this campaign with a prayer that has even greater meaning to me now that ive come to know our vast country so much better. Thanks to all of you and what a privilege it has been to do so and that prayer is very simple, god bless america. Thank you. [cheering and applauding] four r more years, four more years, four more years, four more years. Thank you all. Thank you all for coming. We had a long night and a great night. [cheering] the voters turned out in record numbers and delivered a historic victory. [cheering anplauding] earlier today senator kerry called with his congratulations. We had a really good phone call. He was very gracious. Senator kerry waged a spirited campaign, and he and his supporters can be proud of their efforts. [applause] laura and i wish senator kerry and teresa and their whole family all our best wishes. America has spoken, and im humbled by the trust and the confidence of my fellow citizens. With that trust comes a duty to serve all americans, and i will do my best to fulfill that duty every day as your president. [cheering and applauding] there are many people to thank, and my family comes first. [cheering and applauding] laura is the love of my life. [cheering and applauding] im glad you love her too. [laughter] i want to thank our daughters who joined their dad for his last campaign. [cheering and applauding] i appreciate the hard work of my sister and my brothers. I especially want to thank my parents for their loving support. [cheering and applauding] im grateful to the Vice President and lynne and their daughters who have worked so hard and been such a vital part of our team. [cheering and applauding] the Vice President serves america with wisdom and honor, and im proud to serve beside him. [applause] i want to thank my superb campaign team. I want to thank you all for your hard work. [applause] i was imprezed every day by how hard and impressed every day by how hard how skillful our team was i want to thank chairman marc racicot. [cheering and applauding] the Campaign Manager ken mellman. [cheering and applauding] mehlman. [cheering and applauding] the architect karl rove. [cheering and applauding] i want to thank ed gillespie for leading our party so well. [cheering and applauding] i want to thank the thousands of our supporters across our country. I want to thank you for your hugs on the rope lines. I want to thank you for your prayers on the rope lines. I want to thank you for your kind words on the rope lines. I want to thank you for everything you did to make the calls and to put up the signs, to talk to your neighbors, and to get out the vote. [cheering and applauding] and because you did the incredible work, we are celebrating today. [cheering and applauding] theres an old saying do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks. In four historic years america has been given great tasks and faced them with strength and courage. Our people have restored the vigor of this economy. And shown resolve and patience in a new kind of war. Our military has brought justice to the enemy and honor to america. [applause] our nation, our nation has defended itself and served the freedom of all mankind. Im proud to lead such an amazing country, and im proud to lead it forward. [applause] because we have done the hard work, we are entering a season of hope. We will continue our economic progress. We will reform our outdated tax code. We will strengthen the Social Security for the next generation. Well make Public Schools all they can be. We will uphold our deepest values of family and faith. We will help the emerging democracies of iraq and afghanistan. [applause] so they can grow in strength and defend their freedom, and then our servicemen and women will come home with the honor they have earned. [applause] with good allies at our side, we will fight this war on terror with every resource of our national power, so our children can live in freedom and in peace. [applause] reaching these goals will require the broad support of americans. So today i want to speak to every person who voted for my opponent. To make this nation stronger and better, i will need your support, and i will work to earn it i will do all i can do to deserve your trust. A new term is a new opportunity to reach out to the whole nation. We have one country, one constitution, and one future that binds us. And when we come together and Work Together, there is no limit to the greatness of america. [cheering and applauding] let me close with a word of the people of state of texas. [cheering] we have known each other the longest, and you started me on this journey. On the open plains of texas, i first learned the character of our country, sturdy and honest and as hopeful as the break of day. I will always be grateful to the good people of my state and whatever the road that lies ahead, that road will take me home. A campaign has ended, and the United States of america goes forward with confidence and faith. I see a great day coming for our country, and i am eager for the work ahead. God bless you and may god bless america. [cheering and applauding] george w. Bush 12 years ago today. He and his wife did not vote for president according to the former president spokesman. Blocks boxtop blank and voted republican down ballot. A donald trump cake is being wheeled into trump tower. Lindsey graham is saying that he voted for evan for president. Tonight on cspan, watch the results be part of the National Conversation about the outcome. Watch victory and concession speeches. Eastern lives at 8 00 and throw the day on wednesday, on ourive on demand website or act. App. Canada withred from an internet Rural International perspective on the election. This will be broadcast live at 8 00 eastern on cspan two. Princeton university, a history and Public Affairs professor and also the author of the fierce urgency of now. Thank you for joining us this morning. During this campaign, the Donald Trump Campaign has raised this specter of what happened with the election of 2000 between george w. Bush and al gore. Can you paint the picture of not only whats been said about it in the context of this campaign but whether there is merit to those comparisons . Guest in 2000, it was a very close election between al gore and parts of the bush. George w. Bush. There was a dispute about the count in florida, looking at particular ballots in certain counties. What we saw after the election there weress where recounts over contested votes that ultimately ended in a Supreme Court decision that stopped the recounts. Thats very different from what were hearing today. Today, weve heard from donald trump about the idea of a rigged not abouthere its contested ballots after the election in certain areas, but the entire political system. Its about the entire media being stacked against one candidate over the other. Combined with allegations of voter fraud without any evidence that has happened. Re are two very different two very different kinds of issues. Recountt gore ended the they are different. More about the people involved than the actual voting process. Caller exactly. Then, it was about how you count the votes. There were ballots were you cannot see exactly who someone voted for. Today, there is one aspect of the voting process that is emerged donald trump has argued that there will be a lot of voting fraud in this election. Weve heardargument from many conservatives for over a decade now. Thats why we have new voter id laws put into place in many states. People will try to vote by saying they are someone they are not, they will claim the identity of dead people. This is something hes warned about and he has called on his supporters to go and monitor on election day to make sure that no such fraud takes place. In 2000, we heard about the infamous hanging chads. Now, we have a paper Ballot System in play today. Caller the 2000 election exposed some of the inadequacies of how we conduct our voting. It was very archaic is still run by local governments. It was sloppily done in some places. The butterfly ballot dispute in 2000 really focused on some democratic counties in florida where many voters have voted for , patrickm candidate buchanan, even though it was pretty clear that is not who most of these voters wanted to vote for. Howaised questions about the ballots are constructed and we saw Television Coverage during the recounts of local officials trying to figure out who people voted for, looking through a magnifying glass to see if the paper was still singing hanging. Be conscientious fraud and that that of identity to vote . Theres no evidence that this exists on any substantial level. Politically, its been a very potent issue. Donald trump has used that. In addition to his broader claims that the entire system is rigged against them. Talkinglian zelizer about these comparisons in the modern day with this election, even going back to 2000, examining aspects of that. Emocrats, 2027488000 for republicans, 2027488001. For independents, 2027488002. The legal ramifications of this years election thats what you what dot happen you expect might happen . Are there Lessons Learned as far as the Legal Process we can gain from the year 2000 . Areer both campaigns preparing for any kind of challenges that might take place contestselections, after election day. In 2000, the elections works for an area were extraordinarily close. Neither candidate was able to reach the Electoral College total. Thats why the 25 votes in florida mattered so much. Ago, it looked like Hillary Clinton might have a pretty substantial lead. Which case the trump Campaign Manager try to obtain recounts in any close states, but it was we dont know if the letter from the fbi the other week will narrow the election and create a much closer outcome. In which case i think both campaigns will be prepared in some of these battleground states to mobilize for a recount. Campaigns remember 2000 and they remember the republicans it asjames baker treated a political issue. They thought about how to debate the frame frame the debate in the media. They were much more effective than the democrats. The campaigns are not only preparing the legal battle, but thinking of the politics of the postelection. Theres the issue of the courts. For many people after 2000, the courts and a lot more political. Ecially the spring court the courts seemed a lot more political. Especially the Supreme Court. The memory of that will shape the legal debates that might unfold. As discrepant are as people think they might be, if this has narrowed, it will be harder to conduct a recount challenge. Host james in virginia on our line for democrats. Caller good morning. On a scale of one to 10, i give you 11 cool points. I love your program. Was saying its actually different with al gore and president bush than it is now because one is being contested in the other is just saying it is rigged. He is trump has said going to contest it if he does not win. He did not say if it was close. He did not say if one state was very close that he said if he does not win, hes going to contest it. That is an issue we need to be addressing. If there is voter fraud in a state that has already caught individuals for voter fraud, does that substantiate what donald trump is saying that there is widespread voter fraud . On the first point, that is true. F al gore spent the final months of the election arguing that this was not going to be a Fair Election and also saying he would not accept the result if he didnt win we did not hear that from al gore. He was talking about Social Security reform. He was talking about social policy. And theis all unfolded pute emerged over florida first, the networks were saying that he won in florida and later, fox called it for bush. Today, the republican nominee is talking about this being rigged and is being unfair, long before theres any evidence to support that. Combined with his claim during the debate that he would not necessarily concede on Election Night if it seemed that he lost. After the Supreme Court decision would offer a concession speech. His demeanor was different after this was resolved. Might be some fraud, but we have to remember there is very little evidence of systematic butter fraud. A study that looked at how much this happens. Its very small. A handful of examples where there is concrete evidence of this. Its very unlikely at this point that that kind of problem is going to be central after the campaign. The one other issue is hacking. Computer voting and whether theres any effort to undermine that. Again, that is speculation, not based on evidence that on election day, that would somehow turn the boat. Vote. N the host katie on our republican line. Id been calling in since the early 1990s. I love cspan. I am going to keep on the subject. I never liked bush. Bush did some underhanded things when he was governor here. Forook Peoples Properties and all this malls kinds of stuff. I never liked bush. I just thought he was crooked and it was always about the money for the bushes. I think they stole the election from gore. And those are my thoughts on that. Host thank you, katie. Caller that sentiment guest that sentiment comes from the governor of florida at the time was his brother, jeb bush. Not only did the bush family have a lot of clout in florida, the Republican Party was quite powerful and there was some sentiment, usually among democrats, but some republicans that the recount process was not handled well. And the republicans within the state and the Bush Campaign were essentially in florida in 2000 trying to stop the recount. They were trying to delay and obstruct and they realized the longer they did, the closer they would get to the deadline where decision had to be made. That left a bad taste in the mouth of Many Americans in both parties that it was not handled well. Added to that was the supreme aurt intervening act making decision in december to stop the recount. There were many people, mostly democrats, but some republicans, who thought it was not the right way to handle this. Some of that feeling continues to linger. There are some doubt argue that it was unfairly handled. Very different that the entire political process nationally is rigged, which is hard in our system. It is so fragmented. This is really about the recount in a particular state being handled poorly. I think it gives rise to those kinds of memories. Southlets hear from carolina. Danny is up next. Caller yes, good morning. I think i have a pretty unique perspective on the 2000 florida fiasco because i was working the polls in South Carolina at the time. We used the exact same voter machines. Withroblem with florida the counties and the basic problem was they were not doing the basic maintenance on the machines. As they were not cleaning up the trays that held the chads. They got so full you cannot punch through. That was the beginning of the problem. Added this idea that you had a bunch of people who voted for the wrong person because they thought they were voting for one in voting for someone else is ridiculous. It was clear on those machines how to vote for whoever you wanted to vote for. Guest there are 2 separate issues. The first is the actual process of a voting. 2000. Ecame a big issue in how the machines work, how they were handled, how they were maintained. In 2000, it was surprising to many people how antiquated our Voting System was. In an age of computers and the internet merging on the scene that we still voted in ways that looked more like the 19th century than the 20th century. This became a discussion after this all ended with calls for reforming the voting process, including electronic voting. In terms of people being confused, it is always hard at this point to understand the intention of what voters were doing. There was substantial evidence that in places like palm county, people have not voted for the person they intended. The reason it was an issue was Patrick Buchanan was on the ticket, very controversial. He had been associated with antisemitic statements and organizations and many Jewish American voters voted for him. It was unlikely that is who they intended to vote for. This was a heavily democratic aereo. That was one of the issues they gave rise. It was not just in florida. We have learned in many parts of the country how poor the actual machinery of our election process and that is in part because we leave it to local government who is often strapped for cash and did not have the funds they needed or the manpower they needed to have the system. Data we have shifted more and more to electronic voting. Host was there ever a resolve of the ballots that were in question . Was there ever a result of who would have one . Byst there were recounts newspaper organizations. Most of them from what i have seen showed that al gore did have more votes. In awas pretty consistent lot of the findings that came after the election was all over. Host democrats line. Caller thank you for taking my call. I wanted to what i have seen saying thatom trump he trashed the election process that if he he would say he did not win the election process is junk. If he doesnt win, but if he does win then it is ok. I think that is a representation me the wayl the he has handled himself through his election process. A tabloid type candidate. Host thank you. Professor zelizer. Guest that has what has been troubling to some of his opponents and even to some of his supporters that by calling into question the entire process, many trumps supporters will have trouble believing in the legitimacy of the outcome and if he is not the victor. Even if he is the winner, and some ways to hear these kinds of statements as a theme, as a Closing Argument for the campaign would just confirm and strengthen some of the cynicism and distrust Many Americans have and how in how our political system works. In an area where we have a polarized election, it is hard to get one side to listen the other side and the other side might have legitimate arguments, this idea that in the entire system is not just flawed, not just broken but rigged. It is unfair to create an even more toxic government governing environment. As i think the caller was saying , in some ways to undercut for some voters him as a candidate. It is saying i will not follow the rules if i look, but i will follow if i win. Some have emerged with the fbi and comey letter. The system seems to were more in his favor than before. Some will see it as confusing in which way the rigged system works. Teaches atuest Princeton University and is the author of the fierce urgency of us, Julian Zelizer joining looking at this election and going back to 2000. We will take you back right now. Our board conceding after the decision by the Supreme Court. Al gore moments ago, i spoke to george w. Bush and congratulated him on becoming the 43rd president. I promised him i would not call him back this time. I offered to meet with him as soon as possible so we could start to heal the division of the campaigns and the contest we just passed. Almost a century to half ago, Stephen Douglas told abraham lincoln, who just defeated him, partisan feeling must yield to patriotism. I am with you, mr. President. In it same spirit, i say to president elect bush, what remains ranker must be put aside and may god bless his stewardship of this country. Neither he nor i anticipated this long and difficult road. Neither of us wanted it to happen. Yet it came and now it has ended. Resolved as it must be resolved through our democracy. Over the library of one of our great law schools is inscribed not under man but under god and law. ,hat is the ruling principle the source of our democratic liberties pretty i tried to make it my guide as it has guided american deliberations of the complex issues of the past five weeks. The u. S. Supreme court has spoken. Let there be no doubt well i strongly disagree with the courts decision, i excepted. I except the finality of this outcome which will be ratified next monday. Tonight for the sake of our unity of the people and the strength of our democracy, i offer my concession. Host professor zelizer, analysis of that from al gore. Guest it is a pretty remarkable speech. If you remember the moment, he references his early concession call, which is on the night of the election. What happens is about 2 16 in the morning, fox news called it for george w. Bush, called florida for bush and all of the networks followed. Gorecame clear after al had offered a concession that it was not settled yet. Gore talked to bush and said circumstances have changed and a very tense interaction between them when bush is saying the governor, his brother, called it and it was over. Gore said they would have to have a recount to figure out what the vote was area he referenced in the speech with a joke. E broadly, the joke was the speech was hard for many democrats. Many do not accept what the Supreme Court had done. They believed the recount should continue until we had full knowledge of won the vote. Al gore decided what was most important was protecting the political process, stopping the fight, sending a signal to democrats and republicans that he was done and he would accept the legitimacy of the decision that he did not agree with. For hisof the call supporters and the country to think of the values, patriotism rather than partisanship. That will not work very well in the next few years. At least for the moment, it did. That concession was enormously important. Although it comes on while after the actual election day to place , it was soon after the Supreme Court decision and was an important moment many historians certainly will consider of leadership for the person in the end lost the election. It was very important in healing temporarily some of the wounds that emerged. , massachusetts, independent line. Trump, hesay with says it is a rigged election. Can, i can take money that he had collected from insurance, billions of dollars and say i can. Them because iy can. I am entitled to that. Muscleman because i can. Pull apart in the handicapped because i can. I can man. He turns around and talk about women badly because i can. Where does it stop to this man . I am telling you right now, i can take him apart. Goodbye. Guest thessor . Fundamental critique, many critiques that donald trump has heard and has been criticized for many things but with the rigged election in addition to calling digital question the legitimacy of our political system before there is any evidence that any problems exist of the kind he is talking about. We have many issues were our political system can be reformed. There is an ongoing discussion about whether he understands the limit of power and our political system. That is why the idea of a concession speech is so important. The idea of accepting the outcome is so important. As a candidate, you understand if you do lose, that is it and you have to accept the results and the new leader of the country. It is not new with donald trump. He was part of the Birther Movement in 2011, which people consider a similar kind of argument raising questions about the legitimacy of our president , the person who is in the white house through arguments about where he was born. I think this is the danger that people fear and they connect it to a broader outlook he has about how he handles all kinds of issues for business to his personal life and now politics. Host california, democrats line. Caller i have a couple of questions. Expect to haves people such as yourself say that we have Fair Elections when we side andhe democratic for the primary had a news bc nbc callin the election for california the day before for Hillary Clinton, knowing the polls do not close until 7 p. M. On the west coast . That type of behavior in the beingsenting partieses for certain and corporations instead of seeing the citizen as the most important piece of democracy as being a fair process. The primary, they called there were ballots that had still not been counted when it they gave the delegates to Hillary Clinton. Within day, for me alameda county, my ballot stub from your ballot, the part you keep for yourself to check and see if your vote was counted, to this day, my vote has never been counted. Host thank you. Guest we have to distinguish ofween the arguments we have accusing the whole system in a coordinated fashion being rigged from real problems that exist in our election process. Some of which is the caller talked about and others which others have mentioned. A finance system that many people urgently feel needs to be corrected because there is too much private money flowing into campaigns and candidates are forced to constantly asking for the funding they need to run advertisements and the organizations that they need to win. We have talked about allocation allegations of voter fraud. The real problems many people eating our though voter fraud met many people think our though voter fraud mechani watch the results and be part of a conversation about the outcome. Be on location of the Hillary Clinton and donald trump Election Night headquarters and watch victory and concession speeches and key house and senate races. Watch live tonight on cspan on demand at cspan. Org or listen to our live coverage during the free cspan radio app. Now, discussion on the upcoming president ial transition process. We will hear from former white house advisors and transition Staff Members on the history of president ial transitions and challenges for the new administration. Hosted by the National Press foundation, this is two hours. I am chris adams, the director of training and i will be introducing our panel here in a second. Sandy told you her transition story, i will give you my one brief transition story. Int interesting transition my lifetime, i was working at the wall street journal, i was in the midst of a longterm project. They had nothing to do with politics. Everyone in my newsroom was working on the transition but me. About going to talk today transition, we have three panels , a panel of experts, reporters,