Look for these titles in bookstores is coming week and watch for the authors in the near future book tv and this is book tv live coverage of the 2016 Chicago Tribune printers row lit fest. Over the next seven hours you will hear from several authors including eric larson, Kenneth C Davis and brian burrow. We began todays coverage with a discussion on politics featuring former pres. Obama adviser David Axelrod, author of axelrod, author of believer, and nationally syndicated columnist Clarence Page, author of culture, lawyer. This is live coverage from chicago on book tv. [inaudible conversations] all right. Welcome to the 31st annual Chicago Tribune printers row lit fest. My name is tom for scholars. Before we get started i would like to send a special thank you to our sponsors. Todays program is being broadcast live on cspan2 book tv. At this time there will be a q a session and we ask that you line up in front of the microphone so that the home viewing audience can hear your questions. You can keep the spirit of lit fest going yearround with a subscription to the printers row journal of premium book section fiction series command program. Also, please download our trip books out for more info on the lit fest as well as access to our digital bookstore. Of course we encourage everyone to post messages and photos to twitter, histogram, facebook using the hashtag puerto rico lf 15. Before we began todays program we ask you all to silence your cell phones china camera flashes off and most importantly, give your attention to our authors and expand your mind. With that being said, please welcome our moderator bruised all the Editorial Page Editor for the Chicago Tribune. [applause] thank you very much. You know these people. [laughter] David Axelrod, the author of believer. [applause] Krista Mccreary is a member of the Chicago TribuneEditorial Board. [applause] and Clarence Pages columnist a is columnist and member of the tribune Editorial Board and author of culture warrior. [applause] and my former, my 1st nicety weekend editor at the Chicago Tribune. I do have to. Out. You are so youthful you would not believe it. [laughter] you realize you are surrounded by people who are still gainfully employed by the Chicago Tribune. [laughter] unlike the guy who love 30 30 years ago. He has to be sitting there thinking what might have been. [laughter] and i couldve been asking myself these questions. It would not it would not take my advice. You got a great future newspapers. I love my time. I was really glad you cleared out. I got to cover the campaign. It was really kind of a baptism of political coverage. I do want to take a moment before we talk all the politics stuff, you have just come from delaware. As we sit here the funeral house being set for beau biden. I feel he was a splendid guy in a splendid family. I wrote a little bit about this in my book, my 1st encounter with coteefive boeing joe biden in the biden family and how struck our was by their relationships command everyone who knows that when i think everyone in the country is grieving with the this morning. So be remiss if we did not notice passing. Do you have a sense of how they are coping . It is difficult. Everyone knows the history. He almost lost bo wants. He lost his his life and child in the same accident. Was the son that everyone holds they would have. I mean, he was a great father, son veteran you know, the Public Service ended it with integrity. It is just a lovely, lovely person. I just cant imagine how one comes with thats. Were faced with these things in life. We just have to go on. When the president made the decision it was seen as an unusual choice at the time. Can you give us a sense of how that relationship is built . I we will say that we considered 30 people for the Vice President ial nomination. It was a process but it began in may of 2,008 when it became pretty clear that sen. Obama would be the nominee. The 1st thing he said was commotion go through this process, but i really focused on joe biden. The reason, there were a number of them no one was biden have the years in washington that he didnt have. He had vast histories and foreignpolicy. He was from delaware, but he was a native of pennsylvania and had reached into a state without was going to be important, but the most important thing was he said he had been through national campaigns, campaigns national politics, he understands this maelstrom. The interesting thing about it is that a word that. Thats all right. Interesting thing about it is that when sarah palin was chosen theyre on the plane leaving denver in 2,008 and became a it came across on our blackberries. Around to the front of the plane. And i grabbed obama and serve him and obama went to all these things. Why he do that, interestings. But you know what, being in this National Media frenzy is hard. I was i think him reasonably smart. It took me six months to get used to it. She could be the greatest politician since Ronald Reagan coming out of alaska and can handle all of this. This. I give this about four weeks anyone know if this is a good idea. For weeks to the day she did that interview with katie couric. So look i was bounding up in the middle of the conversation. I said whats up. He said who serve parents . But the relationship between them you know, it wasnt close when he chose. He was impressed he was impressed with the way biden and handled himself in the campaign in these debates. But when we went to see him command i wrote about this, the 1st thing he said was you know i ran for president because i thought i would be the best. I still think that. But i did when. I got like no delegates, and is going to be the nominee. I want him to succeed. A year ended the Administration Biden called me in his office and he closed the door and he said, your member that conversation . I was wrong. The right guy one. Im proud to be working with them for him. And they are very very close. Personal friends. I think the relationship is probably as as warm as any between a president and Vice President that i have seen in my lifetime. 2016 and you will get everybody. Abc, Washington Post poll Hillary Clinton, 49 percent unfavorable 55 percent unfavorable independence. 52 of the public say she cant be trusted. David if this was eight years ago you would be with your chops. Why isnt there another obama candidate . Well, these are different times. You have to look closely at these polls. We are very polarized country command she is now being viewed as the punitive nominee and she has been seen through a very partisan a very partisan lens. For numbers among democrats actually have not original. So when people say, she was this mean all these things i think it means not much relative to her being the nominee of the Democratic Party. It means that were going to have you know what has become a typically difficult general election where democrats are favored in that regard. My view of hillary, you know, you know when she was not the right candidate in 2,008 because i think people looked for the remedy to what they have had. They never look for the replica. Barack obama was the starkest sort of antidote to george w. Bush. He was kind of reflective and deliberative the peoples of people saw bush was impulsive. He was not seen them as a partisan figure. There are a range of reasons and he was not a washington person. Now people are looking for someone a little less deliberative less ponderous command i say that. And they will be looking for someone who can manage or maybe navigate washington pres. Someone who promises to change washington. Washington. Hillary clinton known as the remedy to barack obama . In so many words. Not that directly. Remember eight years ago now i was predicting that the nomination, the nominees would be hillary and read giuliani. People have not run to me for prediction since then. [laughter] you remember those. That was conventional wisdom pataki. Whats today . Im still hanging in with Hillary Clinton and jeb bush both of them are going to worry now. Remarkable that bush approval just saw this week. Just before he was about to announce his candidacy. That seems to be the way this campaign is building up a context a contest between him you dislike least. Anyway, what was your question again . You caught up with rand paul a couple weeks ago in chicago. Does he look like he certainly has a lot of attention over nsa patriot act, the filibuster does he look like somebody who could be a surprise republican . I dont think so. Hes polling around 7 percent. I like him because he is direct floor of the few people that will talk about that we need to the defense budget. He has been reprimanded for going around and talking about the the Republican Party sucks. I would agree with that to the extent but i really see jeb bush and scott walker i think scott walker and his appeals saying in that. She is tested, and i see and i see the two of them was running in the audience. Retching, actually. [laughter] well. And applause. A line dance any minute. So no, i dont see him being is anything other than kind of someone is going to stir the pot been interesting person during the debate. Can i make a. As we sit here in june the year before the election. I want to mention these names. Away the answer to have in common. Donald trump, herman cain newt newt gingrich, Rick Santorum rick perry and met ronnie. Is that any you put it together . I dont like my chances. These are all people who lead a Public Opinion poll in the year before the election. I guess santorum was the following year. Newt gingrich was completely written off by this time. And he became, you know, a competitive candidate partly because of this oligarchical system we have now if you can get somebody to write it is check you can hang in there. But i think we overvalue polling at this juncture. My view of rand paul is the think that the field of thousands of republican candidates or at least dozens that he is going to be as likely as anyone to do well in New Hampshire and iowa because he has a distinctive brand. The question is and type as time goes on does that represent the majority of the republican electorate back i dont think it does. But the other guy who you left off your list is marco rubio is doing very well as it moves around. His having just kind of doing well in the polls. The replica remedy. Another young i kind of exotic sounding send is not likely to be elected president in the United States. To be nominated i guess. So you people will run from you because you made the wrong prediction. Republicans will be enthusiastic embrace their candidacy. [laughter] jumping for joy. Is this going to be a money marathon to make Hillary Clinton and jeb bush are so focused on raising money because they have to look far down the track. They want to stay in the race. Remember a while that romney won the nomination in 2012. He wanted largely because he had a super pack that no down all the republican opponents serially on the way. The finance system but jeb bush has been running for president june 15 why because it allowed him to raise money for his super pack. Once it becomes a candidate who can coordinate with the super pack. In the interim he was able to coordinate for raise money. He will have a lot. And i think thats going to make a difference want online. The des moines register, jeb bush, 45 percent unfavorable. Who wants to argue for the inevitability. I didnt here anything. Lets try that again. Scott walker. Jeb bush. To his level. At this. Out that Rick Santorum won the iowa caucus in 2012. Mike huckabee and 2008. A master the Iowa Caucuses are. Martin omalley. Crickets. Freddie sanders. [applause] now i think we know where we are. Am going to keep my mouth mostly shut. There is kind of a literary. There you go. Midwestern sensibility before you left for dc. Making love the midwest that much more. Dc sensibility sounds like an oxymoron. What is the chance of someone like john kasich coming out of ohio and a a swing state and surprising that feel . I was my native state. Ive known him since we were at a grateful dead concert together. I tell you, i think he has good potential. This is the thing. You dont you dont want to say that because i think earlier want to get past the early primaries. The question of who can go the distance. Well the lecture becomes more moderate. The larger states step in. This is where jeb bush has his best chance. John kasich or a walker these folks were more middleoftheroad and less flamboyant have a better shot at it. Well, he wasnt going to do it until he saw jeb bush doing so poorly. Now hes more encouraged to raise his profile. Whether you are actually declare remains to be seen but heres a republican governor who tried walker did insofar as undercutting the unions and got his changes rollback by referendum and was brushing off. The people spoken. He is now allowed the expansion of medicare. She is because Medicaid Expansion for the republican donors to do that which is anger the right but it has delighted his own voters in his own state and is approvals of gone up. It was below 30 percent now is about 50. No republicans in the white house. Thank you. And i grew up in john weiner district. But know republicans has gone the white house without carrying. I think theres something about the state that does make it an important bellwether. Having said all that good luck to the other guys. Shouldest in the. [laughter] matching uniform. Horicon wins. Does she have coattails in illinois . We get the number one target u. S. Senate race mark kirksey coming up. As hillary have an intact in illinois favor of through comes out of the primary challenge to back. I think she does. One of the best cases my think someone from National Review online. But listing the reasons why she is so formidable. The 1st woman issue. And and so i think the more she comes in helps candidates i think definitely at the top of the ticket will make a difference race this year. I just want to go backward for 2nd. I agree that she would run well in illinois. On the nominating process in my book i write about the government running for president of the United States. It is really unimaginable the pressures. They dont start off quite that way. But every time you clear the bar the bar is raised and it gets harder and harders class should. And i think one of the reasons why these polls are to interpret no one is because they dont reflect how someone is going to perform under pressure. I dont reflect how someone will handle the pressure on the bar gets raised. This is my question about all of them in some way. Scott walker has played in a rough then you but a small venue and tends to be very tactical. And and whether he can rise up and clear he may. But i think its an open question. And in that sense being a bush and a bush and clinton as much as we disdain this notion of dynasties, having had the experience of being around all that an understanding those pressures is advantageous. Ive got them is for you. With that. Lost john cusack. Who . You losing john cusack. The president is. Icy. The left is been cutting down lately. He was quoted he was quoted the other day saying that he was worse than george w. Bush. When you talk about drones nsa, Civil Liberties attacks on journalism and whistleblowers is as bad or worse than bush. Democrats are returning to the natural state of chaos and internal arguments what is the presidency and be losing left . Well, again, i would look at polling on him. His numbers are holding for you know fairly well not not fairly well very well. But obviously can look and i have enormous regard for john cusack as an actor. [laughter] but when your president of the United States you have just enormous responsibility and have to make hard decisions. One of those decisions in my book. I keep going back to the shamelessly promoted. But i wrote about the night before the inauguration when rob emanuel was the chief of staff coming in. He told me and our line. Has been a bona fide threat on the inauguration. Finally what the concern was, terrorist was terrorist threat and he asked me to write a 62nd speech for the president that he could give if he had to disperse the inaugural ceremonies. And you cant tell anyone not even your family. My wife and son went off in the morning. I was going i was going to television. They went off to do church services. And i was so one of the time not to go because i thought of something happened elderly without. I was one of the same thing. And happily it turned out not to come to pass. It was taken the inauguration. Kind of welcome to the moment about what the presidency really is. You have to balance of these i sat in the room and an off the record discussions in which he talked about that. You know, balancing all of these different factors. You just dont have to balance them if you john to sack. [laughter] i agree with you. Let me ask you a followup. Certainly. The criticisms of barack obama from the left people on the left. In his Hillary Clinton did in 2,008. Well, after person there were complaints from the included in negotiations. Of the meaning to talk to you. Well, your favorite beverage and am delighted. Your choice. Well, the budget negotiations various other issues healthcare singlepayer. I can list off a litany of my son who he worked for obamas campaign, the usual twoyear disillusionment. I thoroughly understand. Lets just take healthcare as an example. I was there during that whole time. As you know, healthcare almost 1000 deaths. We get the health care, we got as much as we were