[cheers and applause] [inaudible conversations] host governor it is of pleasure last time i saw you was in the barn doing a a fundraiser during the president ial campaign. Governor you are an incredible person. You are a model for everybody but also women with transeventeen yearold twin daughters i want them to know what is possible that the whole world is your oyster dont let anybody hold you back you were one of the people by have watched for many years i am not trying to flatter you but tell you honestly i have respect for you because you were a of the year as governor and of the epa and all of your life senator lugar the other day working with him on the issue to rid the world of the Nuclear Weapons. I saw senator bob kerrey couple of months ago when i see these folks who are bigger than life i have to Say Something. First of all, i am very impressed by your book it is personal and insightful and very clear on the kinds of things that you think rabat m of our challenges as a country. How did you come to your title . Christi when i think back in my career as a republican it wasnt always comfortable because i ma populist by positive populist i can understand the troubles of working people because that is where i grew up so i always felt those folks need to be heard and respected but there is negative populist not what i ate appreciate at all sometimes it is the blame game carries a much of that element we also have to pick ourselves up with that element of responsibility so as a positive populist i could understand the problems that if this symbiosis fault i am here to fix everything at the snap of a finger versus me that is the only time i was a boring candidate it is interesting because being governor was a disadvantage because i was not willing to do things to get attention. This is the time the crazier this stuff television. Who looking and not the media just because he is not crazy. Date number of allied i will tear up the deal. What do you think john . We cannot predict the picture but i was boring. There is a lot of candidates doing this not just donald trump. Retry to solve problems for every betty. But in some respect i dont want to make false promises all the habits of reputation. Then negative path was down and i feel for these people but there is no . Fix this is something we will face with the digital revolution the number one occupation in america are drivers in with the creation of Autonomous Vehicles they will not be driving so what do we do . With intel they are taken out of their job bin what will they do if they dont have the skills . That is the failure of our educational system. You talk about learning about trump winning trump and sanders herbal sides of the same point they didnt care if the person they supported could do that but just that this said they would do something do you think congress has learned its lesson . I faint congress is so dysfunctional. Youll notice having to work with the legislature we gerrymander but then people seek information and to reinforce their views and now if you are a republican in a safe district if you could take all kinds of risks but night after what the primary from the right to or from the Left Congress goes like this by the way those who gave the bowling can and now watch Cable Television now they are demanding of their representative and compromise is the worst thing they could never do to Say Something nice about donald trump . That was not stood for. So we have this polarization and it is a big problem. With the digital revolution people are going to sites to where they believe that is the challenge probably get them out of their comfort zone . What i think has to happen, i read it and then your times coleman was afraid there would be right fighting with one another about politics one of my boyfriend at point of friends says he cannot talk to his father always to shout i dont even gold there anymore. We know that you and friend somebody on facebook if they Say Something that you dont like. Somethings that polis together is the drug problem the d. A. Told me the old way to win is education starting very young may have those that work to spread that message i believe in mentoring programs that is not republican or democrat it is human somebody who lives in in your neighborhood who lost their spouse we all have to pitch in to help somebody like that. As we begin to Work Together we will learn to communicate then to send a message to the leaders to not get off. If you think about United Airlines all of us to fly on airplanes cb will not put up with this so the movement is coming bottom up. And then they tell the politicians to knock it off. This is ben happening. What i found encouraging was the march for science but this is what we have to support. Particularly in this country but it brought republicans and democrats together it wasnt Just One Party there was some kind concerns and epa but i think the activism is good but we cannot tissue what based on what we think i saw some of the interviews with the march on science and french to came here is a very conservative republican to march with his daughter and wore a great tshirt with that activism is positive not just because we hate somebody else. Finally the scientist were getting a voice it was a sign from new zealand what do we want . Fact based science and peer review. [laughter] better recent poll from harvard and the thing that i found surprising of the kids who responded wanted to unite america and that is what we needed to do but to say that only 21 percent thought politics was the way to do that but at the end of the day i do not blame them. Here is what i can be part of so now they can develop but friendships and communication and brief fight and argue that become buddies then we laugh on the other side then we get serious and people could migrate. The majority want to do community service. What about government sponsored programs to encourage this type of thing . Igo backandforth. We do have some programs like that but what if we require some Public Service over a year . Have been thinking about that because it brings people of my differs background with the military they have to integrate instead the desegregate people of different backgrounds and races with Family Income they come together and learn to get along. I would think about it. I have been thinking about that for a while if you are required to do some form of Public Service i think it would be enormously good countries like israel that is smaller it is easier to do but it is a positive way to get these young people to find their way. They saw their parents chase the almighty dollar there is nothing wrong with the dollar but i see them, i just dont want that to a one something more meaningful and that. And theyre more open to ideas. I think. There more objective. What is your greatest take away from the campaign . I will tell you what i learned we believe in deregulation is a given but in my opinion they wanted to believe that somebody cared about them. It was more of the horrendous all than of the head. But in the course of swimming christie i dropped my phone in the Swimming Pool and went to the for rise in store and they made me wait a couple of hours they give me the phone what do i owe you they said it is for e we made you wait too long for our was flabbergasted been kidding me . She said last week a woman can hear whether smart phone we have done something to break that and we fixed it we give it back to her and she said what do i owe you i said you dont always anything and she said the woman started to cry and get emotional nobody treats anybody like that anymore. This is part of the issue to put ourselves in other peoples shoes. People wanted somebody to celebrate their victory and understand their pain. Slowdown. I moved so fast but i reminded from time to time to slow down. This is very unusual for television i happen to beat a christian i was reading about jesus but he would only slow down when somebody needed something. And there is a commentary that said if he could slow down the white cant you . Absolutely. Just take one more minute to i am not a good at it but i try. That is what people want in the eye and smile and attention to not let them think they are all alone. How do we get back to that . And the fear factors that creates us separation what can we do with our administration . Started the governors courage awards he is helping people trying to get back to work gave him an award also a judge instead of locking them up got to the root cause those that had Human Trafficking to do rehabilitation to get their lives together by wife has been very involved to support that program because sometimes judges are worried they are called soft on crime. Did think he connected with people more than the letters he was driving a bus on a bridge saw a woman getting ready to jump off and stopped in traffic walked over to distract her and said i think you need a hug in the process the police came to save her life they had a camera on the bus and a film went viral i gave him the courage award he was just a bus driver that is an important person but we have to honor these people who say i will work at this it will not happen overnight is ground up to you count on those politicians in washington . I dont. We thought over time we could see those great peters emerging whether i am in or out. Qsr of part of that but you use the example in the book of the Holocaust Memorial. How if you keep us something is important go into more depth. With a holocaust celebration at the Capitol Square they come in and Say Somethings and i thought to myself we should be thinking a lot this issue understand what the holocaust was what happens when evil takes over so i get to speak the wheel of a Holocaust Memorial here in the capital and said you cannot do that. So why dont i buildup on the ground . That was the multiyear process to push that through. If that is an incredible memorial and last week the ymca group came eighth through 12th grade they asked if i would go talk to them the wanted to do one more big thing in ohio before a left but during that course of restocking a kid fainted. So we walked from the state house to the holocaust were real and talked to the kids with the memorial was all about and said dillon read what happened and understand. If you save one life you save the world because of you believe then something 04 it. You got to the point youre willing to give up big things because it violated your principals. Why do you think i like you . [laughter] host one of the lessons we have learned when i was at the Governors Association it didnt matter but now that is much more political. Yes disinfected between the governors im not even a member because i dont go to the meetings when nothing gets done by tried to do some with democratic governors on health care we will see how far i can go because we do need reform we just cannot cut people off for unfortunately it is more political. It is the shame i was happy when i went go public comeback with a list so what sea how we make that work in new jersey. And telling you the stories today but the first time i met dan maloney i was in the white house with the obama and we sat together and it wasnt very pleasant. [laughter] i saw him another time but we went to the inauguration and sat next to one another and started to rain and he gave me his raincoat. He said i dont want you to get what governor. Im telling the story. Somebody is listening able to believe thank you for the raincoat. But that is what we need to have it is a like everybody wants to fight we just have to honor those. With those problems solvers but we the people have to support those who were willing to take on leadership and a love my party but i love my country more. Also im not supporting any more candidates if they will not be positive. If theyre going to be divisive or negative or down in the ditch. Host you did not run in negative campaign and neither did i. But did you have any standards . I think it is okay to defend your record but sliming people actually there were some ads that went up by the super pac that i cannot control but i did not like them but never do an interview to satellite that so it is of little different now were at the tail end of our careers. But i think we have conducted ourselves well. You talk about how you were brought up the want to discuss that . Been a mother has a lot of the traits that i have and you have to tell it like this is. You are a fine lady of another was Something Else god bless her in sheet saw something she did not like she would speak out she would say johnny tell it like it is and there is that element why i would call myself a populist republican a book by read in college to understand president s look at their mothers and fathers who gave you your drive . It was both. My father was a postman he knew everybody with a nice smile on his face it was a combination of both early i was more strident now liable little more settled them. And your desk and chairs, maybe this is the job to for me. What do you do can. [laughter] and he said, well, i have academic responsibilities and fundraising responsibilities, but tomorrow im going to go down and see president nixon. I said, do you think i could go with you . And he said, no. I said, if you write a letter, would you give it to the president . He said, i guess i could do that. I went back to my dorm and wrote a letter, gave it to the president of the university. He carried the letter to washington, and i wrote, p. S. , if you want to discuss this further, let me know. So a couple weeks later i get a letter back from the white house, and it was from the president , and he invited me to the oval office to have a chat with him. And i called home, and i said, mom, im going to need an airline ticket, the president of the United States would like to have a meeting with me in the oval office, and my mom was shouting, honey, pick up the phone, theres something wrong with my kid. [laughter] i did get to meet president nixon. They gave me five minutes, i spent 20 there, and that was just an unbelievable thing to happen in my life. I dont think most things happen by accident. I think things tend to happen on purpose, and when good things happen, you know, im a work in progress, governor, but when good things happen, youve got to just be appreciative of them and dont, you know, a lot of good things have happened to me in my lifetime, and i really appreciate the fact that ive had a podium, an opportunity to speak. And this is my fourth book. And, i mean, its really cool. I mean, people say what are you proud of . I mean, my daughters, my marriage and all that, but, i mean, this is like, ive written four books. I cant believe it, you know . [laughter] host thats a lot of work, believe me, i know. Guest yeah. Hopefully this ones going to do well. Why do i feel strongly . Because i think people can pick something up from this book, you know . They can learn from it. I think its a good one. Im really happy about it. Host i think it its a goode too. Faith is important to you, your religion. How awkward or how comfortable were you talking about it on the campaign trail, and what was peoples reaction . Guest well, heres the thing, heres the thing. In 1987 when i was a little boy, i was always worried when my father went to pick my mother up at her job in downtown pittsburgh, that they would not come back. Because they would go on a dangerous road. And then i got to be 35 years old, i guess it was, i was 35, and i got a call at 11 45 at night, and the doctor said, i have terrible knew, your fathers dead and your mothers going to die. And i got to pittsburgh that night. The girl i was going with drove me there. And i went into the hospital, and my mother never regained consciousness, and there was a young minister in there. And he started telling me about faith, and i said, look, man he goes, im so sorry. Im so sorry, i said, you dont have a clue. I started yelling at this guy. And over the next couple weeks, he started asking me about my position visavis the big guy. And he said to me one day, he said, john, you dont understand. You are going to heal, but you have a window of opportunity. Why dont you go and figure out what you really think. And as a young man, id gone through the religious motions and maybe even felt inspired at times, and it was very legitimate. But i drifted away. So i Read Everything i could. I disrupted more religious studies groups than you can even imagine. And 30 years later and on the way, ive concluded that there is a god, that he cares about me and that hes transcendent. And heres the thing where i think religions gone wrong. First of all, youve got religious leaders that play politics. You shouldnt be endorsing candidates. This is nonsense. Secondly, a hot of them preach, you know a lot of them preach, you know, whos sleeping with who and all that other stuff. What i care about, love god which brings about humility, and love your neighbor as you love yourself. To me, religion is about hope, a second chance, its about grace. Its a chance to brush yourself off and start anew. So i talk about it, and i think, you know, if i know theres somebody that really cares about me whos transcendent and i know a little bit of whats expected of me, i have a little better chance of hitting the mark instead of wandering around in the woods without a compass. Im not shoving this down anybodys throats. Its my gift to people. Just check it out. If you dont like it, fibro. Its no sweat off me. I just i just want to let you kw what i found. It doesnt take away all the pain or make life easy, but it does give you perspective. I am convinced that in a mature society, theres a tendency for man to put himself on the throne and to take god off the throne, and that process we become selfabsorbed, and we lose our objectivity. And all of a sudden, it is a subjective judgment about proper behavior. And i dont buy that. And if youre a humanist, you want to heal the world, and that is consistent with those people who practice faith. So people dont look, i dont have any problem with people. I wrote a book about this. It was a bestseller. Its fine. But im not into all this, you know, youre going to hell and all that. Thats not where i live. Host thats good, im glad. Because otherwise id be really troubled. Guest well, you know, you like to play golf. So if i said im going to tell you about golf. So, you know, theres sand traps, and theres w