Two reasons. Number one, to demonstrate that standards are falling everywhere. And number two, because i have a lineage with the coolidge family. My first name is john, my middle name is calvin. I was named after the two sons. The reason for that is that my grandfather and mrs. Coolidge, grace coolidge, were first cousins. They double dated their respective soontobe spouses. One of my favorite of many stories was my grandfather, arthur, he used to visit the president in the white house. He would smoke his pipe well coolidge took a nap. Without a word when he woke up, the president would say, thank you for your visit, arthur. Come again. [laughter] here we are, another election season. I remember something the governor of louisiana and president ial candidate bobby jindal said to me recently. He said, is the Republican Party needs to just add what it believes decide what it believes, and then it can make its case for the American People. I agree with that. Does anyone know what the Republican Party believes these days . Under Calvin Coolidge under , Ronald Reagan, people knew, and they could respond for or against, with votes or opposition. But today it seems to be a little bit of everything in a little bit of nothing. Republican voters are desperately searching for a new model. We have heard about models in the previous debate, and those young people are absolutely fantastic. Im thinking of filing adoption papers for all of them. [laughter] i could use the tax deduction. Some soulsearching was good and natural, particularly during primary campaign season. Right now the gop appears unsure of what it is or what it is about. Complete political outsiders like donald trump and ben carson are leading the race by huge margins. Im kind of inclined toward ben carson because of the brain surgeon, i think he can help congress a lot. I think a big part of the problem the Republican Party faces today is that it has forgotten its history. The closest we get is the instant replay today. Not very helpful. We dont live in the past, but we can learn from the past. There is a verse in the old testament, that says there is nothing new under the sun. Everything you think has been done before and everything you do has been done before. Lets learn from the past, updated as necessary update it as necessary, and move on. We dont have to invent the wheel or discover fire. There are people like coolidge and reagan who thought through these things and had solutions that actually work, which of course is a shameless promotion for my book, which i hope you will all die for christmas, hanukkah, or an early president for the atheists, whose National Holiday is april 1. The resolution tonight to be debated is this. The presidency of Calvin Coolidge is a better model than the president of Ronald Reagan or gop hopefuls today. Saying anything is better than reagan is anathema in todays republican, culture and indeed there is a lot to admire about him. I remember going to the receiving line when he was president. Attacking him, i want to thank you for bringing the portrait of Calvin Coolidge out of storage, and putting it up on the. Main level i told him about the family relationship. We talked a little bit about coolidge and his heritage. It is often said that Calvin Coolidge was Ronald Reagans favorite president. Theres another model of effective republican leadership, and that is good. Tonight we will hear about both models and you can decide which one is the better model to help confront the parties present challenges. Please keep in mind that you, the audience, will be helping to judge. You received coolidge claims. Coins. Its not welfare. You will be handed to hats. One is for coolidge and one is for reagan. Place your coin in the hat of the team that had the best debate. Not you agree with personally, but who did a better job convincing you. I will introduce the debaters. Our first Team Coolidge person is the former governor of vermont who im sure many know, james douglas. The other side is john sununu and cal thomas. Unlike the benghazi committee, i am going to be relentless in keeping you to your timeliness of we can get out of here and watch most of the world. Governor douglas, you are first up. These take the podium and began when you are ready with her opening five minutes statement. You are opening five minute statement. Governor douglas thank you so much for being here. We are glad you are. We are delighted to have you. I wanted to say a word as a trustee of the Coolidge Foundation, thank you for each of you for joining us for the institute for politics. And the director, who is about the busiest guy the country. This is a great partnership, bringing coolidge to a wider all it got audience around. The country. We appreciate chance to be here Calvin Coolidge exempted lives and simplifies the temperament, experience, skills and decency that is needed in the presidency today. He was born in a small hamlet in vermont, on july 4 in 1872, and embodied the values of smalltown america. Hard work, love of family, respect for the land, frugality, and a belief in the limited role of government, that our first republican governor, abraham lincoln, articulated before. He lost his mother and sister when he was young and understood the past to a successful and rewarding life was in education and the service of others. He makes legal career with the Public Service of others. He held more public offices than any other chief executive when he assumed presidency. He was the original compassionate conservative. Devoted for womens suffrage and income tax and minimum wage for women, and a pay raise for teachers. He had a strong record on civil rights. He granted citizenship to american indians, appointed blacks to federal positions, and encouraged his cabinet to give an equal chance to everyone in seeking jobs. He was the first president and sometimes not have any known klansman in his high federal positions. He spoke out regally against intolerance, whether directed at blacks, catholics, or jews, or targets of the kkk. He worked with Democratic Leaders in stark contrast to today. He was best known for fiscal restraint. During world war i, the federal government swelled dramatically. The federal debt was 3 million. By 1920, it was 25 ilion dollars billion dollars. Even federal civilian employment had doubled. Reducing government would be a huge challenge. Once the government gets bigger, it is hard to shrink. In 1920, Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge campaign on a promise to say no. President harding began that. When he died suddenly in 1923, many thought coolidge might give up and act like a lame duck. He was not a lame duck. He was an attack duck good he promised to push attack that. He promised to push back harder. I want people to work less for the government and more for themselves, she said. But it was not easy. In a foreshadowing of the new deal, farmers wanted government pensions. Veterans of the world were wanted pensions. Everyone told coolidge that if he vetoed a veterans bonus go, he would be losing the election. But he did veto and one the strong majority. When budgets came along, he cut them. He cap laboring until the debt was reduced by a third. He cut the size of government so it was smaller when he left then when he assumed the presidency. The top rate fell from 77 in 1920 to 25 , far lower than the 40 we have today. Coolidge was consistent. He declined to offer federal flood assistance to the Tennessee Valley in the spring of 1927. When his native state suffered massive flooding, many assumed he would relent. He reaffirmed his view that the state and private agencies would bear the responsibility. Coolidge took other steps we admire. Today, if anyone turn from weapons to to privacy, he reported great energy into establishing International Order and adopted a treaty renouncing war. The result of his work was an economy we can and do today. Joblessness was generally below 5 , growth averaged three and a half. Real wages grows rose. In the 1920s, when families acquired radios, ford cars, and indoor plumbing. He gets this short straw in schools. The Coolidge Foundation does not take federal money, so we are smaller than the reagan library. When you visit, you will find him a signing at leadership for our time. You will be inspired by the beauty and tranquility of the Humble Beginnings from plants came the government president to restrain the size of government and let an era of peace and prosperity. [applause] i thought i was supposed to give my presentation. It was a mistake on the sheet. Go right ahead. I will do it either way you want. Governor douglas, lets see if we can come to a mutual agreement. I would offer you the following characterization of Calvin Coolidge. There are a number of areas where he fell short, both as a man and president. His intuitive sympathy for free markets notwithstanding, never grasped the clank of his party. He supported for trade. He did very little to stop it. He thought well of other statements that he never foresaw the extent to which selenium, hitler or japan would violate the disarmament agreement. Do you agree that is a good characterization . [laughter] i dont think that is a good characterization at all. Theres no question the Republican Party at that era was diagonally generally protectionist. It was everyones opinion at that time. Its easy to use hindsight, and say in retrospect what might have been anticipated. But it is pretty hard to do that. Let me tell you what your problem is. That was a nearly verbatim quote from the great biography called Calvin Coolidge written by your partner. [laughter] let me go little further. You are a great governor of vermont. Tell me what it is about the water in vermont that produces such isolationist and protectionist as Bernie Sanders and Calvin Coolidge . [laughter] bernie is from brooklyn. [laughter] before i start, let me disabuse you of one thing. We are nowhere going to approach the talent you saw in the student debate earlier. We should have been the undercard. The resolution asks us to examine the presidency of Calvin Coolidge, and the presidency of Ronald Reagan. And then select from that, from the characteristics of the individual, and their presidency, which one would be the better model for a republican candidate today. I stress to you that a model is not a clone. The model is not an exact replica, but the model is an exemplar. Something we want our people to strive for. Something we want them to try and approach. I maintain with my colleague steven hayward, that the absolute correct choice is Ronald Reagan. We are being asked to choose between two generally conservative president s. At first blush, we do see similarities. They both like Smaller Government. They both cut taxes. They both really didnt like government interference and regulation. They each in their own time took a tough stance against public unions. I stress to you, in trying to decide amongst the differences we are going to present to you, that the model asked us that the resolution assess to choose asked us to choose who would be a better model for today. I think that is the operative word you have to keep in mind as you listen to the four of us complete our discussions. There were policy differences. On trade, Ronald Reagan was a free trader. Calvin coolidge was almost addicted to tarriffs, both for revenue, and the perception that the only way we can promote business was to maintain high tariff. It was a policy of isolationism, that Calvin Coolidge looked at him terms of commerce, international trade, International Role for the United States. There was a difference also in terms of their approach to dealing with government. Calvin coolidge was the master of the nitpicking detail. He counted pencils, he changed design of brushes, all to save a few dollars here and a few dollars there. Admirable. Ronald reagan had a different approach. Each of the big picture. He took the big picture. He understood Social Security and other entitlements work medical issues. Were critical issues. He stood up and negotiated and compromised with a democratically controlled congress. Ronald reagan had a vision that the United States was an exceptional country and had a major responsibility in international affairs. When you compare the approach they both took in trying to maintain the peace, Calvin Coolidge wedded himself to the pact, which was a joke in terms of its effectiveness. Ronald reagan had a simple message. Peace through strength. And he practiced that. Ronald reagan rebuilt americas defenses and gained a credibility across the world, and especially with our foes in the soviet union, that we would stand firm in the police that the american way, freedom and free enterprise, where the right choice, and we would stand firm with our allies around the world and would defend them in order to maintain that. Theres one more aspect, which was a big difference. That is the stage on which they played. Calvin coolidge played on a small stage. A small presidency. Not just small by circumstance, but small by his personal choice and decisions. He avoided the international issues. He walked away from the complex issues on the domestic side. Ronald reagan had vision. He played the grand stage. He understood the role of the United States as the last superpower. He understood that the United States had international obligations, and hes a fill those. He fulfilled those. Ronald reagan was a great model on a great stage. Thank you. [applause] now if i have this right, governor douglas . Be gentle. Your excellency, as james mahon said, Ronald Reagan did not end it. Gorbachev abandoned it. Let me ask you about the Economic Issues you raised, accompanying reagans Strong Economy during the 80s. I have grandkids, as you did. I have grandkids in new hampshire. They will inherit a National Debt that is beyond comprehension. Ronald reagan contributed to that significantly. It went up about three times during his presidency. Why should our grandkids have to bear the burden of that debt . Ronald reagan added about 1. 2 trillion to the debt. It was a cheap price to pay for the dissolution of the soviet union. If your kids want to put a price tag on the fact that they are now living in a world where the u. S. Is the only superpower, and the soviet union, although with Vladimir Putin is rambunctious and with a weak president , we might have a different case. But that was when Ronald Reagan stood up against the soviet union. Peace through strength, this piece. But peace does not pay the bills. Our grandkids are going to have to pay interest rate. This is unsustainable. The current rate of growth is absolutely unsustainable. But in terms of the reduction in cost for the United States over the long haul would be a soviet union gone. The money spent on the Defense Budget in the eight years he was there was more than saved in the reduction of the Defense Budget, for the last two years of bush and the eight years of the clinton administration. It is more than a net wash. The surpluses that you got actually overcame the growth of the debt. Now for the affirmative rebuttal. Amity before you start to time, i would just like to say thank you again from the Coolidge Foundation for this wonderful day. Ok, you can time. I think the soviet union might be back again, governor sununu. Im very glad my colleague mentioned grandchildren and debt. Today we got some news about a our partisan agreement bipartisan agreement. But we know it will be worse. Younger people are the forgotten man, and we should be more cognizant of that. Because economics is important, and because reagan in coolidge were both economic guys, i will focus my rebuttal on gdp, joblessness, tax raising, and the deficit. Our underdog coolidge data point by data point. Gdp reagan gave the nation growth numbers. Coolidges were also good, slightly less good. Lets give reagan one point. Joblessness. Under reagan, Unemployment Rate in the 6 and 7 . 1987, 6. 2. 6 or so was reagans low number. Six percent was coolidges upper number. It was always below 6 . Sometimes 4 , sometimes 5 . One point for college. Inflation. It is true that reagan got inflation down all the way to 3 . Again, look at coolidge. 3 was the top of inflation for coolidge. Often he had no inflation, or deflation. Counted another way, if you add 100 in 1980, the year reagan was elected and bought some things, you wanted to buy the same things in 1988, you will need 150. To the same math for coolidge. From 100 in 1922, if you wanted to go back and buy that in 1928, it would cost you 101. 79. Not much difference. This generated an enormous equanimity in the american soul that we lack today, have lacked in the entire postwar period, that your money is what you think. Taxes. One of the proudest facets of reagan was to reduce the rate on income taxed to 28 , a level that we have not seen since. Coolidge was very hard on taxes. They had two silent guys writing tax campaigns. It was said that they conversed in pauses. They got the tax rate down to 25. They got it down to 12. 5 . In other words, coolidge outreaganed reagan. As you know, reagan not only increased spending 22 , but also increased the size of the number of federal employees. Coolidge had no deficits. He cut the debt by one third. Four points for coolidge. One for Ronald Reagan. I rest my economic case. What is behind all this is the knowledge that there comes a time that you have to cut. The knowledge that there can be a politician who cuts. The knowledge that you can with utter determination, cut. He had to lie received as gifts. He named them Budget Bureau and tax reduction. He followed his up session with budget cutting and did for america what we hope to do for our children today. Thank you very much. [applause] and now Steve Hayward gets to cross examine for 90 seconds. You didnt start off by mentioning that the soviet union is that. My first back. My first question, who would put the most is addition to hesitation to Vladimir Putin . The Calvin Coolidge of the invisible invincible u. S. Economy. The race with russia is economic. The soviet union waned in the 80s because they fell apart economically. My second question is, president coolidge was fortunate to govern during a time of peace and prosperity. Defense spending was very low. There were no automatic pilot entitlement spending programs. If you govern under the circumstances reagan governed would he not have to accept higher taxes or a deficit . Amity he would have accepted higher taxes and that would have been more honest. But generally, when you look at what reagan did, i think the governor said Calvin Coolidge had an addiction to cutting, to budgeting. Ronald reagan had an addiction to spending and as of us admire him, we must face that. Steve the question of terrorists has been brought up. If you had added in a trade policy on a grander level of things you would have another point for reagan, when you . Amity everybody has a wart or two. [laughter] cal and now Steve Hayward with a negative rebuttal. Steve thank you. There is a reason that the generation of liberal historians called him silent cal. The accident i want you to no way thoughtful person he was and why his claims to statesmanship are very large. Another reason not to do so, was because it would dishonor reagans admiration for coolidge. Right . It has been mentioned that reagan but the portrait of coolidge out of storage and into the cabinet room of the white house. He had to take down Thomas Jeffersons portrait to put it there which outraged liberals everywhere. The irony is, today, it would be democrats were likely to take jeffersons portrait down from the white house. Therein lies the first clue as to the crisis of our time and why Ronald Reagan was the better model for matching up to it. One of the things that coolidge said was the following great men are the ambassadors of providence. Since revealed to their fellow men their unknown selves. When the reverence of this nation for great man dies, the glory of the nation will die with it. That is among the things that attracted Ronald Reagan to him. Also, it tells us why are need today is for a great statesman to roll back what i call the fourth wave of liberalism. The four waves would be Woodrow Wilsons reformism, fdrs welfare statism, lbj social engineering, and finally, obamas redistributed egalitarianism. Or to followup on that, the history of liberalism for a century has been the effort to escape the restraints of the constitution. Which obama has put into overdrive. That is the crisis of our time. If this years gop field were to include coolidge and reagan, i think reagan is the clear choice for numerous reasons. First of all, your stance on issues are not always the determinate feature for what makes you a suitable person for president. Are two elements to the statesmanship, one is an attachment to principle. Second, a profound understanding of the circumstances and therefore the willingness to maneuver. Sometimes call compromise, but not always. We talk a lot about how both reagan and coolidge were tax cutters, before reagan that represented a very stark change of his mind. Up into the late 1970s had been orthodox republican budget cutter. Jacob had to come first. Between the high inflation of the late 1970s and a stagnant economic growth, he changed his mind about that idea of having growth first as a clear way of getting the economy moving. And then shrinking the relative size of government. One thing that is left out of the scorecard is that federal spending is one of the more important measures of the relative size of government. Federal spending as a proportion of gdp fell by 4 during reagans time in office, roughly 22 down to 21 . Not an insubstantial achievement. Second, the soviet union and the cold war has been mentioned. It says a lot about the contrast with the Kellogg Brown packed. We are about to go to paris and a month and negotiate what ive called the Climate Policy equivalent of the pact. A packed with no teeth but that everyone will celebrate. Japan and germany signed this pact. Which is why reagan combined his policies of peace through strength and very tough diplomacy, but also a willingness to bargain and reach breakthroughs. He could be taught and seek a breakthrough at the same time. It took a real subtle balance and his character to see that. At the heart of it was, peace through strength. No sentimentality that war was a feature of political life in a rough world that could be escaped, except, through vigilance and strength. And the willingness to stand up to tyrants and despots. Now, our institutions and our constitution are so badly degraded these days that what we need is a person of enormous audacity, of boldness, of great energy, of supreme rhetorical skill. The kinds of things that let us to call reagan the great communicator when he was in office. Above all, it requires a large personality today to put a lot of changes over the finish line. I will say more for the final wrap of argument in a few minutes. I thank you. Cal now, the empire striking back, amity gets to question steve. [applause] amity i kind of hate to do this, steve no you dont. Amity wasnt there something about iran and the contras in the reagan era, steve . Steve for the same reason reagan was not as successful at cutting the budget, also applies inform policy. He did not have a compliant congress of his own party and that led to trouble both in spending and Foreign Policy. Amity what does that have to do, shipping arms from one of those places with the other with the cold war . Steve long story, short answer. If congress had not continually changed his mind where is reagan said, you cannot conduct Foreign Policy with 535 secretaries of state on capitol hill, there never would have been a moment of controversy in the beginning about diverting funds to the contras. Amity so i guess that was illegal. [laughter] amity federal spending as a share of gdp, did not go up, but how that relative to the population . Did the population gratuity to present the way the federal spending dead . Steve i dont remember. I dont know those numbers. Amity thank you. Steve ok. [laughter] cal thank you steve for channeling hillary clinton, i dont remember. [laughter] cal and now the governor with the negative closing statement. Gov. Douglas may answer that last question for my partner . Gdp went up, population did not go up as fast as gdp, which meant that personal prosperity increased at even a faster rate. We are asked to deal with the question of, who is a better model . So let me add a few points that we have not yet touched on. First of all, it is important to the president ial candidate to display a capacity to work with congress. Calvin coolidge had republican domination on both sides of congress through all six of his years and could not even deal well with them. Ronald reagan only had republican control of the senate for six years, and have full domination on the house side by the democrats and Ronald Reagan was able to pass two major tax cuts, and get is a compromise on solving a major part of the Social Security problem. It really is important to have that concept of a model in mind. Communication. Communication is critical in this. Without going into all of the details, let me just ask you, would you rather have as a model of communication, someone who is most famous short phrase is you lose or someone who is most famous short phrase is tear down that wall . Third point. There is a reality to looking at ones legacy. As a measure of whether or not you performed well in all of your trades together, fit together. Calvin coolidge left office in march of 1929. And six months later, the country suffered its greatest depression. When Ronald Reagan left office, there was 10 years of growth and prosperity that followed, and he left for his successor the quiet man, a book that you could buy over here at the end of the debate. An opportunity to finish and in essence do the coup de grace on the soviet union. I believe it is absolutely clear that those are the kinds of traits that are critical models. There is another aspect. Ronald reagans 11th commandment. Ronald reagan, i think, was the classic example of a political figure that understood that in strength within a party comes from mutual support. And Ronald Reagans message of, thou shalt not speak ill of another republican, is an important component of the model that we would like to have. The modern republican candidate. So let me suggest you, and take it altogether, in terms of the specifics of accomplishment, in terms of the character traits, in terms of the grand vision, in terms of the capacity to bring the country together, and in terms of being able to leave a legacy that was of value, not only to the country, but to the world, it ought to be clear that the correct choice for a model is Ronald Reagan. Let me leave you with an analogy. I would rate Calvin Coolidge with a grade of b and a tictactoe kind of president. I would rate Ronald Reagan with an a as one who master the context chess moves necessary to deal with the modern world. I think Ronald Reagan is clearly the correct choice as a model. [applause] cal amity, you are up for the affirming closing statements. Amity i detect a note of grief and the governors voice, that i rise for the aggrieved one, the tictactoe wronged one who was then reagan even tonight. We were supposed to talk now about the relevance of the candidate, coolidge or reagan for the current election. There are four issues that we can aim for the current election that i would like to discuss, integration, the expansion of the federal government at the expense of the private sector. The 30th president proves a more relevant model. If you start with immigration and that is one area whether Publican Party is in trouble today. Reagan would Say Something nice about growth and families. But there is concern in the country. It is a different time as it is in europe. What about immigration . You have to Say Something more than immigration causes growth, otherwise, the result is someone like donald trump who says bigoted things. Here, coolidge authors a model. He loves immigrants and felt great kinship with them. He says that whether one traces his americanism back three centuries to the mayflower or three years ago to the steerage, here we are all in the same boat. However, coolidge did hold that immigration proceeds better slowly, that it requires regulation and that it ought not to be for political blocs. Rather, the immigrants become one as citizens, and part of a, that is very inspiring and useful. Second, for an intervention. Today we have no clarity about where the u. S. Will deploy, how many people it will deploy when it does, and for of course, how long. Leaders from both parties are kneejerk interventionists. Perhaps, i want go on about nicaragua, but perhaps it is time to have a president who is not a neocon. To have a president that does not say because i feel this site or that site is right, we intervened there. Coolidge sent as ambassador to mexico to stop wars, not to start one. He abhorred gunboat diplomacy and he said one of the best things america can do for the rest is be a better model at home. You dont have to be an isolationist to see the wisdom there. Third, dissatisfaction with governments and government expansion. Coolidge captured the concern and made it clear that government and law have their limits. Men do not make laws, but they discover them. Governor scott walker may no longer be in the race, but the problem he highlighted is for all of us that private citizens cannot shoulder the burden Public Employment causes. Coolidge was reagan before reagan. With a very difficult decision when the Boston Police went on strike. It was there that he said there is no right strike against the Public Safety by anybody, anywhere, anytime. We need someone with that ability. And, again, coolidge did this before reagan. I would talk about the debt again, but i think i would rather close with a few notes, coolidges government was smaller than when he left office. Then when he came in. We have said it before, i would like to repeat that. Reagans government increased. Right . I would also like to repeat to mention, that some of the things that reagan did, it indexing to inflation so on, built a time bomb or sustain the time bomb that we have in terms of debt. For all of these reasons, four and a mystic, we need a candidate who can get the country a genuine cause for optimism, not mere marketing. I submit to that man is silent cal. [applause] cal Steve Hayward negative closing statement, four minutes. Steve the case or reagan over coolidge rest on several factors. One, we often talk about the reagan revolution. We can argue about how revolutionary it was or was not. These things are next back. No one ever speaks of the coolidge revolution, do they . In fact, no one ever looks back to coolidge for sustenance until reagan came along to revive him, which is very telling, i think. Reagan cast a very long shadow after his presidency. Coolidge seemed to have a shadow of a vampire, which is not a shadow at all. I may return to that, but if you think about even bill clinton understood, when he became president that liberalism was still on probation which is why he had to move to the right during his presidency. That was because of Ronald Reagan. In fact, some of clintons liberal detractors said that he governed too much as a reaganite. One of those was a fellow named barack obama. Reagan is the only twoterm president we have ever had who twice recovered from collapses in his poll ratings. One when the economy was terrible in his first term, and second during the irancontra scandal of the second term. The only president to have done that. That rest of course on his ability to instill trust, his great deals as a persuader, and his general character which i think is able to communicate to the American People very effectively. Ive mentioned before that he was capable of changing his mind and maneuvering while adhering to fundamental principles, of course. On the other hand, think about coolidge and the terror of question. What was happening in the 1920s . Huge expansion of world trade. 1930s . And depression made much worse by increasing trade protectionism. How might it have gone differently of Calvin Coolidge in the 1920s had first tried to recite his own party to change their mind about trade protectionism . Might the impression that the lessons . You cant blame him for that, but it shows a lost opportunity, i think. True, the government to grow under Ronald Reagan, more than he wanted. He later said after he left office that his greatest discipline was that is not more successful in controlling spending. If you now look back going back to the eisenhower years and before, government grew slowest during Ronald Reagans two terms. A relative achievement would have been better if it had gone down, but in contrast to two other republican administrations, [laughter] steve his record the externally by comparison. In her terrific book on Calvin Coolidge, amity refers to the man as the great refrain her. Being a great refrain her is a very good thing, no doubt about that. Today, we need a great reformer. By all means, it is great to keep cold with coolidge, but what we need to do now is when another big one for the gipper. Thank you. [applause] cal governor douglas for four minutes for an affirmative closing statement. Gov. Douglas these guys are tough. Amity laid out the policies that confirms coolidge as a better president for the 21st century. Character and leadership matter most. Civility is a trait that coolidge demonstrated from his early years as did Ronald Reagan. That starts a string respect for others, especially your adversaries. Coolidge never allowed himself to be disrespectful. Even when he was furious. Perhaps his most uncivil remark was calling herbert hoover, wonder boy. Coolidge engaged in less namecalling in his lifetime than most modern politicians do in a single debate. Coolidge for the presidency above himself. Once he and senator spencer were walking by the white house and spencer was trying to cheer coolidge up after a tough time in the white house, and he asked who lives there . And spencer was asking in jest, of course. Coolidge replied, nobody, they just come and go. Today politicians seek to require and attain power. The recent american new york persuaded the city council to give him another term. Coolidge could have extended his tenure, but he said in one of his more memorable quotes, it is good for officers to rotate after a moderate length of time. Coolidge was a true cincinnatus, in the mold of george washington. Some modern politicians lack the staying power to deal with difficult issues, often bending with the blowing winds of the latest polls. Voters seek a leader who stays the course. In 1919, governor coolidge stood firm against the union bosses and the Boston Police strike. It appeared he would be forced to back down, but did not, and after issuing another famous quotes, catapulted into the vice presidency. Our 40th president has been dubbed a great communicator, but, coolidge has been called the first radio president. He was not trained as an actor, but he is the medium skillfully. Americans came to recognize that nasal playing and that great confidence in the man behind the voice. But as coolidges frugality is so essential and these perilous fiscal and economic times, and the ultimate display of his a version to waste as been alluded to tonight, he issued only a single pencil at a time to each government bureaucrat. Whoever did not use it, in its entirety, was required to return the stub. Just earlier that coolidge is not quite appreciated these days. It is Calvin Coolidge who have the s jo bonner to compete with the racing president s of the Washington National baseball stadium. He is now in the pantheon of our most revered leaders, running with washington, jefferson, lincoln, teddy roosevelt, and taft, during the fourth inning of each home game. Is Ronald Reagan among the racing president s at the National Ballpark . No. Perhaps, the most compelling argument for the relative greatness of these men is how they were treated in the sanctum of the white house, itself. As we have heard earlier tonight, president reagan so venerated our 30th president that upon taking office the order coolidge is portrayed to be displayed in a place of honor. His high regard for his predecessor is evident. Ive a question for you did coolidge plays reagans portrait in a place of honor . [laughter] gov. Douglas no, even reagan himself that more highly of Calvin Coolidge. I hope you vote to affirm. [applause] cal that is great. Thank you very much. Lets hear another round of applause for great panelists here. [applause] cal and now, and lets make a deal, audience participation, it is your turn. We have hats coming around, one that says coolidge, and one that says reagan, and you to place your coolidge coin in the hat of whichever side you think won the debate. Now, member, this is not which president you may prefer, or which side you may personally agree with, but rather, which debate team you that was more convincing tonight. While this have to coming around, i will offer a few thoughts and so will kneel. Neil. Did he leave already . What impressed me the most about this is its substance. Unlike what we are seeing now in the president ial debates of both parties, we heard tonight about tax policy, we heard about Foreign Policy, we heard about the immigration, and we heard about integrity. While in office. All of those things, i think, from watching the first two republican debates and the first of a credit debate, seem to be missing or are less important than personalities and attacking an opponent. I think that that is something that we should applaud and we should encourage. Substance. In the age of the kardashians, so much of our political rhetoric these days resembles floor wax. Lots of shine, little depth. So, i would certainly applaud this team. In a real way, there are no real winners or losers are tonight. I think we have all been inspired. I think we have been encouraged. Especially by the young people earlier, that this country may have a future after all. And this is the kind of thinking and issues that everybody ought to be focused on. Personalities come and go. Reagan was said to be a great actor and all of these other things. By his detractors. But heres a man, if you go back and read his collection of his radio commentaries, that which just published a year or two ago, you see how he took the time to think through these issues. So that when he got up to speak, or when he appeared on television, you knew whether you voted for him or not, that here was a man who actually believed and had fought through his positions. And i think that is also true of Calvin Coolidge when you look at where he went to school, when you look at his experience in the massachusetts state senate. Where his desk and his portrait still remain. When you look at his relatively short time as Vice President , and then as president of the United States. And it is true of Ronald Reagan, too. Not only governor of california twice, but before he became governor, those radio essays, the ge theater, what he used to call the rubber chicken circuit, to go out and meet people all across the country, often without cameras are reporters present, meeting people and listening to them and their concerns. And then having the unique ability to articulate those concerns and a way that people did not think they were being talked down to. But, that their views and values were being reflected. That is a great gift and a political leader. And im sorry to say that we do not see much of it right now in either party. I wish we would. I think we can. Which is why tonight, i would like to oh, excuse me. [laughter] cal i got carried away. Im sorry. Somebody did ask you is if i ever thought of running for Political Office and i said yes, one time, but i take two aspirin, lay down for a while, and the feeling went away. [laughter] cal somebody else that if youre unsure of your family tree, run for office and europe on it will pointed out to you. [laughter] cal now we will have some questions and answers for distinct panel here. Or even me. Though i dont know the answer, i will do like the politicians and fake it. Yes or, tell us your name and where you are from. [indiscernible] any republican candidate today whether for National Office or on a local level, we often year the term Smaller Government. It was used tonight regarding president reagan. How would each of the two personalities tonight, president coolidge and president reagan, how would each differ defined the term Smaller Government as a relates to and they were in office compared we see today . Cal want to start with that, amity . Amity one of the things that coolidge dead when he retired was go on the board of Life Insurance company. That sounds boring, right . They paid him a gold coin. Every time he went to a meeting. If you have a big enough pool as president obama has pointed out, you can find just about anything. And i think there is an understanding, for example with Social Security, it is not very hard to privatize. Governor jim and governor sununu and i and professor steve could do it in an afternoon. One would right the plan, that one would look first at Social Security and say, lets figure out a way to privatize this so that the contract with people is honored down the years. And coolidge would actually start with that insurance model, which actually works so well. Cal john or steve, anything to add . Retirements and all of those additional benefits that go along with the hiring. Gov. Douglas one way that i think we often have to start thinking about reducing government is replacing fulltime employees with shortterm contracts. I think there is a model at the state level in a number of states, including here, that would provide that. One of the things i did as governor was to privatize the Psychiatric Services and the Mental Health services. A lot of the Mental Health services in the state, i was not doing it for efficiency at the time, although, we got great efficiency, we got much better professionals at Dartmouth Medical School doing the Psychiatric Services than we could have done in terms of hiring that have been taking place in the state. I think there are dozens of examples like that, that we are to start having our candidates talk about. There is some talk about that from the candidate that have been governors. And i think youll probably hear a lot more of it. Steve thinking about fiscal soundness and Sustainable Finance and frugality. I think also, there is no part of this that may be more important than that. The polls right now that are really startling that the Record Number of americans like 6070 say they actually here the federal government. Where there is versions of that question. What is behind all that . I think part of it is that they have a sense that the government is escaping our control. It is actually controlling us
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