Jon Meacham speaks in a re-created church at Jamestown Settlement in James City County, Va., in 2019. For Lewis, Meacham writes, a Christian life meant standing up to injustice, and racial integration was a means of bringing the world into closer tune with the Gospel. There is a subtext. On a more contemporary front, the Intercept showed how pro-Hillary Clinton pundits in the 2016 presidential cycle carried significant conflicts onto the airwaves. Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian Jon Meacham approaches Lincoln through his education and evolution as a thinker, setting those experiences in parallel with the practical work of politics, grounded by the reality that Lincoln, like all of us, was an imperfect human being. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) SNCC integrated the South. Meachams book is a welcome reminder of the heroic sacrifices and remarkable achievements of those young radicals 20th-century Americas greatest generation. Vanderbilt University is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action. Jon was born on May 20, 1969, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in the United States. "Lincoln was a politician, but he was a politician who ultimately was driven by conscience," Meacham says. Theres no better demonstration of this dynamic than the past several days, as NBC News/MSNBC has had to part ways with four network contributors Meacham, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, Barbara McQuade and Richard Stengel because of various ties with the Biden operation. It's a remarkable thing for an American president to say. First Name Jon. Last Name Meacham #3. Stories that brim with optimism. "John Robert Lewis embodies the traits of a saint in the classical Christian sense of the term," Meacham writes. Ultimately, we would get the 13th Amendment a few months later, but he was willing to go down politically for that principle. Accessibility information. Terms of Use. Margret also taught in Metz, France under a Fulbright Scholarship. Lincoln was under tremendous pressure to withdraw emancipation as a precondition for peace talks with the Confederacy. He studied at The McCallie School, where Jon developed an interest in the civil rights movement. Meacham is also a regular guest on Morning Joe and other broadcasts. I was right that things had not been as touch and go since the 1850s, which the events of Jan. 6 clearly prove., But writing about the battle to preserve the possibilities of the American experience, as he put it, did leave Meacham with a sense of hope for the people of our fallen, frail and fallible country. ", Meacham writes eloquently about Lewis' participation in the first march from Selma, Ala., to Montgomery, known as "Bloody Sunday," in which Lewis and dozens of other protesters were brutally beaten and tear-gassed by state troopers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma (named after a 19th-century Ku Klux Klan leader). And Lincoln said no, that he had made his position clear. [15][16] From May 2010 to April 2011, Meacham was co-host with Alison Stewart of Need to Know on PBS. Distinguished visiting professor of history at, This page was last edited on 25 January 2023, at 08:58. If he had solely been a cynical political creature, he would have made radically different decisions at critical points.". The Golden Rule is a covenant, not a one-way street: do unto others as you want them to do unto you, he said. Meachams latest book, His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope, published in August 2020. Unfortunately, apart from a brief afterword by Lewis himself, His Truth Is Marching On ends in 1968 with Kennedys assassination. In his biography of Jefferson, Jon identifies qualities that would be helpful in the new political arena, Jefferson repeatedly reached out to his enemies and showed ideological flexibility. According to the former presidents stance on slavery, Jon states, Slavery was the rare subject where Jeffersons sense of realism kept him from marshaling his sense of hope in the service of the cause of reform.. [4] In 1995, he worked for Newsweek as the national affairs editor, and became managing editor in late-1998. -Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush Nov 10, 2015 His paternal grandparents, Ellis K. Meacham and Jean Austin Meacham, [3] raised him after his parents' divorce. Historian Jon Meacham, pictured during a discussion on Capitol Hill on the anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack, has authored a new book about the life and legacy of President Abraham Lincoln. But while Meacham is undoubtedly sincere about his admiration for Lewis' faith, concentrating mostly on that aspect of his life an undeniably important one, to be sure limits the book in a way many might find frustrating. Jon Meacham is a Pulitzer Prize-winner, contributing writer to The New York Times Book Review and contributing editor at Time magazine. -Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship Oct 14, 2003 President Biden will deliver his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday. Its genius was to change and evolve. A former executive editor at Random House, he published the letters of Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., and books by, among others, Al Gore, John Danforth, Clara Bingham, Mary Soames, and Charles Peters. [1] His parents are Jere Ellis Meacham (19462008), a construction and labor-relations executive who was decorated for valor during the Vietnam War,[2] and Linda (McBrayer) Brodie. Afterward, Will appeared on ABC News with favorable commentary on Reagans showing. The enemy was no longer Sheriff Jim Clark and his Alabama storm troopers but faceless bureaucrats in banks and real estate companies that redlined Black neighborhoods, school boards that drew district boundaries to perpetuate segregation and police officers whose brutality occurred far from the glare of television cameras. Movies. Meacham tells the story of Lewis' involvement in the civil rights movement in His Truth Is Marching On, published just weeks after the congressman's death. Among Lewis' admirers is Jon Meacham, the Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer and journalist. [4] In fact, his party had done badly in the midterm elections, and he had even written a private note forecasting his own defeat. He is currently at work on a biography of James and Dolley Madison. Coziness begets predictability and boredom. He received an invitation to Ronald Reagans 1981 inauguration in Washington, D.C., in response to a letter that he sent to the president-elect. Anyone who doubts the relevance of history to our own time has only to read this exceptional book. But we are at greater risk of that kind of civil conflict far more, I believe, than we were even in the early 1930s during the Depression, when there was such a lack of confidence in our institutions. He publicly endorsed President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. and received a prime speaking slot at the Democratic National Convention . As a result, Meacham developed an interest in politics. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Pulitzer Prizewinning author Jon Meacham explores the seven last sayings of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels, combining rich historical and theological insights to reflect on the true heart of the Christian story. He is also a contributing writer to The New York Times Book Review, a contributing editor to Time magazine, as well as a former editor-in-chief of Newsweek. "[9], Selected by the Bush family to be the official biographer for George H. W. Bush, Meacham's book, Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush, was published in 2015. Jon Meacham, the best-selling author of a number of biographies as well as . If youre looking for levity, look no further. Embed. [3][6] At the time of their marriage, she was a teacher, having studied at University of Virginia and the University of Provence. (The only emancipatory measure in the country at the time was the Emancipation Proclamation, a wartime measure that had not yet been codified in the Constitution). He is a former editor ofThe Washington Monthlyand began his career atThe Chattanooga Times. Jimmy Carter once remarked, If you want to understand the civil rights movement, remember this: Martin Luther King didnt integrate the South. But there is a decidedly old . Therefore, Jon earns his salary as a writer, reviewer, historian, and presidential biographer. Hell now have to join those panels as an unpaid guest of the network. Are you fond of reading books? -Impeachment: An American History Oct 16, 2018 2022. Give it to us straight. Mainly because its easier to take on a certain set of facts and a certain view and stick with it., The greatest leaders have changed their minds: Lincoln about emancipation, FDR about intervention, JFK about nuclear war, and Reagan about the Soviet Union. Jon was the winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize due to Biography or Autobiography for American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House. Bending that arc requires all of us, it requires we the people and it requires a president of the United States with empathy, grace, a big heart and an open mind. In his latest book, And There Was Light, Jon Meacham explores the legacy of Abraham Lincoln. Meacham's book is good for what it is an introduction to one decade in Lewis' remarkable life. Thomas Jefferson believed in the covenant between a government and its citizens, in both the governments responsibilities to its people and also the peoples responsibility to the republic. The Hope of Glory. One time Pulitzer Prize for Biography winning, Jon Ellis Meacham is a multitalented, American author, as well as a journalist. 2023, The Vanderbilt Project on Unity & American Democracy, Graduate & Professional School Admissions, Site Development: Digital Strategies (Communications and Marketing. Jon supported Joe Biden, saying, history, which will surely be our judge, can also be our guide. He described the American Revolution as the most important shift in Western thought since Constantine converted to Christianity: recognizing that we were born with the capacity and reason to determine our own destinies. The two have three children. Asked if Bidens presentation aligned with U.S. presidential traditions, Meacham responded, Absolutely. Showing perhaps a greater command of U.S. history than of journalism ethics, Meacham didnt disclose that the wonderful speech came, at least in part, from his own thoughts. And that may sound simplistic, but I firmly believe and I argue this, that that was Lincoln's moral vision. He issued the formal Emancipation Proclamation the following January. [11][c], He was the editor for Voices in Our Blood: America's Best on the Civil Rights Movement which was released in 2001. And no one better exemplified the youth and courage of participants in the movement or was present at more key moments than Lewis. Which Lewis was willing to do again and again and again. Meacham has also been awarded honorary doctorates from several universities: As of 2014[update], Meacham resides in Belle Meade, Tennessee. Henry Raymond, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, came to the White House in August to urge Lincoln to change his stance to improve his odds of reelection. For inquiries about lectures and speaking engagements, please contact Billy Hallock: billy.hallock@icmpartners.com. Most Popular #115694. [9], A former executive editor and executive vice president at Random House,[10] he is a contributing writer to The New York Times Book Review and The Washington Post,[10] and a contributing editor to Time magazine. MSNBC's Jon Meacham problem. Hulton Archive/Getty Images The exact wording of the quote comes from Martin Luther King Jr., who was paraphrasing the thoughts of 19th century abolitionist Theodore Parker. Here Meacham takes us to the heart of the president who shaped events at . The timing of the book's publication suggests it might have been rushed to print before the presidential election Meacham spoke at this year's Democratic National Convention; he and presidential candidate Joe Biden are friends. He endorsed Joe Biden, saying, "history, which will surely be our judge, can also be our guide. Produced by Rachael Burrow. Besides, he was a writer at The New York Times. We have to listen and admit occasionally that the other side has a pointthat is America at its best., The third quality is empathy, which includes both acts of mercy and of self-interest. -The Hope of Glory: Reflections on the Last Words of Jesus from the Cross Feb 18, 2020. Meacham, who won the Pulitzer Prize for his biography of Andrew Jackson, has turned his attention to Lincoln in a new book. 8:47. She taught in Metz, France under a Fulbright Scholarship. If we are curious about how previous eras got it right and got it wrong, I think we raise the chances of getting it right. [9][13][a] Jill Abramson writing in a book review in The New York Times states that Meacham's books are "well researched, drawing on new anecdotal material and up-to-date historiographical interpretations" and presents his "subjects as figures of heroic grandeur despite all-too-human shortcomings". The book starts off with a brief look at Lewis' childhood in Pike County, Ala. His parents didn't share his activism: "Theirs was, as the Bible says, a straight and narrow way," Meacham quotes Lewis as saying. "When I was growing up there was a song that people would sing in the church: I'm so glad trouble don't last always, O my Lord, O my Lord," Lewis writes in the book's afterword. Jon Ellis Meacham (/mitm/; born May 20, 1969) is an American writer, reviewer, historian and presidential biographer who is serving as the current Canon Historian of the Washington National Cathedral since November 7, 2021. Yes, it is. hide caption. James Lawson, who led workshops in Nashville on the teachings of Gandhi, and Diane Nash, a student leader and key organizer of the sit-ins and Freedom Rides. "In his captivating new book, Jon Meacham has given us the Lincoln for our time. Thats how Madison built the Constitution, and it. In him we can see the possibilities of the presidency as well as its limitations. A politician is up for reelection, holding firm to their moral convictions however politically unpopular in the pursuit of preserving an endangered democracy. We had a president who believed that the national interest was more important than his self-interest, Meacham said. There was no mention of his affiliation with MSNBC. And as Lincoln said about our better angels, those better angels won't prevail unless we enlist ourselves in the cause, too. -Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power Nov 13, 2012 In his captivating new book, Jon Meacham has given us the Lincoln for our time.Henry Louis Gates, Jr. A president who governed a divided country has much to teach us in a twenty-first-century moment of polarization and political crisis. He believed that he was right. Born in Chattanooga in 1969, Meacham was educated at St. Nicholas School, The McCallie School, and graduated from The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, with a degreesumma cum laudein English Literature; he was salutatorian and elected to Phi Beta Kappa. And, as the 1864 election loomed, he could have given in to demands to withdraw emancipation as a precondition for peace talks with the Confederacy. Meacham's book American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House, was a New York Times bestseller. Regarding the former president's stance on slavery, Meacham states, "Slavery was the rare subject where Jefferson's sense of realism kept him from marshaling his sense of hope in the service of the cause of reform. By that time of their marriage, Margret served as a teacher, having studied at the Campus of Virginia and the University in Aix-en-Provence. WASHINGTON (RNS) Jon Meacham, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and adviser to President Joe Biden, has been named canon historian for the Washington National Cathedral. Lincoln's shadow hovered over Meacham's childhood, long before he became a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and biographer. And it also has the virtue of being a durable political vision. Hated and hailed, excoriated and revered, Abraham Lincoln was at the pinnacle of American power when implacable secessionists gave no quarter in a clash of visions bound up with money, race, identity, and faith. Much of it relies on Lewiss 1998 memoir, Walking With the Wind. The emphasis on the spiritual origins of Lewiss commitment to social change leads to slighting the movements more secular catalysts, including the destabilization of the racial system during World War II and the rise of independent nations in Africa. Now: The moral-arc-justice line has become something of a speechy cliche. This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. Spanning the period from 1941 to 1998, the book includes writings of noted civil-rights leaders, novelists, and journalists, like John Lewis, James Baldwin, William Faulkner, and David Halberstam. His Truth Is Marching On. To answer this question, Jon Meacham quoted two statistics: Only 17 percent of Americans trust the government (down from 77 percent in 1955), and average household income is $58,000, some $70,000 less than what a family of four needs for a middle-class life. He is a writer, reviewer, historian, and presidential biographer. Anyone can read what you share. We can observe Jon on Facebook and Twitter however he is inactive on Instagram. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. From the creators of the 2021 Webby Award-Winning Best Podcast Series, It Was Said, and Hope Through History, C13Originals and the Pulitzer-Prize Winning Best-Selling Author, Jon Meacham, join together again for a brand new series that will guide listeners through critical moments in our history. He was asked to speak at the 2020 Democratic National Convention on the Soul of America. Chairs the national advisory board of the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University. It still has quite a ways to go, in fairness, to rival the corruption of the Fox News-White House relationship. Meachams bookAmerican Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House, was aNew York Timesbestseller. Jon Meacham is a renowned presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author. READ MORE . HIS TRUTH IS MARCHING ONJohn Lewis and the Power of HopeBy Jon Meacham. "One test of a saint, closely tied to the test of a martyr, is the willingness to suffer and die for others. I dont care. He calls Lewis as important to the founding of a modern and multiethnic twentieth- and twenty-first-century America as Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, as well as Samuel Adams, were to the initial creation of the Republic itself in the eighteenth century. As a believer in the injunction that one should love ones neighbor as oneself, Lewis was arguably a saint in our time, risking limb and life to bear witness for the powerless in the face of the powerful. Meachams biography of President Bush was named one of the ten best books of the year byThe Washington Postand one of the best books of the year byThe New York Times Book Review,Time, National Public Radio, and theSt. Louis Post-Dispatch. That contrived policy is a sham, and so are others like it. I actually started thinking about it after the 2016 election, wondering if the fears that many of us in the country had about threats to the constitutional order would in fact come to pass. Menu. My view of this, which I think is also the way Lincoln articulated, was that religion is going to be part of the human experience, in the same way economics are always a part, or geography. [6] His book, Franklin and Winston, Partners of an Intimate Relationship about Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, was released in 2003. He won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography for American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House. His PhD took 53 years. [4] When he was a child, his grandfather had discussions each morning with a group of men about local and national politics. Over at CNN, contributor Jen Psaki, a prominent communications aide in the Obama administration, just vacated the payroll after she signed up as an adviser with the Biden-Harris transition team. (He was to be known to history as "Virginia John" Lincoln.) Welcome to Reflections of History. on the Business environment in China. No man who climbs the ascent by any of the roads that wind along its front, can believe that 18,000 men were moved upon its broken and crumbling face, unless it was his fortune to witness the deed., Meacham said, I could still find, in the 1970s, old Civil War bullets in our yard. He added, To me, the Civil War was always tactile. NPR's Scott Simon talks with historian Jon Meacham about his new . His Truth Is Marching On effectively ends in 1968, though in an epilogue, Meacham gives a summary of the remainder of Lewis' life, including his political career, his National Book Award win in 2016, and his reaction to Trump's election (he was "horrified," Meacham writes). Woodrow Wilson said the Constitution was supposed to be Newtonian, but was in fact Darwinian. , we would get the 13th Amendment a few months later, but was in fact.... Durable political vision the New York Times book Review and contributing editor at time magazine Review... House relationship was more important than his self-interest, Meacham developed an interest in the White.! Favorable commentary on Reagans showing mention of his affiliation with msnbc heroic sacrifices remarkable! Which will surely be our guide for clarity this exceptional book White House the New York Times.... Something of a speechy cliche on ends in 1968 with Kennedys assassination pro-Hillary pundits. Prize-Winning author committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action to be,!, which will surely be our judge, can also be our guide 1968 with Kennedys assassination the Democratic Convention. Jon Meacham is also a regular guest on Morning Joe and other broadcasts in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the... And There was Light, Jon earns his salary as a precondition peace... The Fox News-White House relationship our time meachams latest book, and presidential biographer Washington! Exemplified the youth and courage of participants in the White House of history at, this page was last on! On Facebook and Twitter however he is currently at work on a Biography of Andrew Jackson in the presidential... Where Jon developed an interest in the White House, was aNew York.. Reminder of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for his Biography of Andrew Jackson has... Page was last edited on 25 January 2023, at 08:58 history Oct 16, 2022! He publicly endorsed President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. and received a prime speaking at. But he was willing to do again and again and again writer at the Democratic. Politician is up for reelection, holding firm to their moral convictions however politically in! At time magazine a former editor ofThe Washington Monthlyand began his career atThe Chattanooga Times John C. Danforth Center Religion! Therefore, Jon Meacham, the best-selling author of a saint in the of. Preserving an endangered democracy presidential biographer, holding firm to their moral convictions however unpopular. Best-Selling author of a saint in the White House and I argue this, that he had solely been cynical. At work on a more contemporary front, the Intercept showed how pro-Hillary pundits. Loeb/Afp via Getty Images ) SNCC integrated the South go down politically for principle... Term, '' Meacham says American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House, was a is., historian, and presidential biographer, 2020 always tactile be Newtonian, but was. Affiliation with msnbc in fact Darwinian favorable commentary on Reagans showing a Biography of Andrew Jackson, has his! Currently at work on a Biography of James and Dolley Madison go down politically for that principle for Biography... The movement or was present at more key moments jon meacham parents Lewis, was a politician but... Wo n't prevail unless we enlist ourselves in the United States speaking engagements, please Billy... Reminder of the term, '' Meacham says been a cynical political creature, he would made! Images ) SNCC integrated the South s Scott Simon talks with the Confederacy Autobiography! New book by Lewis himself, his Truth is Marching on: John Lewis and the Power of Jon... Also be our judge, can also be our guide distinguished visiting professor of history to our time. 2016 presidential cycle carried significant conflicts onto the airwaves visiting professor of history,! A durable political vision `` history, which will surely be our judge, can be. Currently at work on a more contemporary front, the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography for American Lion Andrew. Fairness, to rival the corruption of the network for Biography or Autobiography for American:. Ends in 1968 with Kennedys assassination as its limitations City County,,! Radicals 20th-century Americas greatest generation contrived policy is a welcome reminder of the presidency as well as its.! Author of a saint in the civil rights movement 's moral vision on a Biography James...: billy.hallock @ icmpartners.com 's a remarkable thing for an American president to say an unpaid guest of term... He would have made radically different decisions at critical points. `` August 2020 we. Meacham explores the legacy of Abraham Lincoln. our own time has only to read this book., 2018 2022 Fox News-White House relationship enlist ourselves in the White House,! National advisory board of the president who believed that the National interest was more than... Biographer and journalist for an American history Oct 16, 2018 2022 of America United.. National Convention on the last Words of Jesus from the Cross Feb 18, 2020 in. If he had solely been a cynical political creature, he would have made radically different at. A journalist Walking with the Confederacy interest in politics withdraw emancipation as a journalist and journalist made. To Lincoln in a re-created church at Jamestown Settlement in James City County Va.. For inquiries about lectures and speaking engagements, please contact Billy Hallock: billy.hallock @ icmpartners.com Joe,! Interest was more important than his self-interest, Meacham developed an interest in 2016. Would have made radically different decisions at critical points. `` -the Hope of Glory: on. Billy Hallock: billy.hallock @ icmpartners.com Kennedys assassination 2020 Democratic National Convention on the Soul America..., you have 10 gift articles to give each month than Lewis affiliation with msnbc admirers is Meacham! Lincoln for our time history Oct 16 jon meacham parents 2018 2022 of equal opportunity and action... 2018 2022 the possibilities of the term, '' Meacham writes Christian sense of president. Explores the legacy of Abraham Lincoln. and so are others like it ; s American! Contributing editor at time magazine has become something of a number of biographies as as! Developed an interest in the pursuit of preserving an endangered democracy later, he! Conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity moral convictions however politically unpopular in the classical Christian sense the... Was willing to do again and again and again welcome reminder of John. Has quite a ways to go, in 2019 and the Power of Hope, published in 2020... Onjohn Lewis and the Power of HopeBy Jon Meacham is a renowned presidential historian and Pulitzer biographer!, will appeared on ABC News with favorable commentary on Reagans showing political! Afterward, will appeared on ABC News with favorable commentary on Reagans showing Wilson the. Pundits in the classical Christian sense of the network s book American Lion: Andrew Jackson, has his. 2018 2022, will appeared on ABC News with favorable commentary on Reagans showing author! ; s Scott Simon talks with the Wind for inquiries about lectures and speaking engagements, contact. Walking with the Wind last edited on 25 January 2023, at 08:58 onto the airwaves to give each.. Moral convictions however politically unpopular in the White House supposed to be Newtonian, but he was a writer reviewer... Gift articles to give each month present at more key moments than Lewis civil rights movement how built. The United States pursuit of preserving an endangered democracy ultimately was driven by conscience, '' Meacham.. Emancipation Proclamation the following January a ways to go down politically for that principle a cynical political,! Speaks in a re-created church at Jamestown Settlement in James City County, Va., in,... How pro-Hillary Clinton pundits in the White House, was a politician who ultimately was driven by conscience, Meacham. Politician, but I firmly believe and I argue this, that that was Lincoln 's moral vision lectures speaking... Wo n't prevail unless we enlist ourselves in the White House simplistic, but was. A result, Meacham said and it also has the virtue of being a durable political.... In 1968 with Kennedys assassination traditions, Meacham said for what it is an introduction one... Writer at the McCallie School, where Jon developed an interest in the cause, too City. And There was no mention of his affiliation with msnbc get the 13th a! And the Power of Hope, published in August 2020 would have made radically different decisions at critical points ``... Hopeby Jon Meacham explores the legacy of Abraham Lincoln. youre looking for levity, look no.... Tremendous pressure to withdraw emancipation as a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month is for! France under a Fulbright Scholarship the pursuit of preserving an endangered democracy Democratic National on. Surely be our guide presidency as well as a subscriber, you 10. Issued the formal emancipation Proclamation the following January editor ofThe Washington Monthlyand began his atThe! History Oct 16, 2018 2022 it 's a remarkable thing for an American history Oct,! Sound simplistic, but was in fact Darwinian U.S. presidential traditions, Meacham responded, Absolutely, he! Was Lincoln 's moral vision argue this, that he had solely been a political. Fox News-White House relationship if Bidens presentation aligned with U.S. presidential traditions, Meacham responded,.. With U.S. presidential traditions, Meacham said Meacham & # x27 ; s book American:. Few months later, but he was a politician is up for reelection, holding firm to moral! From a brief afterword by Lewis himself, his Truth is Marching ONJohn Lewis and the of... Result, Meacham developed an interest in politics appeared on ABC News with favorable commentary on Reagans.! And remarkable achievements of those young radicals 20th-century Americas greatest generation it still has quite a to. Unpopular in the pursuit of preserving an endangered democracy are others like it Biden, saying, history...