By Tom Siebert
Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean did not scream, as the Democrat
had following his loss in the 2004 Iowa presidential caucuses. And
ex-House Speaker Newt Gingrich did not seem like “The Grinch Who Stole
Christmas,” as he was depicted a decade earlier on a Newsweek magazine
cover after he led Republicans to the control of Congress for the first time in 40 years.Instead, the two legendary political figures generated more light than heat in a friendly forum titled “A Bipartisan Conversation About Leadership in Divided Times” at the 2018 World Leaders Forum at Judson University in Elgin, northwest of Chicago.
“It is possible for us to sit down together even though the two parties have different philosophies,” said the liberal Mr. Dean, standing appropriately on the left side of the stage, while the conservative Mr. Gingrich stood proudly on the right.
Last week, Mr. Gingrich made national news headlines when he compared federal agents who seized documents from one of President Trump‘s attorneys to the Gestapo, the notorious secret police in 1940s Nazi Germany. But the former House speaker spoke in a decidedly different tone at the Judson event.
“When people view ‘the other side’ as ‘the enemy,’ it gets dangerous because people suffer when politics break down,” he said. “Great accomplishments are made in this country when people practice cheerful persistence and strong listening skills. If you ask the right questions, you can often help guide people to solve their own problems.”
Mr. Dean agreed: “America’s political system was designed for cooperation, and somewhere along the line, we lost our way. All that said–I’m optimistic about the future because of our younger generation, a powerful group of socially tolerant, respectful individuals who are eager to work together.”
Apart from their political views, the differing duo has a lot in common. They are both doctors: Mr. Dean is a physician and Mr. Gingrich earned a Ph.D. in history. They each led their parties to reclaim majorities in the U.S. House of Representatives, Dr. Gingrich as speaker in 1994 and Dr. Dean as chair of the Democratic National Committee in 2006.
Moreover, the two worked for the same law firm, are commentators for competing cable news channels, and were once front runners for their respective party’s presidential nominations.
“I didn’t get to be president but my wife did,” quipped Mr. Gingrich, referring to his unsuccessful 2012 race and the fact that his wife Callista later became president of a neighborhood association in their Virginia suburb. She is now U.S. ambassador to the Vatican.
Mr. Dean joked about his self-described “red-faced rant” in which he exuberantly tried to rally his supporters in the aftermath of his crushing third-place finish in the Iowa caucuses in January 2004.
“Just for the record, I didn’t lose the presidential nomination because of my ‘I Have a Scream’ speech,” he said, acknowledging that his campaign was in trouble long before the hot-mike mistake in which he shouted out the names of the upcoming state primaries that he hoped to win.
Thursday’s event marked the eighth World Leaders Forum at Judson. Previous keynote speakers were former President George W. Bush, ex-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev, ex-British Prime Minister Tony Blair, former Mexican President Felipe Calderón, and Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan.
“Our world has become increasingly divided along political lines, and Judson University is honored to host a conversation highlighting the importance of civility in political discourse,” said Judson President Gene Crume. “We believe in presenting our campus and our community with a balanced approach to understanding divergent ideologies by fostering respectful dialogue.”
For participating in the forum/fundraiser, Mr. Dean and Mr. Gingrich were given vintage Elgin watches, commemorating the city’s history as onetime home to a world-renowned watchmaking company.
However, Mayor David Kaptain told the Judson audience that Elgin is more well known today as the inspiration for the city in which television character “Roseanne” and her fictional family reside.
“Elgin is one of the most diverse cities in the country,” the mayor bragged. “We are a model of middle-class America. And we are very proud of that.”
Mr. Kaptain said later that the forum was “wonderful,” adding that the Elgin City Council is an example of bipartisanship. “That’s what we do every day–set aside our differences.”
Judson students also gave rave reviews of the political discussion.
“I thought it was very interesting,” said Claire Konnor, a freshman majoring in architecture. “It was a good idea to have two people with opposing views.”
Ms. Konnor also said that many millennials such as her became more interested in politics after the “controversial” presidential election victory of real estate developer/reality TV star Donald J. Trump over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Andrew Kennedy, a biochemistry and premed major, said that not all Judson students are conservative, as might be expected at a Christian university.
The senior explained: “Some are conservative, some are liberal, and some are in the middle.”
The goal of the World Leaders Forum is to present Judson students and the Chicagoland community with an opportunity to be inspired by significant thought leaders. Proceeds fund Judson Leadership Scholarships and innovative entrepreneurial activities as well as support ongoing operations of the Forum.
Located in Elgin since 1963, Judson affords students a Christian, liberal arts and sciences education through its bachelor of arts degrees in more than 60 majors, minors, and graduate programs. The university also offers online courses, in addition to certification and accelerated adult-degree programs. For more information, visit www.JudsonU.edu.
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