Doug McKelway: Insights on Jimmy Carter's Legacy | Allen Jackson Now

January 3, 2025 | 20:11

At a time of political transition in Washington, veteran reporter Doug McKelway sits down with Allen Jackson for a conversation about the passing of President Jimmy Carter and the state of the media. They discuss Carter's legacy, his micromanagement during his presidency, and his impactful post-presidential work. They also delve into the changing media landscape, the suppression of free speech, and the hope for a future where truth and diverse perspectives are valued.

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Allen Jackson NOW | Doug McKelway: Insights on Jimmy Carter's Legacy | Allen Jackson Now | January 3, 2025
  • Well, good evening, and welcome to nashville.
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  • I'm alan jackson, and tonight
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  • We have more of a conversation ready for you than an interview,
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  • Because the veteran reporter
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  • And anchor doug mcelwee has come to town from florida.
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  • Doug, welcome back to tennessee.
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  • Good to. see you.
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  • You know, we're just a few days away
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  • From the inauguration,
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  • And we're going to have
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  • A change of power once again in washington, dc.
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  • I can't help but reflect upon a similar transition
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  • Some years ago when president
  • 00:00:29.811 --> 00:00:31.646
  • Jimmy carter was leaving after a one term presidency.
  • 00:00:31.646 --> 00:00:35.517
  • At that time, the economy was in a bit of disarray.
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  • Inflation was at record levels, and we had hostages in iran.
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  • Well, the economy's still in a bit of disarray.
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  • Inflation is higher than we want it to be.
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  • And there are hostages once again in the middle east.
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  • This time it is hamas.
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  • But it's still iran behind that.
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  • You know, as carter was leaving, the hostages were released.
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  • They didn't want reagan to get to the white house.
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  • And those hostages still be in place.
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  • Our prayer,
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  • And i hope you'll join me in this,
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  • Is that those hostages that have been held for longer
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  • Than the ones that were held in tehran
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  • Will be released before mr.
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  • Trump gets to the white house.
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  • If we can do that, we'll all be ready to celebrate
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  • On election day or on inauguration day.
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  • No matter who you voted for, for the candidate.
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  • Well, doug,
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  • Let's begin with the passing
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  • Of president carter at 100 years of age.
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  • When he went into hospice several years ago.
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  • You recorded an interview
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  • With a reporter who knew him better than
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  • Anyone outside of his family.
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  • Abc's white house correspondent, sam donaldson.
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  • And like most people,
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  • You and sam thought that the president
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  • Had only a few more weeks to live.
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  • He survived cancer once and then lived
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  • Several more years before passing.
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  • Let's listen to what sam donaldson told you.
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  • About what he remembers about jimmy carter.
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  • I think you'll be remembered for good things
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  • You did as president, and for some mistakes
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  • As well as bad luck.
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  • But you'll also be remembered for being a person,
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  • President or not.
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  • But because he'd been president, he had the spotlight
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  • Who did
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  • So much good for so many people, not just in the united states,
  • 00:02:05.307 --> 00:02:08.343
  • But around the world.
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  • Jimmy carter, in his post-presidency,
  • 00:02:10.145 --> 00:02:12.214
  • Has not been equaled since, i think, and may never be,
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  • As a president who then uses his time
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  • After leaving office, not just to play golf
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  • And not do a few humanitarian things, but to work very hard
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  • For world peace, for destroying disease elsewhere.
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  • As he has done in africa and other places,
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  • For building houses, for habitat humanity with a,
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  • You know, a hammer and nails with his wife helping out.
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  • That's jimmy carter.
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  • Well done.
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  • Tell us what you observed about mr. carter.
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  • Well, i remember it so well because,
  • 00:02:44.579 --> 00:02:46.815
  • It coincided his presidency coincided
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  • With my first job in television news in washington.
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  • I'd been hunting around for jobs
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  • And knocked on a door at the group
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  • Westinghouse bureau, and i asked the.
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  • I'm looking for an entry level job.
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  • And she said, we have none. and i said, oh, i'm sorry.
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  • I turned around and a reporter walked in,
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  • And with a tripod on her shoulder.
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  • And she said, did i hear you say you're looking for a job?
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  • I said, yes.
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  • Well, she said, if you want to schlep this stuff
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  • Around for us, you're hired.
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  • That was my first job in television news,
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  • And i got to go to the white house on many occasions.
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  • During it was the last year of the carter presidency.
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  • To the briefing room, where i see people like sam
  • 00:03:22.684 --> 00:03:24.853
  • Donaldson sitting in the front row.
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  • And i thought initially when sam would fire these questions off
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  • One after the other, that this guy's a jerk.
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  • He's so impolite.
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  • Over the years, i came to realize,
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  • No, he's just doing his job.
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  • He's got to do that.
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  • And i wish more
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  • Reporters would have done it during the biden presidency.
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  • But, jimmy carter,
  • 00:03:43.438 --> 00:03:46.241
  • In some respects during his president was a tragic figure.
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  • He did try to micromanage things in the strangest way.
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  • And i think while he tried to be every man as president
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  • Of the united states,
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  • There's a quality to being president,
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  • Which, should prevent one from indulging that too much.
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  • Every man is nice to a certain extent,
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  • But there's a certain
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  • Magisterial ness about a presidency
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  • That the president should uphold.
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  • And i think
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  • Jimmy carter would have salvaged a better presidency
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  • Had he understood that at an earlier stage.
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  • Of course, there were many, many other factors as you said.
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  • The iranian hostage situation was just a disaster,
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  • An ongoing disaster that plagued his presidency.
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  • But what i most remember about his presidency
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  • Was the gasoline shortage.
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  • And the gasoline crisis was a lot of people are too young
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  • To remember today, but to get gas,
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  • You had to show up at the gas station
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  • On either odd or even days, depending on your
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  • What your license plate was.
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  • You could go on even days if you had an even numbered
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  • License plate
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  • And you sat in the line for hours
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  • Upon hours on end, waiting for half a tank of gas.
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  • It was disastrous.
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  • It was the undoing of his presidency.
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  • I remember
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  • I also, just prior to having gotten that first tv news job,
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  • I had been working at,
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  • As a consultant to the department of energy
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  • During the, the,
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  • Carter administration on how to conserve energy
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  • And the federal government
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  • And jimmy carter's admonition
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  • To americans was to wear a sweater.
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  • Americans didn't take kindly to that.
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  • You know, because to keep your heating
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  • Bills down, wear sweater.
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  • No, we want to turn our heat up.
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  • We're americans, you know,
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  • We don't have to put up with that kind of stuff.
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  • It was one one series of events after another
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  • Which led to his undoing.
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  • And and, i was also there in washington
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  • For the inauguration of president reagan.
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  • And i recall,
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  • Not just because of the release of the hostages on that day,
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  • But there was a wave of new optimism
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  • Which which came across the country.
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  • And i sensed it very powerfully.
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  • I saw ronald and nancy reagan in an open limousine,
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  • Waving to everybody as they went down pennsylvania avenue.
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  • I felt very, very strongly
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  • This is a new day in the united states of america.
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  • And i sensed some of that same kind of optimism right now
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  • As we're in this transitory stag
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  • What i can
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  • Most definitively say about jimmy carter was,
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  • That he did so much in his post-presidency
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  • That,
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  • Just truly in a league of his own
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  • In terms of doing good for the community.
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  • I think perhaps he was best destined to fulfill that role
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  • More than he was as a president of the united states.
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  • I agree.
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  • I'm told that sam donaldson had a lot of good stories.
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  • Let's listen to one more one
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  • That i don't think anyone has heard before.
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  • It's about how carter is a micromanager.
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  • Also wanted to be a sort
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  • Of a regular guy. you've alluded to it,
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  • But donaldson is going to highlight that.
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  • Well, early on he tried to check off who got to
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  • Play tennis on the tennis court.
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  • Well, the president of the united
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  • States has other matters to do.
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  • He tried to pump the presidency for the first 2 or 3 weeks.
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  • I was amazed when he would go out to dinner with friends.
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  • Just a private dinner.
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  • He'd have the motorcade stopped for red lights.
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  • Well, you're the president of the united states.
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  • He didn't have the flags in the car.
  • 00:07:11.012 --> 00:07:12.981
  • And finally, his aide said, mr.
  • 00:07:12.981 --> 00:07:14.415
  • President, you know you're not the guy next door.
  • 00:07:14.415 --> 00:07:17.819
  • We like the guy next door,
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  • But we want the president of the united states
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  • To be someone better than that.
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  • And so you got to act that way.
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  • And so his deep pumping hurt him at first.
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  • But i think in the long run, it didn't matter.
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  • You know, i remember when reagan came to the white house,
  • 00:07:30.698 --> 00:07:33.167
  • He restored a different kind of dignity to the white house.
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  • You know, there was a leader there,
  • 00:07:36.671 --> 00:07:37.939
  • And i think the whole world felt that.
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  • I think there's at least a hope that we might see
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  • That transition again,
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  • Where there's been some confusion
  • 00:07:44.479 --> 00:07:46.214
  • In leadership in washington and maybe it'll change.
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  • And one thing
  • 00:07:48.516 --> 00:07:49.484
  • That sam didn't mention there was that i think
  • 00:07:49.484 --> 00:07:51.386
  • I think he would agree with this, that,
  • 00:07:51.386 --> 00:07:53.187
  • President carter got bogged down in, the hurt that comes
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  • With being president when people criticize you
  • 00:07:57.959 --> 00:08:00.461
  • Because he wanted to be understood by every man.
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  • I think
  • 00:08:03.331 --> 00:08:04.599
  • I think the slings and arrows which come at every president
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  • Hurt him more and bogged him down more.
  • 00:08:07.702 --> 00:08:09.871
  • He felt resentful that he wasn't well liked.
  • 00:08:09.871 --> 00:08:12.874
  • That's not the case with donald trump.
  • 00:08:12.874 --> 00:08:15.376
  • He has taken the slings and arrows in ways that no
  • 00:08:15.376 --> 00:08:19.013
  • President of the united states has ever done
  • 00:08:19.013 --> 00:08:21.049
  • Unfairly in many respects.
  • 00:08:21.049 --> 00:08:23.251
  • So his ability to to shrug off this stuff, to be a fighter,
  • 00:08:23.251 --> 00:08:28.389
  • To fight, fight, fight, is,
  • 00:08:28.389 --> 00:08:31.492
  • I think, as strong as any characteristic
  • 00:08:31.492 --> 00:08:33.628
  • In any president we've seen in american history.
  • 00:08:33.628 --> 00:08:37.298
  • And i think that that component will serve him
  • 00:08:37.298 --> 00:08:40.401
  • Well as the inevitable slings and arrows come his way.
  • 00:08:40.401 --> 00:08:43.738
  • I don't think they're done.
  • 00:08:44.339 --> 00:08:45.807
  • Let's take a short break right now and we come back.
  • 00:08:45.807 --> 00:08:48.109
  • Doug will share his insights on the new media versus
  • 00:08:48.109 --> 00:08:51.045
  • The time when he reported facts and truth.
  • 00:08:51.045 --> 00:08:54.048
  • We'll be back in a moment.
  • 00:08:54.048 --> 00:09:00.994
  • We'll be back in a moment.
  • 00:09:00.994 --> 00:09:02.257
  • One. we're
  • 00:09:02.558 --> 00:09:04.193
  • Back now with a veteran reporter and anchor, doug mcelroy.
  • 00:09:04.193 --> 00:09:07.329
  • Doug, we've talked a bit about the changes
  • 00:09:08.230 --> 00:09:09.965
  • In the media that's taking place.
  • 00:09:09.965 --> 00:09:11.734
  • I was at a conference recently, and there were tens
  • 00:09:11.734 --> 00:09:13.636
  • Of thousands of people there, and they had a whole media row.
  • 00:09:13.636 --> 00:09:16.739
  • Noticeably absent to me was what i consider to be
  • 00:09:16.739 --> 00:09:19.108
  • The legacy media.
  • 00:09:19.108 --> 00:09:20.576
  • And media row was occupied by all these new alternative
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  • Forms of media,
  • 00:09:23.412 --> 00:09:24.613
  • Many of them who live in places other than broadcast news.
  • 00:09:24.613 --> 00:09:28.217
  • You have a long history and legacy.
  • 00:09:28.984 --> 00:09:31.453
  • Even your father in the media, in the news.
  • 00:09:31.453 --> 00:09:34.456
  • Do you think this change is going to continue
  • 00:09:34.456 --> 00:09:36.592
  • Or we see a resurrection of that more legacy source?
  • 00:09:36.592 --> 00:09:39.495
  • I think, no resurrection for legacy media is
  • 00:09:39.495 --> 00:09:42.798
  • Is in the offing.
  • 00:09:42.798 --> 00:09:43.832
  • I, it's it's slowly eroding, slowly dying.
  • 00:09:43.832 --> 00:09:47.569
  • And the best evidence i have of that is, my 21 year old son,
  • 00:09:47.569 --> 00:09:53.142
  • My youngest son, and everybody his age that i know.
  • 00:09:53.142 --> 00:09:57.946
  • It's all on the cell phone.
  • 00:09:58.547 --> 00:09:59.915
  • They don't watch television anymore.
  • 00:09:59.915 --> 00:10:01.550
  • They don't watch it anymore.
  • 00:10:01.550 --> 00:10:03.585
  • And there's this sort of contrary component
  • 00:10:03.585 --> 00:10:06.155
  • Of news, consumption, which is interesting to me
  • 00:10:06.155 --> 00:10:10.592
  • Because on the legacy media, you see shorter
  • 00:10:10.592 --> 00:10:14.063
  • And shorter soundbites, you see shorter stories
  • 00:10:14.063 --> 00:10:17.166
  • Because people don't have the attention span anymore.
  • 00:10:17.166 --> 00:10:20.803
  • There's too much information out there.
  • 00:10:20.803 --> 00:10:22.504
  • But conversely, you see what's really erupting.
  • 00:10:22.504 --> 00:10:25.741
  • What's really growing are the long form.
  • 00:10:25.741 --> 00:10:28.277
  • The podcasts like joe rogan who's got,
  • 00:10:28.277 --> 00:10:30.946
  • What, 30 million listeners for a three hour interview.
  • 00:10:30.946 --> 00:10:35.117
  • His interviews last three hours,
  • 00:10:35.117 --> 00:10:37.086
  • And young people are tapping into that sort of stuff.
  • 00:10:37.086 --> 00:10:40.222
  • So there's there's a bit of a contrarian component to news
  • 00:10:40.222 --> 00:10:43.625
  • Consumerism nowadays,
  • 00:10:43.625 --> 00:10:44.626
  • Which i don't really understand,
  • 00:10:44.626 --> 00:10:46.595
  • And i don't know where it's going,
  • 00:10:46.595 --> 00:10:48.464
  • But because
  • 00:10:48.464 --> 00:10:49.965
  • Young people get their news from their cell phone,
  • 00:10:49.965 --> 00:10:52.668
  • They don't get it from the big screen tv.
  • 00:10:52.668 --> 00:10:55.337
  • I think i think the legacy media is dying a slow.
  • 00:10:55.337 --> 00:11:00.075
  • It's very slow, and there will be times
  • 00:11:00.075 --> 00:11:01.844
  • When it's resurrected a little bit,
  • 00:11:01.844 --> 00:11:04.413
  • But the trend line is downward, downward, downward.
  • 00:11:04.413 --> 00:11:07.216
  • Yeah.
  • 00:11:07.216 --> 00:11:07.916
  • You given me new hope.
  • 00:11:07.916 --> 00:11:09.151
  • Maybe the younger people will want longer sermons from me.
  • 00:11:09.151 --> 00:11:11.553
  • Oh, there you got anyway below three hours.
  • 00:11:11.553 --> 00:11:14.223
  • Some portion of the media has
  • 00:11:14.857 --> 00:11:16.425
  • Been publicly admitting that they should have paid
  • 00:11:16.425 --> 00:11:18.560
  • More attention to biden's health the past four years.
  • 00:11:18.560 --> 00:11:21.363
  • Do you think
  • 00:11:21.363 --> 00:11:22.197
  • They truly didn't know and were afraid
  • 00:11:22.197 --> 00:11:23.265
  • To report anything bad on biden?
  • 00:11:23.265 --> 00:11:25.400
  • Maybe they were going to help trump if they did that,
  • 00:11:25.400 --> 00:11:27.236
  • Why would they be silent?
  • 00:11:27.236 --> 00:11:29.171
  • It's so hard to decipher.
  • 00:11:29.171 --> 00:11:31.140
  • The most logical explanation i can offer is
  • 00:11:31.140 --> 00:11:35.511
  • That people want to please the boss.
  • 00:11:35.511 --> 00:11:38.747
  • They want the pay raise.
  • 00:11:39.281 --> 00:11:40.716
  • They want the more they want the.
  • 00:11:40.716 --> 00:11:43.252
  • They want more exposure. they want the better job.
  • 00:11:43.252 --> 00:11:45.354
  • They want the main anchor job.
  • 00:11:45.354 --> 00:11:46.555
  • When it comes to the tv folks.
  • 00:11:46.555 --> 00:11:48.557
  • How do you get that?
  • 00:11:48.557 --> 00:11:50.425
  • Well, you do what the boss says in the boss says no.
  • 00:11:50.425 --> 00:11:53.428
  • Let's let's avoid that subject matter on on president biden.
  • 00:11:53.428 --> 00:11:56.532
  • No. well, we'll shorten the soundbite or
  • 00:11:56.532 --> 00:11:58.700
  • Or clip it together so he we leave out the m's and
  • 00:11:58.700 --> 00:12:02.337
  • The ums and i's and and the long stutters or whatever.
  • 00:12:02.337 --> 00:12:05.808
  • So i think people just want to get on board so they do better.
  • 00:12:05.808 --> 00:12:10.679
  • They get the bigger paycheck, the better job.
  • 00:12:10.679 --> 00:12:14.283
  • The the bigger question, though is who are the people
  • 00:12:15.350 --> 00:12:17.953
  • That are running these outfits and what are their interests?
  • 00:12:17.953 --> 00:12:22.191
  • They're certainly not making profits like they used to.
  • 00:12:22.191 --> 00:12:25.561
  • So they're funded by millionaires and billionaires
  • 00:12:25.561 --> 00:12:29.531
  • Or a consortium of wealthy people.
  • 00:12:29.531 --> 00:12:32.568
  • And their motivations, i don't know.
  • 00:12:32.568 --> 00:12:34.937
  • I haven't delved that much into it.
  • 00:12:34.937 --> 00:12:38.040
  • But the bottom line is
  • 00:12:38.507 --> 00:12:40.142
  • They are losing viewers or readers, as i've said.
  • 00:12:40.142 --> 00:12:43.745
  • And that has to be remedied if they want to stay
  • 00:12:43.745 --> 00:12:47.115
  • In business over the long term.
  • 00:12:47.115 --> 00:12:48.917
  • So there's got to be some bit of a course correction here.
  • 00:12:48.917 --> 00:12:52.821
  • But then again, a course correction will last
  • 00:12:52.821 --> 00:12:55.624
  • Only as long as, an effective trump presidency.
  • 00:12:55.624 --> 00:12:59.394
  • If world events or natural disasters or pandemics were,
  • 00:12:59.394 --> 00:13:05.400
  • Intervened during his presidency
  • 00:13:06.034 --> 00:13:08.270
  • And create unpredictable phenomenon
  • 00:13:08.270 --> 00:13:11.206
  • Which he cannot handle or does not handle well,
  • 00:13:11.206 --> 00:13:14.243
  • The long knives will come out for him for sure.
  • 00:13:14.243 --> 00:13:17.512
  • And,
  • 00:13:17.713 --> 00:13:20.983
  • So i, you know, the presidency and the media coverage of it
  • 00:13:20.983 --> 00:13:25.053
  • Oftentimes depends on events
  • 00:13:25.053 --> 00:13:27.089
  • Which the president cannot control.
  • 00:13:27.089 --> 00:13:28.991
  • It's not what his agenda is.
  • 00:13:28.991 --> 00:13:30.893
  • It's what the world throws at him.
  • 00:13:30.893 --> 00:13:33.028
  • So we'll see.
  • 00:13:33.028 --> 00:13:34.263
  • Yeah.
  • 00:13:34.263 --> 00:13:35.464
  • Well, it seems to me it's also dependent upon free speech.
  • 00:13:35.464 --> 00:13:38.066
  • You know, if we have if censorship
  • 00:13:38.066 --> 00:13:40.435
  • Were to continue to grow so that we really only have
  • 00:13:40.435 --> 00:13:44.873
  • A unity party perspective that's delivered to us,
  • 00:13:44.873 --> 00:13:48.377
  • We all suffer from that.
  • 00:13:48.377 --> 00:13:49.811
  • So all of us,
  • 00:13:49.811 --> 00:13:50.712
  • I think, should be looking for
  • 00:13:50.712 --> 00:13:52.080
  • The freedom to express our opinions,
  • 00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:54.149
  • Whether we agree with them or not.
  • 00:13:54.149 --> 00:13:56.151
  • Am i right in that or.
  • 00:13:56.151 --> 00:13:57.386
  • I think you're you're absolutely right.
  • 00:13:57.386 --> 00:13:59.121
  • You have to be able to, express your opinion in this country.
  • 00:13:59.121 --> 00:14:02.958
  • And it was really threatened, i think, in the biden
  • 00:14:02.958 --> 00:14:05.327
  • Administration, we saw this nexus of big tech
  • 00:14:05.327 --> 00:14:09.364
  • And big government working together
  • 00:14:09.364 --> 00:14:11.099
  • To suppress people's voices. it's unbelievable.
  • 00:14:11.099 --> 00:14:14.002
  • I don't think the full story has yet been told,
  • 00:14:14.002 --> 00:14:15.837
  • And i'm hoping it is told during the, the trump presidency.
  • 00:14:15.837 --> 00:14:20.509
  • We can thank elon musk.
  • 00:14:21.009 --> 00:14:22.277
  • I think his greatest, his greatest benefit
  • 00:14:22.277 --> 00:14:24.947
  • To americans and to mankind was his purchase of twitter.
  • 00:14:24.947 --> 00:14:29.685
  • Because he we learned just how extensive this,
  • 00:14:29.685 --> 00:14:33.689
  • This nexus of, of silencing
  • 00:14:33.689 --> 00:14:38.660
  • Voices was by big government and big tech,
  • 00:14:38.660 --> 00:14:41.964
  • With artificial intelligence coming down the pike.
  • 00:14:41.964 --> 00:14:44.433
  • And again, the elon is very much involved in this and,
  • 00:14:44.433 --> 00:14:48.136
  • You know, and creating an open source
  • 00:14:48.136 --> 00:14:51.206
  • Kind of artificial intelligence, there's hope for that.
  • 00:14:51.206 --> 00:14:54.509
  • But if it's in the wrong hands, we're in deep trouble.
  • 00:14:54.509 --> 00:14:57.679
  • The first amendment is fundamental to what
  • 00:14:57.679 --> 00:15:01.083
  • The united states is.
  • 00:15:01.083 --> 00:15:01.917
  • It's fundamental
  • 00:15:01.917 --> 00:15:03.185
  • To what christianity represents is truth, which is the truth.
  • 00:15:03.185 --> 00:15:06.455
  • We're all we're all in search of truth.
  • 00:15:06.455 --> 00:15:09.458
  • And you can't find it unless you hear all perspectives
  • 00:15:09.458 --> 00:15:12.794
  • And find the guiding road.
  • 00:15:12.794 --> 00:15:15.130
  • But but i think
  • 00:15:15.130 --> 00:15:16.665
  • I think what happened during the biden administration
  • 00:15:16.665 --> 00:15:18.867
  • With the suppression of free speech is, is an outrage.
  • 00:15:18.867 --> 00:15:22.571
  • Truly an outrage.
  • 00:15:22.571 --> 00:15:23.739
  • And and i think it's largely been corrected.
  • 00:15:23.739 --> 00:15:27.642
  • Trump is is very sensitive to criticism, as we know.
  • 00:15:27.642 --> 00:15:31.513
  • And whether he tries to do this from the opposite
  • 00:15:31.513 --> 00:15:34.116
  • Political perspective, as biden did from the left.
  • 00:15:34.116 --> 00:15:37.185
  • I hope trump does not do from the right,
  • 00:15:37.185 --> 00:15:39.354
  • But i think
  • 00:15:39.354 --> 00:15:40.455
  • I think he's aware of the damage it caused to the biden
  • 00:15:40.455 --> 00:15:43.091
  • Administration and won't embark down that path.
  • 00:15:43.091 --> 00:15:45.994
  • Let me ask one question real quickly.
  • 00:15:46.728 --> 00:15:48.497
  • You've
  • 00:15:48.497 --> 00:15:49.031
  • You've alluded already
  • 00:15:49.031 --> 00:15:50.265
  • To kind of the chaos as a way of opposing trump.
  • 00:15:50.265 --> 00:15:53.068
  • You got a lot of experience.
  • 00:15:53.068 --> 00:15:54.336
  • Do you have any predictions for the new year?
  • 00:15:54.336 --> 00:15:58.974
  • Predictions for that.
  • 00:15:59.474 --> 00:16:00.375
  • I'm going to put on about ten more pounds.
  • 00:16:00.375 --> 00:16:01.977
  • I think.
  • 00:16:01.977 --> 00:16:03.612
  • Well, i guess you can have mine too.
  • 00:16:03.612 --> 00:16:05.480
  • That that's the prediction.
  • 00:16:05.480 --> 00:16:07.416
  • Thanks for coming to visit us, doug.
  • 00:16:07.416 --> 00:16:09.618
  • I hope you come back in the new year.
  • 00:16:09.618 --> 00:16:10.919
  • Okay. thank you. really appreciate it.
  • 00:16:10.919 --> 00:16:13.555
  • In a moment, a word of hope as we start our new year.
  • 00:16:13.555 --> 00:16:17.292
  • I'll be right back.
  • 00:16:17.292 --> 00:16:22.999
  • I'll be right back.
  • 00:16:22.999 --> 00:16:25.002
  • President jimmy carter has been honored
  • 00:16:25.869 --> 00:16:27.771
  • Around the world
  • 00:16:27.771 --> 00:16:28.939
  • For the life that he led and for the person that he was.
  • 00:16:28.939 --> 00:16:31.575
  • You know, he reminds us of a
  • 00:16:32.176 --> 00:16:33.277
  • Perhaps a kinder and gentler time in our own history.
  • 00:16:33.277 --> 00:16:37.114
  • My question to you today is, what kind of legacy
  • 00:16:37.114 --> 00:16:40.484
  • Are you going to leave behind?
  • 00:16:40.484 --> 00:16:42.619
  • Well, i want to encourage you to think about that in terms
  • 00:16:42.619 --> 00:16:44.621
  • More than a financial heritage
  • 00:16:44.621 --> 00:16:46.356
  • For your children or your grandchildren,
  • 00:16:46.356 --> 00:16:48.525
  • But to think of your life in terms of biblical perspectives.
  • 00:16:48.525 --> 00:16:51.562
  • One of the ways you can do
  • 00:16:51.562 --> 00:16:52.529
  • That is your favorite heroes from the bible.
  • 00:16:52.529 --> 00:16:54.565
  • You can pick your own.
  • 00:16:54.565 --> 00:16:55.466
  • You don't need me to define them to you.
  • 00:16:55.466 --> 00:16:57.801
  • I would submit to you that we need the wisdom of god's
  • 00:16:57.801 --> 00:17:01.405
  • People, illustrated in every generation,
  • 00:17:01.405 --> 00:17:04.441
  • In order to face the challenges that we have.
  • 00:17:04.441 --> 00:17:07.377
  • We can celebrate king david and who he was, or daniel,
  • 00:17:07.377 --> 00:17:10.747
  • And how he stood in the face of some rather oppressive regimes.
  • 00:17:10.747 --> 00:17:14.284
  • Or esther and her willingness to stand up for the jewish
  • 00:17:14.284 --> 00:17:16.820
  • People when anti-semitism seemed to hold all the power.
  • 00:17:16.820 --> 00:17:21.058
  • But the real issue is that
  • 00:17:21.058 --> 00:17:22.693
  • You and i have the courage to take a biblical worldview
  • 00:17:22.693 --> 00:17:25.929
  • And live it out in the 21st century.
  • 00:17:25.929 --> 00:17:29.032
  • That's my prayer for myself, and that's my prayer
  • 00:17:29.032 --> 00:17:31.368
  • For you, that we will learn from our heroes
  • 00:17:31.368 --> 00:17:34.571
  • And then have the courage to turn our faces to our culture
  • 00:17:34.571 --> 00:17:37.541
  • And be people of faith.
  • 00:17:37.541 --> 00:17:39.076
  • Psalm 71 two, verses 17 and 18 says,
  • 00:17:39.076 --> 00:17:42.446
  • Since my youth, god, you have taught me,
  • 00:17:42.446 --> 00:17:44.781
  • And to this day i declare your marvelous deeds.
  • 00:17:44.781 --> 00:17:47.718
  • Even when i'm old and gray, do not forsake me,
  • 00:17:47.718 --> 00:17:50.888
  • My god, till i declare your power to the next
  • 00:17:50.888 --> 00:17:53.557
  • Generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.
  • 00:17:53.557 --> 00:17:56.693
  • Perhaps our legacy can be telling
  • 00:17:57.394 --> 00:18:00.564
  • Those generations who are coming behind us.
  • 00:18:00.564 --> 00:18:02.666
  • And that's not about being old.
  • 00:18:02.666 --> 00:18:04.434
  • Whatever age you are,
  • 00:18:04.434 --> 00:18:05.702
  • There are people who look to you for your influence.
  • 00:18:05.702 --> 00:18:07.971
  • Let's decide in this year
  • 00:18:07.971 --> 00:18:10.073
  • To be men and women who use our voice,
  • 00:18:10.073 --> 00:18:12.176
  • Our influence, as advocates for a biblical worldview.
  • 00:18:12.176 --> 00:18:16.280
  • I believe if we'll do that,
  • 00:18:16.280 --> 00:18:17.915
  • It gives us far more reasons for hope than despair.
  • 00:18:17.915 --> 00:18:21.652
  • Well, i'll be back with your emails just a moment.
  • 00:18:21.652 --> 00:18:29.994
  • Well, i'll be back with your emails just a moment.
  • 00:18:29.994 --> 00:18:31.728
  • Thank you for taking the time to send your thoughts with us.
  • 00:18:32.896 --> 00:18:36.266
  • Your emails and perspectives.
  • 00:18:36.266 --> 00:18:38.101
  • They make a big difference.
  • 00:18:38.101 --> 00:18:39.670
  • Surely be wrote with democrats threatening to boycott
  • 00:18:39.670 --> 00:18:42.573
  • The swearing in of trump on the 20th of january.
  • 00:18:42.573 --> 00:18:45.275
  • It seems to me that they are declaring to keep the nation
  • 00:18:45.275 --> 00:18:48.712
  • Divided, instead of
  • 00:18:48.712 --> 00:18:49.780
  • Being a part of helping to heal our united states.
  • 00:18:49.780 --> 00:18:52.950
  • Well, surely it seems to me we have seen this drama before.
  • 00:18:52.950 --> 00:18:56.453
  • When mr.
  • 00:18:56.720 --> 00:18:57.521
  • Trump was elected the first time,
  • 00:18:57.521 --> 00:18:58.488
  • There was a great deal of noise about not
  • 00:18:58.488 --> 00:19:00.290
  • Supporting his election, that it wasn't legitimate.
  • 00:19:00.290 --> 00:19:03.193
  • If we remember
  • 00:19:03.193 --> 00:19:04.261
  • What followed, that it was four years of the media
  • 00:19:04.261 --> 00:19:07.464
  • Stirring up what we now know to be mostly fictitious
  • 00:19:07.464 --> 00:19:10.601
  • Chaos, trying to oppose whatever mr.
  • 00:19:10.601 --> 00:19:13.737
  • Trump wanted to do by the confusion they could create.
  • 00:19:13.737 --> 00:19:17.074
  • I think they're not only going to do their best
  • 00:19:17.074 --> 00:19:18.976
  • To avoid the inauguration and the swearing in,
  • 00:19:18.976 --> 00:19:22.679
  • They're going to do their best to create more chaos.
  • 00:19:22.679 --> 00:19:25.048
  • This time, i hope we're better consumers
  • 00:19:25.048 --> 00:19:27.851
  • And we will choose the truth and walk through the confusion.
  • 00:19:27.851 --> 00:19:31.855
  • Quickly, ronald emailed, the first time i saw
  • 00:19:31.855 --> 00:19:34.091
  • And heard you was on kirk cameron's takeaways.
  • 00:19:34.091 --> 00:19:36.660
  • I knew you were somewhat i could trust with god's truth.
  • 00:19:36.660 --> 00:19:39.563
  • So i search my dish program guide to find you what i did.
  • 00:19:39.563 --> 00:19:42.299
  • I flagged alan jackson
  • 00:19:42.299 --> 00:19:43.533
  • Ministries and alan jackson, now with record series.
  • 00:19:43.533 --> 00:19:48.005
  • Well, ronald, i like the way you think
  • 00:19:48.005 --> 00:19:49.506
  • And i hope everybody is listening.
  • 00:19:49.506 --> 00:19:51.475
  • We'll make those same decisions and record the programs.
  • 00:19:51.475 --> 00:19:54.845
  • That way if you miss them,
  • 00:19:54.845 --> 00:19:55.946
  • You can still keep up with what's happening.
  • 00:19:55.946 --> 00:19:58.415
  • Make sure you send
  • 00:19:58.849 --> 00:19:59.883
  • Your emails to comments at alan jackson now.com.
  • 00:19:59.883 --> 00:20:03.387
  • From all of us here in nashville.
  • 00:20:03.387 --> 00:20:05.055
  • Thank you for joining us tonight.
  • 00:20:05.055 --> 00:20:06.657
  • And have a wonderful evening.
  • 00:20:06.657 --> 00:20:06.657