Veteran PBS anchor Jim Lehrer speaks about politics

Jim Lehrer wanted “A Conversation with Jim Lehrer” to truly be a conversation — with only two conditions.

“I’m not a pundit, so I don’t give my opinion,” the veteran PBS NewsHour anchor said. “I also don’t take criticism well.”

Following the eruption of laughter, Lehrer launched into proving the latter statement with an anecdote.

He spoke of the editing process for his most recent book, “Tension City: Inside the Presidential Debates, from Kennedy-Nixon to Obama-McCain,” a reflection about his decades of moderating presidential debates, and his fight with the editor about the book title.

“I told him, ‘I called the book ‘Moderator,’ and that’s going to be the name of the book. Period,’” Lehrer said. “And then he asked me, ‘Jim, would you pick up a book called ‘Moderator’? and I said, ‘Hmph ... OK, I guess I’ll think about it.’”

His talk differed from the one he gave at an invitation-only lunch held earlier in the day, as it was rife with political and cultural references spanning decades. This difference was likely because students, who made up the majority of attendees at the lunch, were hardly present at the afternoon talk.   

The age of the average audience member was not lost on attendees such as Bloomington resident Ann Schepper.

“Many young people don’t even know who Jim Lehrer is,” she said.
After her friend gave her a confirming nod, Schepper continued, “I just wish more young people would get their news from PBS.”

Ryan Heeb, a political science student from DePauw University, who traveled to Bloomington for the event, said he chalks up the poor attendance by people his age to disinterest.

“I think people aren’t as interested in politics and Lehrer as they have been,” Heeb said. “They don’t get the importance of presidential politics like they should.”
Heeb also mentioned the influence of changes in news delivery.

“We get our news in passing, like just getting snapshots,” Heeb said. In snapshots and on Comedy Central.

During the lunch, Lehrer cited a poll that asked people who they believed to be the most credible source of news. Out of a list of veteran network and public broadcasting anchors, Lehrer and Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart tied for first.

When asked by a student how he felt about the rise in popularity of “comedic news shows,” Lehrer responded, “I don’t have a problem with them. Do you?”

He went on to say the only problem he does have is with the word “news.”

“My problem is people see that as a real news program,” Lehrer said, “I think they’re terrific, ya know, as comedy shows.”

Lehrer also addressed what he considers the increasingly large role of entertainment in primary debates, especially the style of the 2012 Republican primary debates.

“I hope people realize how wildly important this is,” Lehrer said. “This isn’t a game show with the hissing and the booing.”

He said he understands how the debate could become so tense.

“Everybody is in a state of tension,” he said. “The stakes are so high.”

At the end of the day, though, Lehrer said, the style and mere existence of primary debates have helped democratize the presidential nomination process.

“Up until 2008, much of the decision-making about who would be nominated for the presidency was decided by a couple of folks in New Hampshire, Iowa and South
Carolina,” Lehrer said. “But now it’s been nationalized for forever.”

That means the underlying friction that has always been present in debates will now be on a much bigger stage — which is why Heeb says people his age should start caring.

“(Our generation) doesn’t get the importance of presidential politics like they should,” Heeb said. “It’s our generation that will take over soon and lead, and we need to be ready.”

Lehrer said in order to be ready, it is critical to look at Mark Shields and David Brooks, columnists who discuss politics and deliver analysis, to see how the future of political news coverage should look.

“They have set a standard and proved without a doubt that you can disagree and do it in a civilized way as long as you decide to do it that way,” Lehrer said.