Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Join legendary journalist Cokie Roberts as she moderates a captivating 2005 Aspen Ideas Festival panel on what makes a great president. Featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr., former Senator Alan Simpson, and Cokie's husband, veteran journalist Steve Roberts, this insightful discussion explores presidential leadership through personal anecdotes, historical reflections, and candid assessments
Hear firsthand accounts of presidents from JFK (Cuban Missile Crisis mastery) to Reagan, Bush Sr., Clinton, Carter, LBJ, and more—including traits like courage, clarity, honesty, humor, bipartisanship, and character. The panel debates timeless questions: Is honesty always essential? Can a president succeed without a major crisis? Who ranks among the greatest—Lincoln, Washington, FDR?
Recorded at the prestigious Aspen Ideas Festival, this rare archival conversation offers wisdom on leadership, civility in politics, cross-party collaboration, and why humor matters in the Oval Office. Perfect for history buffs, political enthusiasts, students of the presidency, and anyone interested in what defines true greatness in American leadership.
Know Aspen. Watch GrassRoots.
GrassRoots programming is made possible by the producers' creativity itself, direct contributions from viewers, members of the Roaring Fork Valley community, and through grants from the Pitkin County Healthy Community Fund, The Town of Snowmass Village, the City of Aspen Community Non-Profit Grant Program, and The Aspen Thrift Shop.
Founded by citizens of Aspen, Colorado in 1972, GrassRoots TV is the first and oldest community operated and programmed open-source media center and television station in the United States. Virtually all of the programming is created by local residents, occasionally with world renown guests.
In partnership with the American Archive of Public Media and the Library of Congress, GrassRoots is currently cataloguing, restoring and digitally archiving 700 of the most at-risk original video programs out of its 45,000 title Community Video Archive.
Help sustain this community treasure by donating now! Go to:
bit.ly/GRTVContribute
Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE, HIT LIKE and leave a COMMENT to let us know if you enjoyed this video, it is important to us and the community for you to become part of the conversation. Thanks for tuning in!
Download the GrassRoots Community Network iOS and Android apps
Subscribe for more videos: bit.ly/2Ycpi4P
Facebook: facebook.com/GrassRootsCommunityNetwork
Twitter: twitter.com/grassrootstv
Web: grassrootstv.org
Join legendary journalist Cokie Roberts as she moderates a captivating 2005 Aspen Ideas Festival panel on what makes a great president. Featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr., former Senator Alan Simpson, and Cokie's husband, veteran journalist Steve Roberts, this insightful discussion explores presidential leadership through personal anecdotes, historical reflections, and candid assessments
Hear firsthand accounts of presidents from JFK (Cuban Missile Crisis mastery) to Reagan, Bush Sr., Clinton, Carter, LBJ, and more—including traits like courage, clarity, honesty, humor, bipartisanship, and character. The panel debates timeless questions: Is honesty always essential? Can a president succeed without a major crisis? Who ranks among the greatest—Lincoln, Washington, FDR?
Recorded at the prestigious Aspen Ideas Festival, this rare archival conversation offers wisdom on leadership, civility in politics, cross-party collaboration, and why humor matters in the Oval Office. Perfect for history buffs, political enthusiasts, students of the presidency, and anyone interested in what defines true greatness in American leadership.
Know Aspen. Watch GrassRoots.
GrassRoots programming is made possible by the producers' creativity itself, direct contributions from viewers, members of the Roaring Fork Valley community, and through grants from the Pitkin County Healthy Community Fund, The Town of Snowmass Village, the City of Aspen Community Non-Profit Grant Program, and The Aspen Thrift Shop.
Founded by citizens of Aspen, Colorado in 1972, GrassRoots TV is the first and oldest community operated and programmed open-source media center and television station in the United States. Virtually all of the programming is created by local residents, occasionally with world renown guests.
In partnership with the American Archive of Public Media and the Library of Congress, GrassRoots is currently cataloguing, restoring and digitally archiving 700 of the most at-risk original video programs out of its 45,000 title Community Video Archive.
Help sustain this community treasure by donating now! Go to:
bit.ly/GRTVContribute
Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE, HIT LIKE and leave a COMMENT to let us know if you enjoyed this video, it is important to us and the community for you to become part of the conversation. Thanks for tuning in!
Download the GrassRoots Community Network iOS and Android apps
Subscribe for more videos: bit.ly/2Ycpi4P
Facebook: facebook.com/GrassRootsCommunityNetwork
Twitter: twitter.com/grassrootstv
Web: grassrootstv.org
