| | Published September 17, 2008
| The Making of the President 2008 SMC's C.L.A.M. Hosts Author Richard Reeves
| | By Andrea A. Firth |  | | Richard Reeves Photo Patricia Williams |
"If ten years ago, you had told someone that the race for the Democratic nomination and subsequent Presidential election would involve a black man and two white women, people would have thought you were nuts," states Richard Reeves, long-time political correspondent and syndicated columnist. Reeves will bring this straight-forward style to his upcoming presentation-The Making of the President 2008-at Saint Mary's College (SMC) on October 8th.
"I will try to describe what has, is, and will happen in this election, and put it in the context of what it will mean to the next presidency," states Reeves. "This is among the most historic of American presidential elections...But presidencies have a history of being quite different than campaigns," he adds. The author of a trilogy of presidential portraits, which chronicle the White House years of John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Regan, Reeves is currently a senior Lecturer at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California.
"I think there are a lot of fallacies of what people think about the presidency," explains Reeves. He points out that in recent history very smart presidents, like Herbert Hoover, have tended to fail, and some of the less intelligent men who have held the office have had some success. "It's not about IQ. It's a matter of judgment, and judgment is a gamble. No one knows how people are going to respond to situations that no one anticipates."
While he notes that 85% of Americans will vote along party lines based on factors such as family history, race, and religion, no matter what happens. Reeves will take the opportunity to apply his perspective as a presidential historian to identify what makes a great president. "The job of president isn't running the country," states Reeves. "It's leading the nation into situations that haven't been anticipated."
Reeves commentary on the 2008 presidential election is part of SMC's Committee for Lectures, Art, and Music (C.L.A.M.) Fall programs. C.L.A.M. will kick off the 2008-2009 season with a performance by the Robert Moses' Kin Dance Company on September 21st. A Musical Celebration for Christmas featuring the San Francisco Choral Artists and including the always popular bell ringers of the Megan Solomon and Sonos Handbell Quartet will be held on December 6th in the SMC Chapel.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA