In the end, Ted Kennedy was a politician, plain and simple. Yet he embodied how politics and public service can be successfully intertwined. You cant be a good public servant without being a good politician. Kennedy was both.
Chuck ToddThe Emoluments section shares with the Constitution. That`s not a law that Congress could change or the president could ignore.
Chuck ToddAt least on the domestic side of things that you`re seeing, [Mike] Pence has that influence big time. But when it comes with what political fights to have?
Chuck ToddWhen Dylann Roof walked into a black church, he wanted to start a race war. We didn't let him do that because we didn't cast him as a representative of the white race. We didn't give into his narrative. We did the exact opposite. And I think that we have to be careful not to give into the apocalyptic narrative of ISIS that wants to start a war between Muslims and everybody else.
Chuck ToddIn the 1990s, there was [Bill] Clinton derangement syndrome. Then, we had [George W.] Bush and [Barack] Obama derangement syndromes, back in the first 16 years of this century.And now, we might be seeing [Donald]Trump derangement syndrome? By that, we mean this. The feeling that no matter what the president does, the left or right or whoever is out of power, is alarmed, outraged and distraught and they`re going to let you know no matter what.
Chuck Todd