This is thinking in public a program dedicated to intelligent conversation about

front-line theological and cultural issues with the people who are shaping

them.

I'm Albert Mola, your host and president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

in Louisville, Kentucky.

John Ward has chronicled the drama of American politics for two decades.

As a White House and National Affairs correspondent,

he has covered two presidential administrations

and also elections.

Currently, he is senior political correspondent for Yahoo News and is the host of the

long game podcast which looks at the value of key institutions in American culture

such as the political parties the media and the church He's the author of the book, Kambleot's End, Kennedy versus Carter,

and the fight that broke the Democratic Party.

The book was published earlier this year,

and Ward and his family live in Washington DC.

I'm pleased to welcome John Ward to thinking in public.

John, you're now senior political correspondent and the day-to-day headlines are very much your interest and Americans read your work eagerly.

But in this book, you go back to the 1980 race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

I want to look at big questions of history and meaning, but my first question is simply, as

young as you are, how did 1980 become enough of an interest that it ended up with this book?

Well, it's kind of an indirect answer to that and thank you for having me on.

It's a pleasure to be on.

...