Doris Kearns Goodwin: What we can learn from past presidents

[royals1985brett]

What are all these negative comments doing after such a goosebump raising story. My god, you internet trolls are all cynics. im a history major, but it seems to me most of us liberal arts majors tend to be cynics. Sure, Lincoln might have had some prejudices, Johnson too. I DO TOO and I AM A LIBERAL. But at the heart of it, all of us humans want to do the right thing. Were all looking to do whats right in our mind. Even Hitler. Jesus believe in the human spirit, cuz theres nothing else mo hopefu

[royals1985brett]

Lincoln's character always gives me goosebumps

[sdhscrosscountry]

I enjoy the information on Abraham Lincoln . He is very interesting, his early life, and his adult life. There is something I disagree about Lyndon Johnson .. I feel he was not the President the country thought he was . I feel that his drive to the White House and the Vietnam War.. was a result to the death of John Kennedy.

[infinitehumanstupid]

Stories is what she tells... I've listened lectures on A. Lincoln, and he was gloomy as hell all his life. Also his morality was perhaps good back then, but on today's standards he was an utter racist.

It is a human tendency to make history into golden tales... some of these TED talks are really annoying, some are awesome.

[RunLiberty]

Court historian for the state? ouch

Ron Paul 2012

[jmad627]

she's a plagerist.

[huckstered]

I have jeard the same thing lately,

I also heard this about MLK.

[huckstered]

That's plagiarist, by the way.

[magicznawiertara]

"Better to have him inside the tent pissing out, than outside pissing in" ;)

[ShalomFreedman]

This is a true gem, certainly one of the finest of the TED TALKS. Doris Kearns Goodwin shows a real understanding of human character and reality. She tells her stories wonderfully. She displays an intelligence and humor which are great indeed.

[Thinking4You]

another one of the best is the one by ken robinson... :)

[residentzombie]

@ShalomFreedman Doris K Goodwins suffers from libido dominandi. She is a court historians that worships government authoritarians that don't take serious civil liberties and freedom. Doris worships murdering, lying, conniving, unmoral, and thieving people that call themselves politicians and refuses individuals to have any personnal liberty if her god politicians don't want you to have freedom. She is a doublespeaking, statist, totalitarian pig that is a cancer on humanity.

[GirlyNation]

A nation that looks to leadership from women is a nation in decline.

[Adaratalaya]

Why do you say that?

[supernautistaken]

i really like these

[themrlownote]

Doris...you are so Fine...plain,period.

Thankyou.

Mr.Low Note

[prenduzal]

I interviewed her once, thirty years ago, about a long-forgotten controversy over a book manuscript. She was smart and graceful then and has only improved with age.

[Cannibalzz]

do you think she listens to Slipknot

[baire702]

I just love to listen to Doris! her upbeat way of delivering a story, actually lifts my spirits.

[LadyLyn8654]

She was great on Leno.

[aquacave]

...why do people still pay any attention to this plagiarist...?

[africanchina1]

Abraham Lincoln was great.. but Napoleon, Alexander the Great and frederick were by far greater..

[asmodeus585]

It depends on what's really important to you. They were maybe better generals, but I wouldn't they were the kind of folk that most people could get on well with.

[rickbruner]

Far greater at motivating small minds toward the more base end of conquest and imperialism. Lincoln motivated his fellow men toward the higher principles within them. He is by far the greater man.

[africanchina1]

u probably say that because ur American hahaha.... Lincoln is nobody next to Napoleon. Napoleon defended the french revolution giving rights to millions, Napoleon rose from poverty to creating hiw own empire, Napoleon was a great leader simply brilliant. According to Goethe, Napoleon is the most brilliant mind the world has ever seen. And about alexander THE GREAT? well he was called THE GREAT for a reason. He beat the persian empire, 50 times bigger than macedonia

[africanchina1]

both napoleon and alexander achieved the impossible, without them the WORLD would be a different place, Licoln just changed america. If it wasn't for Alexander, probably Europe wouldn't have become great, and thus, neither America. All the world powers would be in Central Asia or something like that! By the way, u can thank Napoleon for the Louisiana Purchase, the best bargain in history (google that). I'm not saying licoln was not great, but trust me, there has been by FAR greater men

[rickbruner]

Trust you? Are you selling me a used car? You obviously don't see any difference between a man's charismatic talent for conquest and a higher moral calling when it comes to great leadership.

[rickbruner]

I assume you are probably French. By your definition, Adolph Hitler was arguably greater than all these men. He mobilized a nation out of poverty in a few years and would have conquered Europe and most of Asia (including the British and Russian Empires) had it not been for the United States. Except for Mr. Churchill, your entire continent was paralyzed in utter complacency and cowardice.

[africanchina1]

No! im not french!! and i dont admire Hitler. Hitler destroyed the Law, napoleon was a lawgiver. Hitler appealed to hatred, Napoleon appealed to honor, Napoleon embodied the hopes of sane and noble minds, Hitler began and ended his carreer surrounded by psychos. Napoleon left positive achievements behind him, Hitler destroyed Europe. The french revolution that Napoleon defended so much changed completely the world. Without him the rev. would have failed and with her the hopes of millions

[rickbruner]

Napoleon was just a step up from Lenin and Stalin. He staged a glorious socialist revolution, then usurped unilateral, militaristic power with no checks and balances and went on an Imperialism spree just like Hitler. No, he was not as overtly "evil" as Hitler, but he was no Lincoln. He did not have the kind of inner moral battles Lincoln had. He was predictably power hungry. He only "gave law" after he had power and control as an Emporer.

[africanchina1]

well! first of all, in theory socialism is not a bad thing! look at the scandinavian coutnries! Napoleon was not socialist! he believed in equality of opportunities. For example, he made the legion of honor to help talented people rise. Napoleon didn't kill millions like Stalin, he just made war. I know that with most people the image of Napoleon is bad. He was hated for being a rebel, i strongly suggest u read more about him, u might get surprised!

[africanchina1]

by the way, american's can't talk about imperialism. they are the most imperialistic country today! i'm sorry but it's the truth, just read any history book the USA with an open mind. Research about the things the CIA has done. America and its corporations are the true empire (at least in our time), a clandestine empire! Americans think their people are the center of the universe and that they are the best of the best (ethnocentrism). There have been better and more powerful empires in the past!

[africanchina1]

Americans think they are more important than anybody else. They have been the bullies of the world many times. Somehow they think American lives are more worthy than others. If americans would really think other countries are equally worthy or important there wouldn't be so much inequality in the world! If americans were so great they would have done a lot more to try to end poverty in Africa. They are the ones that can help the most :S By the way, I'm not anti-american, i'm just being realistic

[africanchina1]

Napoleon DEFENDED the revolution and france because everybody was against them (Napoleonic wars were most defensive wars), he wanted to unite the whole europe into one! He made an empire to spread the ideals, the CODE napoleon is the code in many countries today (even in some states of the USA) Napoleon was not a saint, but he was TOO great. By the way, the United States didn't save Europe, it was the USSR who saved europe (no, im not communist). The americans came LATE!

[rickbruner]

Had the Americans not come when they did (i.e. not waited until the provocation of Pearl Harbor), the USA would have been torn apart by dissent. People like you would have raged that we were sticking our nose where it doesn't belong (i.e. "bullying" Hitler).

[rickbruner]

Look at the dissent regarding Iraq. Multiply the number of dead Americans by 100 times and you have WWII. In light of this, all the left wing conspiracy theorists would have been bombing the White House in opposition to an unprovoked entrance into the war.

[rickbruner]

One thing I agree with you on is that the Napoleonic Code was a revolutionary document toward social progress. I disagree that Napoleon was a man of the people. He was "for the people", but he did not really believe in democracy. He believed the people needed to be led by a strong ruler. Thus, according to my standards of greatness, he does not have the visionary genius of men like Asoka, Christ, George Washington, John Adams, and Lincoln - to name a few.

[Orgasmic45]

MR CLEMENTS!

[authorjeff77]

its Milton Erickson not eric.

[DocFarnoff]

No. I think she meant Erik Erickson the psychologist; not Milton Erickson the psychiatrist.

[specialks1953]

What a great story teller: Doris Kearns Goodwin. I know nothing else about her, not her political views, not her history, nothing other than what I watched here and now. What a great story teller: Doris Kearns Goodwin

[popitypop]

im sure 100 yrs down the road no1 will be toking about george bush in the same light lol..

[Philosophickle]

Goodwin is a proven liar and a fraud. I would have thought TEDs would have done a cursory background check before allowing these people to speak at their conference.

[lifelikedan]

Outstanding!!!!! I remember her story well from Ken Burns "Baseball"

[harryogre]

I didn't expect to like this. Also, I didn't look forward to hearing anything positive about LBJ.

She has a monotone deadpan delivery that is blindingly boring.

That said, I did enjoy listening to her and her stories. Even the LBJ ones.

I was quite surprised at how entertaining she was.

Five Stars.

[damo2353]

Interesting, I was much more interested in LBJ's history than that of Lincoln's. LBJ's is an amazing political story, he was a great politician and in some ways a great man. Vietnam got in the way of a great presidency imo.

[thedailyenglishshow]

I like the expression "blindingly boring" ... but I actually found her delivery quite engaging for some reason.

[MEDEN80]

writing mistake on the previous comment. please revove.

Thak you.

[MEDEN80]

cecnuel,

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You can find music, title and performer, upper right ( "more info").

[787Bisurdaddy]

Lincoln may have been a good person with good intentions, but he was a terrible president. Most of the criticism lobbied at Bush today could be said about Lincoln in his time. I think Lincoln gets far more credit than he ever deserved.

He basically shat all over the Constitution and the rights of Americans just like Bush is doing, and some people who actually lived under his presidency called him a dictator.

[DanHipp]

It's true, but he was better than his waffling alternative, who spoke in favor of slavery and would have opened up the western territories to slavery to a large greater extent than Lincoln did. Lincoln was a brilliant man, who said and did some very questionable things. Our current president is clearly not brilliant and has allowed torture of prisoners. Lincoln was responding to secessionists, while our president constructed false and fallacious arguments to get us in to war. Different guys

[787Bisurdaddy]

I think you and I have different opinions of "better".

Lincoln was morally opposed to slavery, but not economically. And his grand solution to end slavery was to deport the slaves back to their own country.

The Constitution clearly explains the right of the people to govern themselves, and reject their government when it no longer serves their interest, which is exactly what the Confederacy was trying to do. Lincoln pissed on the very ideals upon which our country was founded.

[787Bisurdaddy]

I judge a president's value by ability to uphold the Constitution. Lincoln imprisoned thousands of northern dissenters, spied on northern citizens, shut down hundreds of opposition newspapers, suspended habeas corpus, confiscated firearms, censored telegraph communication, and waged war on his own country.

[787Bisurdaddy]

That the Civil War was solely about slavery is the biggest myth history has ever perpetrated. Funny that none of the other Western nations that abolished slavery in the 19th century had to resort to violence. The myth also ignores the fact that there were already southern plans to end slavery.

I believe it was probably one of the most poorly handled events in US history. Thomas DiLorenzo has a great article about it called "How the West (Except for the U.S.) Ended Slavery".

[lordtalon69]

I suppose i am confused. You say lincoln went against the constitution by not allowing the confederacy to succeed because it no longer suited them. If that succession was based on wanting to uphold slavery then didn't that very constitution go against what the confederates wanted. Did it not state all men had the right to life, liberty and the persuit of happiness? I mean thats like me convincing 20 states to succeed and overthrow the government because we believe weed should be legal.

[787Bisurdaddy]

The word is secede, not succeed.

Secession was not based upon upholding slavery. The South benefited from slavery much more than the North because the climate and soil were better for agriculture in the South. But there were already Southern plans for the abolition of slavery before the Civil War which didn't involve violence.

[787Bisurdaddy]

Lincoln did not free any slaves in the North, and his grand solution was deport them back where they came from. He stated those constitutional rights only applied to slaves "on their own land", ie Africa.

He also stated, before the war, that the Constitution prohibited the federal government from abolishing slavery in states where it already existed. The Civil War was solely an exercise in the federal government usurping the Constitution and asserting power over the states.

[asmodeus585]

Yep, but if Lincoln woudn't do what he did, you woudn't have present glory USA, Hollywood, Great Army, American culture conquering the world, etc.

And sometimes people behave diffenrently than it is typical for them - it depends on circumstances - you may be a great mathematician, but if there's an exam at school and you don't feel good - you may even not pass it. It is sad, but so true. I don't suggest that was the case, but sometimes people make mistakes, even againt their soul, face it.

[787Bisurdaddy]

"Yep, but if Lincoln woudn't do what he did, you woudn't have present glory USA, Hollywood, Great Army, American culture conquering the world, etc."

In other words, it would be a much better place.

"but sometimes people make mistakes, even againt their soul, face it."

I don't know what a "soul" has to do with anything, but I never said that people don't make mistakes. But the fact that someone mistakenly did something in no way excuses them from their actions (example: accidental homicide).

[asmodeus585]

In other words, it would be a much better place' - what did you mean by that?

As to Lincoln I just don't like people who are always seeking for a bad qualities in the successful people, instead of concentrating of what good they did. Alexander the Great killed many people by himself and much more had to die because of his ambition yet he took his place in history, most people admire him and he remains immortal to our days.

[787Bisurdaddy]

"what did you mean by that?"

I meant that we'd have free-market commerce, currency backed by tangible value, smaller government, and more personal liberty, as America was designed.

"his ambition yet he took his place in history, most people admire him and he remains immortal to our days."

Suffice it to say, the culture had changed drastically between the times of Alexander and Lincoln.

I can't see how any value can come out of ignoring negatives when it comes to historical accounts.

[asmodeus585]

She talked about Lincoln not as a particular historical person that changed the USA, but as an individual with their own struggle and attitude to life. I like Lincoln as I think I would like him as my friend as far as I know him from the stories like those in video. Politics is totally another dimension than a private life. Anyway I'm not sure that you'd have a more free America if it wasn't because of Lincoln. In he'd live now he wouldn't support the FED witho no doubt.

[787Bisurdaddy]

But his march towards big government ushered in the power to control the states in such a manner, which allows things like the Fed to exist. Lincoln's Civil War sent a clear message that the federal government held more power than the States. His successors simply continued with the idea.

I'm not so sure I can separate politics and personal life when the political ramifications are so far-reaching. Perhaps if Lincoln could see the result of his actions, he would have done things differently.

[popitypop]

asmodeus.. ur use of the word 'than' is extremely wrong.. ur sentence structure thus do not fulfil the purpose u want it to.. plz replace the word 'than' in ur sentences with the word 'from'..

[asmodeus585]

Oh, and I forgot: You cannot edit your posts on youtube. If it were possible, I'd maybe do that. Anyway, it doesn't add anything to our discussion. Focus on content.

[popitypop]

i never implied that it would.. and anw there can be various points of contention in a discussion, especially since youtube never restricted commenting to comments on the video.. so there isnt a definite need to focus on ur supposed 'content'..

[lordtalon69]

Excellent story, great talk. The art of storytelling is a lost art indeed. Not only to the storyteller but moreso to those willing to listen. As i read the comments on this video so far [6 of them], 2 indicate a yawn, and 1 indicates he was bored because there was no affair.

I fear for what the world will be like in 30 years. No respect, no decency, no storytelling, nothing at all that matters. Just more things to consume, bad attitudes, and greed.

Wonderful video, keep it up TED.

[DanHipp]

They probably said the same thing 30 years ago. Storytelling isn't going anywhere, it is just changing format. Videogames are the future of storytelling. And while talks like this are pleasurable reversions to the past, everyone has to understand that the basic aspects of storytelling are present in a wide range of variegated and pleasurable formats today.

[stephenetienne]

I am as positively impressed with her knowledge and intelligence as with her emotional balance. She repeats some crude, yet sage jokes and also relates some very sad stories, yet exhibited exemplary equaniminity. What a neat lady!

[recognizetrill]

boooring

[monkcycle]

delightful, intriguing and modestly well told...

[ubuibiok]

*****