The Modern Presidency: David Frost Interviews Five American Presidents

"If the President does it, it is not illegal by definition." So saith Richard Nixon, one of five American Presidents interviewed by British talk show host David Frost in this five part penetrating look at the personalities of the men who have resided in the Oval Office during the last two decades. In this initial episode, which interviews four of the five presidents-of a five-part series, Frost zeroes in on "The Challenge of the Presidency." Excerpts from the Nixon-Frost interviews, which became TV journalism legend literally overnight, portray Nixon as a man without a clear sense of the boundaries of power. In his defense of the Huston Plan, which sanctioned wiretapping, burglaries, and the opening of mail belonging to antiwar protestors, Nixon becomes noticeably confused when Frost moves the discussion into the theoretical plane, and brings up the question of authorized assassinations. In the interviews with Ford, Carter, and Reagan, all conducted during 1987, Frost shifts the enquiry to a discussion of Irangate. In comparing the Iran-Contra affair with Watergate, Ford sees the latter as more damaging to the country, while Carter views the former as the greater evil. Both Ford and Carter are the strongest proponents of being honest with the populace, while Nixon and, to a lesser extent, Reagan, fudge the issue. This is a fascinating documentary, not only for the light that it sheds on the role of the American President in modern times, but also for the comparative insights one gleans from viewing the four men back to back. Ford and Reagan answer Frost's questions on a literal level, occasionally resorting to the simplest of metaphors, while Nixon and Carter use historical example and ethical constructs, respectively, to illustrate their points. A lively program, and one that is highly recommended. (See EXCELLENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR for availability.)