Doris Kearns Goodwin To Stephen Colbert: What Obama Needs To Do Next (VIDEO)

Doris Kearns Goodwin, biographer, historian and the Pulitzer Prize winning author of "No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt," said to Stephen Colbert last night about President Obama, "I think he's got to smell more."

"Really?" Colbert said. "He's too sterile?"

"I think we need to see him sweating," Goodwin continued. "There's a certain thing ... What Truman was, was a fighter. You want the guy fighting. When you fight, you may have a little sweat, you may have a little smell. That would be good for him right now," Goodwin explained.

The conversation sprouted when Colbert asked Goodwin: "Anywhere in American history, has there been this kind of sweep of anger that changes the Congress?"

Goodwin explained that in 1946, as the country became displeased with President Harry Truman, the Democrats lost more seats in Congress than in this year's mid-term elections.

"But Harry was then freed to be himself," she said. "He became 'Give 'Em Hell Harry' and they eventually loved him."

WATCH:

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Doris Kearns Goodwin
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election March to Keep Fear Alive

Comments

[darkmark]

02:02 PM on 11/07/2010

goodwin is infectious. the usofa would be a different place if the people we had to listen to all the time had this kind of attitude. colbert responded differently to goodwin then he does to most of his guests. sanity is infectious. we all need to be infected by it.

[Lysteria Wilcox]

08:11 PM on 11/07/2010

What does she mean sweat, the brothers hair is almost white, because he is not acting a fool, the perception of some is that he is not working hard. Give me a break and grow up stop looking for actors and look at the deeds done. I remember it was said that folks voted to GW because they thought they could have a beer with him, well look at what that got us, 2 wars and a dying economy. It is also important to note that Truman would probably be a tea bagger, he used the "n" word on several public occasions. Check the archives!

[rjaxone]

12:44 AM on 11/06/2010

Doris Kearns Goodwin is such a breath of fresh air after been bombarded with all those talking heads on cable news... And she conveys more of what is important in 5 calm minutes than the THs do in a week of ranting and raving....

[NancyPeske]

06:46 PM on 11/04/2010

I love to watch Doris Kearns Goodwin--it's so helpful to hear a historian's perspective. That perspective always seems to be missing on the 24-hr. news channel, yet it's such an important one.

[RetributionNow]

03:38 AM on 11/05/2010

I agree completely, and Doris is so sharp and intelligent. Her memory is incredible! I also love how she get excitedly caught up in what she's talking about; remind me of one of my favorite history professors in college. :-)

[KalNJ]

10:33 AM on 11/05/2010

Hear, hear - Doris Kearns Goodwin sense of humor shines through as well as her love for history.