Talk of the Towns 8/12/16

Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Studio Engineer: Amy Browne

Program Topic: Statesman: George Mitchell and the Art of the Possible, new biography

Key Discussion Points:
What qualities led George Mitchell to be successful over the course of his career in the Senate and as a negotiator?
What intrigued you most about how Mitchell practiced “the art of the possible” in his Senate leadership and in his handling of the conflicts in Northern Ireland and in Palestine? (any brief stories to illustrate his skill as “statesman”)
What were some of the challenges in writing this book?
What came together particularly well for you as researcher and writer?
Earlier, we spoke of some of the elements in Maine and the larger society that fostered Senator Mitchell’s leadership… what has happened in Maine and the nation since, to produce such a backlash to the sort of leadership he offered?

Guest: Douglas Rooks, reporter, author of the book