Madison Vs Trump On Presidential Powers

Dr. Joe Wolverton discusses the amazing relevance of James Madison’s writings to today’s events. Get Dr. Wolverton’s book on Madison here https://amzn.to/446Pa25

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TRANSCRIPT

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So I wanted to get maybe some key things that are happening today that you would say James Madison answers the question you know whether it's the President sending troops to Chicago or LA or Portland or some of the current event. What would you say is the relevance to current events that we can find in learning about Madison for your biography or when you know if someone asked you like they just did I just I just ended another show right before I jumped on with you and the guy asked me what my take on the immigration and what my take on the fentanyl boats and all this kind of stuff and it's so easy to sit here and hide behind the skirts of James Madison. I mean honestly, and I don't feel any I don't feel embarrassed because of that I'm like This is a great man, and I have no problem standing behind great men when it comes to anything there is authority in antiquity.

There is authority in your ability to quote the words of the great men of the past and it doesn't it comes across as being educated as opposed to being opinionated. Right if I say Madison James Madison wrote that sounds really persuasive if I say well, I think well who cares what I think. I mean really honestly it's like who cares that doesn't make any nobody cares, but if I say James Madison said everybody's like blink okay that guy has got legit juice. I want to listen to what Madison said so. So another thing I wanted to get into with this autobiography of Madison is its relevance today because too often people think well what if they maybe avoid history thinking that it has no relevance to them today, and I I just love how you've brought out things like Germania and you have Livy you know his history of Rome and and even Machiavelli's review of that history and and as you go through those to me I would say that those are just as relevant today as they were when they were written. It's almost like you're you're reading it from a different what's going on today from a different perspective.

So I wanted to get maybe some key things that are happening today that you would say James Madison answers the question, you know whether it's the President sending troops to Chicago or LA or Portland or some other current event. What would you say is the relevance to current events that we can find in learning about Madison through your biography? Yeah, I would say the biggest thing well two things I think if I if I sit here and ponder it for a second without just answering giving a tick-tock answer. I think the first thing is we've already discussed it the Helvetia Pacificus debate because they literally are on the topic of how much of how much authority the president has over war.

The execution of war, the blowing up of boats, how much authority does the president have to send in troops to Chicago or Memphis or whatever. How much is there and so if you and you can get that on you know, the Helvetia's Pacificus debate I would say that's the first thing and the second thing I would say is and this is gonna sound odd but just follow along with me here. It's kind of maybe a bit torturous, but if you follow along it'll make sense. So after the Constitution was ratified it wasn't at all clear that Madison was going to be elected to Congress from his own district because one of his friends was actually running James Monroe and so now James Monroe's a couple years younger than Madison, but he was running against Madison and so Madison's friends send him notes, you know letters and we have the letters and they send him letters saying hey you're being opposed over here in Orange County, Virginia by Mr. Monroe. What are you gonna do? And he's like we need you to come out here and sling some whiskey and shake some hands and stuff and Madison's no. I'm not gonna do that and so and and his friends were perplexed and like James if you don't do that, you're not fixing to be in Congress.

And he's like well if people don't think that I'm worthy of their vote, I don't I don't see how retail politicking does anybody any good. Basically he had an aversion to campaigning and he said I'm not going to campaign if they think I'm the best guy because back then there were no you know, like you can imagine today and you've all voted it'll say, you know Trump or Madison whatever I don't know, you know so you get your you get your ballot and you you mark whichever guy you want and you stick it in the box and they just count them which you know, you hope that's what's happened.

Back then you could actually verify how you voted. Right, exactly. But back then there was none. There was a piece of paper, but it had no names on it. You simply wrote Jay Madison and stuck it in the box or Jay Monroe stuck it or you know Mickey Mouse or whatever you you just stuck it in the box. There were no printed ballots that you you know would have names and you would put a mark next to a name or anything like that.

And so Madison's idea was well if they think I'm the best for the job they'll write my name in if they don't then they don't and that's as simple as that and so James Monroe to his credit and I put this in the book James Monroe says to Madison well, how about if we do this? How about if we campaign together? How about if the two opponents if we do the circuit together and we don't insult each other we simply sit on stage and present our own little version of what we think is right and that way there will be what did Madison call it no atom of ill will B-O-M not an atom of ill will between the competitors and so he and Mr. Monroe traveled throughout Virginia that winter together in a stagecoach making campaign stops together. I mean it would be honestly like Trump and in Kamala Harris riding together in a car getting out not insulting each other getting back in the car after making their little speeches going back round together and that sort of understanding of qualification for office then is what I wish we could get back to that I don't have to spend a billion dollars to get my name on a ballot man that I don't have to I mean even in state politics, you know talking about over here in Tennessee and wanting to run for the state Senate it's it's it's spendy man. It's you know, you're looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars just for the name recognition to be there so that you can have a shot at being even considered a candidate a viable Candidate. Yeah, they don't they equate money to seriousness. You're not a serious candidate. Yeah, they don't have money. Yeah, and so it's it's crazy and I wish you know, we could go back to the days where… Where we could say do you know what if the people in my district think I'm the best state senator then they'll vote for but that but when you read about it in you know that this the account that I put in the book you you realize what You know what we've sacrificed by making everything for sale.