In this special episode originally co-produced for 2021 SXSW by SXSW and The Texas Tribune, Evan interviews former President George W. Bush. They discuss current politics, baseball and immigration, the topic of President Bush’s book, “Out of Many, One: Portraits of America’s Immigrants.”
To celebrate ten seasons of Overheard with Evan Smith, this special episode takes a look back at some of the thought leaders who have been on the show – politicians, activists and scientists. From President Obama to climate scientists, no topics were off the table.
Jonathan Alter is an author and commentator, who was at Newsweek for close to three decades. He has written several New York Times best-sellers about American presidents.
Republican strategist Rick Wilson discusses his book, “Running Against the Devil.”
Rick Wilson is a longtime Republican political strategist, writer, speaker and political commentator. He is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, “Everything Trump Touches Dies.” His award-winning column with The Daily Beast is a must-read in the political community. Rick also writes for The Washington Post, Politico, Rolling Stone, the New York Daily News, The Hill, The Bulwark and The Spectator. Rick regularly brings his witty political insights to CNN, MSNBC and NPR. He’s a frequent guest on “Real Time with Bill Maher.”
A 30-year veteran of politics, Rick got his start in the 1988 presidential campaign of George H. W. Bush and has since produced advertising and provided strategic counsel to political candidates and organizations across the U.S. and around the world.
Former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley talks about his career and Washington politics.
Senator Bill Bradley served in the U.S. Senate from 1979 – 1997 representing the state of New Jersey. In 2000, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. Prior to serving in the Senate, he was an Olympic gold medalist in 1964 and a professional basketball player with the New York Knicks from 1967 – 1977, during which time they won two NBA championships. In 1982, he was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Senator Bradley holds a BA degree in American History from Princeton University and an MA degree from Oxford University where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He has authored many books on American politics, culture and economy, including “We Can All Do Better.” Currently, Senator Bradley hosts “American Voices,” a weekly show on Sirius XM Satellite Radio that highlights the remarkable accomplishments of Americans both famous and unknown. He is also a Managing Director of Allen & Company LLC.
Former National Security Advisor Susan Rice talks about her memoir, “Tough Love.”
Susan Rice began her service in the public sector in 1993. In the Clinton administration, she was a foreign policy analyst on the National Security Council and assistant secretary of state for African affairs. Under President Barack Obama, she served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and national security advisor. She is currently a distinguished visiting research fellow at the School of International Service at American University, a non-resident senior fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times.
Rice received a master’s degree and a doctorate in international relations from Oxford University where she was a Rhodes Scholar and her bachelor’s degree from Stanford University. She released a memoir, “Tough Love,” in 2019 that provides an insider’s look at the White House, foreign affairs and balancing work with motherhood.
“60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley discusses his memoir, “Truth Worth Telling.”
Scott Pelley has been a journalist for nearly five decades. He is the most awarded correspondent in the history of “60 Minutes,” and he is the former anchor of the “CBS Evening News.” His work has been recognized with three duPont-Columbia Awards, three Peabody Awards, the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism and 37 Emmy Awards.
In his memoir, “Truth Worth Telling: A Reporter’s Search for Meaning in the Stories of Our Time,” Pelley recounts the best and worst of his career – stories from 9/11 as he encounters extraordinary heroism, insight to the military fighting in the Middle East and the families they left behind and the grieving mothers and fathers of Sandy Hook. He gives behind-the-scenes looks at interviews with world-famous people, from Bruce Springsteen to Donald Trump, and examines both the impulse to serve and the arrogance that can sully a leader’s ethical perspective.
Journalist Bari Weiss discusses her book, “How to Fight Anti-Semitism.”
Bari Weiss is a former writer and editor for The New York Times opinion section. Before joining the Times, Bari was an Op-Ed editor at the Wall Street Journal and an associate book review editor there. For two years, she was a senior editor at Tablet, the online magazine of Jewish news, politics and culture, where she edited the site’s political and news coverage. Bari regularly appears on shows like “Morning Joe,” “The View” and “Bill Maher.” Bari is also the winner of the Reason Foundation’s 2018 Bastiat Prize, which annually honors writing that “best demonstrates the importance of freedom with originality, wit, and eloquence.”
Former Georgia House Democratic Leader Stacey Abrams discusses voter suppression and politics.
Stacey Abrams is a New York Times bestselling author, serial entrepreneur, nonprofit CEO and political leader. After serving for eleven years in the Georgia House of Representatives, and seven as Minority Leader, Abrams became the 2018 Democratic nominee for Governor of Georgia. She won more votes than any other Democrat in the state’s history and was the first black woman to become the gubernatorial nominee for a major party in the United States. After the 2018 election, Abrams launched Fair Fight to promote fair elections across the country, encourage voter participation and educate voters about elections and their voting rights.
Abrams is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the 2012 recipient of the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award. She has also written many romantic suspense novels under the pen name Salena Montgomery, in addition to “Lead from the Outside,” a guidebook on making real change.
Former U.S. Senator Jeff Flake gives his perspective on Washington politics.
Jeff Flake served six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and was then elected to the United States Senate where he served for six years. He chaired the Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology & the Law and the Africa Subcommittee of the Foreign Relations Committee where he passed landmark legislation on wildlife trafficking and democratic governance. Working across the aisle, Senator Flake was the lead House Republican in a successful effort to prohibit spending earmarks and the lead Senate Republican to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba. Flake did not seek re-election in 2018 and became a contributor to CBS News.
