Jim Lehrer (1934–2020)

With the 50th anniversary of JFK’s assassination this past month, I’ve heard many, many theories, personal stories, “What If’s?” One that grabbed my attention was a radio interview with Jim Lehrer…because his was a personal story (he was working at a Dallas newspaper that fateful day) combined with a “what if”. What if the bubble top HAD been on the car the president was riding in that day?

“Top Down” does a good job exploring the personal reactions of a Secret Service show more agent who is consumed with guilt about his part in that horrible day. How a seemingly minor decision may or may not have been a factor in what happened to the president – and then to the country. Agent Van Walters cannot let go of his fateful decision to have the top removed from JFK’s convertible, and starts to fall apart. Reporter Jack Gilmore, whose question about the top may have led to the decision, is enlisted by Van’s daughter to help.

“And so, I, too, became one of the many people connected to the Kennedy Texas trip who were plagued by varying levels of what-if guilt. A guilt that would stay with us forever.”

A guilt that then has an effect on his daughter and his wife. “I’m a ricochet in this little family drama, Jack. That’s what I am. The shrapnel hit Van front and center and then glanced off and came right at me.”

The book doesn’t go down the conspiracy theory rabbit hole or look at any other possible outcomes had Kennedy lived, but it does do a good job of looking at the impact of that day on people who may not have been considered before. A reporter asks a Secret Service agent a seemingly innocuous question…and possibly changed history.

“Yes, one man really did fire three rifle shots out a Dallas window in a few seconds and change the course of history – forever. For me, the fragility of what we all come to think of as order and normality has been the permanent lesson of the Kennedy assassination. Since that awful day we’ve known we are always only three shots away from chaos.”

Chaos as a country and as a society…and for those who will relive that day over and over again…and ask, “What if?” show less

This was a selection of a book discussion group I belong to, and from its reviews and ratings, I didn't think I would like it. But I actually enjoyed the read. True, Lehrer isn't a very good novelist, if this is a typical novel of his, but I enjoyed the history, the mystery, the CSI parts, and that it was about both the Civil War and how history resonates down the decades and centuries. The others in our book group liked it less than I did, and they liked neither the protagonist, National show more Park Service archeologist Don Spaniel, nor the ending. But I found the account of the work of government historians and archeologists very interesting. show less

Top Down is a short novel that reads like the embryo of a really good idea, exploring one man's guilt for perceived but not actual responsibility, and the effects on his family, that to my mind was an egg that only partially hatched, and definitely did not fledge or fly. In a cynical mood I suggest there may have been too much of a desire to publish in time for the 50th anniversary of Kennedy's death.

The coincidental (I'm sure) newspaper reporter hero is a rather conceited man well matched show more by a jejune but oh so intelligent potential love interest; both were fairly tedious and predictable. There are some fragments that are very effective, such as the descriptions of PTSD and the withdrawel associated with depression. The book also achieves a bit of suspense towards the end, which I will not describe further to avoid spoilers for those who want to read so far. I would place this squarely in the bin marked "airplane read, for a one hour forty five minute (max) flight." show less

While as a Washingtonian I have always considered myself a political person, this is not a subject I have ever chosen to read about in books. It was hearing Jim Lehrer speak about Tension City at a conference, I think, that got me to pick it up. That, and the unintimidating page count. Still, I’m almost surprised by how much I enjoyed the book.

One of the things that worked for me is how personal the subject matter is to journalist Lehrer. This isn’t just a book about famous moments (and show more their aftermaths) in the last 40-some years of political debates; it’s about Lehrer’s personal experiences as moderator of 11 presidential or vice-presidential debates since 1988. To that extent, Tension City has elements of memoir, and a strong undercurrent of journalism within the subject matter. Lehrer reflects on the highs and lows of his performances and those of his colleagues over the years. I now have a far greater appreciation of the role of a debate moderator, and doubt I will watch future presidential debates with the same eyes.

Still, it’s the politics and history that were most riveting, because these debates did change history. Had he answered one question differently, might Michael Dukakis have had a shot at the White House? We can never know, but there is room for speculation. I so clearly remember so many of the moments that Lehrer singles out over the past several decades. They were the water cooler moments that the entire nation was talking about the next day. But here we have the added perspective of time as we look at these famous exchanges. Plus, Lehrer has the prestige and the relationships to get the major players to speak frankly about events of the past. So, for example, Lloyd Bentsen and Dan Quayle share recollections of “Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy.”

This is the history of my lifetime. I was fascinated. Tension City is a brief book, and many serious political and history junkies will be looking for something more in-depth. For them, this book might work as a light companion volume. But for this reader, Mr. Lehrer’s book was the perfect introduction to uncharted literary territory. show less