How Do We Reclaim the American Dream?

Tom Brokaw says the idea for his new book actually began "the day I became a grandparent."

"I wonder what they (his grandchildren's generation) will say about us in 50 years?" the former living-room fixture and once anchor of NBC nightly news says. When Brokaw's forceful daughter first heard about the idea, she had one mandate: "I don't want some sappy Hallmark card to your grandkids," she informed her father.

So what exactly did Brokaw write. Well, the lengthy, but extremely appropriate for its subject title, The Time of Our Lives: A Conversation About America; Who We Are, Where We've Been, and Where We Need to Go Now, to Recapture the American Dream, pretty much sums it up.

Tonight, Brokaw appeared  at Politics and Prose to discuss his new book and answer questions from the audience.

As he traveled across the country to "take the pulse of America," Brokaw said he found "more anxiety than I've ever encountered."

"This was a fear that struck at the heart of the American Dream," Brokaw said, adding that he hoped his book would "kick start a national conversation" about what to do about the current American mess.

Brokaw says he believes the answer might center around all of us "re-enlisting as American citizens"

He added that the new American Dream should be focused on "the quality of life, not the quantity of life, not just on how many toys we can accumulate."

Brokaw said "education is going to be the currency of the 21st Century" and we must act quickly to fix "our broken education system." Workers are going to need a skills set that allow them to be highly mobile and a mid set that accommodates "moving around to where the jobs are," he said.

Of course, any American renewal plans must take into account the new global economy and a more interconnected world.  "While we've been fighting these 2 wars, China has been going around in civilian clothing, speaking the language making deals with countries," Brokaw said. "I spoke to this young Chinese man in New York who said 'We're coming and you're going,' And that about sums it up if we don't do the right things."

And then there is the huge problem of our current political system."We have an analog political culture in a digital world," Brokaw said. "This is the worst I've ever seen it, worse than the 60s, worse than Watergate. People are retreating to the far corners of the room."

But despite the daunting obstacles, Brokaw is convinced America can be great again. In his concluding remarks he returned to his grandchildren. He said he and his wife are avid outdoor enthusiasts and, as such, took their grandchildren camping as soon as they were old enough.  On their first night, Brokaw said he and his wife heard much whispering in the tent they had pitched for their grandchildren.  Finally, the eldest poked her head out and said "Nan (the nickname for their grandmother) we need an adult in here right now."

"I think the country needs an adult in the room now," Brokaw concluded.

Tales, Tidbits, and Traveling Tips:
Given Brokaw's popularity accrued from his long career in broadcasting , his more recent success as a best-selling author, his engaging personality, the sincerity of his concerns, and the depth of his ideas, the question was not surprising. One woman asked - have you ever thought about running for office? "I thought about running for the border, but no never about running for office," Brokaw said with a grin.