Source:CSPAN– Presidential historian Richard N. Smith, talking about 1940 Republican presidential nominee Wendell Willkie in 2011.

“C-SPAN continues its series “The Contenders” LIVE on Friday, October 21 at 8:00 p.m. ET with Wendell Willkie. In this clip, Presidential Historian Richard Norton Smith, Goucher College History Professor Jean Baker and Washington Editor of Real Clear Politics Carl Cannon discuss Willkie. More information on the series can be found here:CSPAN.”

From CSPAN

Wendell Willkie, is the perfect example of why todays so-called Modern Liberals (the Occupy Wall Street crowd and others) aren’t Liberals, because Wendell Willkie was a real Liberal. And if you look at Franklin Roosevelt’s career the man Wendell ran for President against in 1940, President Roosevelt wasn’t much of a Liberal either, but what I at least call a classical Progressive Democrat: (The real Progressive Democrats)   Someone who believes in using government to help people and advance the country forward through government policy.

But Wendell was the real thing when it comes to being a Liberal as C-SPAN’s The Contenders series program about him shows, that hopefully I’ll have up on this blog in the future. Someone who believed in both capitalism, economic freedom, but balanced with a regulatory state to protect consumers and workers from people who would look to make a profit at their expense.

As well as someone who believed in a safety net for people who needed it. But not a welfare state to take care of people. When individuals should have the freedom to do that for themselves. As well as someone who also believed in civil rights, personal freedom, and civil liberties.