John Dickerson

John Dickerson is a CBS senior national correspondent and Chief Political Analyst. He is also a Contributing Writer to The Atlantic and is co-host of the Slate Political Gabfest.

Pencil Sharpener

John Dickerson shared a post on Instagram: "My father-in-law turned 80 this weekend. This is the pencil sharpener on the tool rack next to the refrigerator in the basement where I was sent to get the country ham. It is like him: durable, effective, thrifty and from another age. It’s a mechanism of havock. It destroys to create the phone number of the helpful agent written on the insurance form, the part number on the lawnmower manual, apointment after apointment in the datebook, new phone numbers for old friends and tallies from the family’s particular kind of 2-pack rummy. At least a dozen pencils alone have given their lives for the splash of figures across a large piece of graph paper where he has planned out the back half of his life. He has marked down in careful figures the savings for their retirement, and opened it along its predictable creases over the years to make sure they’re going to have one. He is a patient, kind, generous and self-made man. An Eagle scout and a veteran. He has no pride but has quick pride in others. He is a model for us all, but I should probably get this ham upstairs for lunch just the same.". Follow their account to see 1602 posts.