Airship

American Elections: Wicked Game

History EN ↓ 64 episodes

On February 10th, 1796, Vice President John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail, lamenting the state of discourse in the country. The election was nearing—and becoming heated. Newspapers screamed, factions warred, and John Adams was dismayed with what he called “the wicked Game.” Americans in 2023 can relate. They still have to endure months of shouting, outrage, and the worst sort of political rancor as the country once again chooses its president. But it’s almost always been this way. And to prove it, American Elections: Wicked Game will review the entire history of presidential elections, from...

Author

Airship

Category

History

Podcast website

airship.fm

Latest episode

Dec 3, 2024

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Episodes

Introducing: Country Over Self 03.12.2024

Today, we introduce the podcast Country Over Self: Defining Moments in American History - a short-form history podcast for Americans who want to understand the courageous decisions their Presidents have made. Link to Country Over Self: https://www.countryoverself.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2024, Trump vs. Harris Part 2: The Body of the People 19.11.2024

With Biden out of the race, Trump must now face off against Vice President Kamala Harris. As Harris tries to seize the moment and appeal to the Silent Majority, Trump sticks with his signature brand of politics in an attempt to take back the country that he claimed he never lost in the first place. To listen to the entire series—all 61 episodes—right now and ad-free, become a subscriber at IntoHis...

2024, Trump vs. Harris Part 1: Incompetent Abilities 05.11.2024

In the wake of the infamous events of January 6th, former President Donald Trump fights through a sea of legal troubles to secure his party’s nomination. Trump’s improbable rise is jeopardized when President Biden announces his intention to step aside and endorse his Vice President, Kamala Harris.  To listen to the entire series—all 60 episodes—right now and ad-free, become a subscriber at IntoHis...

2020, Biden vs. Trump: The Soul of America 29.10.2024

President Donald Trump faces off with President Obama’s political wingman: Vice President Joe Biden. In a contest defined by partisan rancor, congressional investigations and a global pandemic, Donald Trump claims he is the man to “Keep America Great” while Joe Biden claims he is the man to win the battle for the “Soul of America.” *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 episodes—right now and a...

2016, Clinton vs. Trump: The Omega and the Alpha 22.10.2024

Donald J. Trump returns to the political arena. First as a longshot candidate and then as an improbable frontrunner, Trump makes his way through a crowded Republican primary field to take on Democratic nominee, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Trump and Clinton go head to head in a divisive election that upends political norms and further deepens the divide between Right and Left. *** To listen...

2012, Romney vs. Obama: The Rich Boy 15.10.2024

As Barack Obama fends off attacks on everything from his foreign policy to the color of his suits, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney defends his religion and fights his way through a crowded Republican primary to secure the GOP nomination. As the 2012 election takes shape, both sides see a narrow path to victory. In the midst of the divisive campaign, a New York businessman turned reality...

2008, McCain vs. Obama: Hope and Change 08.10.2024

New York Senator and former First Lady Hillary Clinton enters the 2008 election as the presumptive favorite to win the Democratic nomination. But Barack Obama, a first-term senator from Illinois, creates a groundswell in the Party and leaves Clinton behind. To win the White House, Obama must overcome racist attacks from both sides, conspiracy theories about his birth, and a veteran Republican sena...

2004, Bush vs. Kerry: Do or Die 01.10.2024

As President George W. Bush navigates the challenges of his first year in office, he is confronted by one of the gravest, most horrific tragedies ever to reach American shores. But Bush’s response to 9/11 puts his presidency under fire. In the wake of the United States’ invasion of Afghanistan, Bush’s decision to go to war with Iraq costs him politically, and it leads the Democrats to look for a w...

2000, Bush vs. Gore vs. Nader: Gettin’ Snippy 24.09.2024

With Bill Clinton’s tenure as president coming to an end, Vice President Al Gore takes up the mantle for the Democrats. Gore tries to distance himself from the Clinton scandals while Republicans look to the son of a former president to get them back into the White House. In November of 2000, Vice President Al Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush find themselves embroiled in one of the most contr...

1996, Dole vs. Clinton: The Comeback Kid 17.09.2024

Bill Clinton bounces back from early problems in his presidency and looks to become the first two-term Democratic president since Franklin Roosevelt. To stop him, Republicans turn to Senator Bob Dole and try to conjure images of a glorious American past that only they can bring back. But Dole won’t be the Democrats’ biggest problem: with re-election on the line, Bill and Hillary Clinton will find...

1992, Bush vs. Clinton vs. Perot: The Baby Boomer and the Independent 10.09.2024

President George H.W. Bush tries to shore up his Republican coalition and offer the American people a clear picture of what a second Bush term will look like. Meanwhile, in the South, a young saxophone-playing Democratic governor from Arkansas and an Independent Texas businessman will make a second term for Bush seem like an impossibility. *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 episodes—right n...

1988, Bush vs. Dukakis: Character Assassinations 02.09.2024

Vice President George H. W. Bush is Ronald Reagan’s heir apparent. But in order to defeat Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis, Bush must embrace Reagan’s conservatism, get the best of a respected primary challenger named Bob Dole, and escape the shadow of what many call the biggest political scandal since Watergate. *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 episodes—right now and ad-free, become a...

1984, Mondale vs. Reagan: The Teflon President 27.08.2024

With a Republican-controlled Senate and a clear mandate from the American people, Ronald Reagan sets out to show American strength abroad and to reduce the role of “big government” at home. The idea that his political future will ever be in question seems impossible, but a widening wealth gap and a lone gunman’s bullet will threaten his first term and his prospects for re-election. *** To listen t...

1980, Carter vs. Reagan: Let’s Make America Great Again 20.08.2024

President Jimmy Carter fights to keep the White House in a trial by fire of domestic recession and international turmoil. Carter defends his presidency against the rise of a softer, more approachable brand of conservatism embodied by the skillful optimism and powerful charisma of Republican nominee Ronald Reagan. *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 episodes—right now and ad-free, become a su...

1976, Ford vs. Carter: Unimpeachable 13.08.2024

When Nixon gets caught up in the biggest presidential scandal in American History, he enlists the help of a man with unimpeachable character: Gerald R. Ford Jr. In the wake of Watergate, Ford becomes the only man to ever be appointed to the presidency. In his reelection bid for an office he was never elected to, Ford must prove himself worthy of his party’s nomination and fight off a Washington ou...

1972, McGovern vs. Nixon: Failure Comes Easy At Times Like This 06.08.2024

In a contest largely defined by the Vietnam War, Republican President Richard Nixon fights to keep the White House out of the hands of Democratic nominee Senator George McGovern. In order to give Nixon a run for his money, McGovern and his anti-war message must survive a political scandal that threatens to bring McGovern’s judgment and leadership skills into question. *** To listen to the entire s...

1968, Nixon vs. Humphrey vs. Wallace: Law and Order 30.07.2024

Against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement, President Johnson declares his intention not to run in the 1968 contest, leaving the door open for former Vice President Richard Nixon to stage a political comeback. In order to win the White House, Nixon must win the hearts and minds of a divided electorate and a political system teetering on the brink. *** To listen to the en...

1964, Johnson vs. Goldwater: A Choice, Not An Echo 23.07.2024

In the aftermath of JFK’s assassination, Lyndon Johnson fights to shed the mantle of accidental president. But as he strives to carry forward Kennedy’s legacy, he faces a barrage of opposition from a divided Democratic party. Meanwhile, across the aisle, the Republicans fight to mount a defense as they rally around a conservative candidate who hopes to redefine the word Republican: Barry Goldwater...

1960, Nixon vs. Kennedy: Behind the Curtain 16.07.2024

Democrat John F. Kennedy and Republican Richard Nixon fight for the White House on new technological turf: the rise of television sets the stage for an unprecedented campaign defined by race, religion and dirty tricks. But on the campaign trail, “Tricky Dick” Nixon meets his match in John F. Kennedy’s relentless brother, Bobby Kennedy.  *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 episodes—right now...

1956, Stevenson vs. Eisenhower: A Chance for Peace 09.07.2024

In the run up to the 1956 contest, Ike battles severe health issues, an intensifying Cold War and enemies in the Democratic party. But his greatest struggle during the campaign isn’t with Adlai Stevenson and the Democrats, it’s with his Secretary of State: John Foster Dulles. The conflict between these two political titans comes to a head in the middle of a contentious domestic election largely de...

1952, Stevenson vs. Eisenhower: The Fund Crisis 02.07.2024

Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower takes on a determined Democratic party united behind the popular Illinois governor, Adlai Stevenson. But in the run up to the 1952 contest, Ike’s biggest cross to bear is not the Democrats; it’s a member of his own party. As Ike defies the Republican establishment and fights for the White House on his own terms, he does his best to reign in his Vice President; a political p...

1948, Dewey vs. Truman: The Gangbuster 25.06.2024

In the wake of World War II, as President Truman fights to establish a new peace, Republican Governor Thomas Dewey gears up for a second run at the White House. As Truman strives to fulfill Franklin D. Roosevelt’s progressive legacy with his “Fair Deal” for America, Dewey tries to capitalize on a growing anti-Truman sentiment brewing all across the nation. *** To listen to the entire series—all 59...

1944, Dewey vs. Roosevelt: The Last Stand 18.06.2024

As World War II rages on, FDR is in the political fight of his life against a young political newcomer, Republican Thomas Dewey. Riding the wave of Republican gains in the 1942 midterms, the youthful, fresh-faced Dewey attacks the tired old man in the White House by promising to bring about a swift end to the war. *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 episodes—right now and ad-free, become a s...

1940, Willkie vs. Roosevelt: Storm on the Horizon 11.06.2024

Against the backdrop of World War II, FDR’s position of neutrality is threatened as he seeks to become the first president to serve three terms in office. To win the White House in the 1940 contest, FDR must get the best of business tycoon Wendell Willkie, a former Democrat and an affable political outsider with an axe to grind. *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 episodes—right now and ad-f...

1936, Landon vs. Roosevelt: New Deal on Trial 04.06.2024

As FDR pushes his progressive agenda, Republicans turn to a progressive candidate of their own: Kansas Governor Al Landon. Landon and the Republicans fight to make the election a referendum on fiscal responsibility, while FDR defends his New Deal against a slew of opponents, including the infamous media mogul and scandal machine, William Randolph Hearst. *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 e...

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