My History Can Beat Up Your Politics

In it’s short existence the states that fashioned themselves a Confederacy would hold 2 congressional elections. The second one could be considered a midterm, as it was about halfway through Jefferson Davis’s intended 6 year term.

The midterm election everyone is not talking about in this midterm season. Air Force One. Candidates in Fire Trucks. Culture War Weaponized. A TV Mess-Up. New Political Concepts and Midterm Election Awareness. Nixon’s first presidential midterm election (the election in which the House and Senate would be up for election) would turn out to be... Read More

Have we forgotten about George W. Bush and how much today’s politics were settled during his administration? Does Congress have any role anymore? Have we reached a point where Congress not only has less power but doesn’t want to use what it has? Over the years, federal power has shifted from Congress to the President,... Read More

Our series on this misunderstood President examines his short Presidency in the midst of great struggles, his plan and what happened. Part I:

The first year of Bill Clinton’s Presidency.

Well, the 1880’s finally has some visual media coverage. That’s the good news. I do think it was an enjoyable series. I’m at a bit of a disadvantage being a history podcaster, as “suspension of disbelief” is kind of contrary to the mission of educating about details of history. But it is enjoyable, especially the... Read More

Push in the drawer of your CD-ROM drive and enjoy random stories of politics and culture from the 1990’s. Stories that haven’t gotten much notice since. Sponsored by: The University of Aberdeen: https://on.abdn.ac.uk/online-history-courses/

A five-episode series on an elusive and misunderstood President. From his early years, to his time as a port collector (and political organizer), to his time in the White House. The early years I am a stalwart… I will accept the nomination, sir The pistol and the transom

In 2005, George W. Bush launched a Social Security reform plan, along with a tour of the country. He won an election and he was going to spend political capital he had earned. It didn’t work. We get into it.

In 1985, a surprise quick meeting of five finance ministers in New York’s Plaza Hotel would stoke markets better than any intervention or huge summit the world could imagine. But there were a few side effects. It’s one of James Baker’s signature moves in his career, and it hasn’t quite ever been replicated. He knew... Read More

“When Smoot thought he was right, there was no stopping him.” a biographer said Reed Smoot, Senator from Utah is behind one of the most ill-considered tariffs in history, passed at during the Great Depression. He also has an interesting story, having faced religious prejudice and being initially refused entry into the Senate. He also... Read More

A history of the characters, fake colonels, phone answerers, ghostwriters and wire-pullers that Presidents from Chester Arthur to T.R. to Coolidge to Nixon have used at different times. While the scale of these individuals may be in stark contrast to current trends, each was controversial in his time, and helpful and sometimes unhelpful to Presidents... Read More

RIP President Carter, 1924-2024. In this episode, we tell some stories about Carter, two controversial pardons, his first meeting with both Ted Kennedy and Hunter S. Thompson (at the same event), to solar power in the White House, to a little known banking reform.