unPresidented

Niel ranks every President not in the 2024 election, 1-44. Jusef gives his top 10 best and worst presidents. The two recap the highs and lows of episodes and presidents, while also reflecting on the changes to the pod over the years. This is the last episode for an indefinite period. Thank you to all our listeners who followed us along for the ride, and to those of you that are new here years afte...

We’ve made it to the end, the finale, our first and last President of Unpresidented. George Washington, a man whose face is time and again used as a grand symbol for American democracy — whether it’s on currency, state flags, or statues throughout the 50 states. If you want to have a basic understanding of the American presidency, you have to start with Washington’s actions while in office. Two te...

Picking up where we left off in Part 1 — Lincoln at the start of the Civil War (and mainly throughout) was having a rough time managing the crisis. A lack of enthusiasm to fight and aggressive-minded generals, as well as a suspension of habeas corpus put him on an uneasy path in trying to win re-election. While his administration had mostly solved the nation’s financial crisis, they suffered heavy...

When Lincoln comes into office, he is walking into a disaster beyond the seriousness of what even Hoover had to deal with. Several states had already seceded from the Union, with more considering joining the Confederacy. The nation, losing tariff revenue from secession, was also on the brink of financial collapse. The issue of slavery had officially split the country in two, and with southern lead...

Keywords: Presidents American Presidents America USA United States Politics History Biography Biographical Republicans Democrats Political Parties Senator House of Representatives Constitution American Anthem White House American Flag

Keywords: Presidents American Presidents America USA United States Politics History Biography Biographical Republicans Democrats Political Parties Senator House of Representatives Constitution American Anthem White House American Flag

We pick up part two with Teddy’s transformative presidential years, and later discuss how his success becomes his own worst enemy during his post-presidency. While he is unmatched as an icon, Niel and Jusef consider if his reluctance to let go of power significantly tarnishes his legacy. TEDDYYY! Keywords: Presidents American Presidents America USA United States Politics History Biography Biograph...

TEDDYYYYY! Keywords: Presidents American Presidents America USA United States Politics History Biography Biographical Republicans Democrats Political Parties Senator House of Representatives Constitution American Anthem White House American Flag

Keywords: Presidents American Presidents America USA United States Politics History Biography Biographical Republicans Democrats Political Parties Senator House of Representatives Constitution American Anthem White House American Flag

We continue our Nixon journey discussing all the fascinating dynamics of the 1968 election. Even as Nixon's campaign revolutionizes the art of making a presidential run for the next 60 years, he needs every break possible to still win. The events of 1968 dominate today's episode, with Nixon's presidency taking up the last 1/3 of the recording. It turns out the signature moments that do...

Our season four presidential closer is arguably the most tragic historical figure in American history; Ricard Nixon. Dick had all the strengths to be a great President, along with an impressive record of signing into law some of the country's most important legislation that still exists today. Most Americans know nothing of Nixon's accomplishments though, and for good reasons. The abuse of...

Another twist in formatting with this episode! Think of it as a Part Two to the Dead Too Soon Presidents released earlier this season, as we follow up that episode with the successor to Zachary Taylor and the grandson of William Henry Harrison. We decided to put these two in the same episode to close out the last of our Presidents who have a more forgettable reputation in American history. It also...

Today we close a major chapter of our post-founder presidents era -- covering the most impactful of them all in Andrew Jackson. No one before him, not even Washington and Jefferson, had the cult of personality that Jackson had. A whole new political party (which is now our oldest) was formed just to get him into the presidency. Without him, the Democratic Party does not even come into existence. T...

We are back with another side episode, and here we review some of the familiar stories and people we have all heard about at some point growing up -- folk heroes -- focusing on American ones given we are a podcast centered on American presidents. We chose this topic to explore the stories and tales that have stuck around and have had the ability to unite groups of people, and also try to uncover h...

Three Presidents within 40 years of one another died in office less than two years into their terms. Niel and Jusef explore the implications of these deaths in how they changed the course of American history in a unique time-jump episode. Keywords: Presidents American Presidents America USA United States Politics History Biography Biographical Republicans Democrats Political Parties Senate House o...

Rutherford B Hayes had all the potential to be an exceptional president for post-Civil War America. He had defended runaway slaves in court to obtain their freedom. He served in the army throughout the Civil War. He even fought for expanded measures to guarantee black suffrage as governor of Ohio. Many could have examined his background and concluded he was an ideal fit to replace President Grant...

x Keywords: Presidents American Presidents America USA United States Politics History Biography Biographical Republicans Democrats Political Parties Senate House of Representatives Constitution American Anthem White House American Flag

Barack Obama is undisputably the most famous president of our modern era, and it's easy to see why. His campaigns (especially in 08) gripped the country's imagination and inspired voter turnout to levels not seen since the 1960s. After decades of neoliberal ideology dominating US domestic and foreign policy, there seemed to be a real reason to hope that we now had a president who would advocate fo...

While we would like to believe that the men and women running our country have beliefs that are somewhat grounded in reality, the truth - for better or worst - is that many of our politicians have fallen for beliefs that "we" have deemed outlandish. In today's Unpresidented, Jusef takes us down the weird and occult side of the Whitehouse with names such as Mary Todd Lincon, Nancy Reagan, and...

Keywords: Presidents American Presidents America USA United States Politics History Biography Biographical Republicans Democrats Political Parties Senate House of Representatives Constitution American Anthem White House American Flag

Despite being the "Father" of the Constitution,  James Madison is less glorified in 2022 than all of the other founder presidencies, and it's difficult to understand why. As someone who was there for most significant revolutionary and early American government events, Madison's influence shaped the nation's trajectory arguably more than all his older and more distinguished colleagues.  M...

How bad do things actually have to get before a Civil War becomes a possibility? While the US has had plenty of close and controversial elections, 2020 was different. Peacefully transferring power to the President-elect had only ever not happened just one time in the nation's history, which was in 1861 when James Buchanan failed to stop southern states from seceding before Abraham Lincoln took off...

In 1953, few could argue that Eisenhower was not the most logical choice to guide the US through the beginning of the post-WWII era. A major general in the European theater of the war, Eisenhower understood well the horrific sacrifices many war-torn populations had to make in the war's 6-12 years. With the USSR quickly becoming a threat to entering yet another wide-scale war, Eisenhower essentiall...

Although not a major presidential figure, Martin Van Buren's impact on presidential politics is arguably just as significant as his more famous predecessors. Not many people can claim to be a founder of a modern political party, but Van Buren's efforts to break the brief period of a one party system in American politics changed the landscape of elections that propelled us to where we are today. Va...

The Supreme Court is becoming increasingly more ideological, as it is seizing opportunities as of late to change the legal precedents of policies that cause significant political divides in the United States. While the Court has always had a significant role to play in settling constitutional crises that state and federal laws have created, its power as a branch of the government has probably neve...