My History Can Beat Up Your Politics

Since 2006, this podcast has been using history to elevate today's political debates.  "The perfect antidote to bloviating talking heads, My History is thoughtful, nuanced, and highly engaging." -Columbia Journalism Review

History
News
Politics
51
Undeniably Unconsecutive: The Story of Grover C...
Only one person has been elected President twice in non-consecutive terms. But it was not easy. To do it Grover Cleveland had to pass a few difficult tests. From Goody-Goodies to Anti-Snappers, to Anti-Egoists and Scarecrow Festivals; from entering opposing party contests in secret ways to placing bets for your own candidate, to pretending to run in states and letting a third party win, to taking forceful honest stands, 1892 had everything. It was a triumph of navigating complex steampower politics. The first being, did he really want to run again? We are part of Airwave Media Network. www.airwavemedia.com Our sponsor is Money Pickle. Try out their FREE financial advisor service today at MoneyPIckle.com Do you wish to advertise - contact advertising@airwavemedia.com Donate- www.patreon.com/mhcbuyp
66 min
52
Why Didn't Goldwater and LBJ Debate? A Biden-O...
Remember that TV debate between Goldwater and Lyndon Johnson in 1964? What a showdown! Just kidding of course, there wasn't one. Why wasn't there one, and what happened as a result. (hint - major policy change) We talk about the debate JFK might have had with Goldwater. Then we get into the Constitution and what is says and doesn't say about 2 term Presidents attempting to run for Vice President. Not that that's going to happen. And a look at Herbert Hoover's Children's Charter and what it means in placing him on the political spectrum. And - a wee bit about Yalta and the complications of assessing Yalta. We are part of Airwave Media Network. What to advertise - advertising@airwavemedia.com We have a patreon. Support us by giving us a good review, particularly on Apple Podcasts Thanks for listening.
54 min
53
W.E.B. DuBois and The Wounded World w/ Chad L. ...
In 1917, the most prominent spokesperson for African Americans, W.E.B. DuBois, shocked many when he threw his support behind enthusiastic and patriotic participation in World War I. He thought it was the key to expanding rights and treatment for African Americans. He was only to be later disappointed by the treatment of soldiers in France, the treatment of veterans when they came home, and the revision of history after the war to downplay accomplishments of African American soldiers. He struggled to write a book but could never come to terms with his own role in World War I and what came after. We discuss the life and legacy of the author and activist W.E.B. DuBois with Chad L. Williams, the Samuel J. and Augusta Spector Professor of History and African and African American Studies at Brandeis University.
31 min
54
Florida Man: The Go-Go Governorship of Claude K...
53 min
55
Florida Man: The Go-Go Governorship of Claude K...
In his first and second years as an improbable GOP Governor in the South in the 1960's Kirk, tries out a new type of politics, at least new to the Sunshine State: confrontation. Equally with protestors, strikers, and polluters, he confronts them straight on. He also makes a miscalculation that will hurt his rep while he's winning a political victory.
41 min
56
Florida Man: The Go-Go Governorship of Claude K...
In the late 1960's the first GOP governor of Florida since Reconstruction found himself elected with no support in the legislature. He had only a microphone and so he used direct confrontation, insults, press-bashing and other tactics to get elected and get his way. Rather than let things be he took on left-wing hippies and right wing segregationists alike in the early part of his term. He aimed his cannons at communists, but also at good old boy political machines. And what do you know, he also is the governor to bring in a large amusement park to the state. Move that Earth he said! This will be part 1 of a 3 part series.
49 min
57
Can The President Just Use the 14th To Pay the ...
An older cast where way back when - we looked at the possible use of the 14th Amendment to pay the debt off without Congress by President Obama. It never came to fruition - in fact Obama panned the idea, calling it an esoteric Constitutional argument. It wasn't as useful as just working something out with John Boehner, I suppose. But times have changed, and this is worth a re-listen.
18 min
58
Men will Walk Upright and Children Will Laugh! ...
So said the Reverend Billy Sunday on the passage of Prohibition. Needless to say he oversold, and the forces that changed the Constitution would, for the only time, change it back. A look at Prohibition from many angles. Did it do any good? Did it cause, as at least one contemporary said, the drug problem? What does it say about drug legalization, really. From a long-since aired previous episode. The changes in society and view of law enforcement the legislation brought. This was written a decade ago - since then I have watched the Ken Burns special, and I do own a TV set. Music by Lee Rosevere and Theme Song by Chris Novembrino We are part of Airwave Media Network - check out Ben Franklin's World, Tea Time History, Redacted History, the History of China, The Explorers Podcast, The Age of Napoleon www.airwavemedia.com Want to Advertise on My History Can Beat Up Your Politics? sales@advertisecast.com
26 min
59
The Supreme Court Story of Abe Fortas
Abe Fortas was a rising star on the Supreme Court. He argued a still-legendary case before it and then was appointed one of its justices. For many he was seen as the successor to Earl Warren. It was when he was nominated for Chief Justice that opposition cemented. He was too close to the President, too liberal on issues, and then there were disclosures of contributions he had received were revealed. After a drawn-out stalemate he withdrew his candidacy for Chief Justice. But it wouldn't stop there. Fortas also stepped down as an Associate Justice as the administration changed and political pressure increased. The Fortas case would be revealed later by insider and Watergate persona John Dean as part of an 'unpacking' plan that President Nixon had to reduce the left-lean of the Warren court, though it wasn't obvious at the time. But it's not that simple either. Fortas's case also has set a precedent for the danger of having a Justice with a close relationship to the Chief Executive.
42 min
60
Introducing - Founding Son: John Quincy's America
Introducing - Founding Son: John Quincy's America
3 min
61
Presidents In Trouble
I got troubles - oh - ho. I got worries... we discuss a little Presidential trouble. With the talk of a historic occasion, we think it's best to note that the law and the Presidency have been, close, several times. Certainly people around Presidents have faced the law, sometimes for actions rendered for a President. And the Constitution mentions Presidents and crimes directly.
48 min
62
FDR is Saved, Sidney Poitier, Lunar Bases and T...
FDR may have never taken the oath if not for the quick thinking of a woman in Miami who, along with detectives may have thwarted a shooter. a 2023 - 'hodge podcast' of different things. A former Speaker talks about a lobby that flies under the radar but controls D.C. A writer that said what he really thought about Warren Harding. And Sidney Poitier navigates life as an African-American man and an actor.
52 min
63
Infringe: The History of a Word and The Gun Debate
What's in a word? Lots, maybe, when its a key word in the most contentious debate in America. The word "infringe" determines the threshold of how the Constitution should be enforced. But do we understand the word, and if we do, are we applying it correctly in our political debates over guns and politics? In this cast we look at how framers like Washington, Madison, Hamilton and Jefferson used the word, and how it's applied in DC v. Heller and US v. Miller. We contrast infringe to its Constitutional cousin abridge, and we look at what the NRA asserts about the 2nd amendment's words, including the word infringe. We also look at the current New York carry law Supreme Court case and where the Court is likely to go, and look at guns and politics in general.
49 min
64
FALL OF USSR: Bonus "Bloknot" (Notebook) Episode
More of the story - Boiler room bohemians, the coup before the coup, Soviet "Easterns" Cowboy Movies, cassette tapes of Vladimir Vysotsky, how to save money, USSR style, faking out the KGB and more.
72 min
65
FALL OF USSR: Part 6 - Two Bears in a Cave
A country is removed from the map in a week. There's more too than that, but it's not far from the most truthful description. The final episode of our series on the fall of the Soviet Union finds a rescued Gorbachev quickly realizing that he might be in yet another seizure of power. But this one happening quietly over a few tiring days. And with the support of the Russian people.
83 min
66
FALL OF USSR: Part 5 - I Cannot Forsake Princi...
The first blood is spilled. We look at the right-wing of Soviet Society which triggered the putsch. And the rebellious elements that also existed. Jeans, rock and roll, religion, revisionism and weakness. Music by Lee Rosevere and Theme Song by Chris Novembrino We are part of Airwave Media Network - check out Ben Franklin's World, Tea Time History, Redacted History, the History of China, The Explorers Podcast, The Age of Napoleon www.airwavemedia.com Want to Advertise on My History Can Beat Up Your Politics? sales@advertisecast.com
58 min
67
FALL OF USSR: Part 4 - Moscow Does Not Believe ...
As barricades are built and citizens turn to a protective barrier, the Soviet culture they come from might be the very thing that keeps them going. Music by Lee Rosevere and Theme by Chris Novembrino We are part of Airwave Media Network To hear the next two episodes right now - sign up for our Patreon Sponsor: Wondery's American Scandal Be Sure to Check Out Their Season on the Oklahoma City Bombing
67 min
68
FALL OF USSR: Part 3 - Athens vs. Sparta
Two institutions, the press and the military, may well determine the fate of the USSR on the night of August 19th, 1991. The Emergency Committee decides, it's time to explain themselves on TV. A reporter makes a fateful decision. So does another. A motley crowd is fashioned into an instant militia.
66 min
69
FALL OF USSR: Part 2 - The Steam Bath of History
Yeltzin has stood on a tank, but few have seen it. Crowds shift from the traditional protest places to a new one. They bring heavy metal. What on Zemlya is happening? It all starts in a steam bath. Sort of. In order to understand the events of August 19th, 1991, it's necessary to look back. Particularly at 1989, when the most orderly country on earth became the most unpredictable. Music by Lee Rosevere and Theme Song by Chris Novembrino We are part of Airwave Media Network - check out Ben Franklin's World, Tea Time History, Redacted History, the History of China, The Explorers Podcast, The Age of Napoleon www.airwavemedia.com Want to Advertise on My History Can Beat Up Your Politics? sales@advertisecast.com
42 min
70
FALL OF USSR: Part 1: Wake Up, Cassandra!
Soviet citizens wake up to tanks outside their windows in 1991. Media is censored. The President is detained. Another president escapes, maybe just escapes... A third President is powerless. Is this the end of everything?
63 min
71
About Classified Documents and Politics, and ou...
Get ready for the FALL OF USSR podcast which launches Feb 6th. If you can't wait for all of the episodes, you can get 5 now at Patreon - http://www.patreon.com/mhcbuyp Also a whole bunch about classified documents. We are part of Airwave Media Network. Some great shows - Age of Napoleon, TeaTime History, History of The Second World War, Infamous America and Ben Franklin's World. www.airwavemedia.com
38 min
72
A Sense of Humor as a Weapon - Vice President T...
We look at Woodrow Wilson's Vice President Thomas Riley Marshall and his unique wit and approach to government. Some felt he should have become President given Wilson's condition. Outward indications are, he didn't want the place. The Hoosier lawyer turned national player's story.
30 min
73
"Wrong Forever on the Throne!" - William Jennin...
The Democratic Party had a problem in the nineteen teens and twenties. What to do with a candidate that could stir up crowds but not enough electoral votes? Though pleased to nominate him in 1896 and introduce a new kind of politics to their party, some Democrats grew tired of William Jennings Bryan especially in his later years as his fundamentalism turned to alcohol, evolution and an arguable Southern favoritism. Also a brief look at his daughter, Ruth Bryan Owen
49 min
74
Speaker Election of 1855, 20th Amendment and a ...
We talk a bit about Nathaniel Banks, the Speaker of The House of Representatives that (still) took the most ballots to be elected. Kevin McCarthy joins the ranks of Speakers that needed multiple ballots - we discuss the implications. A brief look at Frederick Gillett, the last Speaker to even need two ballots in 1923, and then a look at why Congress starts on January 3rd.
47 min
75
We Need to Talk. About the 72nd Congress.
The 72nd Congress of 1931 was, as elected, a very narrow Republican House 218 R - 217 D. Close, but for President Hoover, good enough. That is until, 14 Congressmen-elect died. Not all at once - that would be weird - over 13 months, for all kinds of reasons but heart attacks and pneumonias leading the list. When special elections were held, it went 218 D and 216 R. 1 Farm Laborer supported the Democrats so 219-216. We talk about this curious case. We also talk about the 14 Congressmen-elect who had some interesting biographies. And we talk Herbert Hoover and the spin he (tried to) put on The Great Depression. We are part of Airwave Media Podcast Network. www.airwavemedia.com Advertise? sales@advertisecast.com
40 min