About Presidents and their parties, particularly situations where a former President who was not re-elected is still in the political picture. There can be some interesting challenges for the party. We look at four cases in history, Gerald Ford's golfing and soft-pedaling in 1980, Truman's attack on a front-runner in 1956, Bush's largely successful exeunt from the stage in 1993 and Carter's absence in 1981-3 which still became an invisible influence.

WIth Matthew Howland from the Political Darkside podcast, Bruce discusses Joe Biden, his story, and the issues of crime, business, busing and more. Find Matthew's podcast at www.politicaldarkside.com

Nixon's first bombing campaigns had the names of mealtimes which seem to also correspond with the years of his first term: 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972. In this episode we look at Nixon, Kissinger and the Paris Peace Accords that ended the Vietnam War. In addition to providing some additional context for the Saigon 1975 situation so much in the news today, we revisit whether the accord was a sham peace or a true deal. The deal left hundreds of thousands of enemy troops in South Vietnam as U.S. troops exited. Could a better deal have been etched? Or could the same deal have been made sooner. And what about those leopard spots? The great debate over the negotiating table? and the dingy carpet? All this and more.

With podcast host of Revolutions and History of Rome Mike Duncan, we talk about the Marquis de Lafayette. He left an aristocratic life in France to fight in the American Revolution, and did so with bravery and zeal. He remains the central figure of American-French cooperation. Mike talks about Lafayette's role not just in American history but in French history. He also talks about his book, Hero of Two Worlds. We also chat about Napoleon and Lafayette, French generals and other stories. Music by Kevin McLeod and Chris Novembrino.

We look at the 1975 Operation Frequent Wind - the evacuation of Saigon and the comparisons to today's events, the politics at the time and now and more. Also - FOR UNBIASED NEWS (or to have a fair chance at seeing the bias), download the app at Ground.News/myhistory. Support our sponsor. The first thing to know is, despite the image of failure, those days were an operational success in a sea of bad policy decisions. In this episode we look at that and: the original plan that was ditched, what Marines on the ground that day said, how it felt for a journalist, effects on the '76 election if any, the reluctant ambassador, 2022 midterms and burning US dollars.

We are joined by Richard Bey of "The Richard Bey" show and "People are Talking" fame for a talk on a lot of things. We are pleased to have Richard as a long time listener of the show. Richard takes aim at the current depiction of cancel culture as a new thing, which is especially easy for him as he was canceled himself at least twice. Richard and Bruce also talk Iraq War, the 2016 election and what happened, and other topics.

Bruce reviews favorite old clips and speaks to two listeners from all the way back at the beginning, Kevin Willis and Tom Morris.

We speak to Dennis Kucinich about his fight to save Cleveland's municipal power system as mayor of the city in 1970's. He risked not only his career but his life during that battle, and he gives us some of the details from his new book -"The Division of Light and Power"

We know Jefferson and Franklin, but what about the other signers - John Hart, John Penn, William Williams, Richard Stockton, William Whipple, John Morgan, William Floyd, George Read and others. I released this series as its own podcast in 2012, some...

Edward Stettinius, Jr. served a short but important time as Secretary of State serving F.D.R. and Truman.  Without him, there may not have been a UN.  And because he got very little credit, he was able to be successful.   With...

In this episode, we speak with Cheryl Woodruff Brooks, author of  Washington was a cosmetic entrepreneur whose company turned her into one of of America's first black millionaires. She was founder and president of Apex Enterprises consisting of...

The Constitution contains two possible forms of presidential removal outside of election, one is the much-discussed impeachment process. The other is the 25th Amendment's fourth section. We discuss 25 Section 4 with Professor Brian C. Kalt, Professor...

In 1892, a dreaded disease caused a President to navigate local health situation and created a new law.  We look at the precedent-setting quarantine order of the 23rd President, Benjamin Harrison.  While we are at it, we look at Harrison's...

Who was Chester Arthur's secret pen pal?  How did Herbert Hoover spend his last day in office?  What was McKinley's obscure accomplishment?  What was Rutherford B. Hayes passionate hobby? What event hurt Taft's Presidency from the...

From Eugene Debs to Richard Nixon, from a previously run episode, the President's power to pardon is examined.  

We speak often of Democracy, but do we really know what it is?  We point to Athens as an example.  But what was Greek Democracy really like?  A conversation with Dr. Paul Cartledge, A.G. Leventis Senior Research Fellow at the University...

Host Bruce Carlson reflects on 14 years of the podcast, provides a show update.  Plus some listener questions on masks then and now, Presidents leaving (or not leaving) the Oval, and Kennedy's 1960 election and allegations of fraud.

Jessica Weisberg has traced Ben Franklin's early advice-writing, read the "Lord Chesterfield" letters that early Americans read to learn how to act, attended Dale Carnegie workshops and spoke with Miss Manners all in a quest to track down why...

America's fascination then and now with sea rebels, sea dogs, privateers, smugglers, and pirates by other names is pretty clear.  Books, movies and video games with pirates sell.  We talk with pirate expert and historian Rebecca Simon, Ph.D....

In this episode we look at an enduring mystery, one that didn't matter too much in the 1960 election but has since taken on significance. Could it be that Kennedy lost, and Nixon won, the popular vote nationally in 1960. We looked at it a decade ago,...

We discuss the tight election that elected the first Democratic President in 25 years and some comparisons and contrasts to the current election.  A President's umbrella, salutes for his "big foot," chain-armor clad parades, and the importance of...

The 1880 election was close, with Democrats and Republicans seeking an advantage in its waning days when a letter hits a major city newspaper purporting to be in the hand of a candidate.  It is a letter that could turn the election.  With...

A bit of an American political story about politics, corn, common sense.  

Eagle Claw, popularly known as Desert One, was the unsuccessful attempt to rescue hostages in Iran in 1980, hostages that had been held since the storming of the embassy in 1979.  Replaying two previous podcasts on the topic, we look at the...

High political stakes, secret plots, Plug Uglies armed with sharp awls to help 'convince' voters... Baltimore in the 1850's was a fearsome place where politics and gangs were hard to separate.  Yet it was the connecting stop for new Presidents...