My History Can Beat Up Your Politics

Stalemate breaks in a surprise operation. An apathetic America gets involved on both sides. The fighting stops, but nothing is the same after 1988. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This terrible war, fought in the 1980's, changed everything. Both in the Middle East, and America. We tell the story in two parts. We are part of Airwave Media network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Supreme Court ruling limits presidential power to impose broad tariffs and explores why tariff policy belongs to Congress. The conversation links the decision to the major-questions doctrine and debates over textualism versus historical analysis. A colorful babysitter metaphor illustrates clashes between different judicial approaches and what this means for delegation and federalism.

A preview of a 12-part revisit to Ronald Reagan that teases fresh context and a newly surfaced Nixon tape. Short takes probe embellished anecdotes, a notable environmental gaffe, and Reagan’s rhetorical strengths and limits. The conversation contrasts first- and second-term tactics, highlights policy nuance, and explains why this rerun matters for today’s politics.

They dig into Clinton's rocky first year, from low public trust to media and Whitewater troubles. Health care's teleprompter mishap, Hillary's five-hour testimony, and why the overhaul failed get vivid treatment. Early foreign policy stumbles include Haiti, Bosnia, and uneasy encounters with Milosevic. They trace links from 1993 politics to later reforms like Obamacare.

1993's chaotic first year in the White House, from a public haircut scandal to travel office firings and nepotism uproar. Staffing shakeups and a new messaging operation battle a hostile press. Health care takes center stage alongside the fraught fight over gays in the military and the rise of a compromise policy. Budget battles, foreign trips, and a tragic staff suicide heighten political pressure.

A 1936 trip to Germany sparks admiration turned alarm as spectacle, propaganda, and racial exclusion collide. A near-confrontation at the Olympics and a train arrest crystallize a writer’s changing view of rising totalitarianism. The story follows publishing fallout, banned books, and a life cut short before a full reckoning.

A lively look at LBJ’s early gadgetry and showmanship, including Bell Telephone’s carphone and campaign stunts. A walk through his Senate rise and political maneuvering with Eisenhower. Tense Biltmore Hotel bargaining over the VP slot and Rayburn’s crucial role. Exploration of JFK’s health, why LBJ hesitated to run, and the strategic calculus to win the South.

A lively revisit of Lyndon Johnson’s personal quirks and power plays. Stories range from odd plumbing demands to his blunt, sometimes coercive management style. The conversation traces his rise from a relatively young politician to a key ticket choice and explores how technology and coalition-building shaped his influence. Reflections on political surprises and rerun plans close out the show.

On the surface, the 25th Amendment is a perfect mechanism for providing a stable transition of Presidential power. But that's not what early state ratification critics thought. And it's not how Hollywood writers oft envision it. When debating the 25th amendment to the US Constitution, one state legislator called it rushing "pell-mell into madness." Another said it did not complete the very purpose it intended and should go back to Congress for fixing. And still another said it has a huge hole around the vice presidency. These state quibbles were enough for a scare, but the states ratified anyway, in the wake of the Cuban Missile Crisis and a bipartisan push. But were the arguments valid? Although the 25th is designed to potentially remove a President, it is also designed to avoid doing that if at all possible. It was written by politicians to avoid politics, and as several TV and movie writers have found, it could create lots of politics. If you find it confusing, you aren't alone. Some opponents during its ratification took a look at what came out of the hard work of Sen. Kefauver and Bayh and said - why was it written this way? And not all their criticisms were answered. In this episode we look at the 25th and objections raised in Pennsylvania, Arkansas and Colorado that might have sunk the amendment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices