

The Preamble
Sharon McMahon
The world feels complicated. The Preamble is where it starts to make sense. Hosted by Sharon McMahon — known for making sense of complex issues — she and her guests dive deep into the stories and ideas driving our future, bringing clarity and honesty to every headline. If you want real insight, bold conversation, and answers that matter, this podcast is your must-listen. Hit play, and join the movement that will shape history.
An Audacy Podcast.
An Audacy Podcast.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 30, 2022 • 39min
Dinners With Ruth with Nina Totenberg
On this episode of Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon sits down with legendary NPR Legal Affairs correspondent, Nina Totenberg. Nina wrote a book–not just about her standing dinner dates with the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, but about the importance of friendships between women. Tune in to hear their conversation about connection, support, and thoughtfulness… and stay for the anecdotes about RBG’s goofy side! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 28, 2022 • 42min
Finding the Man Within the Myth with Alexis Coe
On today’s episode of Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon speaks with presidential historian Alexis Coe, who talks about her goal as a historian to tell the whole story. We have a tendency to regard many of our U.S. Presidents as heroes, illuminating the ways in which they shaped our nation for the good, that we often gloss over their missteps. Historians piece together facts and details to fill in the gaps of the bigger picture, but how often are our interpretations colored by our own lived experiences and perceptions? Listen in to learn some fun–and maybe not so fun–facts about our first president, George Washington. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 23, 2022 • 30min
Memorable Moments of White House Holidays
On today’s special holiday episode of Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, we’ll learn about how a few of our presidential families have influenced different types of events and customs during the December holiday season. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 21, 2022 • 30min
The War for the West
Today on Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, we move Westward. While the politics in Washington D.C. were shaping events throughout the rest of the nation, the same can be said in reverse: what was happening in land far from the capital city influenced much of its politics. Join us today at the border of Mexico and Texas to learn about the tipped dominoes that led the U.S. into our first successful war fought on foreign soil. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 19, 2022 • 31min
The Nomadic Life of Army Wife Margaret Taylor
On today’s episode, we’re going to move from political power player Sarah Polk to our next first lady: a total frontierswoman who was more comfortable roughing it in the wild with Army soldiers than throwing a society ball in Washington D.C. Come meet Margaret “Peggy” Taylor, and learn about her unusual life traveling to the most remote areas of the nation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 16, 2022 • 28min
Frederick Douglass: The Powerhouse Abolitionist
Today on here’s Where It Gets Interesting, we’re going to talk about a person who, by the mid-1800s, was shaping some of the biggest social reform movements to come out of the nation’s Antebellum era. A person who was born with no access and no rights. A person who was born into enslavement, fought his way to freedom, and then worked for a lifetime to ensure that access and equality was given to others. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 14, 2022 • 34min
The Wealthy & Powerful Sarah Polk
On today’s episode of Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, you’ll learn five reasons why Sarah Polk is unique in the constellation of America’s First Ladies. Sarah Childress Polk was a political force because she was so good at seeming not to be. Men and women alike found her intelligent and ambitious, but not threatening. Stay tuned to hear how she used this skill to elevate herself and her husband to the highest positions in the nation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 12, 2022 • 32min
Women Vs. Whiskey: The Rise of the American Temperance Movement
Did you know that, in the late 1800s, Americans were drinking three times the amount of alcohol we consume today? On this episode of Here's Where It Gets Interesting, you'll get a crash course in the history of drinking in America. Learn why Whiskey became the most-consumed spirit, which Former president tried to smuggle in 500 bottles of French Wine without paying taxes on them, and how the Women's Christian Temperance Union chose to voice their support for Prohibition (there's some bar smashing involved). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 9, 2022 • 34min
Two White House Weddings and a Funeral
Welcome to today's episode of Here's Where It Gets Interesting where we'll talk about a president who had three women perform the official duties of the White House Hostess. John Tyler, often called the “Accidental President”, stepped in when William Henry Harrison died a month into his first term. While his incumbency wasn’t filled with many political gains, he did enter the White House with one wife… only to leave it four years later with a different wife. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 7, 2022 • 32min
Deaths in the White House
On this episode of Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, let’s take a brief look at the history of some past presidential deaths–how they happened and what happened after. How has the U.S. government responded to the death of our nation’s leaders? Some of the traditions may surprise you. Do you know which president’s death revolutionized the funeral and embalming industry? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices


