Podcasts by American Elections: Wicked Game

Introducing American Elections: Wicked Game from 2023-10-31T05:00

On February 10th, 1796, Vice President John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail, lamenting the state of discourse in the country. The election was nearing—and becoming heated. Newspapers screamed, fact...

2020, Biden vs. Trump: The Soul of America from 2020-12-15T10:00

President Donald Trump faces off with President Obama’s political wingman: Vice President Joe Biden. In a contest defined by partisan rancor, congressional investigations and a global pandemic, ...

2016, Clinton vs. Trump: The Omega and the Alpha from 2020-11-03T10:00

Donald J. Trump returns to the political arena. First as a longshot candidate and then as an improbable frontrunner, Trump makes his way through a crowded Republican primary field to take on Dem...

2012, Romney vs. Obama: The Rich Boy from 2020-10-27T09:00

As Barack Obama fends off attacks on everything from his foreign policy to the color of his suits, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney defends his religion and fights his way through a cro...

2008, McCain vs. Obama: Hope and Change from 2020-10-20T09:00

New York Senator and former First Lady Hillary Clinton enters the 2008 election as the presumptive favorite to win the Democratic nomination. But Barack Obama, a first-term senator from Illinois...

2004, Bush vs. Kerry: Do or Die from 2020-10-13T09:00

As President George W. Bush navigates the challenges of his first year in office, he is confronted by one of the gravest, most horrific tragedies ever to reach American shores. But Bush’s respon...

2000, Bush vs. Gore vs. Nader: Gettin’ Snippy from 2020-10-06T09:00

With Bill Clinton’s tenure as president coming to an end, Vice President Al Gore takes up the mantle for the Democrats. Gore tries to distance himself from the Clinton scandals while Republicans...

1996, Dole vs. Clinton: The Comeback Kid from 2020-09-29T09:00

Bill Clinton bounces back from early problems in his presidency and looks to become the first two-term Democratic president since Franklin Roosevelt. To stop him, Republicans turn to Senator Bob...

1992, Bush vs. Clinton vs. Perot: The Baby Boomer and the Independent from 2020-09-22T09:00

President George H.W. Bush tries to shore up his Republican coalition and offer the American people a clear picture of what a second Bush term will look like. Meanwhile, down South, a young saxo...

1988, Bush vs. Dukakis: Character Assassinations from 2020-09-15T09:00

Vice President George H. W. Bush is Ronald Reagan’s heir apparent. But in order to defeat Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis, Bush must embrace Reagan’s conservatism, get the best of a respected...

1984, Mondale vs. Reagan: The Teflon President from 2020-09-08T09:00

With a Republican-controlled Senate and a clear mandate from the American people, Ronald Reagan sets out to show American strength abroad and to reduce the role of “big government” at home. The ...

1980, Carter vs. Reagan: Let’s Make America Great Again from 2020-09-01T09:00

President Jimmy Carter fights to keep the White House in a trial by fire of domestic recession and international turmoil. Carter defends his presidency against the rise of a softer, more approac...

1976, Ford vs. Carter: Unimpeachable from 2020-08-25T09:00

When Nixon gets caught up in the biggest presidential scandal in American History, he enlists the help of a man with unimpeachable character: Gerald R. Ford Jr. In the wake of Watergate, Ford be...

1972, McGovern vs. Nixon: Failure Comes Easy At Times Like This from 2020-08-18T09:00

In a contest largely defined by the Vietnam War, Republican President Richard Nixon fights to keep the White House out of the hands of Democratic nominee Senator George McGovern. In order to giv...

1968, Nixon vs. Humphrey vs. Wallace: Law and Order from 2020-08-11T09:00

Against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement, President Johnson declares his intention not to run in the 1968 contest, leaving the door open for Former Vice President Ri...

1964, Johnson vs. Goldwater: A Choice, Not An Echo from 2020-08-04T09:00

In the aftermath of JFK’s assassination, Lyndon Johnson fights to shed the mantle of accidental president. But as he strives to carry forward Kennedy’s legacy, he faces a barrage of opposition f...

1960, Nixon vs. Kennedy: Behind the Curtain from 2020-07-28T09:00

Democrat John F. Kennedy and Republican Richard Nixon fight for the White House on new technological turf: the rise of television sets the stage for an unprecedented campaign defined by race, re...

1956, Stevenson vs. Eisenhower: A Chance for Peace from 2020-07-21T09:00

In the run up to the 1956 contest, Ike battles severe health issues, an intensifying Cold War and enemies in the Democratic party. But his greatest struggle during the campaign isn’t with Adlai ...

1952, Stevenson vs. Eisenhower: The Fund Crisis from 2020-07-14T09:00

Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower takes on a determined Democratic party united behind the popular Illinois governor, Adlai Stevenson. But in the run up to the 1952 contest, Ike’s biggest cross to bear is...

1948, Dewey vs. Truman: The Gangbuster from 2020-07-07T09:00

In the wake of World War II, as President Truman fights to establish a new peace, Republican Governor Thomas Dewey gears up for a second run at the White House. As Truman strives to fulfill Fran...

1944, Dewey vs. Roosevelt: The Last Stand from 2020-06-30T09:00

As World War II rages on, FDR is in the political fight of his life against a young political newcomer, Republican Thomas Dewey. Riding the wave of Republican gains in the 1942 midterms, the you...

1940, Willkie vs. Roosevelt: Storm on the Horizon from 2020-06-23T09:00

Against the backdrop of World War II, FDR’s position of neutrality is threatened as he seeks to become the first president to serve three terms in office. To win the White House in the 1940 cont...

1936, Landon vs. Roosevelt: New Deal on Trial from 2020-06-16T09:00

As FDR pushes his progressive agenda, Republicans turn to a progressive candidate of their own: Kansas Governor Al Landon. Landon and the Republicans fight to make the election a referendum on f...

1932, Hoover vs. Roosevelt vs. Smith: Two Governors from 2020-06-09T09:00

As President Hoover and the Republicans scramble to rescue the country from the Great Depression, Democratic nominee Franklin Delano Roosevelt strives to take the country in a bold new direction...

1928, Hoover vs. Smith: Master of Emergencies from 2020-06-03T09:00

In the wake of an unprecedented natural disaster, Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover lives up to his reputation as a Master of Emergencies and solidifies his status as the presumptive Republican ...

1924, Coolidge vs. Davis vs. La Follette: Silence is Golden from 2020-05-26T09:00

After the death of Warren G Harding, Vice President Calvin Coolidge inherits a booming economy, but he also inherits one of the biggest political scandals in American history. To win his party’s...

1920, Harding vs. Cox vs. Debs: A Return to Normal from 2020-05-19T09:00

In the aftermath of a bloody world war and a catastrophic global pandemic, the Democrats shun President Woodrow Wilson and dash his hopes to be the first American president to serve three terms....

1916, Hughes vs. Wilson: He Kept Us Out of War! from 2020-05-12T09:00

As war brews overseas in Europe, Democratic President Woodrow Wilson strives to keep America out of the war and to keep his prospects for a second term alive. To keep the White House, Wilson goe...

1912, Wilson vs. Taft vs. Roosevelt: The Bull Moose from 2020-05-05T09:00

Teddy Roosevelt comes out of retirement and returns to the political fold to unseat his longtime political friend and ally, President William Howard Taft. As both parties struggle to hold their ...

1908, Taft vs. Bryan: A Significant Loser from 2020-04-28T09:00

Teddy Roosevelt’s hand-picked successor, Republican William Howard Taft, faces off against Democrat William Jennings Bryan. In his third and final presidential campaign, Bryan preaches the gospe...

1904, Parker vs. Roosevelt: Rough Rider from 2020-04-21T09:00

In the aftermath of President McKinley’s assassination at the hands of an anarchist, Vice President Teddy Roosevelt, a man known for his physical and mental strength, rises to power and to the o...

1900, McKinley vs. Bryan: The Rise and Fall of Empires from 2020-04-14T09:00

In a tumultuous period defined by change, innovation, expansion and war, the stage is set for a rematch between incumbent Republican William McKinley and Democrat William Jennings Bryan. After M...

1896, Bryan vs. McKinley: The Battle of the Standard Bearers from 2020-04-07T09:00

In the wake of the greatest economic depression in the country’s history so far, the Democrats battle it out over the future of monetary policy. In the midst of the debate, former Nebraska congr...

1892, Harrison vs. Weaver vs. Cleveland: The Centennial President from 2020-03-31T09:00

Benjamin Harrison, the Centennial President, survives a deadly strike, an international conflict, and the massacre at Wounded Knee. On the campaign trail, Harrison fights to overcome these obsta...

1888, Cleveland vs. Harrison: Tariffs and Truths from 2020-03-24T09:00

Social unrest rocks the nation as labor riots, economic anxiety and widespread racial violence threaten Grover Cleveland’s chances for a second term. In the midst of the turmoil, President Cleve...

1884, Blaine vs. Cleveland: Tell the Truth from 2020-03-17T09:00

In an era known for corruption in politics, two presidential candidates strive for honesty and transparency: Republican James Blaine and Democrat Grover Cleveland. But as Cleveland and Blaine ea...

1880, Hancock vs. Garfield: Maelstrom from 2020-03-10T09:00

After Rutherford B Hayes steps aside, James Garfield rises to become the Republican nominee. To win the White House, Garfield fights to unite his party at the Republican Convention and get the b...

1876, Tilden vs. Hayes: Faustian Bargain from 2020-03-03T10:00

Fed up with the scandals of the Grant Administration, Republicans find a new leader in Rutherford B Hayes. To keep the White House Republican, Hayes will have to get the best of a do-gooder Demo...

1872, Greeley vs. Grant: Progress Under Siege from 2020-02-25T10:00

As President Grant seeks to protect the rights of the Freedmen, the forces of opposition inside the Democratic party zero in on his administration. In the run up to the 1872 election Grant battl...

1868, Seymour vs. Grant: The Rise of the General from 2020-02-18T10:00

The death of Abraham Lincoln sets the stage for one of the greatest political showdowns in American history. On one side stands President Andrew Johnson, a notorious drunk and bigot who was symp...

1864, McClellan vs. Lincoln: Providence from 2020-02-11T10:00

While President Lincoln battles the Confederacy down South, he fights to keep the White House from the clutches of the Democratic Party. In the midst of the Civil War, Lincoln faces off against ...

1860, Lincoln vs. Douglas: A House Divided from 2020-02-04T10:00

With the nation on the brink of disunion, two Illinois politicians battle it out for the soul of the country: Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln and Democrat candidate Stephen Douglass. Lincol...

1856, Fremont vs. Buchanan vs. Fillmore: The End of Compromise from 2020-01-28T10:00

The issue of slavery takes a bloody turn as sectional tensions turn violent in the West. “Bloody Kansas” deprives President Pierce of his party’s nomination and leaves the door open for Democrat...

1852, Scott vs. Pierce: Bursting at the Seams from 2020-01-21T10:00

In the wake of President Zachary Taylor’s sudden death, Millard Fillmore signs into law the Compromise of 1850, the so called “final settlement” on the issue of slavery. But the Compromise has u...

1848, Cass vs. Taylor: Old Rough and Ready from 2020-01-14T10:00

In the wake of the Mexican-American war, the US gains two new territories: California and New Mexico. The victory over Mexico once again puts slavery at the center of the national political dial...

1844, Clay vs. Polk: His Accidency from 2020-01-07T10:00

After President Harrison passes away just one month into his term, Vice President John Tyler becomes the first accidental president in US History. While Tyler fights for the legitimacy of his pr...

1840, Van Buren vs. Harrison: Ole Tip from 2019-12-31T10:00

The Whigs seek to deny President Martin Van Buren a second term by taking a page out of the Republican playbook, and run a war hero candidate of their own: General William Henry Harrison; the he...

1836, Van Buren vs. the Whigs: Sin on the Ballot from 2019-12-24T10:00

As Jackson’s Vice President Martin Van Buren struggles to secure his place as Jackson’s Heir Apparent, the newly formed Whig party struggles to form a national identity. The Whigs unite against ...

1832, Jackson vs. Clay: The Reign of King Mob from 2019-12-17T10:00

Jackson and the Democrats battle to defend Jackson’s presidency from Henry Clay and an onslaught of personal and political attacks. The death of his wife Rachel fuels Jackson’s desire for reveng...

1828, Adams vs. Jackson: The General’s Vengeance from 2019-12-10T10:00

In the 1828 contest, the party label of “Democratic-Republican” splits in half, giving birth to two new political factions: the Democrats and the National Republicans. General Andrew Jackson rid...

1824, Adams vs. Jackson: End of an Era from 2019-12-03T10:00

As America’s regions battle over their disparate interests, five presidential candidates emerge. The 1824 election signals the end of the Era of Good Feelings, the crumbling of the old political...

1820, Monroe: Good Feelings from 2019-11-26T10:00

In the last uncontested election in US history, President James Monroe presides over the “Era of Good Feelings.” With the nearly extinct Federalist party on the ropes, in order to win a second t...

1816, Monroe vs. King: The Virginia Dynasty from 2019-11-19T10:00

In his country’s hour of need, President Madison puts his hopes in Secretary of State James Monroe. Monroe’s heroic actions in the War of 1812 help save the country, bolster his national reputat...

1812, Madison vs. Clinton: The Wartime Candidate from 2019-11-12T10:00

During Madison’s first term, US neutrality in the ongoing conflict between France and Britain is put to the test. Madison has no choice but to defend his country against British oppression; and ...

1808, Madison vs. Pinckney: Two Virginians from 2019-11-05T10:00

James Madison is Thomas Jefferson’s heir apparent. To win the presidency, Madison will have to deal with a growing threat inside his own party: the Tertium Quids. Upset by Madison’s actions as J...

1804, Jefferson vs. Pinckney: The People’s President from 2019-10-29T09:00

To maintain his grip on power and win the election of 1804, Thomas Jefferson, the so called “Man of the People”, will have to survive brutal attacks in the press, ideological pushback from his o...

1800, Adams vs. Jefferson: Tiebreaker from 2019-10-22T09:00

As Thomas Jefferson and John Adams part ways over the issue of France, history sets the stage for one of America’s oldest, and bloodiest political rivalries: Burr versus Hamilton. These two foes...

1796, Adams vs. Jefferson: The First Contest from 2019-10-15T09:00

In the 1796 election, two political forces of nature collide: Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. As the supporters of Adams and Jefferson vie for their candidate, the machinery of America’s nascen...

1792, Washington: Partisanship Rising from 2019-10-08T09:05

As President Washington grapples with the idea of a second term, Vice President John Adams gears up for a fight to keep the vice presidency. Adams will find help from an unlikely ally, the very ...

Introducing American Elections: Wicked Game from 2019-09-27T08:30

American Elections: Wicked Game premieres Tuesday, October 8th.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/priva...

Introducing American Elections: Wicked Game from 2019-09-27T08:30

American Elections: Wicked Game premieres Tuesday, October 8th.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/priva...