Fail To The Chief

Informações:

Synopsis

Fail to the Chief is the podcast where comic historian Thom Woodley talks about the men who became President... almost. Romp through the losers of presidential history, laugh and marvel at how different life might have been, had America made different choices.

Episodes

  • 1832. William Wirt and the Anti-Masons.

    18/06/2019 Duration: 28min

    Thom Woodley dives into the groundbreaking third party candidacy of William Wirt and the Anti-Masonic party in this rerelease of a 2015 episode. 

  • 1928. Al Smith, the Happy Warrior

    04/06/2019 Duration: 40min

    In this episode, humorist historian Thom Woodley dives into Al Smith, Governor of New York, first Catholic nominee, a man who might have prevented the Depression even though he never even went to high school. 

  • Ep 29: La la la Loser, La la la La Follette (Re-release)

    21/05/2019 Duration: 34min

    Re-release of episode from 2015/2016 about 'Fighting Bob' La Follette, champion of the Progressive Party and bigtime loser of 1924.  

  • 1924. John W. Davis, Pride of West Virginia

    07/05/2019 Duration: 35min

    In this episode, Thom dives into one of the most forgotten presidential losers of all time, John W. Davis, 1924 Democratic dark horse nominee. 

  • 1824 and 1832. The Incredible Henry Clay (Part 1)

    30/04/2019 Duration: 36min

    Thom rereleases part 1 of his all-time favorite loser, Henry Clay, the man who ran six times, was nominated thrice, saved the Union thrice, and probably almost destroyed it a few times too. 

  • 1920. America kicks itself in the Cox (James Cox)

    16/04/2019 Duration: 32min

    REISSUE of an episode that came out in the Summer of 2016! Back then I compared James Cox to John Kasich (since both were, you know, governors of Ohio ultimately defeated by men who really had little knowledge of what the president did). But could this short, feisty, intense little man have ALSO prevented the stock market crash and depression? Listen on.

  • 1916. Charles Evans Hughes, the Beard we can Believe in.

    02/04/2019 Duration: 35min

    In this episode, Thom looks at one of the best presidential losers of all time, Charles Evans Hughes. He lost to Woodrow Wilson by only about six thousand votes, but it's all good - he went on to serve as both Secretary of State and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, so don't feel too bad. 

  • BONUS! The Sentencing Speech of Eugene V. Debs

    26/03/2019 Duration: 10min

    When Socialist presidential candidate Eugene V. Debs was sentenced for speaking out against World War 1, on September 18, 2018, he gave a stirring speech in support of his beliefs and principles, and in execration of the Espionage Act and the government that had spawned it. I read it here, poorly and quickly, in the streets of NYC!

  • 1900-1920. Eugene V. Debs and the (first) Socialist Revolution

    19/03/2019 Duration: 39min

    Did you know that America had socialist candidates before Bernie Sanders? We sure did. In fact, union organizer Eugene Debs ran as the Socialist candidate in five elections - including one from a prison cell. 

  • 1904. The Anonymous Alton B. Parker.

    05/03/2019 Duration: 36min

    Thom Woodley explores the candidacy of Judge Alton B. Parker, the most forgotten of all losers - so forgotten that this democratic nominee has never even had a biography written about him. 

  • 1824. William Crawford's Stroke of Bad Luck.

    26/02/2019 Duration: 29min

    Learn how the last Democratic-Republican nominee, Georgia's William Crawford, split the party apart and led to the rise of the two party system which ultimately bred hatred in the days leading to the Civil War. 

  • BONUS! President's Day 2019

    18/02/2019 Duration: 15min

    Thom goes through the Top 5 and Bottom 5 Losers so far, and also discuss FAIL TO THE CHIEF... the book???

  • BONUS! The Cross of Gold Speech by William Jennings Bryan

    13/02/2019 Duration: 20min

    Thom reads the 1896 Democratic National Convention 'Cross of Gold' speech of William Jennings Bryan. 

  • 1896, 1900, 1908. William Jennings Bryan, shaper of the Democratic Party.

    05/02/2019 Duration: 53min

    Thom Woodley discusses three-time democratic party loser William Jennings Bryan, and what the world would be like had this preacher-in-chief been elected. 

  • Bonus Episode! Reviewing the 3rd Period of American Politics

    29/01/2019 Duration: 29min

    Thom summarizes his rankings for the losers of the period of American history from 1860-1892: Stephen Douglas, John Breckinridge, John Bell, George McClellan, Horatio Seymour, Horace Greeley, Samuel Tilden, Winfield Scott Hancock, James Blaine and James Weaver.  He also discusses some interesting 'nearly also-rans': William Seward, Salmon Chase, Cassius Clay, Roscoe Conkling, Thomas Hendricks, Thomas Bayard, Benjamin 'Beast' Butler, and the various third parties of the era, from the Women's Equality Party to the Prohibition Party. 

  • 1816. The Man who would be (Rufus) King

    22/01/2019 Duration: 28min

    In this rerelease, Thom dives into the election of 1816, the last mewling death cry of the Federalist Party and its standardbearer, Rufus King. 

  • 1896. James B. Weaver, the People's Person of Choice.

    15/01/2019 Duration: 33min

    You've probably never heard of James B. Weaver, but he's the first successful populist (leftist) candidate in American history. His 1896 third party run won five states and helped to change the landscape of politics from then on. In this episode, Thom Woodley tells you about his life, his politics, and maybe, just maybe, you'll come out a 'b.weaver'. 

  • 1884. The Plumed Knight of Maine, James G. Blaine

    01/01/2019 Duration: 34min

    James G. Blaine combined the politicking of Paul Ryan, the NYC elitist foibles of Hillary Clinton, and the plutocratic corruption of Donald Trump. And he almost became president in 1884.  Hear comic historian Thom Woodley go into what kept this scandal-ridden, political wunderkind out of the White House. 

  • 1812. De wit and de wisdom of Dewitt Clinton.

    18/12/2018 Duration: 26min

    When he ran for president in the midst of our most-forgotten major war, Dewitt Clinton was serving as both lieutenant governor of New York and Mayor of New York City - and he was both a Democratic-Republican and a Federalist. It was confusing times. How exactly did this canal-digging, city-building Magnus Apollo of a man lose to short, shriveled, sickly James Madison? Listen in to find out. 

  • 1880. The Superb Winfield Scott Hancock.

    04/12/2018 Duration: 35min

    We're back, with a new episode the first Tuesday of every month! This episode, Thom explores the election of 1880, which Civil War hero Winfield Scott Hancock lost to political partisan James Garfield. 

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