Behind the Bastards Part One: America's First Fascist Governor
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Oct 8, 2024 Delve into the tumultuous life of Eugene Talmadge, Georgia's first fascist governor, whose authoritarian rule defined a chaotic era. Explore his controversial rise in politics, marked by corruption and power struggles, all set against the backdrop of a racially charged South. The podcast highlights Talmadge's manipulative tactics and the struggles of local farmers during a desperate agricultural crisis. With humorous insights and historical reflections, the narrative paints a vivid picture of a tumultuous period in American history.
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Napoleon Fanboy
- Eugene Talmadge's childhood hero was Napoleon Bonaparte.
- He would constantly carry around a biography of Napoleon and bait people into asking him to quote passages from it.
Mean Lou Gene
- As a child, Eugene Talmadge was known for being mean and enjoyed instigating fights between other boys.
- He was called "mean Lou Gene" by his peers and continued this behavior into adulthood.
Questionable Payments
- Eugene Talmadge took on a variety of legal cases, often representing poor clients who paid him in goods like chicken and eggs.
- A rumor circulated that a poor black woman paid him with her four young boys, whom he allegedly kept in a barn and mistreated.
