This Day

Jody Avirgan & Radiotopia
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Dec 31, 2020 • 21min

2020 Favorite: Dukakis on the Tank w/ Amy Walter

To wrap up 2020, and give ourselves a week off, we’re re-running some of our favorite episodes from the year. Thanks for listening all year, and we have lots more in store for 2021! ///// On September 13th in 1988, Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis boarded an M-1 tank in order to set up a photo op, ostensibly to make him look tough on defense. It backfired horribly. Jody and Niki are joined by Amy Walter of the Cook Political Reporter and The Takeaway to discuss the tank photo, huge polling collapses, and the power of attack ads. Find a transcript of this episode at: https://tinyurl.com/esoterichistory This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Our website is thisdaypod.com Follow us on social @thisdaypod Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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Dec 29, 2020 • 13min

2020 Favorite: Wyoming's Suffrage w/ Maeve Higgins

To wrap up 2020, and give ourselves a week off, we’re re-running some of our favorite episodes from the year. Thanks for listening all year, and we have lots more in store for 2021! ///// On July 23rd, 1890, Wyoming celebrated its entry into the United States. And it was doing so as a state that granted women the right to vote. Jody and Niki are joined by Maeve Higgins of the New York Times and the podcast Mothers of Invention to discuss the suffrage movement on the American frontier. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Our website is thisdaypod.com Follow us on social @thisdaypod Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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Dec 27, 2020 • 15min

2020 Favorite: Obama's Tan Suit w/ Sam Sanders

To wrap up 2020, and give ourselves a week off, we’re re-running some of our favorite episodes from the year. Thanks for listening all year, and we have lots more in store for 2021! ///// On August 24th in 2014, President Barack Obama gave a press conference about Ukraine and ISIS and foreign policy — but much of the political chatter was about his choice of tan suit. Jody and Niki are joined by Sam Sanders of NPR’s “It’s Been A Minute” to discuss the “scandal” and what it how it represented a shifting moment in political coverage. Find a transcript of this episode at: https://tinyurl.com/esoterichistory This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Our website is thisdaypod.com Follow us on social @thisdaypod Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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Dec 24, 2020 • 27min

The War On Christmas (Part 2) w/ Michael Hobbes

It’s December 24nd. This Christmas week, we’re doing something a little different — a two-part special on the history of The War on Christmas. In part two, Jody and Nikki are joined by Michael Hobbes of “You’re Wrong About” to go back in time and explore the surprising roots of the War on Christmas, from the Puritans to the Egg Nog Riot to the Red Scare. Michael Hobbes’s podcasts are “You’re Wrong About” and “Maintenance Phase.” Find a transcript of this episode at: https://tinyurl.com/esoterichistory This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. If you want to support the show directly, you can do so on our website: ThisDayPod.com Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Our website is thisdaypod.com Follow us on social @thisdaypod Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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Dec 22, 2020 • 27min

The War On Christmas (Part 1) w/ Michael Hobbes

It’s December 22nd. This Christmas week, we’re doing something a little different — a two-part special on the history of The War on Christmas. In part one, Jody and Nikki are joined by Michael Hobbes of “You’re Wrong About” to discuss the recent history of the War, beginning with a Bill O’Reilly segment on Fox News in December 2004. Michael Hobbes’s podcasts are “You’re Wrong About” and “Maintenance Phase.” Find a transcript of this episode at: https://tinyurl.com/esoterichistory This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. If you want to support the show directly, you can do so on our website: ThisDayPod.com Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Our website is thisdaypod.com Follow us on social @thisdaypod Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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Dec 20, 2020 • 19min

Back On The Montgomery Bus (1956) w/ Christina Greer

It’s December 20th. On this day in 1956, the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott ended after 381 days. Jody and Niki are joined by Christina Greer of Fordham University to discuss what brought the boycott to an end, and the hard work that took place on the ground to maintain pressure and de-segregate the public bus system. Christina Greer is a co-host of “FAQNYC” and her new podcast with The Griot is “What’s In It For Us.” Find a transcript of this episode at: https://tinyurl.com/esoterichistory This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. If you want to support the show directly, you can do so on our website: ThisDayPod.com Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Our website is thisdaypod.com Follow us on social @thisdaypod Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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Dec 17, 2020 • 25min

Ellis Island Opens (1900) w/ Brian Lehrer

It’s December 17th. On this day in 1900, the Ellis Island immigration center in New York harbor opened its doors. Jody and Niki are joined by Brian Lehrer of WNYC to discuss the new wave of immigrants that entered the country in the first decades of the 1900s, and how the story of American immigration has evolved over the years. Find a transcript of this episode at: https://tinyurl.com/esoterichistory This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. If you want to support the show directly, you can do so on our website: ThisDayPod.com Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Our website is thisdaypod.com Follow us on social @thisdaypod Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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Dec 15, 2020 • 19min

Boss Tweed Goes Down (1871)

It’s December 15th. On this day in 1871, William “Boss” Tweed is arrested in Manhattan while returning to the city to, reportedly, see the Christmas lights. Jody and Niki discuss what this moment means for Boss Tweed and the notorious Tammany Hall power structure in New York City. Tweed spent much of the 1860s pulling the puppet strings in NYC, and would spend much of the next decade on the run from the law. Find a transcript of this episode at: https://tinyurl.com/esoterichistory This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. If you want to support the show directly, you can do so on our website: ThisDayPod.com Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Our website is thisdaypod.com Follow us on social @thisdaypod Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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Dec 13, 2020 • 26min

Trump the Moderator (2011) w/ James Poniewozik

It’s December 13th. On this day in 2011, Donald Trump wrote a letter announcing that he was bowing out of moderating (!) a Newsmax presidential debate. Jody and Niki are joined by James Poniewozik of the New York Times to discuss Trump’s flirtation with both moderating a debate and running for president, and how the conservative media ecosystem has evolved over the last 10 years. James’s latest book is “Audience of One.” Nikki’s book i “Messengers of the Right.” Find a transcript of this episode at: https://tinyurl.com/esoterichistory This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. If you want to support the show directly, you can do so on our website: ThisDayPod.com Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Our website is thisdaypod.com Follow us on social @thisdaypod Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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Dec 10, 2020 • 21min

The Great Toledo War (1836) w/ Hanif Abdurraqib

It’s December 10th. On this day in 1836, the final days of the “Great Toledo War,” a conflict over a strip of territory between the state of Ohio and the territory of Michigan. Jody and Niki are joined by Hanif Abdurraqib to discuss the origins of the battle, whether it qualifies as a “war,” and what to make of the ongoing Ohio-Michigan rivalry. Hanif is the host of the latest season of the excellent music podcast “Lost Notes.” Find a transcript of this episode at: https://tinyurl.com/esoterichistory This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. If you want to support the show directly, you can do so on our website: ThisDayPod.com Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Our website is thisdaypod.com Follow us on social @thisdaypod Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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