Originally published on June 1, 2016 (Episode 60)
Introduction
Trigger Warning: if the 2016 presidential election has you waking up in the middle of the night in cold sweats, you may wish to give this conversation a pass.
There’s no easy way to say it: 2016 was a very strange year in American politics. Pundits and sober-minded experts were consistently wrong. As an exercise in self-critical thinking, it’s useful to remember who got things wrong and why.
This week I talk with Historically Thinking’s Official Presidential Historian®, Michael Connolly. We take a leisurely stroll through electoral history, from the election of 1860 and the “Wideawakes,” to comparisons of Donald Trump with Andrew Jackson. Along the way we consider whether American history contains an election in which both candidates were as unpopular with their own parties.
About the Guest
Michael Connolly is Professor of History at Purdue University North Central. His research focuses on 19th-century American political culture, and he has been a frequent guest on Historically Thinking.
For Further Investigation
Andrew Burstein, The Passions of Andrew Jackson (Vintage, 2007)
David Feller, “Andrew Jackson’s Shifting Legacy”, HistoryNow, Episode 22, Winter 2009
Robert V. Remini, Andrew Jackson (Perennial, 1999)
Sean Wilentz, The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln (W.W. Norton, 2005)
Listen & Discuss
How useful are historical analogies between past and present candidates? Why do American political parties endure through crises when others collapse?
If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone who loves comparing past presidents with present politics.
