We seek to solve two puzzles: How did Reagan the Truman booster and N
ew Deal supporter become Reagan the Goldwater acolyte? And when he entered politics, became GOP nominee and President, what were the economic results of his Presidency?
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 28
THE "SEINFELD MIDTERM" OF 1990 AND THE "DISCO MIDTERM" OF 1978
There's an expectation that every midterm will be a wave. 2026 well could be, in line with 1994, 2014 or 2006. But it's not automatic. In this episode we discuss the modern reality of midterms. Party losses are getting lower on average, and what a wave is has changed. In this epi ... Show More
31m 51s
Oct 25
WHAT WE SAID LAST MIDTERM ELECTION: The 2022 Midterm Result, and Listener Questions
4 years ago we said this... Call 2022 the Mick Jagger midterm - neither party got fully what they wanted. Both parties experienced win and losses. It is, so far, largely a "stave midterm" where the President's party lost less seats than expected - we've discussed a few of these o ... Show More
1h 4m
Sep 2025
Ronald Reagan: The Hollywood President (Part 1)
Ronald Reagan is one of the most mythologized figures in American politics, but how did an actor and former Democrat become the standard-bearer of conservatism? In this new series exclusively for Founding Members explore Reagan’s rise, legacy, and myth. Who was the real Ronald Re ... Show More
16m 13s
Sep 2024
How Ronald Reagan Helped Shape The GOP
This is an excerpt from the full episode, "Reagan's Life And Legacy (With Max Boot)"Michael Steele speaks with bestselling author, historian, and policy analyst Max Boot about his latest book,"Reagan: His Life And Legend" and the differences about the GOP compared to the days of ... Show More
6m 46s
Mar 2023
312: Reagan, Iran-Contra and the Cold War (Part 3)
Warmonger or nuclear disarmer? Ronald Reagan’s presidency survived an assassination attempt, the AIDS epidemic and the Iranian hostage crisis. He powered through the 1980s, creating his own truth and narrative, in a series of events that read like a Hollywood screenplay.
Tom an ... Show More
58m 29s
Mar 2023
311: Reagan: The Road to the White House (Part 2)
His Hollywood career drying up, Ronald Reagan works both for the Screen Actors Guild and General Electric in the 1950s. Building connections with the Californian elite, and having gained national attention with a speech for the Republican presidential candidate in 1964, he become ... Show More
59m 51s