Landslide

NPR
  • 4.8 (788)
  • HISTORY
  • WEEKLY SERIES
Landslide

In the mid-1970s, the Republican Party looked on the verge of self-destruction. Until 1976. A political earthquake: A cutthroat, razor-close, deeply personal battle for the Republican nomination, and the party's identity. It resurrected the GOP, remade it as a conservative party, and pulled the country sharply to the right. Landslide is the story of the closest presidential primary race in American history, what followed, and how it reshaped the political parties — opening the partisan rifts that divide us today. Hosted by award-winning public radio journalist Ben Bradford.

  1. Trust

    EPISODE 1

    Trust

    Gerald Ford had planned to retire. But in the days and weeks after Watergate, the new president looks to rebuild Americans' collapsing trust in their government. His attempts to cool partisan tempers prove poisonously divisive. A conservative mutiny brews within his own political party, and a former actor leads a challenge against him — Ronald Reagan. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

    40 min

  2. EPISODE 2

    Lightweight

    The idea that Ronald Reagan can win is laughable. "Suicidal," writes the New York Times. Too extreme, too gaffe-prone, too unserious a candidate, the faded former actor has no chance to unseat the sitting president in the primaries — and if he does it will signal the end of the Republican Party. But Reagan seizes a message that entwines optimism and culture war, the power of which was not fully appreciated at the time. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

    42 min

  3. EPISODE 3

    The New Right

    The 1976 Republican primary looks finished. After a string of losses to Ford, Reagan's aides prepare to concede. But a network of right-wing groups has quietly organized, drumming up anger over integration, women's rights, gun laws, and textbooks. It is known as the New Right, and it will help spring an improbable comeback that will change the battle lines of American politics. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

    41 min

  4. EPISODE 4

    Shootout

    With the primaries over, the nomination hangs in the hands of a few remaining "unbound" delegates. Ford and Reagan scramble to win them over, as the battle to lead the Republican Party — and to decide its direction — comes down to a national convention known as the Shoot-Out in Kansas City. There, a series of gambits, promises, and betrayals culminates with a nominee, a conservative platform, and the modern GOP. Hosted by Ben Bradford. A production of NuanceTales, in partnership with WFAE, distributed by the NPR Network. NuanceTales: https://www.nuancetales.com/ WFAE: https://www.wfae.org/landslide NPR: https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510376/landslide Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

    40 min

  5. EPISODE 5

    Ordinary Man

    An unexpected contender ambushes the Democratic field. The one-term Georgia governor Jimmy Carter has planned a campaign of military precision for the Democratic nomination. With a wide grin, cold blood, and a dose of luck, he rises from unknown to the 1976 nomination. But he leaves questions in his wake, even as he establishes a new paradigm for Democratic presidential candidates: the small-government outsider. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

    42 min

  6. EPISODE 6

    Outsider

    Bruised after the primaries, the unpopular Ford looks headed for a blowout defeat in the 1976 general election. But his campaign adopts a clever strategy, and Carter struggles in the spotlight as the frontrunner. Gaffes, attack ads, Playboy magazine, and a new institution — a series of presidential debates — build to a razor-close election. It marks a turning point for the types of candidates America will elect.Hosted by Ben Bradford. A production of NuanceTales, in partnership with WFAE, distributed by the NPR Network. NuanceTales: https://www.nuancetales.com/ WFAE: https://www.wfae.org/landslide NPR: https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510376/landslide Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

    37 min

  7. EPISODE 7

    Landslide

    Four years later. Jimmy Carter is now an embattled president, unpopular and facing a tough primary challenge. Meanwhile, Ronald Reagan storms to the Republican nomination, while wooing a powerful new bloc of voters into his conservative coalition — the Christian Right. Still, amid worries that Reagan is too extreme and too old, the 1980 general election remains tight until the very end. How did it lead to an ideological sea change in American politics? Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

    51 min

  8. EPISODE 8

    Making Abortion Partisan

    Even in the years after Roe vs. Wade, the issue of abortion did not divide the political parties — or most Americans. But as Reagan, the New Right, and the Christian Right took control in the Republican Party, they saw its potential to galvanize voters. In this bonus episode, legal historian Mary Ziegler joins Landslide host Ben Bradford to trace how abortion transformed from a muted sectarian issue with blurry, sometimes bizarre battle lines into today's explosive, polarizing wedge issue. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

    21 min

  9. EPISODE 9

    New Right TV

    Before Fox News, the grassroots conservative activists known as "the New Right" spent decades attempting — and failing — to launch their own television news channel. In this bonus episode, Purdue historian Kathryn Cramer Brownell chronicles the New Right's TV efforts, why they failed, and how it all ultimately culminated in a stunning success — the creation of today's media ecosystem. Other tidbits include Richard Nixon's news obsession, a conservative wine show, and a "fight for survival" at CBS.A production of NuanceTales, in partnership with WFAE, distributed by the NPR Network.NuanceTales: https://www.nuancetales.com/WFAE: https://www.wfae.org/landslideNPR: https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510376/landslide Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

    24 min

  10. EPISODE 10

    When Money Became Speech

    After Watergate, both parties cracked down on political spending with a new, strict campaign finance law. But instead of money in politics shrinking, it exploded. In this bonus episode, historian Marc C. Johnson joins Landslide host Ben Bradford to talk about what happened, the legal saga that threw open the doors to spending by outside groups, and how it radically changed not just presidential campaigns, but every race for federal office. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

    18 min

  11. EPISODE 11

    The Exoneration of Richard Nixon

    If the new Supreme Court decision, Trump v. U.S., had applied back in 1974, could President Richard Nixon have been prosecuted for Watergate? Or, would this decision shield Nixon from criminal charges? In this special bonus episode of Landslide, host Ben Bradford explores the scope of the new ruling by looking back at the case against Nixon, the charges he looked likely to face without a pardon, and whether his most brazen actions could today be admitted into a court. Has history proven Nixon correct when he said, "When the president does it, that means it is not illegal?" University of Chicago law professor and legal historian Alison LaCroix joins. Show notes: The interview references this 1974 article from The New York Times, describing the evidence against Nixon that led to articles of impeachment: https://www.nytimes.com/1974/08/09/archives/the-case-against-richard-nixon-a-catalogue-of-charges-and-his.html A draft indictment crafted by the Department of Justice in early 1974 shows criminal charges Nixon may have faced if not for the pardon issued by his successor, President Gerald Ford: https://www.archives.gov/files/research/investigations/watergate/roadmap/docid-70105876.pdf- Short Feed Episode Description: The new Supreme Court decision may have offered Nixon immunity for Watergate and his administration's most brazen actions. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

    21 min
See All Season 1 (11)

Trailer

4.8
out of 5
788 Ratings

About

In the mid-1970s, the Republican Party looked on the verge of self-destruction. Until 1976. A political earthquake: A cutthroat, razor-close, deeply personal battle for the Republican nomination, and the party's identity. It resurrected the GOP, remade it as a conservative party, and pulled the country sharply to the right. Landslide is the story of the closest presidential primary race in American history, what followed, and how it reshaped the political parties — opening the partisan rifts that divide us today. Hosted by award-winning public radio journalist Ben Bradford.

Information

  • Creator
    NPR
  • Episodes
    12
  • Seasons
    1
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 NPR - For Personal Use Only
  • Show Website
    Landslide

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada