Lies, Hyper-Partisanship, Double Standards, and Hypocrisy: Trump’s Hush-Money Trial

My Substack e-newsletter is on Donald Trump's hush-money trial, placed in historical context. Some of the same players were involved in the impeachment of Bill Clinton in the 1990s and the hush-money trial of Sen. John Edwards (D-NC), who ran for president in 2007 and early 2008. Except this time, they seem to be advocating …

Trump Becomes First Former President On Trial, In Possibly Only Case Against Him To Conclude Before Election

Donald Trump today becomes the first former U.S. president to stand trial for fraudulently and feloniously falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 hush-money payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels. Politifact offers a guide. This may be the only one of his trials to conclude and reach a verdict before the November election. …

US Security Classification System Under Scrutiny

CNN: "This is getting absurd. Americans have had the opportunity to choose from between three people to be president since 2016, and all three have been found to have classified documents they should not have. Clearly, there’s a larger problem." The article goes on to point out the extraordinarily complex classification and declassification of documents …

Retro Reports: How 1994 Midterms Set Off An Era of Divisive Politics. Will It Continue?

The 2022 midterm elections could help determine the political direction of the country, possibly for years or even decades to come. Since 1994, when Republicans won a landslide 74 House seats and eight Senate seats, they have held the majority in the "people's house," the US House of Representatives, the branch of the federal government …

Political Ads That Changed the Game: Willie Horton

Retro Report: "The infamous Willie Horton ad placed a nail in the coffin of Michael Dukakis' 1988 presidential run. It became a model for outside groups seeking influence–the forerunner to the Swift Boat Veterans and Super PACs." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdJ97qWHOxo Lesson plan for educators: https://bit.ly/RR-historical-ads1

How the ‘Solid South’ Shifted from Reliably Democrat to Reliably Republican

Understanding 20th century Southern political history is essential to comprehending the potential for changes in voting patterns or a realignment of states in presidential and congressional elections in the 2020s. The so-called “Solid South” of White segregationists’ block voting for Democrats existed between the end of Reconstruction in 1877 to the passage of the Civil Rights Act …

Stock Market Gains, Losses Under Presidents Since Reagan. How Political Parties’ Economic Performances Are Perceived

How much a president inspires the stock market remains a question of debate. But let's look at the record since 1980. During Ronald Reagan's eight years, the stock market gained 118 percent. During George H.W. Bush's four years, the stock market gained 51 percent. During Bill Clinton's eight years, the stock market gained 210 percent. …

Greatest Recorded Speeches in Modern American History

From 1933 when radio became a mass medium through the early 1960s when television became a mass medium through 2008 when the Internet became a mass medium, powerful speeches have transformed American politics, or have lifted the county's imagination. They do tend to contribute to the "great man theory" of history -- just because a …

Generational Approach to Studying American History Offers Insights

Instead of defining American presidents by their political parties or supposed ideologies, historian H.W. Brands of the University of Texas thinks the times in which a leader lives -- generational influences -- are far more important in shaping their lives. Joe Biden, Donald Trump, George W. Bush, Bill and Hillary Clinton are all in the …

Leaders’ Historical Reputations Wax and Wane. Images Fluctuate

As Donald Trump's presidency comes to an end, it's important to remember that leaders' popularity and historical reputations tend to shift over time. Here's an overview of how that has happened to previous leaders: Presidents once considered heroes of the Democratic Party -- Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson -- have been removed from their symbolic …