August 8, 1974. President Richard Nixon sits in the Oval Office, addressing the American people. He tells them: I’m going to resign. The news is shocking, but not unexpected. Today, it might even seem inevitable. But in the days leading up to the big decision, Nixon himself didn’t know what he would do. At night he roamed the halls of the White House, torturously weighing his options. He even ordered a speechwriter to draft a statement announcing his refusal to resign. Sally Helm sits down with political speechwriter Jeff Nussbaum to talk about this curious kind of a document: a speech that could’ve changed history if only it had been given. They discuss what Nixon, and two other speech givers, would have felt preparing multiple drafts, as they faced an uncertain future, and how the world would be different had these speeches been given.
Special thanks to our guest: Jeff Nussbaum, author of Undelivered: The Never-Heard Speeches That Would Have Rewritten History.
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Reflecting on History
Special Announcement
The Donner Party Turns Deadly
Destroyer of Worlds (Replay)
Barbie for President!
John Muir’s Quest to Save the Great Outdoors
The USS Indianapolis’ Secret Mission Turns into Tragedy
Chasing Utopia
The Tupperware Queen
Two Fathers, One Fight (Replay)
Ma Rainey's Mic Drop
Mary Shelley Brings Frankenstein to Life
FDR Tries to Pack the Court
Bonnie and Clyde’s Final Ride
A Teenage Girl Saves France
The Spy Who Fooled the FBI
Bonus: The Coronation of King Charles III (feat. Katie Nicholl)
The World’s First Budget Airline Takes Off
A Concubine Rises to Rule China
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