It’s March 4th. This day in 2004, Pat Toomey is challenging Republican Senator Arlen Specter in the Pennsylvania senate race — trying to outflank him from the right in the state’s primary.
Jody, Niki, and Kellie look back at the moment where “to primary someone” became a political phenomenon, and talk to Nick Troiano of Unite America about why the primary system has been weaponized.
Nick’s new book is “The Primary Solution” — it’s out now!
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Our team: Jacob Feldman, Researcher/Producer; Brittani Brown, Producer; Khawla Nakua, Transcripts; music by Teen Daze and Blue Dot Sessions; Audrey Mardavich is our Executive Producer at Radiotopia
Laddie Boy! First Celebrity Presidential Pet (1929)
Carter Hacks Iowa (1976)
Elian Gonzalez, Stuck in the US (2000) w/ Geraldo Cadava
The Black Panther Breakfast Program (1969) w/ Mary Phillips
The Billy Possum Craze (1909)
The Lumbees vs. the KKK (1958)
The Donkey and the Elephant (1870)
Topsy the Elephant is Electrocuted (1903)
McKinley Lost-Causes The Civil War (1898)
Recent Favorite: Family Jewels w/ Rick Perlstein
Recent Favorite: The Dominion of Melchizedek (1993)
On The Media: The Divided Dial
In The Bubble: Ken Burns on Franklin, Public Health, and More
Ask Us Anything (Part 2)
Ask Us Anything (Part 1)
Stuff That Inspired Us: Popular Work
Stuff That Inspired Us: Academic Work
The Reagan Astrology Scandal w/ Mangesh Hattikudur (1988)
Karl Rove's "IT Guru" and the 2004 Ohio Rumor Mill (2008)
Ford on "Dynasty" (1983)
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