1908, Taft vs. Bryan: A Significant Loser

American Elections: Wicked Game

Airship

History

4.8 • 3.2K Ratings

🗓️ 28 April 2020

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Teddy Roosevelt’s hand-picked successor, Republican William Howard Taft, faces off against Democrat William Jennings Bryan. In his third and final presidential campaign, Bryan preaches the gospel of populism. In the end, his progressive ideas are no match for Roosevelt’s legacy, but Bryan’s failed campaign pushes the Democrat party out of the past and into the 20th Century.

Created, hosted and executive produced by Lindsay Graham for Airship. Sound design by Derek Behrens. Co-Executive produced by Steven Walters in association with Ritual Productions. Written and researched by Steven Walters. Fact checking by Gregory Jackson and Cielle Salazar from the podcast History That Doesn’t Suck. Music by Lindsay Graham.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	It's November 1880 on the Baird Farm in Perry, Illinois.
0:16.8	John and Levina Baird have gathered their family together for the Thanksgiving holiday.
0:21.0	It's a special occasion.
0:22.7	Their daughter, Mary Elizabeth Baird, has brought along a guest, a college boy she recently
0:27.1	met named William.
0:29.1	This month, William wanted to bait contest and a $50 prize.
0:33.0	He used his winnings to buy a ring, a garnet stone set in a simple gold van.
0:37.7	He sent it to Mary and asked her if it would do.
0:40.8	Mary said it would do just fine, provided her father approved.
0:44.5	William is a deeply religious man, the chaplain of the Sigma Pi Literary Society.
0:48.7	He wouldn't think of proposing without Mr. Baird's consent, so he's come to Perry, Illinois,
0:53.3	to ask her father's blessing.
0:55.6	William, hand in hand with Mary, approaches Mr. Baird in the sitting room.
0:59.9	Mr. Baird?
1:00.9	Yes, son.
1:02.8	William clams up a sweat trips down his brow.
1:05.5	Mary gives his hand a comforting squeeze.
1:07.8	William fights through his nerves.
1:09.3	Mr. Baird, I've been reading Proverbs a good deal lately and find that Solomon says,
1:14.1	who so findeth a wife, findeth a good thing, and obtain a favor of the Lord.
1:19.4	Mr. Baird sizes up the young man for a moment before offering a reply.
1:23.2	Yes, I believe Solomon did say that.
	...

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