Hello there and happy holidays.

I am the ghost of Christmas past here with another alternative political history.

We're back with another episode of what our choose your own adventure where we imagine

that one thing that happened in our nation's history did not actually have this week.

What if Ed Musky was the Democratic nominee in 72?

Put it this way in the summer of 71, everybody thought it was going to be Musky in 72.

It could have meant what if the man had a watergate break in.

Maybe Nixon's committee to reelect the president is ordered to stand down by the big boss.

Chalk it up to a scheduling era, crisis of conscience.

Nixon's crack team of cronies lets the Democratic party maybe play out on its own without

trying to be as influential.

So join me today to go down this what if rabbit hole is veteran journalist David Schrippen.

He's the former executive editor of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette where I got to know him.

He was the Washington bureau chief at the Boston Globe.

He winner the Pulitzer Prize for coverage of US politics.

He teaches at McGill University and writes a weekly syndicated column called my point.

David it's good to catch up with you.

Welcome to the special edition of the top cast.

Great to see you.

Let's begin.

You were literally a cup reporter.

The definition of 18 New Hampshire primary 72.

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