Mid-Term Favorites: Contract with America (1994) w/ Kirsten Soltis Anderson

This Day in Esoteric Political History

Jody Avirgan & Radiotopia

History

4.6 • 982 Ratings

🗓️ 9 October 2022

⏱️ 23 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In the run-up to the November election, we’re taking on and revisiting some of our favorite mid-term related topics. Today, we revisit an episode from 2020.

On this day in 1994, Republicans in the House of Representatives gathered on the steps of the Capitol to announce the “Contract with America,” a plank of ten policy points that they pledged to uphold if they seized back power in the upcoming midterm elections.

Jody and Niki are joined by pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson of Echelon Insights to discuss how the contract helped propel New Gingrich to stardom and brand the new Republican party.

Kristen’s book is “The Selfie Vote.”

Find a transcript of this episode at: https://tinyurl.com/esoterichistory

This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.

Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Our website is thisdaypod.com Follow us on social @thisdaypod

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey everyone Jody Abergan here. It is October of an even-numbered year which means
0:06.3	that our minds turn to the election in early November. All this month we are going to
0:11.1	be doing special episodes still about history but ones that feel like they might speak to the run-up to this year's very important election.
0:18.3	This week we're going to re-air a few of our favorites and then we're going to do special theme weeks on polling
0:23.5	referendums midterm elections right up to election day so that's the plan happy
0:28.7	October here we go with one of our favorite midterm related stories from the archives.
0:34.0	Hello and welcome to this day in esoteric political history from Radiotopia.
0:40.0	My name is Jody Avergan.
0:45.0	This day, September 27th, 1994,
0:49.0	367 Republicans in the U.S. Congress stood on the steps of Congress and signed the
0:53.9	contract with America. It was written by Newt Gingrich and Dick Army. The
0:58.1	contract detailed the actions that Republicans promised to take if they became
1:02.2	the majority party in the United States House of
1:04.8	Representatives that fall and that would have been the first time in 40 years.
1:09.2	I will spoil it and say that they did.
1:11.3	The contract included 10 bullet points with items like, and you'll recognize
1:16.1	this language, fiscal responsibility, quote, taking back our streets, common sense legal reforms, That fall the Republicans won a net of 54 seats
1:26.2	took control the House. They also took control the Senate and President Clinton
1:29.7	was now faced with stiff opposition. Republicans had their groove back.
1:35.0	Gingrich is well really became a rising star in the party and in many ways the voice of
1:39.2	the new Republican Party.
1:41.1	So let's talk about the contract with America and its legacy. I am joined as always by
	...

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