Category: Historically Speaking

Are Super Bowl Commercials Shaping Our Country? If So, At What Cost?

From Southwest Ledger By James Finck, Ph.D. In 1984, Democrats needed a candidate to challenge the very popular Republican incumbent President Ronald Reagan. Democratic frontrunner Walter Mondale, an ex-U.S. senator and state attorney general from Minnesota who had also served as Jimmy Carter’s vice president, seemed as though he would be a shoo-in for the … Continue reading Are Super Bowl Commercials Shaping Our Country? If So, At What Cost? →

Challenging the sitting president: ‘Is democracy still America’s sacred cause?’

From Southwest Ledger By James Finck, Ph.D. During his Valley Forge speech earlier this month, where he stated this election is about whether democracy would survive, President Joe Biden asked, “Is democracy still America’s sacred cause?” Biden believes former president and Republican frontrunner Donald Trump wants to end democracy while his campaign aims to preserve … Continue reading Challenging the sitting president: ‘Is democracy still America’s sacred cause?’ →

‘You were always Mom’s favorite:’ a historic tribute to Tommy Smothers

From Southwest Ledger By James Finck, Ph.D. When I was in college back in the 1990s, I like so many other students began getting my political commentary Monday through Thursday nights on Comedy Central with The Daily Show with John Stewart. While the show was not an official news show and Stewart, who had graduated … Continue reading ‘You were always Mom’s favorite:’ a historic tribute to Tommy Smothers →

Deliberating the Constitutionality of Presidential Ballot Restrictions

An amendment meant to keep ex-Confederates from holding office after the Civil War is once again coming into play as Colorado and Maine have announced that former President Donald Trump will not appear on the ballot of their upcoming presidential primaries. The 14th Amendment, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution states, “No person shall be … Continue reading Deliberating the Constitutionality of Presidential Ballot Restrictions →

History of American Political Parties, Part X: The Gilded Age

By James Finck, Ph.D. For many, the Gilded Age (1877-1900) is the most boring part of political history. All the presidents were bearded white men from New York or Ohio who are hard to distinguish. In fact, it was just as hard to differentiate between Republicans and Democrats, being that neither really did very much. … Continue reading History of American Political Parties, Part X: The Gilded Age →

History of American Political Parties, Part IX: The Politics of War

From the Southwest Ledger 1854 began the destruction of the Second American Party System. When Democrats fought to accept Kansas as a slave state, they were able to claim the mantle of the slavery party. Southern Whigs who supported slavery just as strongly began abandoning their party rather than looking soft on the institution. With … Continue reading History of American Political Parties, Part IX: The Politics of War →

Andrew Jackson, Teddy Roosevelt, Hillary Clinton and the Watergate Scandal: An Brief, Annotated History of Campaign Finance

From the Southwest Ledger By James Finck, Ph.D. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” I doubt … Continue reading Andrew Jackson, Teddy Roosevelt, Hillary Clinton and the Watergate Scandal: An Brief, Annotated History of Campaign Finance →