2004, Bush vs. Kerry: Do or Die

As President George W. Bush navigates the challenges of his first year in office, he is confronted by one of the gravest, most horrific tragedies ever to reach American shores. But Bush’s response to 9/11 puts his presidency under fire. In the wake of the United States’ invasion of Afghanistan, Bush’s decision to go to war with Iraq costs him politically, and it leads the Democrats to look for a war hero candidate to lead them through a wartime election: Massachusetts Senator John Kerry.  Created, hosted and executive produced by Lindsay Graham for Airship. Sound design by Derek Behrens. Audio editing by Mollie Baack. Co-Executive produced by Steven Walters in association with Ritual Productions. Written and researched by Thomas Addy. Fact checking by Gregory Jackson and Cielle Salazar from the podcast History That Doesn’t Suck. Music by Lindsay Graham. If you like this show, please support it! Become a subscriber at www.wickedgamepodcast.com. Support us by supporting our sponsors! American Giant - Get 15% your first order when you use promo code ELECTIONS at american-giant.com. Hello Fresh - Go to hellofresh.com/elections80 and use code elections80 to get a total of $80 off across 5 boxes, including free shipping on your first box. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Om Podcasten

On February 10th, 1796, Vice President John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail, lamenting the state of discourse in the country. The election was nearing—and becoming heated. Newspapers screamed, factions warred, and John Adams was dismayed with what he called “the wicked Game.” Americans in 2023 can relate. They still have to endure months of shouting, outrage, and the worst sort of political rancor as the country once again chooses its president. But it’s almost always been this way. And to prove it, American Elections: Wicked Game will review the entire history of presidential elections, from the unanimous and inevitable election of George Washington in 1789 to Donald Trump’s surprise electoral victory in 2016—and his contested defeat in 2020. From the host of the American History Tellers and American Scandal, this podcast will explore all 59 presidential elections to discover that there never never was a “good ol’ days,” and that presidential politics has always been played dirty.