There’s no doubt that the outcomes of Presidential elections can alter the course of history. What would have happened had Stephen Douglas, a pro-slavery Democrat, triumphed over Abraham Lincoln in the election of 1860? If Richard Nixon had defeated JFK in 1960, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Bay of Pigs, and the Space Race could have all turned out quite differently.
Peter Shea, author of In the Arena: A History of American Presidential Hopefuls, joined the History Unplugged podcast to discuss the rise, early career, campaign, and later achievements of Presidential candidates like Aaron Burr, Henry Clay, Thomas Dewey, up through modern candidates, exploring how history would have changed and what it’s like to run for one of the most powerful positions in the world – and come up short.
Listen to the full episode here.