1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of iHeartRadio. Welcome back to 2 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: the show Ridiculous Historians. Thank you, as always so much 3 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 1: for tuning in. Let's give it up for the man 4 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 1: the myth Legend. Super producer Max Tammany Williams, ooh scandalous 5 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 1: and you're Noel Brown. I'm Ben Bullen and we are 6 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:46,600 Speaker 1: in media arrest. This is part two of a two 7 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 1: part episode. 8 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:50,920 Speaker 2: Right we sure are, so, let's in media restart the 9 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 2: podcast right now. 10 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 1: Adams has just been excoriated. He has been run through 11 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 1: the mud of public opinion. It's a political homicide. He 12 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 1: doesn't really have any options. He resigns on March sixteenth, 13 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:11,120 Speaker 1: nineteen oh five. He's been he's been the governor for 14 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:12,039 Speaker 1: two months. 15 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, and that's just can you imagine what 16 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:18,559 Speaker 2: it would take for that to be your only move? 17 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 2: And like you were elected, but they can't actually officially 18 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 2: overturn the election. But somehow the political and public pressure 19 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 2: is so great that you, of your own volition stepped down. 20 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 3: He wasn't forced to. 21 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 2: Legally, he was in an untenable spot right where he 22 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:40,319 Speaker 2: was basically hamstrung. He couldn't have governed and certainly did 23 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:43,119 Speaker 2: not have the support he needed to do those back 24 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:45,199 Speaker 2: room dirty deeds done dirt cheap right. 25 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 1: I used to think that song was Dirty Deeds and 26 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 1: the Dunder Chief, Like there was a guy in charge 27 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 1: of a place called dunder and I thought Australia was 28 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 1: so weird. 29 00:01:56,520 --> 00:01:57,440 Speaker 3: That's very funny. 30 00:01:57,480 --> 00:01:59,840 Speaker 2: There was a band in my hometown growing up where 31 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 2: they all dressed up like wrestlers and they were called 32 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 2: Figure four and one of them they all had nicknames, 33 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 2: and one of them's name was the Dunder. 34 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:09,080 Speaker 3: Chief, and I guess it was just a. 35 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 2: Reference to that misunderstood I think you're not the only one, Ben, 36 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 2: is what I'm what I'm getting at there, because I 37 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 2: can't think of any other place that the Dunder Chief 38 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 2: exists other than that misunderstanding. But yeah, man, he's he's out. Okay, 39 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:30,800 Speaker 2: Alva is out, his career shredded essentially, Like, yeah, he's 40 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 2: it's over for him. He has his political future, political 41 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 2: aspirations are in the gutter. 42 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 3: Yeah. 43 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 1: And so his opponent steps in, and this is even 44 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:48,639 Speaker 1: more ridiculous. Peabody, the Republican gubernatorial candidate, is sworn in 45 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: post taste as the new governor of Colorado and he 46 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 1: had also already agreed to concede the election. So the 47 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:03,240 Speaker 1: very next day after he's sworn in, he also resigns, 48 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:06,800 Speaker 1: and the lieutenant governor who's been lieutenant governor for like 49 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:10,600 Speaker 1: what twenty four hours, now this guy named Jesse McDonald 50 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:15,800 Speaker 1: he becomes the governor, and the question is finally resolved, 51 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:19,639 Speaker 1: like who is the real governor is finally answered five 52 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:23,919 Speaker 1: months after the election, which gives Max, as you put 53 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:27,680 Speaker 1: it in your notes, it gives Colorado a somewhat dubious distinction. 54 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 1: It's the only state in all of US history to 55 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:34,079 Speaker 1: have three different governors in twenty four hours. 56 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 2: Hurrah, good good, good job Colorado, USA, Calolrado. 57 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: Now it doesn't work. 58 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 3: It doesn't work. Some sort of sport chant that we're 59 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 3: not aware of. Is there? What's the sport team in 60 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 3: color of the sport team the Rocky. 61 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 4: Rocky Hey, Denver Broncos, Avalance. You have the Nuggets who 62 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 4: are in the NBA. 63 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 2: Can I guess Avalanche? That is that hockey hockey? I think, okay, cool? 64 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 4: But the rest of them, Denver Nuggets, they're up to 65 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 4: one in the Nuggets basketball. And you can see when 66 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 4: we're recording this. 67 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:10,680 Speaker 2: I just want to play the game where people name 68 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 2: sports franchises and all I have to do is guess 69 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 2: what sport it is, because even if I have some 70 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:18,840 Speaker 2: minor level of accuracy, that is good for me because 71 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 2: I just don't know any. 72 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm with you. 73 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:25,920 Speaker 1: I remember looking at the weird the most bizarre team 74 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 1: names in sports. We could do an episode on that. 75 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 1: The some of them are like the Hookaido nip On 76 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 1: ham Fighters totally. 77 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:36,360 Speaker 3: I mean the Tar Heels is even kind of weird. 78 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:36,600 Speaker 1: Yea. 79 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 2: So we also can maybe do an episode on like 80 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:43,480 Speaker 2: problematic sports franchises that refuse to do anything about it. 81 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:46,720 Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, most of them have changed it recently, most 82 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:47,240 Speaker 4: of them have. 83 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: Oh for really at. 84 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 4: Atlanta and mind you, if you go to an Atlanta 85 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:58,960 Speaker 4: Braves game, they still do this tomahawk chop and very 86 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:01,480 Speaker 4: problematic kind of Native American. 87 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 2: Chant that's super not cool and that I guess you 88 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 2: can't really tell a crowd what to do or not 89 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:08,880 Speaker 2: to do. 90 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:11,919 Speaker 4: I have a friend, her name's out Nicole Garcia. She 91 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 4: is part of the Navajo tribe, and I asked her, 92 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:17,120 Speaker 4: I'm like, Atlanta Braids, is that raised? And she goes, yes, yeah, 93 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 4: it's not as bad as Kansas City Chiefs. 94 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:21,280 Speaker 3: But it is I'm like, what about the Tomahaw chop? 95 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 3: She goes, oh, that thing is terrible. 96 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:25,839 Speaker 1: Yeah, And I'm with you, and that I met Nicole, 97 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:29,760 Speaker 1: we could vouch for a super awesome person. And I 98 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 1: think you're onto something. I think that's a great idea 99 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:35,920 Speaker 1: for an episode, and I bet we will find no 100 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 1: shortage of examples. Also, I like the idea too that 101 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 1: someone in Japan woke up one day and said, you 102 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 1: know what, fuck Ham. We're naming our entire team after 103 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:51,039 Speaker 1: this hatred of Ham, and we will fight any Ham 104 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:53,719 Speaker 1: we see. Also, I skipped lunch. 105 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:59,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, oh don't. You can't skip lunch. She can't do that. 106 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:01,679 Speaker 3: Oh my goodness. 107 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 2: Okay, Sorry, we keep getting derailed because it's this is 108 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:06,800 Speaker 2: a fun topic and I think we're both a little punchy, 109 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:08,680 Speaker 2: and there's just so many fun places to take this 110 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:13,960 Speaker 2: level of just flagrant corruption. It just it makes one 111 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:16,760 Speaker 2: a little bit mad, just like talking about it. You 112 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:21,680 Speaker 2: gotta take a quick, you know, bath between some of 113 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:24,039 Speaker 2: these things before you can come back in and wallow 114 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 2: in the MUDs. 115 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 1: It's a it's sketch comedy, man, that's this election is terrifying. 116 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 1: Sketch comedy, Yeah, sketch comedy of errors. 117 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:33,600 Speaker 3: There we go, nailed it. 118 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:39,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, So this has left a huge mark on everybody 119 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 1: who got touched, everybody involved in the corruption scandal. So 120 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 1: many careers are ruined. Police chiefs, election clerks are trying 121 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:51,800 Speaker 1: to do heist out of trains or getaways. The governors 122 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:54,760 Speaker 1: or would be governors, they're both ruined. They retire from 123 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:59,320 Speaker 1: politics forever. But obviously, if you go to Colorado today, 124 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:04,440 Speaker 1: it's a very nice place. It's still democracy. So what happened. 125 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 1: It looks like voters came together, especially a lot of 126 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 1: people who were not represented in the halls of power, 127 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 1: and they fought for their right to party as well 128 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:17,080 Speaker 1: as to vote. I imagine they fought for their right 129 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 1: to party politically. 130 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:23,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, those rights are very closely tied. One could argue. 131 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 3: And hey, just full disclosure. 132 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:28,000 Speaker 2: If anyone's hearing some heavy machinery or you think I'm 133 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:32,080 Speaker 2: being bulldozed, there is in fact something of a bulldozer 134 00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:36,800 Speaker 2: in my backyard right now getting some plant work done. 135 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:39,040 Speaker 3: And so please, I know max Is can do everything 136 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:39,840 Speaker 3: in his power. 137 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 2: To surgically remove the sound of this this beast but 138 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 2: in case then he gets through, which right now he's 139 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:50,160 Speaker 2: very loud and very close, so apologies in advance. But yeah, 140 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 2: so this when we say fight, ben, what do you 141 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:56,160 Speaker 2: mean like physically fight or just like with their words 142 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 2: and waving their fists in the air and holding signs aloft. 143 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:02,520 Speaker 1: We're talking about things, Yeah, we're talking about collective action 144 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:08,880 Speaker 1: protesting unionization. The mine workers are still pushing for labor rights, 145 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:12,040 Speaker 1: and you know those folks are still going to be 146 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:16,160 Speaker 1: subject to violent physical reprisal. We have to keep in 147 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 1: mind women had just one suffrage or the right to vote, 148 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:25,680 Speaker 1: eleven years earlier. This was still very new, and because 149 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:30,240 Speaker 1: the tie had turned, the laws started changing to those 150 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:35,400 Speaker 1: like not quite taminy level political machines get shut down. 151 00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 1: The good old days are over for a lot of 152 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:42,720 Speaker 1: crooked fat cats. People who are unionized say hey, mine 153 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:46,319 Speaker 1: owner or you know, railroad owner, you can't push us around. 154 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:51,520 Speaker 1: And voter fraud became a much more serious crime. It 155 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 1: used to be like a ugh, oh you rascal, look 156 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:57,600 Speaker 1: at you naughty nine times? 157 00:08:57,760 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, you naughty scamp. 158 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:02,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, here's here's a ticket, a slap on the rest, 159 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:04,600 Speaker 2: or hell, maybe a kiss on the cheek. Yeah, it 160 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:07,560 Speaker 2: was as much more sort of like I don't know, 161 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:11,720 Speaker 2: maybe liking it to. 162 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:12,439 Speaker 3: Be double parked or something, you know what I mean. 163 00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 2: It really was not that big a deal, hence the 164 00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:19,560 Speaker 2: rampantness of it, and some of these reforms did elevate 165 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:23,320 Speaker 2: it to a much more serious prime, which is awesome. 166 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:25,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, yes it is. 167 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:32,760 Speaker 1: And eventually the public, through this collective action, they hold 168 00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:36,680 Speaker 1: the people in power accountable and hopefully, if we're being 169 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:41,880 Speaker 1: nihilistically optimistic about it, it means that these sorts of 170 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:45,680 Speaker 1: egregious miscarriages of justice will be more difficult to commit 171 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 1: in the future. But we also have to we got 172 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:50,400 Speaker 1: to zoom out a little, right, So we're looking at 173 00:09:50,440 --> 00:09:55,080 Speaker 1: Colorado nineteen oh four. If we zoom out and see 174 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:58,040 Speaker 1: a slightly larger lay of the land, we realized that 175 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:03,000 Speaker 1: this was not uncle during that time in American history 176 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:07,160 Speaker 1: known as the guilded Age, which was pretty great for 177 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:08,120 Speaker 1: some people. 178 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:17,720 Speaker 2: But here's the thing we've been hinting at this all along. 179 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:23,080 Speaker 2: This is a particularly egregious case of political corruption. And 180 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:26,200 Speaker 2: it only, you know, is that way because it was 181 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 2: found out, it was exposed, you know, and and a 182 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:31,520 Speaker 2: lot of times these things aren't it's just sort of 183 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:34,679 Speaker 2: the order of the day. You really don't find out 184 00:10:34,679 --> 00:10:36,840 Speaker 2: about it until somebody screws up, and then you have 185 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:41,320 Speaker 2: that succession of fall guys that kind of create the 186 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 2: illusion of the thing being done put to bad, this 187 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:47,480 Speaker 2: behavior is never gonna happen again. Unfortunately that's not the case. 188 00:10:47,720 --> 00:10:52,199 Speaker 2: This election was not the only bad election. Let's call 189 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:56,360 Speaker 2: it as one of many. That's that continue, you know, 190 00:10:56,400 --> 00:10:57,120 Speaker 2: throughout history. 191 00:10:57,440 --> 00:11:04,760 Speaker 1: Yes, and for people who for people who study history cycles, 192 00:11:05,440 --> 00:11:11,080 Speaker 1: you may find conversation about the Gilded Age quite apropos 193 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:16,120 Speaker 1: in these our modern days. During the Gilded Age, it 194 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:18,600 Speaker 1: was called the Gilded Age because again it was very 195 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:22,360 Speaker 1: cool for a small amount of people. By eighteen ninety 196 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:27,600 Speaker 1: in the US there were four thousand millionaires, and collectively 197 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:32,160 Speaker 1: they held a full twenty percent of all the country's wealth. 198 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:37,480 Speaker 1: So forget taking political action, forget making a pac or 199 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:40,560 Speaker 1: super pac or anything like that. Just go buy the 200 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:43,400 Speaker 1: politician you want and tell them what you want to do, 201 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:46,400 Speaker 1: you know, and say you'll give them a tiger skin 202 00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:49,240 Speaker 1: suit in exchange or a nice I don't know, you 203 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:51,320 Speaker 1: could probably give them a yacht. You'll be like, hey, 204 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:53,600 Speaker 1: you want a boat, you want to Castle, just don't 205 00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:56,200 Speaker 1: let unions happen, and this. 206 00:11:56,559 --> 00:11:58,079 Speaker 3: Just don't let unions happen. 207 00:11:58,240 --> 00:12:02,600 Speaker 2: That's just slogan in that's secession, right, so let unions happen. 208 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:07,719 Speaker 1: Yeah, DLU eight will work shop it. But yeah, this 209 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:10,040 Speaker 1: even hit former presidents. 210 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:11,319 Speaker 3: Rother for B. 211 00:12:11,559 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 1: Hayes was writing in his diary. He didn't say this publicly, 212 00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:17,240 Speaker 1: but in eighteen eighty six he said, this is a 213 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:20,640 Speaker 1: government of the people, by the people, and for the people. 214 00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:23,040 Speaker 3: No longer, no longer. 215 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:26,320 Speaker 1: Indeed, that's very powerful for a president to say. 216 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:29,960 Speaker 4: It, for a Republican president at the time to say it. 217 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:32,559 Speaker 4: This is a guy who a lot of times I 218 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:35,240 Speaker 4: was doing some researching to him not that long ago, 219 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:38,720 Speaker 4: and it's just like he was a very pro business guy, 220 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:41,760 Speaker 4: and he's even like this has gone really bad. 221 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:48,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's kind of like Chuck E Cheese one day 222 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:54,000 Speaker 1: privately confessing, I think we have too much pizza. But 223 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:57,359 Speaker 1: but yeah, so he says it's government by the corporations, 224 00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:02,280 Speaker 1: of the corporations and for the corporation. Politicians are making 225 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:05,559 Speaker 1: a lot of money, not as much as their corporate masters, 226 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:08,680 Speaker 1: but they're getting all these bribes and they're getting kickbacks 227 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:12,520 Speaker 1: and it's a they're working hand in hand, and of 228 00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:17,559 Speaker 1: course no offense to the monopoly man. But the reason 229 00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:21,760 Speaker 1: the monopoly man is like a railroad tycoon is because 230 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:26,000 Speaker 1: the railroad tycoons were some of the most egregious corporate 231 00:13:26,040 --> 00:13:27,640 Speaker 1: masters of the Gilded Age. 232 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:30,839 Speaker 2: Oh gods, yeah, I mean because they they sort of create, 233 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:33,840 Speaker 2: they sort of set the stage, right, I mean, railroad 234 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:38,120 Speaker 2: interests being one of the first kind of truly modern industries. 235 00:13:38,480 --> 00:13:42,400 Speaker 2: You know, talk about like legacy infrastructure that we're still 236 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:46,240 Speaker 2: building on top of or improving today. You know, these 237 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:49,760 Speaker 2: are the guys that laid down that stuff and they connected, 238 00:13:50,679 --> 00:13:53,240 Speaker 2: you know, our country in such a way that like 239 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:56,959 Speaker 2: really changed everything about shipping, about manufacturing. 240 00:13:57,520 --> 00:13:58,960 Speaker 3: And so when you're when you when. 241 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:02,080 Speaker 2: You're that early to the party, you kind of get 242 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:04,040 Speaker 2: to decide which games you play. 243 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:05,600 Speaker 1: That's a good way to put it. 244 00:14:05,679 --> 00:14:05,959 Speaker 3: Yeah. 245 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:10,520 Speaker 1: And also the railroad industry touches so many other industries, right, 246 00:14:10,559 --> 00:14:15,240 Speaker 1: They're dependent upon the railroads for transport. So the Union 247 00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:21,080 Speaker 1: Pacific Railroad execs, they go pretty far. They make a 248 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:24,720 Speaker 1: fake construction company, a front company or a shell company 249 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:29,640 Speaker 1: that will submit bills for nearly double the actual cost 250 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:33,840 Speaker 1: of construction. So they're they're charging the government for the 251 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:38,720 Speaker 1: construction of the trans Continental Railroad through this fake construction company, 252 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:43,360 Speaker 1: and they're giving everybody a vigorous along the way, and 253 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:46,640 Speaker 1: they'll say, we're gonna charge you one hundred percent more 254 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:48,920 Speaker 1: than what actually costs, and we're gonna split that one 255 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:51,280 Speaker 1: hundred percent up between the rest of the people in 256 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:55,400 Speaker 1: this conspiracy, and we are going to like they would 257 00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 1: get caught, right, there are a lot of people involved. 258 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:01,360 Speaker 1: They do they bribe a dozen congress members. 259 00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:04,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, someone's gonna squeal some of you know, I mean, 260 00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:07,360 Speaker 2: it's inevitable. You know, it's a numbers game at that point, right, M. 261 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:14,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, And UH President Ulysses s Grant he is first 262 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 1: and his second vice president gets swept up in this 263 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:23,160 Speaker 1: corruption scheme. It's touching everybody. Imagine if the news tomorrow 264 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:29,120 Speaker 1: read VP Kamala Harris has been implicated in UH in 265 00:15:29,240 --> 00:15:33,920 Speaker 1: a FedEx in a corporate billion like in a billion 266 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:38,920 Speaker 1: dollar FedEx scheme. M. That's kind of what happened. 267 00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:42,760 Speaker 2: That is the the gravity of what we're talking about here, 268 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:45,760 Speaker 2: the level of like wt f nes of it all. 269 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:51,000 Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, and more and more corruption is occurring. Oh, 270 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:54,960 Speaker 1: We love talking about some of the city level corruption, 271 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:58,520 Speaker 1: like New York Chicago. Uh, New York was Tammany Hall. 272 00:15:58,360 --> 00:16:04,760 Speaker 2: Right, correct, Yeah, Boss Boss Tweed, boss Hog Tweed. Maybe 273 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:07,480 Speaker 2: that's the Dukes of Bazard, but Boss Tweed was definitely 274 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:09,760 Speaker 2: the guy. And I just picture him when you say 275 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:12,320 Speaker 2: the phrase fat cat. That's the kind of guy you 276 00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:15,880 Speaker 2: think of, is a big old fellow in a tailored suit, 277 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:19,440 Speaker 2: chomping on a cigar and doing crimes from the background, 278 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:22,400 Speaker 2: from behind a desk though, right, yeah. 279 00:16:22,120 --> 00:16:27,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly. And they had all these bribes going around. 280 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:30,560 Speaker 1: There was a lot of dirty contractor money that was 281 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:35,080 Speaker 1: that was making people very wealthy. And if you were 282 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:38,960 Speaker 1: a politician in these circles, you were making more money 283 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:42,520 Speaker 1: from the bribes than you were from your official your 284 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:47,080 Speaker 1: official salary as a public figure. We saw the estimate 285 00:16:47,120 --> 00:16:52,080 Speaker 1: that Boss Tweed over in Tammany Hall stole between forty 286 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:56,480 Speaker 1: five and two hundred million dollars in city funds, and 287 00:16:56,520 --> 00:16:59,960 Speaker 1: it's so much money that it's actually difficult to estimate 288 00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:02,680 Speaker 1: how much that would be worth in twenty twenty three. 289 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:05,040 Speaker 3: We know it would be billions of dollars. 290 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:08,199 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, yeah, we can't even it's not even possible 291 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:09,399 Speaker 2: to inflation calculator. 292 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:12,800 Speaker 3: It's just like beyond the scope of what our meager 293 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:14,399 Speaker 3: inflation robot can handle. 294 00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:17,919 Speaker 2: The sheer number of boops would kill all of us 295 00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:18,600 Speaker 2: where we stay. 296 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:21,560 Speaker 3: And no, it's not going to do it. It's not 297 00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:24,800 Speaker 3: gonna cut it. That's not going to cut it. Yeah, nothing, 298 00:17:24,880 --> 00:17:26,720 Speaker 3: we got no figure. It's just like it's just saying 299 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:32,840 Speaker 3: you're not does not computed, does not computed. That's a 300 00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:33,320 Speaker 3: new sound. 301 00:17:34,280 --> 00:17:38,360 Speaker 1: We are mosculating, humble podcasters. You know, if we if 302 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:44,800 Speaker 1: we had tammany Hall level ruthlessness and finances, maybe we 303 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:46,520 Speaker 1: get a different inflation bot. 304 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:49,400 Speaker 3: But for today, yes, but we love our inflation pot. 305 00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:51,200 Speaker 3: We love it. Yeah, we love you. Man. 306 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:56,520 Speaker 1: So Tweed made so much money that he was the 307 00:17:56,520 --> 00:17:59,800 Speaker 1: third largest landowner in all of New York City before 308 00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:03,000 Speaker 1: he got convicted on not one, not one hundred and 309 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:06,320 Speaker 1: sixty nine, but two hundred and four counts of fraud. 310 00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:08,080 Speaker 3: That's a lot of fraud. 311 00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:11,480 Speaker 1: It's a cost co level of fraud. Like if you 312 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:14,000 Speaker 1: were buying fraud, it would be this would be a 313 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:15,359 Speaker 1: cost code case of fraud. 314 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:17,200 Speaker 2: You get a case of it. Yeah, It's like I said, 315 00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:19,560 Speaker 2: just send mine a desk doing crimes. Yeah, they rack 316 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:21,240 Speaker 2: up after a while. What does it take when you 317 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:23,800 Speaker 2: don't actually have to work that hard to do them? 318 00:18:24,119 --> 00:18:25,480 Speaker 2: You know, you just do it with the swipe of 319 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:28,159 Speaker 2: a pen or by like telling your lackeys to go, 320 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:30,800 Speaker 2: you know, beat up some you know striker. 321 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:33,440 Speaker 3: It's it's really disgusting. 322 00:18:33,840 --> 00:18:37,800 Speaker 1: Send the Irish out to break those peasants of their strike. 323 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:42,960 Speaker 1: They also call the honest graft, which I loved. 324 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:44,440 Speaker 3: The idea was that you. 325 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:48,160 Speaker 1: Were you were making like, look, I'm an I'm an 326 00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:50,280 Speaker 1: honest heart of gold con man. 327 00:18:50,600 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 3: You know what I mean. 328 00:18:51,359 --> 00:18:54,360 Speaker 1: I do honest grifts, I do watches, I sell bridges. 329 00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 2: It's like the way Tony Soprano justifies what he does 330 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:02,960 Speaker 2: on this on the you know, a seminal prestige television program, 331 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:05,879 Speaker 2: The Sopranos, he refers to himself as like a soldier 332 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:08,800 Speaker 2: and he's got a code. But when you actually watch 333 00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:11,800 Speaker 2: what he actually does, he's totally full of shit. He's 334 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:14,440 Speaker 2: got no code. He's not a soldier. He's a con 335 00:19:14,560 --> 00:19:17,120 Speaker 2: man and a murderer, you know. And that's what I'm 336 00:19:17,160 --> 00:19:21,120 Speaker 2: sure some of these people did use that greater good 337 00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:23,119 Speaker 2: argument that we were talking about at the top of 338 00:19:23,119 --> 00:19:25,400 Speaker 2: the show. But at the end of the day, that's 339 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:27,720 Speaker 2: just a smoke screen they're putting up for themselves. 340 00:19:28,119 --> 00:19:28,359 Speaker 3: You know. 341 00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:31,520 Speaker 2: It's the blinders they choose to wear to maybe keep 342 00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:34,720 Speaker 2: them from like taking a head or off an overpass bridge. 343 00:19:34,760 --> 00:19:36,480 Speaker 2: But some of these people are so unseelf aware that 344 00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:40,560 Speaker 2: they probably would never see themselves enough to even register, 345 00:19:41,040 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 2: you know, any kind of any kind of remorse, you know, 346 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:47,160 Speaker 2: or an inch of humanity. 347 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:53,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, because there are always these labyriantine rationalizations people will 348 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:55,560 Speaker 1: make because they don't think of themselves as bad guys. 349 00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:58,399 Speaker 1: You know, one one crime boss might say, well, I 350 00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:01,080 Speaker 1: don't do drugs, you know, in the drug business or 351 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:04,800 Speaker 1: the sex trafficking business. I just do you know, I 352 00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:09,399 Speaker 1: just do shady union heist and fake construction and sanitation. 353 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:12,680 Speaker 1: But that doesn't make you not a criminal. And there 354 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:17,240 Speaker 1: was this politician, George W. Plunkett who said, who was 355 00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:20,320 Speaker 1: a defender of this honest graft? And they said, what 356 00:20:20,359 --> 00:20:23,240 Speaker 1: we're doing is we're not robbing the public funds, we're 357 00:20:23,280 --> 00:20:27,480 Speaker 1: not blackmailing business owners. We're doing insider trading. 358 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:30,960 Speaker 3: Cool, cool, whatever it takes to help you sleep at night. 359 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:34,919 Speaker 2: But whatever it takes and you know, now we're I mean, 360 00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:41,159 Speaker 2: obviously there aren't you know, thugs with with with billy 361 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:45,840 Speaker 2: clubs out, you know, breaking writer's legs who are on strike, 362 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:47,640 Speaker 2: you know, or whatever. 363 00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:48,040 Speaker 3: You know. 364 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:50,080 Speaker 2: I mean, like we do just to exist in a 365 00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:55,760 Speaker 2: world where technically you're not allowed to persecute someone for 366 00:20:56,040 --> 00:21:00,040 Speaker 2: seeking to unionize or for exercising their right to to 367 00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:03,560 Speaker 2: you know, be treated fairly, you know, But that doesn't 368 00:21:03,600 --> 00:21:07,360 Speaker 2: mean that there aren't still creepy backroom deals being made. 369 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:09,400 Speaker 2: I mean, we heard about all this stuff with Amazon, 370 00:21:09,560 --> 00:21:12,879 Speaker 2: about how they were kind of low key publishing anti 371 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:15,639 Speaker 2: union sentiments, you know, around the workplace. 372 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:18,200 Speaker 3: You're still spreading this kind of fear. 373 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:19,800 Speaker 2: You're just doing it with a little bit more of 374 00:21:19,840 --> 00:21:24,360 Speaker 2: a delicate touch, you know, not outright violence in the streets, 375 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:26,560 Speaker 2: just more spreading a culture of fear. 376 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:30,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, like that old Oh gosh, it got a lot 377 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:34,800 Speaker 1: of heat on Twitter. Walmart was fighting a unionization thing 378 00:21:34,880 --> 00:21:37,360 Speaker 1: by putting up a sign or I don't know if 379 00:21:37,359 --> 00:21:39,159 Speaker 1: this was co signed by all the Walmart but there 380 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:41,720 Speaker 1: were there were people at some Walmarts putting off signs 381 00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:45,040 Speaker 1: that said, why pay those union dues? You could buy 382 00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:46,040 Speaker 1: a PS five. 383 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:50,120 Speaker 2: Oh, God from us here at Walmarts, we have them 384 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:50,600 Speaker 2: in stock. 385 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:52,920 Speaker 3: Finally, check it out and we'll give you a five 386 00:21:52,920 --> 00:21:53,959 Speaker 3: percent discount. 387 00:21:54,119 --> 00:21:58,600 Speaker 1: Oh, thank you, Walton's. So thanks to folks like Professor 388 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:03,560 Speaker 1: Richard White, Professor Emeritith of History over at Stanford, we 389 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:09,200 Speaker 1: know that the Gilded Age is America's most corrupt period 390 00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:14,880 Speaker 1: so far. We also know that wealth inequality is accelerating 391 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:18,480 Speaker 1: to the levels that were present during the Gilded Age, 392 00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:25,280 Speaker 1: which naturally played a huge role in the origin story 393 00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:27,719 Speaker 1: of what we call the Great Depression now and what 394 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:38,120 Speaker 1: we may one day called the first Great Depression. And 395 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:40,680 Speaker 1: we teased a little bit right. We know we've spent 396 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:43,000 Speaker 1: the whole week on this, but as you said, Noel, 397 00:22:43,640 --> 00:22:46,120 Speaker 1: this is important and it's a lot of fun for us. 398 00:22:46,760 --> 00:22:51,600 Speaker 1: We said there that the nineteen oh four Colorado gubernatorial 399 00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:56,040 Speaker 1: election was cartoonishly corrupt, but we said it wasn't the 400 00:22:56,040 --> 00:22:58,120 Speaker 1: only corrupt election in US. 401 00:22:57,840 --> 00:23:01,720 Speaker 3: History, No, a long shot, was it. 402 00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:04,679 Speaker 2: We've got a feudal rattle off here for you for 403 00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:07,200 Speaker 2: you at the end. There was a presidential election in 404 00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:08,800 Speaker 2: eighteen seventy six that. 405 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:11,679 Speaker 3: Was quite the doozy in and of itself. 406 00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:15,639 Speaker 2: Eighteen hundred and eighteen twenty four and eighteen ninety six 407 00:23:16,160 --> 00:23:22,720 Speaker 2: are some of the highlights, let's say, of crooked presidential elections. 408 00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:26,680 Speaker 2: But eighteen seventy six really takes the cake and pushes 409 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:30,919 Speaker 2: from just kind of let's just say irregularities to just 410 00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:36,960 Speaker 2: outright fraud and let's just call it, you know, let's 411 00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:37,480 Speaker 2: call it what it is. 412 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:41,200 Speaker 3: Trying to steal an election. Yeah, they're trying to steal 413 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:41,840 Speaker 3: an election. 414 00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:46,439 Speaker 1: In the summer of eighteen seventy six, Ulysses s Grant says, 415 00:23:46,560 --> 00:23:49,399 Speaker 1: I'm gonna retire from public life. I'm gonna get really 416 00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:56,680 Speaker 1: into that. I don't know Bonzai or collecting porcelain figurines. 417 00:23:56,720 --> 00:23:58,719 Speaker 1: I mean, I've heard he got really into the bottom 418 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:03,000 Speaker 1: of a bottle. He did have some demons, and when 419 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:06,600 Speaker 1: he retired this meant that the eighteen seventy six presidential 420 00:24:06,640 --> 00:24:10,119 Speaker 1: election was all of a sudden, wide open chaos. Is 421 00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:13,480 Speaker 1: a ladder, as little Finger would say later. And there's 422 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:16,720 Speaker 1: this Democrat his name is Samuel Tilden, Governor of New York, 423 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:20,600 Speaker 1: and he's the nominee, the Democratic nominee here. And then 424 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:25,040 Speaker 1: there's an Ohio Republican rather for b. Hayes, who wants 425 00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:28,440 Speaker 1: to run. The votes are really really close, our guy 426 00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:33,359 Speaker 1: Sam Tilden wins the popular vote, and again, just like 427 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:37,840 Speaker 1: in Colorado, both sides are saying I'm the president. 428 00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:42,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, more Spider Man finger pointing kind of situations. There 429 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:46,760 Speaker 2: no question about it. Irregularity is once again, I mean, 430 00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:48,640 Speaker 2: that's what I'm saying. 431 00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:49,960 Speaker 3: But it was so brazen. 432 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:53,080 Speaker 2: You know, you just had these ballot boxes being stuffed 433 00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:57,720 Speaker 2: to the gills, literal counterfeits, ballots being printed. 434 00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:01,200 Speaker 3: And again there's a different time. You know, it was 435 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:03,120 Speaker 3: a little easier to do that. 436 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:05,240 Speaker 2: You know, they didn't have like watermark I guess, and 437 00:25:05,320 --> 00:25:08,760 Speaker 2: there's some kind of code or RFID or whatever. It 438 00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:12,040 Speaker 2: could definitely be done with a lot more of a 439 00:25:12,119 --> 00:25:14,040 Speaker 2: quickness than what you might be able to get away 440 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:14,560 Speaker 2: with today. 441 00:25:15,600 --> 00:25:15,919 Speaker 3: Yeah. 442 00:25:16,119 --> 00:25:19,720 Speaker 1: Again, we got places like South Carolina where one hundred 443 00:25:19,760 --> 00:25:23,240 Speaker 1: and four percent of the actual voters vote that is 444 00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:28,720 Speaker 1: statistically impossible. There are fake ballots made to trick people 445 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:33,800 Speaker 1: into voting for parties that don't represent their interests. Of course, 446 00:25:34,520 --> 00:25:38,040 Speaker 1: white supremacist groups like the Clan are trying to prevent 447 00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:42,560 Speaker 1: black people from exercising their right to vote, and there's 448 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:45,160 Speaker 1: a commission that's trying to figure all this stuff out, 449 00:25:45,960 --> 00:25:50,120 Speaker 1: and they can't do anything because the commission is made 450 00:25:50,119 --> 00:25:53,040 Speaker 1: of people who are both Democrat and Republican Party members 451 00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:57,119 Speaker 1: and they all hate each other, so they're not gonna 452 00:25:57,119 --> 00:25:59,000 Speaker 1: work together on anything. 453 00:25:59,119 --> 00:26:00,439 Speaker 2: What do you say, Ben, they were un able to 454 00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:04,280 Speaker 2: cross the aisle that there were no olive branches being extended. 455 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:05,879 Speaker 4: We just need to get back to the era of 456 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:09,679 Speaker 4: bipartisan like the eighteen seventies when everyone works so well together. 457 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:15,199 Speaker 1: Yeah, right, exactly, Yeah, the halcyon days of us that 458 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:20,080 Speaker 1: never existed. So the Democrats, Tilden, Tilden's crew, they suggest 459 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:24,479 Speaker 1: a compromise. Hayes, you lose the eighteen seventy six election, 460 00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:29,880 Speaker 1: but you win this compromise because you got electoral votes 461 00:26:30,359 --> 00:26:35,280 Speaker 1: instead of the popular vote. So Hayes had one hundred 462 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:38,119 Speaker 1: and eighty five electoral votes, Tilden had one hundred and 463 00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:42,480 Speaker 1: eighty four. Noel for a fellow ridiculous historians who are 464 00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:45,919 Speaker 1: not in the US, the idea of two different votes 465 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:46,960 Speaker 1: is kind of confusing. 466 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:48,840 Speaker 3: How would we explain that? 467 00:26:49,119 --> 00:26:52,600 Speaker 2: It's confusing to me too. I still don't fully get it. 468 00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:56,320 Speaker 2: It seems like a weird, antiquated relic that makes no 469 00:26:56,440 --> 00:26:59,080 Speaker 2: sense of the most people don't understand. And I think 470 00:26:59,119 --> 00:27:02,440 Speaker 2: it's so funny that that's a dispute that we continue 471 00:27:02,440 --> 00:27:05,440 Speaker 2: to see in this our modern era. We're talking about 472 00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:08,199 Speaker 2: an election that took place in the eighteen hundreds, and 473 00:27:08,280 --> 00:27:11,240 Speaker 2: yet one that took place in the two thousands, you know, 474 00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:15,720 Speaker 2: the twenty tens, you know, had the exact same issue 475 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:16,160 Speaker 2: with the. 476 00:27:16,119 --> 00:27:18,720 Speaker 3: Idea of someone winning an electoral vote and not the 477 00:27:18,760 --> 00:27:19,720 Speaker 3: popular vote. 478 00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:25,119 Speaker 2: I still don't fully get with these electors. They're not 479 00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:29,480 Speaker 2: legally required to vote in the direction of the popular vote, 480 00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:32,439 Speaker 2: so we just what put our faith in them, like 481 00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:36,800 Speaker 2: they're untouchable, they're these paragons of like morality. I don't 482 00:27:36,800 --> 00:27:38,480 Speaker 2: even know who these people are. How do you become 483 00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:43,040 Speaker 2: an elector? I'm sure somebody's friend. Yeah, yeah, someone's friend 484 00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:44,560 Speaker 2: who does friends for their friend. 485 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:47,040 Speaker 3: And so I've always heard. 486 00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:48,399 Speaker 4: It explained that if you think about it in the 487 00:27:48,440 --> 00:27:52,119 Speaker 4: context with seventeen eighty, it makes sense, and then if 488 00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:55,480 Speaker 4: you go anything further into the future, it makes less 489 00:27:55,480 --> 00:27:58,040 Speaker 4: and less and less sense, because it's like communication was 490 00:27:58,040 --> 00:28:00,240 Speaker 4: a lot harder. So you just all get together and 491 00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:02,000 Speaker 4: you tell this one guy, and this one guy goes 492 00:28:02,040 --> 00:28:03,919 Speaker 4: and tells other people. You get all the votes from 493 00:28:03,920 --> 00:28:06,520 Speaker 4: his state and he sent it to d C. It's like, okay, 494 00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:07,280 Speaker 4: I get that. 495 00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:09,720 Speaker 1: Because we only have so many horses in town at 496 00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:13,400 Speaker 1: that point. But then also, you know that that infrastructure 497 00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:16,040 Speaker 1: starts to fall apart when we have more and more people, 498 00:28:16,359 --> 00:28:19,760 Speaker 1: three hundred and thirty million plus people from a species 499 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:24,000 Speaker 1: where twelve folks often can't agree on a pizza order, 500 00:28:24,119 --> 00:28:28,040 Speaker 1: let alone a crime. He gets very complicated. And so 501 00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:31,679 Speaker 1: as a result, this guy Hayes, as a result of 502 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:35,639 Speaker 1: this very weird, corrupt election, he is not popular at all. 503 00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:42,360 Speaker 1: In fact, people start calling him his fraudulency, which was 504 00:28:42,440 --> 00:28:44,440 Speaker 1: quite a bird in the eighteen hundreds. 505 00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:45,960 Speaker 3: You suffer, Yes. 506 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:50,440 Speaker 2: Yes, Fraudulncy's yeah, that's pretty it sounds quaint right by 507 00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:55,000 Speaker 2: today's standards, but yeah, that was a big deal. Unfortunately, 508 00:28:55,280 --> 00:28:59,200 Speaker 2: you know, a lot of the laws that came from 509 00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:04,840 Speaker 2: the Compromise or Hell are racists and essentially created the 510 00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:06,560 Speaker 2: Jim Crow. 511 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:09,000 Speaker 3: Laws that we know and despise that. 512 00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:13,720 Speaker 2: Essentially, you know, cut black people off at the knees, 513 00:29:13,840 --> 00:29:16,240 Speaker 2: you know, in terms of their ability to truly exist 514 00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:21,040 Speaker 2: and thrive in American life. You know, just absolute targeted, 515 00:29:21,720 --> 00:29:23,760 Speaker 2: racist laws. 516 00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:28,960 Speaker 1: And it continued and continues. A shout out to the 517 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:32,400 Speaker 1: current controversy we mentioned regarding cop city here in Atlanta, Georgia. 518 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:37,640 Speaker 1: In Missouri nineteen forty six, there's another time democracy absolutely 519 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:44,080 Speaker 1: pooped the bed. So nepotism networking, I personally hate it. 520 00:29:44,360 --> 00:29:46,920 Speaker 1: I think a lot of people consider it a necessary evil. 521 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:55,160 Speaker 1: Harry Truman got Harry Truman basically became involved in politics 522 00:29:55,280 --> 00:30:00,320 Speaker 1: because of nepotism. He was friends with a political or. 523 00:30:00,360 --> 00:30:03,480 Speaker 1: He became an associate of one of those Tammany Hall 524 00:30:03,640 --> 00:30:07,400 Speaker 1: boss Tweed types. You fought with the nephew of a 525 00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:12,600 Speaker 1: guy named Tom Pendergast. You probably haven't heard of Tom Pendergast. 526 00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:15,800 Speaker 1: We certainly had, and I don't think he's an unelected 527 00:30:15,840 --> 00:30:19,160 Speaker 1: city official in Kansas City. And he has so much 528 00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:23,720 Speaker 1: sway in Missouri that the governor's mansion was nicknamed get this, folks, 529 00:30:24,040 --> 00:30:26,200 Speaker 1: Uncle Tom's cabin tut. 530 00:30:26,040 --> 00:30:28,480 Speaker 4: What no not. 531 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:33,960 Speaker 2: Ray Pendergrast was an actual like he was a He 532 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:37,120 Speaker 2: was a tough guy, you know, a real tough, real 533 00:30:37,200 --> 00:30:40,719 Speaker 2: punchy character. He knew how to run a business. He 534 00:30:40,760 --> 00:30:43,720 Speaker 2: was smart, he was shrewd, he was thrifty, and he 535 00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:48,560 Speaker 2: could fight, you know, physically, he was actually related to 536 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:52,280 Speaker 2: Kansas City's previous political boss. And I gotta say, when 537 00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:56,160 Speaker 2: we talk about these political machines and the political bosses. 538 00:30:56,040 --> 00:30:58,240 Speaker 3: It's a mafia style or arrangement. 539 00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:02,960 Speaker 2: And that's why it's no surprise that these folks often 540 00:31:03,080 --> 00:31:04,560 Speaker 2: worked with the mafia. 541 00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:04,800 Speaker 3: Uh. 542 00:31:05,040 --> 00:31:08,320 Speaker 2: And essentially it's just like a shadow the mafia becomes 543 00:31:08,360 --> 00:31:11,160 Speaker 2: this kind of shadow government, right right, you know they're 544 00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:14,640 Speaker 2: calling the shots that they're just the political boss is 545 00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:17,600 Speaker 2: sort of the legitimate face of the But it's like 546 00:31:18,320 --> 00:31:20,560 Speaker 2: laughable to even say that, right, that it was that 547 00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:21,760 Speaker 2: was the legitimate face. 548 00:31:22,160 --> 00:31:27,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, it's true though. He this guy, Pendergass, this 549 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:32,680 Speaker 1: king maker. People do what he says. He pushes for 550 00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:36,160 Speaker 1: popular initiatives. He's a fixer, he's a deal maker. He's 551 00:31:36,200 --> 00:31:40,520 Speaker 1: also a heck of a bully. Apparently his goons used 552 00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:45,120 Speaker 1: machine guns, blackjacks, and pistols to force voters to vote 553 00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:49,360 Speaker 1: they way they wanted. Four people died, eleven people ended 554 00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:53,120 Speaker 1: up in the hospital, and two hundred just got the 555 00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:55,120 Speaker 1: snot knocked out of them. 556 00:31:55,640 --> 00:31:58,320 Speaker 2: And I think that event you're describing Ben is actually 557 00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:02,520 Speaker 2: coined a bloody whose day you can probably fill in 558 00:32:02,600 --> 00:32:05,320 Speaker 2: the gaps. You know, the New York Times reported about 559 00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:10,200 Speaker 2: you know, pinder gasgoons using all of these just absolutely 560 00:32:10,280 --> 00:32:14,800 Speaker 2: horrifically violent methods to quote unquote win over voters. You know, 561 00:32:15,640 --> 00:32:18,320 Speaker 2: they weren't really winning anybody. They were just you know, 562 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:21,000 Speaker 2: holding them at literal gunpoint and making them do what 563 00:32:21,040 --> 00:32:21,520 Speaker 2: they wanted. 564 00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:24,520 Speaker 1: In nineteen thirty six, they didn't even have to beat 565 00:32:24,560 --> 00:32:26,840 Speaker 1: that many people up. They just did a bunch of 566 00:32:26,880 --> 00:32:30,320 Speaker 1: fake voting. They went through the records, they found eighty 567 00:32:30,480 --> 00:32:34,680 Speaker 1: thousand people who were dead, sick, or just didn't exist, 568 00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:37,680 Speaker 1: and all of a sudden, Max Powers astronaut with a 569 00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:41,920 Speaker 1: secret Nell's born, and Sir williams Esquire are voting like 570 00:32:42,160 --> 00:32:47,160 Speaker 1: fifty times, Pendergrast candidates win by a ratio of one thousand, 571 00:32:47,360 --> 00:32:51,960 Speaker 1: four hundred and sixty nine to one. This is massive fraud. 572 00:32:52,320 --> 00:32:55,560 Speaker 1: It's only one other example. There are many, many more. 573 00:32:55,880 --> 00:32:59,680 Speaker 1: But we talked little and we made our own shady 574 00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:01,880 Speaker 1: back room deal. We're going to return to some of 575 00:33:01,920 --> 00:33:06,800 Speaker 1: these in future episodes, but for now, Dole, what a ride? 576 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:07,280 Speaker 3: I mean? 577 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:09,880 Speaker 1: I think we all kind of assume there's a lot 578 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:13,800 Speaker 1: of corruption in politics, often in local politics, but this 579 00:33:13,840 --> 00:33:16,320 Speaker 1: stuff kind of takes the cake. I'm glad we didn't 580 00:33:16,360 --> 00:33:18,760 Speaker 1: live in Colorado in the early nineteen hundreds. 581 00:33:19,160 --> 00:33:21,800 Speaker 2: Yeah. Now, Colorado's kind of, you know, I mean, it's 582 00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:23,920 Speaker 2: sort of developed reputation as being a kind of a 583 00:33:23,960 --> 00:33:26,800 Speaker 2: liberal bastion, or at least in like the you know, 584 00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:28,320 Speaker 2: the more I guess. 585 00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:30,240 Speaker 3: Metropolitan parts of it. I mean, in terms of it 586 00:33:30,320 --> 00:33:31,560 Speaker 3: being first. 587 00:33:31,360 --> 00:33:36,560 Speaker 2: To the game for legalization and taxation of cannabis and 588 00:33:36,560 --> 00:33:38,840 Speaker 2: all of that stuff, and it just seems it seems 589 00:33:38,840 --> 00:33:40,200 Speaker 2: like a pretty chill place. 590 00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:45,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, I've got the cave divers all of that. 591 00:33:45,280 --> 00:33:47,040 Speaker 2: I actually saw a clip I think it was this 592 00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:50,040 Speaker 2: Instagram video that came up showing though those cave divers. 593 00:33:50,040 --> 00:33:52,400 Speaker 3: Man the way they do it, it's very odd move. 594 00:33:52,440 --> 00:33:54,800 Speaker 2: It's like sort of like Olympic diving, where you're about, 595 00:33:54,800 --> 00:33:57,240 Speaker 2: you know, dip down and touch your toes and then 596 00:33:57,280 --> 00:33:59,680 Speaker 2: stand on your hands and then sort of PLoP off 597 00:33:59,800 --> 00:34:02,200 Speaker 2: the the edge of this thing. I heard a piece 598 00:34:02,240 --> 00:34:04,880 Speaker 2: on NPR about how like they emerge from like an 599 00:34:05,320 --> 00:34:11,160 Speaker 2: underwater trapdoor that leads into the dressing room I guess 600 00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:13,080 Speaker 2: which At the time of the NPR piece, which was 601 00:34:13,120 --> 00:34:16,320 Speaker 2: referring to the South Park guys having bought that place, 602 00:34:16,400 --> 00:34:19,319 Speaker 2: so like this is them reopening it and apparently it 603 00:34:19,360 --> 00:34:22,279 Speaker 2: was really in disrepair, and the Cliff Iver was just like, yeah, 604 00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:23,640 Speaker 2: it's kind of gnarly back here. 605 00:34:23,840 --> 00:34:24,680 Speaker 3: I don't know, I. 606 00:34:24,480 --> 00:34:27,120 Speaker 2: Feel like I got a rash from this water, but 607 00:34:27,320 --> 00:34:28,440 Speaker 2: now it's apparently awesome. 608 00:34:28,520 --> 00:34:29,239 Speaker 3: Definitely want to go. 609 00:34:29,800 --> 00:34:33,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, we're at We absolutely have to go. As we said, 610 00:34:33,120 --> 00:34:35,840 Speaker 1: we're excited to do more live shows. 611 00:34:35,880 --> 00:34:37,320 Speaker 3: We'd love to get on the road. 612 00:34:37,719 --> 00:34:42,160 Speaker 1: We always like the energy when we're recording together in person. 613 00:34:42,280 --> 00:34:45,160 Speaker 1: We'll be doing more of that soon and in the meantime, 614 00:34:45,800 --> 00:34:48,840 Speaker 1: big big thanks to our super producer, mister Max Williams. 615 00:34:48,840 --> 00:34:55,800 Speaker 1: Big thanks to our own Tammany Hall official Jonathan Strickland. 616 00:34:55,800 --> 00:34:58,319 Speaker 1: I almost said Jonathan ka Strickland, but I don't think 617 00:34:58,320 --> 00:34:59,440 Speaker 1: that's his real middle. 618 00:34:59,200 --> 00:35:00,839 Speaker 3: It is, doesn't matter, That's just how fan. 619 00:35:01,280 --> 00:35:03,839 Speaker 2: I'm a big fan of inserting a fake you know, 620 00:35:03,920 --> 00:35:06,919 Speaker 2: initial into into the Max You you had a fake 621 00:35:06,960 --> 00:35:11,120 Speaker 2: initial at some point recently it came up you claims 622 00:35:11,160 --> 00:35:13,440 Speaker 2: to be a member of some family we were talking about. 623 00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:14,640 Speaker 3: I don't know what I'm saying. 624 00:35:14,960 --> 00:35:18,759 Speaker 2: Pay me no mine, but do pay attention to this 625 00:35:18,840 --> 00:35:21,920 Speaker 2: podcast because you know we've got more episodes coming out 626 00:35:21,920 --> 00:35:23,200 Speaker 2: every week. I don't know, this is the first one 627 00:35:23,160 --> 00:35:26,080 Speaker 2: were said anything like this. How about we pay attention 628 00:35:26,160 --> 00:35:29,400 Speaker 2: to the people that we want to thank continuously, like 629 00:35:29,480 --> 00:35:33,160 Speaker 2: Chris fhrasciotis here in spirit, Eve's Cheffcote, Alex Williams who 630 00:35:33,160 --> 00:35:36,400 Speaker 2: composed our theme, Max Williams, or should I call you sir. 631 00:35:36,719 --> 00:35:41,440 Speaker 3: M James Williams esquire he shall first, second, the third 632 00:35:42,080 --> 00:35:43,880 Speaker 3: of his name, all the above. 633 00:35:44,920 --> 00:35:47,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, So, with big thanks to the Governor and big 634 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:50,840 Speaker 1: thanks to you, nol, I guess we don't even I 635 00:35:50,840 --> 00:35:53,319 Speaker 1: don't think we should tease our next stuff coming up, 636 00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:56,000 Speaker 1: but we've got some rollicking stories to explore. 637 00:35:56,920 --> 00:35:57,440 Speaker 3: Rollicking. 638 00:35:57,520 --> 00:36:07,920 Speaker 2: Indeed, we'll see you next time, folks. For more podcasts 639 00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:11,440 Speaker 2: from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 640 00:36:11,520 --> 00:36:13,120 Speaker 2: you listen to your favorite shows.