Presidential Death-Match

In a breathtaking epsiode (mostly because Aaron is having trouble,) Aaron takes a closer look at the five remaining Libertarian and Prohibition Party candidates as he tries to speed this season along to its natural conclusion.  Support the show at paypal.me/pronoiatheater or venmo: @pronoia

You didn't think we'd let this Speaker drama pass without a trip down ridiculous American history lane? Aaron pokes his head up from the break to talk about a definite villain, possible hero of the 1800's, Benjamin Butler.  Support us at paypal.me/pronoiatheater or venmo: @pronoia

Tragically Aaron-less once more, Dennis welcomes barbecue savant and environmental engineer Cameron McKay to discuss the merits of Texas brisket and its lesser BBQ brethren. Unemployment insurance changemaker Jake Coxey Sr. does his best to weather the undeniably apropos return of Ross Perot for the battle of the best pitmaster. Smokin'!! Support the show at paypal.me/pronoiatheater or venmo: @Pronoia

Sometimes these are the last words we ever care about out of a candidates mouths. We're talking the contrite, the fiery, and the goofy of concession speeches in this week's Presidential Death Match!  Will consumer protection advocate Ralph Nader top long time senator John McCain in a battle for the best second-place words?  Support the show at paypal.me/pronoiatheater or venmo: @Pronoia

Presidential Death Match finally covers the dryest candidates of them all: Dole vs. teetotaler independant Pa Ferguson! In a topic we're suprised we haven't covered we decide which of them would be the best improviser, bringing our many, many, many poorly spent hours doing that art form to the table.  Send retractions to contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at paypal.me/pronoiatheater, or venmo: @Pronoia

After a thrilling game of ranking states by electoral votes we return to the final few candidates of 1976 and the silliness therein.

Sometimes in electoral politics what dominates a campaign is not a candidate or a set of issues, but the infrastructure of our government itself. We take a look at two high-watermark elections for third-party candidates, 1976 and 2004, why they were so contentious, why despite attracting many candidates that didn't translate into votes, and who legitimacy favors.  Send retractions to contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at paypal.me/pronoiatheater or venmo: @pronoia

Our newest episode is taking a little longer so have this short story about America's first anti-slavery senator and failed presidential candidate John Parker Hale! Support the show at paypal.me/pronoiatheater or venmo: @Pronoia

We end our bender of a 100th episode skidding into 101 with the actual discussion of the mangled presidencies of our chosen martyrs. It's a grand time. Send retractions to contact@pronoiatheater.com  Support the show at paypal.me/pronoiatheater or venmo @Pronoia

The hundredth episode so grand it could only fit into 101 episodes! We're celebrating our centenary by mulling over unforeseen consequences as we puzzle the terrible ramifications of making someone president against the universe's will. Our constant friends Riley Smith and Jacob Godbey join us in this tomfoolery. Join us next week for part 2! Send retractions to contact@pronoiatheater.com support the show at paypal.me/pronoiatheater or venmo: @pronoia

What's wrong with two Democratic presidents on either side of the civil war? Aaron and Dennis explore what bullets we may have dodged in the non-existent presidencies of Lewis Cass and Horatio Seymour.  Send retractions to contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at paypal.me/pronoiatheater or venmo: @Pronoia

Two weeks of Aaron and Dennis in a row?!?! What luxury.  Dynasties are falling left and right these days so the fellows dig into some prominent families who failed to make the presidency, and their disappointing progeny and congeny (which I assume is the antonym of progeny.) Send retractions to contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at paypal.me/pronoiatheater or venmo: @Pronoia

With the word "unprecedented" being thrown around with reckless abandon we check-in with our Archival Correspondant, Jessica Kelly Garrett, to talk the Presidential Records Act and why the people own information produced by our government.  Meanwhile, we chat about two candidates who made a little too much trouble for themselves in the forms of national traitor (the Senate's words, not ours) John Breckinridge and the trying-too-hard-for-attention Jill Ellen Stein! Send retractions to contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at paypal.me/pronoiatheater venmo: @Pronoia

Aaron and Dennis are together again, apart! After the usual belly-aching they get down to the business of preserving Aaron's marriage in amber after his wife moved away.  What lessons can be learned from the two stronger-than-normal third party showings of William Wirt and Robert Marion "Fighting Bob" La Follette (Sr.)?  Send retractions to contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at paypal.me/pronoiatheater or venmo: @Pronoia

After far too long we finally found the sword to transfer our power to emerge from our lunar dumpster and protect you from the machinations of boredom!  Ned Dhonau joins the program to talk the Wizard of Eltar and suffer from technical difficulties on this episode that examines whether Union general Winfield Scott Hancock or transcendental meditator John Hagelin exemplifies the best and worst of Zordon. Send retractions to contact@pronoiatheater.com support the show at paypal.me/pronoiatheater or venmo: @Pronoia

In a tragically Aaron-less episode, we discuss who would make the best addition to the unusual array of demons described in the medieval Ars Goetia. Dennis argues against guest co-host Andrew Stout.  Mail retractions to contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at paypal.me/pronoiatheater or venmo: @pronoia

We're on the road and have no good equipment! Learn what little there is to know about Jefferson Davis' final home in real time. 

We've been plagued by technical problems! While we work on the once-and-future episode take a break with Aaron to learn about some sneaky things politicans are doing and the story behind the elecction of 1796! Send retractions to contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at paypal.me/Pronoiatheater or venmo: @Pronoia

Our surprising trilogy on the Libertarian Party comes to a close with the battle no one (but Aaron) is clamoring for: Ron Paul v Gary Johnson. Should we look to Populist Passion or Pragmatist Persuasion in this battle of the Also-Rans?!?!?!?!?!? Send Retractions to Contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at paypal.me/Pronoiatheater or Venmo: @Pronoia

Aaron hijacks the podcast the way Mises Caucus hijacked the Libertarian Party: by showing up and doing the work. We explore the history of America's (currently) largest third party: the Libertarians, who have been going through a bit of change recently.  Hang out on couches in Colorado, see what the Kochs are up to, and learn about America's real revolving door problem: Minor Republicans turning into Libertarians and back again all on this week's Presidential Death Match! Send retractions to contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at paypal.me/pronoiatheater venmo: @Pronoia

Politicans love parties and we love watching politicans from afar. But when it comes to the best parties which of these up-all-night ravers is the king: Al "Human Snooze Button" Gore or Daniel "Nosferatu" Webster?  What? It's a different meaning of the word "Party"? Forget what I said then.  Send retractions to contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at paypal.me/pronoiatheater venmo: @Pronoia pronoiatheater.com/store

We take a break from all the silliness for more silliness to consider what makes a good monument and what it means to build a statue and/or ridiculous pointy tower in someone's honor.  Send retractions to contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at pronoiatheater.com/store paypal.me/pronoiatheater venmo: @Pronoia

It's Independance Day week and we're exploring a few less well-known founding fathers. Too frequently we heap the acheivements of America onto a few men while ignoring the massive work, collaboration, and concessions given by the elected representatives of the time. Let's change that as we look at the presidents of the first two congresses of the United States: John Rutledge and John Hancock.  Send retractions to contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at pronoiatheater.com/store Paypal.me/pronoiatheater venmo: @pronoia

The news is contentious! Was it contentious in the past? It was. Aaron takes a trip back to the 70's to look at two fringe candidates on either side of Roe v Wade to explore how we got to where we are. It's sure to not be controversial! Honestly it's just two short biographies of two presidential candidates who happened to have strong views on abortion. It's a great time. Send retractions to contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at: paypal.me/pronoiatehater venmo: @Pronoia

It's Dennis' birthday! He's gone, but Aaron explores the deeper meaning of Dennis and the presidential candidate from his current location. It's a short episode full of rough people- just the way Dennis would like it.  Send retractions to contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at paypal.me/pronoiatheater, venmo: @Pronoia, or pronoiatheater.com/store

We weren't gonna let the 50th anniversary of Watergate pass without comment! Why would you suspect such a thing?  Today on the program Dennis is roaming the Earth so Aaron does a solo show on George McGovern the man destined for overwhelming defeat that Nixon still thought he had to spy on.  Send retractions to contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at Pronoiatheater.com/store Venmo: @pronoia paypal.me/pronoiatheater

Dennis and Aaron spent the last few weeks losing the classic board game Diplomacy! They invite on fellow players Andrew Stout and Ty Budde to discuss how the game mirrors real life Diplomacy, and the opportunties squandered by past Presidential candidates. Mail retractions to contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at paypal.me/pronoiatheater or venmo: @pronoia

It's Aaron's birthday! We celebrate in tradtionally somber PDM fashion by exploring the life of the ecological Paul Revere, Barry Commoner. A successful man who preached ecological totalism, America broadly didn't listen to him then, and aren't showing signs of doing it now.  Submit retractions to contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at paypal.me/pronoiatheater or venmo: @Pronoia

We're not all better but we all are back! A still raspy Aaron and still magnificent Dennis bumble their way through the crazy story of Henry Wallace the Democrat's once (and future?) standard bearer.  They dive into the life of a person who couldn't wait for politics or soviets and ended up losing his political power because of it. This is one of the more interesting vice presidents (not saying much,) so we hope you enjoy it!  Send retractions to contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at Pronoiatheater.com/store paypal.me/Pronoiatheater venmo: @ Pronoia

Oh these lonely days and nights with nary a Budde to hold close. When desondant such as I am I like to think back to the story of ol' John Palmer, party crasher extradionaire.  Oh these lonely days and nights with nary a Budde to hold close. When despondent such as I am I like to think back to the story of ol' John Palmer, party crasher extraordinaire. Submit retractions to contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at paypal.me/pronoiatheater or venmo: @Pronoia

For the first time Aaron can't find anything about a candidate! Who was Robert Colvin Macauley? The world may never know, but what we do know is what he stood for, and that's something Aaron accidentally knew about before he started an impromptu recording!  We also throw Howard Phillips of the US Taxpayer (now Constitution) Party in there for good measure.  Dole out retractions to contact@pronoiatheater.com You can support the show at: pronoiatheater.com/store paypal.me/pronoiatheater venmo: @pronoia

Still in the midst of our not-quite-a-break comes the story of what may be the greatest political comeback in American history. The story of Charles Evans Hughes as inspired by Sarah Palin's decision to jump into the open Alaskan house seat race. Send retractions to contact@pronoiatheater.com You can support the show at pronoiatheater.com/store, paypal.me/pronoiatheater, or venmo: @pronoia

Aaron wishes he had a team of friends like the Supreme Court as he flies solo again this week. Taking inspiration from the recent Court Vacancy he talks about the guy who started it all: Oliver Ellsworth, the founding father behind the scenes doing the difficult work of actually writing the laws that formed the judicary of these United States.  Give us mistakes to retract at contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at paypal.me/pronoiatheater or venmo: @pronoia

This episode has it all- except Dennis, so it basically has nothing.  We revisit the Prohibition Party for a look at death theft, historically black colleges, and too much violence against women. It's not a particularly cheery episode this time around, but it is terribly interesting (and I do mean terribly.)  If you want to support the show you can do so at paypal.me/pronoiatheater or venmo: @pronoia!  Reach our corrections department to contact@pronoiatheater.com

This episode gets a little punchy, but what else would you expect when discussing a cut-up like Walter Mondale?  The fellows talk about being a journalist, the value of being disliked, and whether Alabama or Ohio is more hostile to anti-slavery rhetoric. Also everyone in America sounds like a Dickensian lord for inscrutable reasons. It's very much what you've come to expect.  Reach out to contact@pronoiatheater.com, or support the show at paypal.me/Pronoiatheater or venmo @Pronoia

Dennis and Aaron are both in the midst of looking for new occupations and so they convene to discuss which presidential candidate they think would handle the rigors of selling themselves the best. Will it be the man who would later reincarnate into Bernie Sanders Eugene V. Debs or the marzipan-smooth lovable gadfly Mitt Romney?  Reach out to contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at Pronoiatheater.com/store, paypal,me/pronoiatheater, or venmo @pronoia!

Presidential Death Match is going to skulk around the edges for a few weeks as we take a strategic pause on fully produced episodes. Still, we hope to bring you a few shorter stories from history like today's about John Walker a man so unknown that there is no confirmed picture of him I could find.  John Walker was the second presidential nominee of the rebirth of the Anti-masonic party and through him we question changing values and the human desire to pin blame on the secretive other!  Reach out to contact@pronoiatheater.com or support the show at venmo: @pronoia or paypal.me/Pronoiatheater

In an episode that's coming to you live from whenever and whereever you listen to it we decide to talk about a distinctly Texan culinary treat: the kolache. Along the way learn about silent film stars, The Libertarian party of 2004, and one of the many Bells that make up American life.  Reach out to contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at pronoiatheater.com/store, paypal.me/pronoia, or venmo: @pronoia.

Riley Smith manages to make it through an episode without swearing! Has she been replaced by a doppelganger or merely sold out for commercial success? Either way we're happy to have her.  The merry trio nominally discuss antiheroes while also miring themselves in apologizing, loony tunes, and a scofflaws. "A Feast for the Senses"! A person could say of it, probably.  Riley's written a book! Cadinal (book 1/20 of the Citadel series) available now at Amazon, share and enjoy. Reach out to contact@pronoiatheater, support the show at pronoiatheater.com/store, venmo: @pronoia, or paypal.me/pronoiatheater. 

After a quick topic refocus Aaron and Dennis dive into discussing the useful and not-useful aspects of the charm of politicians. Why do we like it, where is it necessary, and who would we pick to lead us if we focused on principles and heurestics instead of the personal touch?  Buy shirts and things at pronoiatheater.com/store Reach out to contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at paypal.me/pronoiatheater or venmo: @pronoia

If Congress is the Spanish Armada of American politics: too large to be nimble and mostly irrelevant today, then the presidency is certainly the pirates of American politics: we like them even though they're riddled with scurvy. Dennis and Aaron compare the romantic western explorer John Frémont and the luxoriating, big spender James G. Blaine in which failed Republican candidate would be the most likely to plunder booty should they be given the chance.  Reach out to contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at pronoiatheater.com/store, paypal.me/Pronoiatheater, or venmo @Pronoia

The Prohibition Party is America's oldest non-major party fielding a candidate every year without fail since 1876. The party lived to see their main goal be enacted into law, then rescinded as its unintended consequences wrecked the law, order, and stability the party ostensibly fought for, and it did this all without ever gaining major electoral success. Dennis and Aaron dive into the history of the Prohibition Party and a number of its presidential candidates through 2020. Reach out to contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at pronoiatheater.com/store, paypal.me/pronoiatheater, or venmo @Pronoia

We had so many mediocre presidential candidates they had to spill over into the new year!  As we take a bit of time off from research please enjoy the lifes and travails of Pat Paulsen, James Iredell, and Henry Krajeski, truly the three amigos of people who ran for president faceitiously and weren't ever in the same room together. Reach out to contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at pronoiatheater.com/store, paypal.me/Pronoiatheater, or venmo @Pronoia

Dennis is back and he's Dennisier than ever! We're taking things a little easy this week and bringing you a few short profiles on lesser known Presidential Candidates through history. 

In which we discover exactly how little Aaron brings to the table. Dennis is still on his honeymoon which means it's time to plot his eventual removal from the program and which failed candidate would best replace him. After a longwinded retractions segment Aaron tucks in for a discussion of Dennis' childhood with Al and Nancy Budde, then Aaron takes the time to lay out a little bit more than we conventionally do for his chosen candidate. Reach out to contact@pronoiatheater.com Support the show at pronoiatheater.com/Store, paypal.me/pronoiatheater, or venmo: @pronoia

My grandma always used to say "When there's a Dennis sized hole in your heart, only a Jacob Godbey can fill it," and never is that more true than today's very special episode.  While Dennis is away on his honeymoon the only debates that matter continue as Jacob and Aaron ponder who would lead better during the Robocalypse: the last of the Whigs Winfield Scott, or noted tank-fancier Michael Dukakis. Support the show at pronoiatheater.com/store, paypal.me/Pronoiatheater or venmo: @pronoia.

We bring in some big guns because Aaron has lost his voice: Jessica and Carolyn rejoin the program to talk about wedding planning and whether it's better to lead with the stick or the carrot as we muse on whether the charismatic militant Aaron Burr or the aloof, but organized Thomas Dewey would serve better in that role.   You can support the show at pronoiatheater.com/store, paypal.me/pronoiatheater or venmo: @pronoia.   Reach out at contact@pronoiatheater.com

We ran out of time and bachelorhood this week, so you're in for a short profile of the most obscure man to run for president: Alton Parker. 

This holiday we're giving thanks for disillusionment!  Ideally we'd celebrate people for updating their beliefs and opinons based on new information, but our human biases often get in the way. This goes doubly for politicians who can be seen as spurning the voters who got them into office or not being team players.  Julia Galef's book The Scout Mindset offers a compelling argument for why we'd not only be healthier, but also happier if we make truth-finding our central goal instead of view-defending. Aaron and Dennis discuss this as well go deeper (too deep) on the Scopes Monkey Trial and Presidential Musicals.  You can vote for the best scout at: https://www.strawpoll.me/45862919  Reach out to Contact @pronoiatheater.com Support the show at Pronoiatheater.com/store or give directly to paypal.me/pronoiatheater or venmo: @pronoia.

It's a battle of the hat trick losers as Henry “The American” Clay takes on William “The Silver Bullet” Bryan in the most sedate debate yet! Aubrey Langston joins us to talk about card collecting and why you sometimes get a rooster in your baseball cards. Vote with your fingers at: www.strawpoll.me/45853629 Support the show through Pronoiatheater.com/store or through donation at paypal.me/Pronoiatheater or Venmo: @pronoia Reach out to contact@pronoiatheater.com

Andrew Stout is in studio (his apartment) to regale us with stories of his power trips in high school. We talk scolds, arts, crafts, behrs, bayers, and Bexars in this strangely careening episode of Presidential Death Match!