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The John Batchelor Show

The John Batchelor Show

The John Batchelor Show is a hard news-analysis radio program on current events, world history, global politics and natural sciences. Based in New York City for two decades, the show has travelled widely to report, from the Middle East to the South Caucasus to the Arabian Peninsula and East Asia.

news & politics history

All Episodes

8:41

S8 Ep144: From Harding's Success to FDR's Political...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/29

From Harding's Success to FDR's Political Evolution — David Pietrusza — Herbert Hoover chose affiliation with the Republican Party, finding the Democratic Party either excessively radical or institutionally corrupt. Hoover's persistent inability to establish authentic public connection ultimately undermined his effectiveness during the Great Depression. FDR, by contrast, was politically mature and experienced significant personal transformation after contracting polio in 1921, developing genuine

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10:59

S8 Ep144: Harding's Landslide and the Imprisoned...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/29

Harding's Landslide and the Imprisoned Socialist — David Pietrusza — Socialist candidate Eugene Debsconducted his presidential campaign from Atlanta Penitentiary, where he was incarcerated for speaking against American participation in World War I. The 1920 election produced an overwhelming Republican victory, with Harding capturing 60% of the popular vote and 404 electoral votes through a meticulously orchestrated front-porch campaign strategy. Harding, who died in 1923 from an acute heart attack,

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5:08

S8 Ep144: The 1920 General Election: The League and...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/29

The 1920 General Election: The League and Campaign Oratory — David Pietrusza — Harding proved to be a surprisingly effective orator, earning substantial speaking fees on the Chautauqua lecture circuit despite his reputation for carefully evasive rhetoric. Following his meeting with the infirm Wilson, Cox committed unreservedly to supporting the League of Nations, a political miscalculation that proved electorally catastrophic. Wilson's documented inability to negotiate or tolerate substantive

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12:38

S8 Ep144: The Democratic Convention: Forty-Four...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/29

The Democratic Convention: Forty-Four Ballots and the Two-Thirds Rule — David Pietrusza — The July 1920 Democratic National Convention required 44 grueling ballots to achieve nomination, constrained by the restrictive two-thirds supermajority rule. President Wilson, pursuing an unprecedented third term, was effectively excluded from consideration due to his unpopularity and obstinate refusal to negotiate on League ratification. Ohio Governor James Cox, a moderate "wet" candidate, ultimately secured

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5:33

S8 Ep144: The Republican Convention and the Rise of...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/29

The Republican Convention and the Rise of Harding — David Pietrusza — The June 1920 Republican National Convention in Chicago failed to nominate any of the leading frontrunners, including Hiram Johnson, General Leonard Wood, or Herbert Hoover. Harding, who initially sought the nomination primarily to enhance his Senate reelection prospects, ultimately prevailed because party delegates perceived him as an acceptable compromise candidate representing no extreme faction. The Republican platform

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14:12

S8 Ep144: Introducing the Future Presidents: FDR,...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/29

Introducing the Future Presidents: FDR, Coolidge, and Hoover — David Pietrusza — This segment introduces the remaining figures who would subsequently achieve the presidency: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover. FDR, the ambitious Assistant Secretary of the Navy, was not yet prepared for executive responsibility, and his marriage to Eleanor had already deteriorated into a strained political arrangement. Coolidgeembodied personal integrity and reflected his remote Vermont

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6:51

S8 Ep144: Warren G. Harding: The Available Man from...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/29

Warren G. Harding: The Available Man from Ohio — David Pietrusza — With Theodore Roosevelt deceased and Wilson incapacitated, Republicans sought a viable candidate for what they perceived as a favorable electoral year. Warren G. Harding, a small-town newspaper publisher from the critical swing state of Ohio, emerged as the "available man," despite ranking only fifth or sixth among preferred contenders. Harding adopted a strategy of accommodation, carefully avoiding alienation of competing party

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10:44

S8 Ep143: Wilson's Stroke and the League of Nations...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/29

Wilson's Stroke and the League of Nations in the 1920 Election — David Pietrusza — The 1920 presidential election opened with the tragedy of President Woodrow Wilson's stroke in October 1919, leaving him profoundly incapacitated for the remainder of his life. His relentless advocacy for American membership in the League of Nations dominated the electoral debate. This issue deeply fractured the Republican Party into competing factions: isolationists rejecting international entanglement,

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5:46

S8 Ep142: SHOW 11-28-25 CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/29

SHOW11-28-25 CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR 1963 The Genius of Early Photography: Nadar, Daguerre, and Dangerous Chemistry — Anika Burgess — Burgess details the risky and adventurous origins of photography as a practical medium. She examines Nadar, a visionary figure who deployed a giant balloon named Léon to fund experiments in heavier-than-air flight, having previously conducted innovative photographic expeditions into Paris's catacombs. Burgess also recounts Daguerre's 1839

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6:55

S8 Ep142: Lessons from WWII: Unleashing Private...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/29

Lessons from WWII: Unleashing Private Enterprise — Arthur Herman — Herman explores the strategic tension during WWII between New Deal administrators favoring centralized government command and industrialists prioritizing private sector innovation and operational flexibility. FDR and Knudsen learned from the disastrous centralized economic control failures of WWI, choosing instead to permit American private enterprise to "determine production methodologies and develop solutions for urgent national

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12:45

S8 Ep142: The B-29 Superfortress and the Battle of...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/29

The B-29 Superfortress and the Battle of Omaha — Arthur Herman — Herman recounts the genesis of the B-29 Superfortress bomber, conceived after General Hap Arnold consulted with Charles Lindbergh in 1939. The B-29represented the ultimate expression of air supremacy doctrine, demanding revolutionary technologies including pressurized crew cabins and remote-controlled gun turrets that did not yet exist. Bill Knudsen directed the program, overcoming severe delays and persistent technical deficiencies

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7:59

S8 Ep142: Henry Kaiser: The Builder of Liberty Ships...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/29

Henry Kaiser: The Builder of Liberty Ships — Arthur Herman — Herman profiles Henry Kaiser, the second transformative figure in Freedom's Forge. Kaiser, a road construction entrepreneur who had previously coordinated monumental infrastructure projects including the Boulder Dam, demonstrated relentless commitment to ambitious thinking and delivery ahead of schedule and under budget constraints. In late 1940, Kaiser persuaded both British and American governments to contract him to construct

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9:50

S8 Ep142: Freedom's Forge: FDR, WWII Mobilization,...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/29

Freedom's Forge: FDR, WWII Mobilization, and Bill Knudsen — Arthur Herman — Herman discusses his book Freedom's Forge, detailing the extraordinary challenge FDR confronted in May 1940 to prepare America for modern industrial warfare. The preeminent industrialist summoned for this task was Bill Knudsen, CEO of General Motors. Knudsen, a Danish immigrant and former Ford executive, possessed unparalleled expertise in flexible mass production—the capacity to modify production line processes

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6:35

S8 Ep142: Go Woke, Go Broke: The Financial Backlash...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/29

Go Woke, Go Broke: The Financial Backlash and Corporate Retreat — Charles Gasparino — Gasparino reports that woke capitalism is experiencing significant financial retrenchment as corporations suffer bottom-line consequences. BlackRock experienced approximately $14 billion in asset withdrawals, and financial institutions including Goldman Sachs are dismantling diversity programs. CEOs are systematically abandoning progressive political commitments as financial performance deteriorates, recognizing

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13:05

S8 Ep142: Disney and ESPN: Running a Blue Company in...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/29

Disney and ESPN: Running a Blue Company in a Red State — Charles Gasparino — Gasparino analyzes the radicalization of the Walt Disney Company, noting that CEO Bob Iger brought progressive cultural affinities while the company maintained profitability. His successor, Bob Chapek, initially navigated the challenge of running a "blue company in a red state" (Florida) by remaining publicly neutral regarding cultural controversies with Governor Ron DeSantis. Internal organizational pressure from Iger

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6:55

S8 Ep142: The Flashpoints of Woke Capitalism: Occupy...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/29

The Flashpoints of Woke Capitalism: Occupy Wall Street and the SEC — Charles Gasparino — Gasparinoidentifies the 2008 financial crisis and the ensuing progressive populist backlash, including the Occupy Wall Streetencampment at Zuccotti Park, as pivotal flashpoints accelerating corporate woke adoption. CEOs embraced ESG and DEI frameworks, influenced by ideological groupthink at forums like Davos. Corporate leadership adopted stakeholder capitalism as a political defense mechanism against

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10:54

S8 Ep142: Woke Capitalism: Origins, ESG, DEI, and the...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/29

Woke Capitalism: Origins, ESG, DEI, and the Power of BlackRock — Charles Gasparino — Gasparino traces the origins of "woke capitalism," detailing how corporate America became an active institutional agent for progressive social change. This ideological shift, accelerated through boardroom political calculations, led to widespread adoption of corporate acronyms including ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) and DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion), redirecting corporate focus from shareholder

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7:50

S8 Ep141: Angelica's Later Life: Return, Tragedy, and...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/29

Angelica's Later Life: Return, Tragedy, and Founding Angelica, NY — Molly Beer — Angelica visited the United States for President Washington's 1789 inauguration but quickly returned to London, disappointed that the nascent republic fell short of her revolutionary ideals. She returned permanently to America in 1797, positioning herself as the matriarch of the Schuyler family legacy. Following devastating personal tragedy in 1804, including Alexander Hamilton's death at Aaron Burr's hands, Angelica

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11:50

S8 Ep141: Angelica in Europe: John Church, London...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/29

Angelica in Europe: John Church, London Society, and Diplomacy — Molly Beer — Following ratification of the peace treaty, Angelica and her husband sailed to Paris to collect outstanding payments owed by the French government. John Carter leveraged the wartime amnesty to settle accumulated debts, reconcile with his estranged family, and legally adopt the name John Barker Church. Angelica relocated to London's elegant Mayfair neighborhood, where she established herself as a prominent American

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6:59

S8 Ep141: Angelica and the Founders: The Revolution...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/29

Angelica and the Founders: The Revolution and the Hamilton Connection — Molly Beer — Beer examines Angelica's pivotal role during the American Revolution, including her service alongside Rochambeau's army, traveling to Yorktown shortly after delivering her third child. Her sister Elizabeth ("Betsy") married Alexander Hamilton, who deliberately married into the prominent Schuyler family to elevate his social standing and political prospects. Following the war, Angelica's eldest son, Philip, founded

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5,146 results

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