It seems every time a presidential election rolls around, people say it’s the most important election of our lives. Of course all elections are important, but this year, that statement just happens to be true. Why? History tells us everything we need to know.
In this four-part series, Glenn takes listeners on a journey to look at four transformational elections of the past century. These are the elections that got us where we are today.
The four-part series is compiled below for your convenience.
Part I: 1912
We begin in 1912 --- an election that changed America. Progressive presidential candidate Theodore Roosevelt introduced the code words "social justice" and Democratic candidate Woodrow Willson, who would win the presidency, redefined the Constitution and its role in government.
Part II: 1968
America was in turmoil in 1968. John F. Kennedy, Jr. had been assassinated five years earlier. Then there was the assassination of Malcolm X, followed in 1968 by the unthinkable assassination of both Kennedy's brother, Robert F. Kennedy, and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Vietnam War raged on and discontent erupted. Into this boiling stew of discontent and entitlement mentality, America's college youth were looking for a change. They would find it on American campuses.
Part III: 1980
Leading up to the election of 1980, the nation had endured nearly 70 years of nonstop progressive politics, with the exceptions of Harding and Coolidge in the 1920s. It was tearing apart the fabric of the republic. But a man was coming who would restore America to a beacon of light, a shining city on a hill.
Part IV: 2016
Americans will make the most important choice in the nation's history on November 8, 2016. Will they vote to continue on --- or accelerate --- a path toward socialism and big government policies? Or will they choose the paths of 1920 and 1980, back to a smaller, less intrusive government --- and more freedom? What is more important to Americans in 2016 --- socialistic entitlements, celebrity status or constitutional founding principles? We'll find out this November.