"The Year That Broke Politics: Insights from 1968" with Dr. Luke A. Nichter

Send us Fan MailThis week on the Here's What We Know Podcast, join us as we delve into the tumultuous year of 1968, a pivotal moment in American and global history, with our special guest, an esteemed historian and professor, Dr. Luke A. Nichter. He is a New York Times bestselling author or editor of eight books, including, most recently, “The Year That Broke Politics: Collusion and Chaos in the Presidential Election of 1968,” which was chosen as the Best Book of 2023 by the Wall Street Journal. As an expert on presidential history, Dr Luke brings a wealth of knowledge about the seismic shifts that occurred during this era. He also mentioned that there is talk about using AI for transcribing historical recordings which could revolutionize our understanding of past presidencies by providing deeper insights than ever before possible.This is such an enlightening episode filled with insights into one of America's most dynamic years while emphasizing the importance of preserving our country's rich history for future generations. Tune in now!In this Episode:Hear about the revolutionary nature of 1968, both domestically and internationally.Discover how media coverage brought the Vietnam War and political unrest into living rooms across America.Comparisons between past conflicts like Vietnam and more recent ones such as Iraq.Explore Lyndon B. Johnson's complex legacy as president during these transformative times.Hear insightful conversations about whether John F. Kennedy would have escalated or withdrawn from Vietnam had he not been assassinated. Discover why the treatment of vice presidents has been scrutinized throughout history.Listen to Dr. Luke as he shares personal stories and anecdotes while teaching history to college students.Discover the role technology could play in transcribing historical presidential tapes for greater public access.This episode is sponsored by:Habana Cuba (Be sure to use code "Gary20" to get 20% off your order!)A Flood of LoveBio:Dr. Luke A. Nichter is a Professor of History and James H. Cavanaugh Endowed Chair in Presidential Studies at Chapman University. His area of specialty is the Cold War, the modern presidency, and U.S. political and diplomatic history, with a focus on the "long 1960s" from John F. Kennedy through Watergate. He has been a Visiting Fellow at the Norwegian Nobel Institute, an Andrew W. Mellon Fellow at the Massachusetts Historical Society, a Visiting Scholar at the University of Michigan's Eisenberg Institute for Historical Studies, a Senior Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Oxford's Rothermere American Institute, and a Hansard Research Scholar at the London School of Economics.He is a New York Times bestselling author and editor of eight books, including, most recently, The Year That Broke Politics: Collusion and Chaos in the Presidential Election of 1968 (Yale University Press). It is the first rigorously researched historical account of the most controversial election in modern U.S. history to have cooperation from all four major sides – Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Richard Nixon, and George Wallace. Luke interviewed approximately 85 family members and former staffers, in addition to extensive archival research and access to new evidence that dramatically changes our understanding of the election. This work was awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship.Website: http://lukenichter.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-a-nichter-1190877/Connect with Gary:Gary's WebsiteFollow Gary on InstagramGary's TiktokGary's FacebookWatch the episodes on YouTubeAdvertise on the PodcastThank you for listening. Let us know what you think about this episode. Leave us a review!