Fail to the Chief

Fail to the Chief is the podcast where comic historian Thom Woodley talks about the men who became President... almost. Romp through the losers of presidential history, laugh and marvel at how different life might have been, had America made different choices.

1984. Walter Mondale, the Loser of 1984. 06/24/2022

1984. Walter Mondale, the Loser of 1984. Comic historian Thom Woodley loves at Walter Mondale, the landslide Ronald Reagan reelection of 1984, and growing up in the 1980s in general. /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/13763924

BOB DOLE BOB DOLE BOB DOLE 12/08/2021

BOB DOLE BOB DOLE BOB DOLE Sad to hear of Bob Dole's passing this week. In honor of the man, here is the Bob Dole chapter from my book Fail to the Chief Vol. 2 (available on Amazon!) /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/21423017

UPDATE! and 1992: Ross Perot 09/14/2021

UPDATE! and 1992: Ross Perot Fail to the Chief THE BOOK? Yes indeed. /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/20474453

1988. Michael Dukakis, a.k.a. Zorba the Clerk. 05/05/2020

1988. Michael Dukakis, a.k.a. Zorba the Clerk. Thom Woodley takes you on a tour of presidential losers of the past. In this episode, the George Bush vs. Michael Dukakis election of 1988. /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/14284403

BONUS: 1980. John B. Anderson, the Best Candidate You Never Heard Of, 03/17/2020

BONUS: 1980. John B. Anderson, the Best Candidate You Never Heard Of, Thom Woodley digs into the losers of presidential history - in this case, the independent candidacy of former Republican Congressman John B. Anderson (IL-16), who lost to Ronald Reagan but might have been the architect of a much better future. /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/13567220

1972. George McGovern's McGovernment. 03/04/2020

1972. George McGovern's McGovernment. Thom Woodley takes you through the history of the disastrous 1972 presidential campaign of liberal icon and Nixon opponent, George McGovern. /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/13401947

1968. Hubert Horatio Humphrey, the Happy Handshaker. 02/04/2020

1968. Hubert Horatio Humphrey, the Happy Handshaker. Thom Woodley discusses the losers of presidential history - this year, the big Democratic loser of the chaotic year of 1968, Vice President Hubert Humphrey, who lost to Richard Nixon in the midst of the Vietnam War. /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/12973877

1968. George Wallace, Segregator-in-Chief 01/21/2020

1968. George Wallace, Segregator-in-Chief Rerelease of a 2015 Episode. Just in time for MLK Day, it's our episode on George Wallace, the 3rd party candidate in the 1968 election. Why wasn't he elected president? And how would he have been in office? /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/12836582

BONUS! The 5th Era of American Politics Review 01/14/2020

BONUS! The 5th Era of American Politics Review In this episode, we explore ALL of the losers of the 5th Period in American Politics (1932-1968), Alf Landon, Wendell Willkie, Thomas Dewey, Adlai Stevenson, Strom Thurmond, Henry Wallace and Barry Goldwater. Where do they rank among the losers of American history? /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/12623231

1964. In your heart, you know Barry Goldwater's right. 01/07/2020

1964. In your heart, you know Barry Goldwater's right. Amateur historian host Thom Woodley re-releases his 2016 episode on Barry Goldwater, the very conservative-libertarian Republican losing candidate of the 1964 Lyndon Johnson presidential election. /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/12577733

NEW: 1952/1956. Adlai Stevenson, the Thinking Man's President. 12/03/2019

NEW: 1952/1956. Adlai Stevenson, the Thinking Man's President. This is a repost as there was an error the first time I posted! /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/12266288

1948. Henry Wallace, the Secret Soviet Spy candidate? 11/05/2019

1948. Henry Wallace, the Secret Soviet Spy candidate? Join comic historian Thom Woodley as we talk about Henry Wallace, former Vice President and the 1948 candidate of the Progressive Party... and also maybe, just maybe, a secret Soviet asset. /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/11767052

1848. Lewis Cass, our first Ugly-American President 10/29/2019

1848. Lewis Cass, our first Ugly-American President Comic historian Thom Woodley (@thomwoodley) takes you on a tour through the rogues gallery of presidential candidates who didn't quite make it. This episode, Lewis Cass (Democrat, 1848), who lost to Zachary Taylor. /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/11768273

1948. Strom Thurmond, Dixiecrat. 10/01/2019

1948. Strom Thurmond, Dixiecrat. Thom Woodley takes you on a tour of the 1948 presidential election, in which 3rd party Democrat Strom Thurmond runs on a platform of segregationist views - and later goes on to rebuild the Republican party in his image. /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/11424107

1844. Henry Clay (Part 2) [RE-RELEASE] 09/17/2019

1844. Henry Clay (Part 2) [RE-RELEASE] Re-release of this 2015 episode; comic historian Thom Woodley takes you through the 1844 election where historical great Henry Clay was defeated by dark horse James K. Polk. /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/11074781

1944/48. DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN (not so much)! 09/03/2019

1944/48. DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN (not so much)! Comic historian Thom Woodley investigates the losers of presidential history - this time Thomas E. Dewey, two time Republican nominee, the gangbusting man on the wedding cake who lost to FDR and Harry Truman. /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/11074646

1836. The Devil in Daniel Webster (re-release) 08/20/2019

1836. The Devil in Daniel Webster (re-release) Thom rereleases his episode on presidential loser Daniel Webster, the only man to turn down two separate vice-presidential offers (either of which would have led to his becoming president). /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/10907389

1940. What if Wendell Willkie Won the World War? 08/06/2019

1940. What if Wendell Willkie Won the World War? Every episode, comic historian Thom Woodley dissects one of the losers of presidential elections. This time, the discussion is on Wendell Willkie, a proto-Trump figure: businessman who never served in office, former Democrat, famous for speaking on a controversial issue. What would have happened had a completely nonexperienced man had beaten FDR and been at the helm during WW2?? /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/10602920

1836. Hugh Lawson White, Legislative Dracula 07/23/2019

1836. Hugh Lawson White, Legislative Dracula Every episode, Thom Woodley delves into a different Loser of American presidential elections. Enjoy this re-release of diehard conservative (and possible Nesferatu) Hugh Lawson White of Tennessee, one of 1836's Way Too Many Whig candidates. /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/10587806

1936. Landslide Alf Landon 07/09/2019

1936. Landslide Alf Landon in this episode, Thom Woodley discusses the very boring Kansas governor Alf Landon and his landslide loss to Franklin D. Roosevelt. /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/10414679

BONUS: The 4th Era of American Politics 07/02/2019

BONUS: The 4th Era of American Politics It's July 4th, 2019, and Thom is going to quickly recap the 4th period of American history (from McKinley in 1896 through Hoover in 1928), and its losers: William Jennings Bryan, Alton Parker, Eugene Debs, Charles Evans Hughes, James Cox, John W. Davis, Robert La Follette, Burton Wheeler, and Al Smith. In addition he discusses some might-have-beens: Silver Dick Bland, Champ Clark, Charles Fairbanks, William Randolph Hearst, Leonard Wood, William Gibbs McAdoo, Hiram Johnson and Irvine Lenroot. /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/10343333

1832. William Wirt and the Anti-Masons. 06/18/2019

1832. William Wirt and the Anti-Masons. Thom Woodley dives into the groundbreaking third party candidacy of William Wirt and the Anti-Masonic party in this rerelease of a 2015 episode. /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/10164701

1928. Al Smith, the Happy Warrior 06/04/2019

1928. Al Smith, the Happy Warrior In this episode, humorist historian Thom Woodley dives into Al Smith, Governor of New York, first Catholic nominee, a man who might have prevented the Depression even though he never even went to high school. /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/9936278

Ep 29: La la la Loser, La la la La Follette (Re-release) 05/21/2019

Ep 29: La la la Loser, La la la La Follette (Re-release) Re-release of episode from 2015/2016 about 'Fighting Bob' La Follette, champion of the Progressive Party and bigtime loser of 1924. /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/9599183

1924. John W. Davis, Pride of West Virginia 05/07/2019

1924. John W. Davis, Pride of West Virginia In this episode, Thom dives into one of the most forgotten presidential losers of all time, John W. Davis, 1924 Democratic dark horse nominee. /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/9407183

1824 and 1832. The Incredible Henry Clay (Part 1) 04/30/2019

1824 and 1832. The Incredible Henry Clay (Part 1) Thom rereleases part 1 of his all-time favorite loser, Henry Clay, the man who ran six times, was nominated thrice, saved the Union thrice, and probably almost destroyed it a few times too. /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/9367838

1920. America kicks itself in the Cox (James Cox) 04/16/2019

1920. America kicks itself in the Cox (James Cox) REISSUE of an episode that came out in the Summer of 2016! Back then I compared James Cox to John Kasich (since both were, you know, governors of Ohio ultimately defeated by men who really had little knowledge of what the president did). But could this short, feisty, intense little man have ALSO prevented the stock market crash and depression? Listen on. /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/9367802

1916. Charles Evans Hughes, the Beard we can Believe in. 04/02/2019

1916. Charles Evans Hughes, the Beard we can Believe in. In this episode, Thom looks at one of the best presidential losers of all time, Charles Evans Hughes. He lost to Woodrow Wilson by only about six thousand votes, but it's all good - he went on to serve as both Secretary of State and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, so don't feel too bad. /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/9008579

BONUS! The Sentencing Speech of Eugene V. Debs 03/26/2019

BONUS! The Sentencing Speech of Eugene V. Debs When Socialist presidential candidate Eugene V. Debs was sentenced for speaking out against World War 1, on September 18, 2018, he gave a stirring speech in support of his beliefs and principles, and in execration of the Espionage Act and the government that had spawned it. I read it here, poorly and quickly, in the streets of NYC! /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/9008021

1900-1920. Eugene V. Debs and the (first) Socialist Revolution 03/19/2019

1900-1920. Eugene V. Debs and the (first) Socialist Revolution Did you know that America had socialist candidates before Bernie Sanders? We sure did. In fact, union organizer Eugene Debs ran as the Socialist candidate in five elections - including one from a prison cell. /episode/index/show/failtothechief/id/8914874

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