Portrait of the Arsonist As Young Congressman: Historian Julian Zelizer (Burning Down the House) on the inflammatory influence of Newt Gingrich
Historian Julian Zelizer (Burning Down the House) on the inflammatory influence of Newt Gingrich
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Show Notes
Does history create vulnerabilities that any number of populist politicians could seize upon? Or do exceptional populists create those opportunities only he or she can exploit?
There’s no simple answer to that question. But it does frame the informative discussion we have surrounding a major populist figure, Newt Gingrich, on our first Season Two episode with Princeton historian Julian Zelizer. Zelizer’s most recent book is Burning Down the House: Newt Gingrich, the Fall of a Speaker, and the Rise of the New Republican Party. A 2020 New York Times Notable selection, Burning Down the House focuses on Gingrich’s unprecedented 1989 takedown of then-Speaker of the House, Jim Wright, on relatively minor corruption charges.
In our Purple Principle interview, Dr. Zelizer points to this as a major turning point on our unfortunate path toward greater polarization. Please tune in for Season 2, Episode 1, “Portrait of the Arsonist as Young Congressman: historian Julian Zelizer on the inflammatory influence of Newt Gingrich.”
Original Music by Ryan Adair Rooney
Music by The Talking Heads licensed by Rhino Entertainment Company (A division of Warner Music Group) & Warner Chappell Music (Index Music Inc.; WC Music Corp).
For show notes and transcript, please visit our website: https://fluentknowledge.com/shows/the-purple-principle/portrait-of-the-arsonist-as-young-congressman
Source Notes
Newt Gingrich: Rise to Power" (July 30, 1999) C-SPAN
Associated Press (January 27, 2012) Coach honed debating skills of young Newt Gingrich.
John J. Pitney, Jr. (11/22/11). “Five myths about Newt Gingrich.” The Washington Post.
Charles Coles Diggs, Jr. U.S. House of Representatives.
History. Congressional Black Caucus
Gail Sheehy (Sep. 1995) The Inner Quest of Newt Gingrich. Vanity Fair.
Newt Gingrich. U.S. House of Representatives.
Party Divisions of the House of Representatives, 1789 to Present
Thomas P. O'Neill. Encyclopedia Britannica.
Ron Elving (4/12/18) Ryan's Speakership Makes 7 In A Row Ending In Frustration — Or Worse. NPR
House Speaker Jim Wright - Resignation Address (5/31/89).
Steven V. Roberts (12/8/86). “For new Speaker, new role is seen.” The New York Times.
A 1978 Speech By Gingrich. The Long March Of Newt Gingrich: PBS.
Howard Fineman (4/3/89), “For the Son of CSPAN, Exposure = Power.” Newsweek.