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Bob Dole 1993 - 1995 The Last Man StandingAuthor: Randal Wallace
Randal Wallace Presents : Bob Dole The Last Man StandingIn 1992, in the midst of a recession, the Republican Party would be swept out of power losing not only the White House, but the House and Senate as well. On the Federal level of Government, one man stood alone, as the leader of his party. That man was also the last of the World War 2 generation to be left on the national stage. He was Senate Minority leader Robert J. Dole of Kansas. Over the next three seasons we will tell his story and the story of the rise of the modern Republican Party. It will be the final story of National leadership for the generation of people who built the American Century. For all the attention a new generation of Republican leaders would garner, it was in fact, Bob Dole, so often in the shadow of the giants of his age, from Nixon to Reagan to Bush, and who would largely be forgotten in the coming era of Gingrich , Clinton, and the second George W. Bush, who actually led the Republican Party out of the political wilderness and back to power in both houses of Congress, even as his own efforts to win the Presidency would fall short. In our first of three seasons, we will look at both Bob Dole and President Bill Clinton, from 1993 to 1995, as they go head to head in a political duel, that will lead to the resurrection of the Republican Party in America. We invite you to come along with us on a wild ride through the high points and low moments of modern American History, in an effort to show the citizens of today that we are an amazing and resilient nation. Our Podcasts are separated by individual Documentary style titles. --Season 1 : Bridging the Political Gap episodes 1 -11 --- Season 2 : Lessons in Leadership : --- The GIANTS of the Senate and Joe Biden episodes 14 - 16 ---- World War 2 Episodes 17 - 20 --- General MacArthur You're Fired Episodes 21 - 23 ---- A Celebration of the life of George Shultz episodes 26 - 28 ---- November 1963 : The end of the Language: en-us Genres: History, News, Politics Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Episode 443 BOB DOLE The Life That Brought Him There (Part 24) The 1980 Republican Presidential Primary
Thursday, 23 April, 2026
Send us Fan MailEpisode 443 — Bob Dole: The Life That Brought Him There (Part 24)The 1980 Republican Presidential PrimaryIn Episode 443 of our continuing series on the life and career of Bob Dole, we turn to one of the most pivotal — and ultimately disappointing — chapters in his political journey: his campaign for President in 1980.Viewed through the lens of Dole’s candidacy, this episode offers a revealing look at a Republican Party in transition — searching for direction in the aftermath of the 1970s and on the brink of a conservative realignment.At the center of that transformation stood Ronald Reagan, whose vision and political momentum would come to define the era. Alongside him was George H. W. Bush, representing a different wing of the party and mounting a formidable campaign of his own.Caught between these two rising forces, Dole’s campaign struggled to find its footing.This episode assesses:• Why Dole entered the race — and what he hoped to achieve • The challenges he faced in a rapidly shifting political environment • His relationships with Reagan and Bush — both as rivals and future allies • The strategic and structural weaknesses that hindered his campaign • How the outcome reshaped Dole’s future in national politicsThough his presidential bid fell short, the campaign itself provides valuable insight into Dole’s political identity — pragmatic, disciplined, and deeply rooted in the Senate — and highlights the difficulty of translating that identity into a national movement during a time of ideological change.More broadly, this episode captures a turning point in Republican politics:A party moving toward Reagan… a field adjusting to that reality… and a candidate in Bob Dole, whose moment had not yet arrived.A campaign that didn’t succeed — but still helped define the path forward. Questions or comments at , Randalrgw1@aol.com , https://twitter.com/randal_wallace , and http://www.randalwallace.com/Please Leave us a review at wherever you get your podcastsThanks for listening!!
