Vidalotry: Ronnie And Nancy

We're closing in on the final episode of Vidalotry, the Gore Vidal podcast that I help distribute. This episode, the penultimate ninth, focuses on Gore Vidal's issues with Ronald and Nancy Reagan. But, moreso, it tackles much bigger issues that we are still grappling with today. Host Ryan Breegle inspects the idea of The Celebrity Politician - as Reagan was an actor turned President that many felt didn't have quite the experience to handle the job. Fittingly, there was also a nationwide obsession with his hair. Sounds familiar.

Gore was also livid over the need for a President to always be at War. The constant need to seek out some enemy to be battling against not only makes the President itself seem heroic but it creates an excuse for war debts and excessive spending. Also sounds familiar.

I don't know where the tenth, and final, episode will take us but this episode is a great example of why you should be listening to this show. It's historical, it's entertaining and it's terrifyingly relevant.