BOB DOLE : 1995 Clinton's Comeback

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If you have not noticed in our first two episodes, and in the next, we have a character that is almost as  big a star in our 10th season as John Jenrette or Jimmy Carter. It is a low country South Carolina dish famously known as Chicken Bog.  If you watch campaign rallies on C-Span or make it to the Democratic Party's Galivants Ferry Stump or the Republican Party's Horry County Stampede you will see it in abundance on the plates of every candidate and every audience member.  It is a staple of every low country gathering.

So I thought, due to an accidental opportunity at a perfectly timed Bachelor party, that we had the perfect opportunity to show our audience, in 91 countries and over 1500 cities, many of whom may never get to travel to South Carolina for a bite, how to cook up a batch of Chicken Bog.  So this podcast was put together , hastily as some of the audio shows, in the spirit of the great Southern Sportsman Franc White. though we never flew off in a Zebra airplane., nor did we have any House Autry products to put in the mix. 

Still in this episode, dedicated to the memory of Franc White who passed away in 2012 at the age of 86, featuring  another Southern Sportsman , Horry County native, and Chicken Bog chef extraordinaire Brad Daniels, as he leads us through the art of cooking up a batch of this southern delicacy. If you follow his instructions and recipe we will assure you of a batch worthy of entering in the famous Loris Bog Off or maybe even a campaign rally or two.  So we hope you will enjoy our very first culinary edition of the Randal Wallace Presents Podcast. 

Recipes
 - Franc White's Fruited Wild Rice Stuffing : 1 pkg 16 oz Long Brown & Wild Rice, 2 Cups of Chicken Broth, 1 Tbsp of Margarine (we recommend you switch this to butter) , 1/2 cup of chopped Red Apple, 1/4 cup of currents, 2 tsp chopped parsley. 

- Brad Daniels Chicken Bog:  White and Dark Meat Chicken (Breast & thighs) , Link Sausage ( Kielbasa) , Bacon, Onions, Salt,  Montreal Steak Seasoning,  Chicken Broth, Uncle Ben's Rice. 
Cooked in stages, bacon in pot first cooked alone to season the pot, then Onions added alone, Chicken and sausage, seasoned with Montreal Steak Seasoning, cooked and mixed in for a few minutes, then after proper cooking covered in Chicken Broth brought to a boil and then allowed to cook for 20 minutes or until meat is done, taste broth for saltiness, and add any broth needed to level back out, brought back to a boil, add Uncle Ben's Rice. Quantities vary depending on how big a batch you are making. We were feeding 10 people for this audio broadcast. 
 
This show is dedicated to the memory of the original Southern Sportsman Franc White, several of his shows are still available on You Tube , and always remember " Don't litter and do yourself a favor and take a kid fishing!!!"  (or in this episode a girl fishing) 

The videos are available on my Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10159285016275658&type=3 

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In our last episode we introduced you to both Former Congressman John Jenrette and a historic South Carolina political event known as the Galivants Ferry Stump.  The latter is just one of those things you have to be a part of to truly appreciate. Since many of you may never have the opportunity to visit South Carolina when this historic event is going on. I thought we would take you back in time to one of its most historic gatherings when the man most associated with the event, former South Carolina Senator Ernest Hollings was on center stage introducing his friend from Delaware who was then running for President. 

In 2008, Senator Joe Biden would not be successful, but at the end of that campaign he would end up on the ticket with the 2008 eventual winner, Barak Obama. He would go on to win the Presidency himself in 2020.  That makes him the only President of the United States I am aware of to address the Galivants Ferry Stump. In this episode, we will let you relive that day, with lots of country music, some thoughts from the events driving force for over a half century, James Monroe Holliday, plus hear some insights from former Congressman John Jenrette, and then hear those old fashioned barn burning Democratic political Speeches from two of the Democratic Parties largest figures, Ernest Hollings and Joe Biden. 

You can almost smell the Chicken Bog wafting in the air, as you listen to the fired up Democratic  speeches, standing by the gas pumps on Highway 501 , all of it emanating  from the front porch of the Galivants Ferry Convenience Store on the banks of the Pee Dee River. 

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In this first episode of Season 10 we introduce you to Congressman John Jenrette, who had once been the only person from Horry County S.C. to ever serve in either house of the United States Congress.  John Jenrette came from obscurity and abject  poverty, the child of older parents, his father a carpenter in the rural enclave of Loris , South Carolina, and rose to the  halls of the United States House of Representatives, becoming the very first House Freshman to be selected as a member of the leadership.  He seemed destined for greatness. 

Then everything went wrong. 

In this season we will tell that story. The story of a visionary years ahead of his time who sadly let his flaws, and one major mistake in his life, overshadow his amazing accomplishments. 

But in this first episode, we will start at the dawn of a new era for the district John Jenrette once served, as only the second Horry County native,  and only the third man to hail from Horry County, Russell Fry,  begins his own journey to Washington D.C.  and the Halls of Congress.  Russell Fry will represent in Congress a powerhouse district for the 1.9 Trillion Dollar Tourism Industry, a region that is also now a formidable player in the Agriculture Industry nationally, and it is the fastest growing housing market in America. I figured that there was no better moment to look back at the man who was the first Congressman from this area, who had served when none of these assets had  even come to fruition, and yet, a strong case could be made that Congressman John Jenrette laid the groundwork for all of the factors  that will help Russell Fry become a major player in today's congress, on the first day he walks in the door. 

I also thought as we look at this new beginning for the Seventh District, and back at the man who laid the foundation for the strong place our region now holds as a leader in the tourism industry, that we look back at the historic event that John Jenrette took so much pride in being a part of, and is so much a part of the political fabric of this part of South Carolina, The Galivants Ferry Stump. A political event that has gone strong for 140 years and counting, and is a throwback to the days when politicians actually had to meet people, and give speeches, between live country music bands playing, and giant plates of a southern delicacy known as Chicken Bog.  From an era long before radio, television, and the internet changed how we connected to one another. 

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Breaking News!! The Vindication of Richard Nixon appears at long last to be upon us. One of the leading academic institutions in America has decided to look in-depth at the documents discovered by Geoff Shepard ( and that we used on our podcast for Seasons 6 -8) as we approach the 50th anniversary of the Watergate Scandal and the fall of President Richard Nixon. 

In this episode , we have been given permission to replay a new discussion panel featuring former White House Appointments Secretary for President Richard Nixon, Dwight Chapin, former Nixon legal Defense Team Member Geoff Shepard, and one of the leading historians in the World today, Luke Nichter of Chapman University, as they discuss the Hoover History Working Group and its new 12 hours of in-depth seminars delving into the documents discovered by Geoff Shepard in the National Archives. This is the first time a major academic Institution has decided to study these documents this intensely  that make the case that their was massive Prosecutorial Misconduct, and misconduct of Judge John Sirica, that led to the resignation of Richard Nixon and the conviction of several of his top aids in 1974. 

We also review some of the examples of exculpatory materials we featured in our recent series that covered 5 seasons and the entire Nixon Presidency.  If you tune in to our shows it will be evident that there was a lot more to the story of Richard Nixon than has been told so far by historians and the national news media. A lot of it is of a great man with a long list of accomplishment.  So this news about the work of the Hoover working history groups in-depth look at the new Watergate documents is welcome news in deed.

For those of us who have admired this greatest of Presidents this is an exciting and almost tear producing moment. That this  man who saved our union will finally be able to take his place among the greatest Americans the nation has ever produced without any caveats concerning the scandal that ended his administration.  We invite you to delve deep into our back catalogue as well, starting at episode 50 through episode 175, plus several bonus episodes running from Season 4 through Season 8, and learn the true story of a great American leader. We hope you will because the better educated we all are, the less likely it will ever happen again....and it could happen again, in fact, it may be happening now. 

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On April, 14, 2023 , I was asked to speak , briefly, to the Confederation of Local Historical Societies in my new role as Chairman of the South Carolina Hall of Fame. I only spoke for a few minutes just to introduce myself and inform them of our three inductees this year in 2023. 

They are Francis Salvador, the first Jewish American casualty in the fight for American Independence, Rudy Mancke the contemporary inductee and the Naturalist for SCETV, and "Smoking" Joe Frazier , the former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion. 

I thought it might be fun to tell our audience here about the Hall of Fame, let them listen in on my brief address and introduce the audience to just a few of the currently 99 inductees in the South Carolina Hall of Fame. I cannot remember anything I was as excited about as being selected to serve in this role, as the Chairman of this organization, that has happened to me in a long time. 

So I wanted to share it with you , our audience, here on the podcast. So I hope you will enjoy this introduction to the South Carolina Hall of Fame, and enjoy the videos put together by SCETV. They have done a splendid job and I invite you to come over to look at their website Knowitall.org and check out all 99 inductees to the South Carolina Hall of Fame. 

In this episode we chose just a handful, from one signer of the Declaration of Independence, to three South Carolina astronauts, to a rock star, and a race car driver. Just a small look at the many faces that have helped make South Carolina such a wonderful and inspiring place to live. 

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To the nation he was the congressman who was nabbed in ABSCAM and whose wife claimed to have had a late night lovemaking session with him on the steps of the United States Capital, all written about in the pages of  Playboy Magazine. To those of us in Myrtle Beach , South Carolina, where he lived.  John Jenrette was our eccentric, fun loving, famous neighbor, who was always ready with a joke, a laugh, or some remarkably visionary advice. 

It was almost impossible to grasp that 40 years ago he had once been on the fast track to what many believed was a political career headed for greatness, as possibly a future Speaker of the House of Representatives, or even one day, President of the United States. But it had all gone wrong and John Jenrette would not only see all of that go off track but he would never get the credit he deserved for all he had done to lay the foundation for the region we think of as South Carolina's 7th District today. 

He was a visionary leader who did great things for the nation, and the industry that allowed his Congressional District to thrive.  John Jenrette had taken stands to protect the rights  of African Americans often forgotten by the powers that be in the State of South Carolina and in the region of the nation Jenrette represented. John Jenrette had also fought hard to protect the needs of the small farmers who were also often forgotten in an era when big corporate entities were cementing their grip on Agriculture along with many other industries in the nation. 

John Jenrette had been a champion of the little man, the common man, the man who went to work every day and asked for nothing but an honest chance to live the American Dream.  

Season 10 will often be a very personal story for me, because John Jenrette was my friend, and often a helpful advisor throughout two decades of service in the city I grew up in.  It will be a story I am excited to tell about a man who deserves to be remembered for all of the great things he accomplished, and had the vision to see, way ahead of everyone else.  A man who sadly let his flaws, and one very giant mistake, overshadow all the rest of what he had achieved......that is,  until now. 

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I was so moved by the ad released for Tim Scott's Presidential Exploratory Commitee that we decided to do a commentary on it. 

He said in three minutes what I have tried to convey in a run for Congress, a 554 page book, and 270 episodes of this podcast. 

I hope you will listen......

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In the final episode of season 9, we look back at the remarkable man that was Gerald Ford.

He inherited the Presidency at one of the lowest moments in all of American History. He worked the job tirelessly to heal the wounds of a divided land. He set an example that many hope could be followed today in these troubled and divided times. One of the ways he set that example came after he left the White House. 

In this episode we will look back at the extraordinary friendship that developed between the two men who fought one of the closest elections in American history, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. By the end of Gerald Ford's life it was said that no two Presidents had become closer friends than Ford and Carter. It began to take root after Ford showed enormous restraint and consideration during a 1980 election night interview as President Carter was defeated at the hands of fellow Republican, Ronald Reagan. 

Then after the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, President Reagan asked former Presidents Nixon, Ford and Carter to attend the funeral on the nation's behalf. During the long flight the two men bonded.  You will see that throughout the rest of Ford's life the friendship cemented not only between the two Presidents but among their  wives and children as well. It is a great example of civility, courtesy, and effort, a lesson  that we could use in today's hostile political climate. 

Finally, we will look back at the passing of President Ford and appreciate all he did to heal our land.  So many of our Chief Executives tenures tend to be the source of endless debate among historians and political partisans but Gerald Ford's brief but important two and a half years as President has tended to be a time in which almost everyone agrees, that he left the nation in far better shape than he found it.  He inherited the White House at the end of the second most divided era in our history, after the assassination of a President,  war in Vietnam, and the injustice of the Watergate Scandal that had removed an extraordinarily great President from office, at that moment  it fell to Gerald Ford to unite and heal a horribly divided and troubled nation. The fact that he did, is as much a testament to Gerald Ford  as it is a testament  to the great nation he led. 

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In this episode we fast forward some 20 years to 1996, when Gerald Ford's running mate would be a weekend away from the election day when he would carry the banner for the Republican Party. Bob Dole was giving it his all in a race against a fairly popular, but considerably flawed, incumbent President, in Bill Clinton.  The polls had Dole down by a considerable 20 points and it seemed after giving his lifetime to the Republican  Party its elected leadership  was starting to keep its distance from its struggling nominee. 

But on this final weekend, Bob Dole decided to give it everything he could come up with and started out on a 96 hour nonstop campaign until the final vote would be cast to try and shake the race up. The polls were indeed tightening. Dole had some further issues with an independent candidate named Ross Perot, who was making his second try at the White House and again hurting the numbers of the Republican candidate. 

It was with this backdrop that the men that Bob Dole had fought for his entire career showed back up to help him in the twilight hours of the 1996 campaign. It was the final political battle of the World War 2 Generation that had created the American Century and it all began at a rally in Dayton , Ohio featuring Bob Dole and two Presidents we either have or will put the spotlight on in our podcasts, Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush. Here is a fun episode commemorating that event, those final days of the 1996 campaign, and the memory of this collective group of leaders that created the American Century we have enjoyed. 

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The original premise of our podcast "Bridging the Political Gap" when we began 9 seasons ago was to look at the leadership offered by a generation of Americans who fought World War 2 and built the American Century. They got things done and they could disagree without being disagreeable. They understood like no generation before and perhaps none of the members of the leadership we have today that Democrat plus Republican equals American, to quote Bob Hope from this episode. 

I can think of no other single event that shows this philosophy off any better than an event held on St. Patrick's Day , March 17, 1986, at the Washington Hilton to raise money for Boston College, the beloved hometown college of the retiring Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill. The event was to honor him as he was winding down a 50 year public service career.  Two of the speakers included a current President of the United States and a former President of the United States. 

Tip O'Neill could not have had a more different type of relationship than the the two relationships he had with Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford respectively.   Ronald Reagan had been a worthy adversary, a Republican, who was a polar opposite of Tip O'Neill. The two men were not friends but they realized they had to work together where they could if they were to accomplish anything for the American people. They learned to respect one another even if they were opposed to each others politics.  They understood the power of respecting one another and they accomplished great things.

Gerald Ford on the other hand was a great and close friend. The affection for one another is obvious as you watch this event unfold. You learn that if you take the time to get to know one another, you will like each other even if you don't agree on issues or politics. A lesson we could all learn from these two giant political figures. 

This is an episode that shows in one evening, so long ago , that the lesson of the power of relationships matters in whatever you do if you really want to solve problems and get something done. 

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