American Elections: Wicked Game

American Elections: Wicked Game takes you through every presidential election in U.S. history, starting with George Washington's 1789 contest and working its way to the present. Lindsay Graham (the podcast host, not the politician -- a clarification this man will never escape) narrates each election as a stand-alone story, and the central thesis is compelling: American elections have always been nasty, personal, and contentious. We didn't invent dirty politics. With 64 episodes that typically run 45 minutes to over an hour, the show provides a surprisingly thorough tour of campaigns that most people have never thought about. The election of 1824? The chaos of 1876? Graham makes these forgotten races feel relevant and dramatic. The production is clean and professional, coming from Airship, and the 4.6-star rating from about 3,200 reviews suggests the audience was engaged. However, reviews do note a shift in tone when the show reaches more recent elections, with some listeners feeling the coverage of 2016-2024 leans in a particular direction compared to the more neutral treatment of earlier contests. The show appears to have wrapped up around 2024, making it a finite, complete series you can listen to from start to finish. That's actually a strength -- it functions as a comprehensive audio history of American presidential campaigns. If you've ever wanted to understand how we got from John Adams complaining about discourse to modern political chaos, this maps the whole journey.