Derek Thompson

Walt, I wanna connect some dots here before I throw it back to you. As Bob said, Texas defeats Mexico, and Sam Houston very quickly appeals to the US to annex Texas, to protect it from Mexico. President Martin Van Buren says no. In the 1840 election, Van Buren gets walloped by William Henry Harrison. Harrison is elected. He dies in a month. John Tyler takes over the presidency.

Tyler promises Sam Houston, trust me, I can get annexation through the Senate. You can trust me. He fails. The Whig Party soundly rejects that annexation treaty. And that sets us up to appreciate, I think, the full stakes of the 1844 election.

Tyler promises Sam Houston, trust me, I can get annexation through the Senate. You can trust me. He fails. The Whig Party soundly rejects that annexation treaty. And that sets us up to appreciate, I think, the full stakes of the 1844 election.

Tyler promises Sam Houston, trust me, I can get annexation through the Senate. You can trust me. He fails. The Whig Party soundly rejects that annexation treaty. And that sets us up to appreciate, I think, the full stakes of the 1844 election.

Let me try to set up the election of 1844 in a way that allows you to expand a bit on the role of puppet master Andrew Jackson here. So the Texas question is simmering, and Democrats have to choose their presidential candidate to face Henry Clay in the election. And At first, this looks like a murderer's row of mid-century luminaries. Andrew Jackson is not running for president.

Let me try to set up the election of 1844 in a way that allows you to expand a bit on the role of puppet master Andrew Jackson here. So the Texas question is simmering, and Democrats have to choose their presidential candidate to face Henry Clay in the election. And At first, this looks like a murderer's row of mid-century luminaries. Andrew Jackson is not running for president.

Let me try to set up the election of 1844 in a way that allows you to expand a bit on the role of puppet master Andrew Jackson here. So the Texas question is simmering, and Democrats have to choose their presidential candidate to face Henry Clay in the election. And At first, this looks like a murderer's row of mid-century luminaries. Andrew Jackson is not running for president.

He's practically on death's door. But almost everybody else is trying to get on the ticket. John Calhoun, the pro-slavery states' rights champion, has tried to get on the ticket. Martin Van Buren, Jackson's former vice president and one of the Democratic Party's founders, he's interested in being on the ticket. Louis Cass,

He's practically on death's door. But almost everybody else is trying to get on the ticket. John Calhoun, the pro-slavery states' rights champion, has tried to get on the ticket. Martin Van Buren, Jackson's former vice president and one of the Democratic Party's founders, he's interested in being on the ticket. Louis Cass,

He's practically on death's door. But almost everybody else is trying to get on the ticket. John Calhoun, the pro-slavery states' rights champion, has tried to get on the ticket. Martin Van Buren, Jackson's former vice president and one of the Democratic Party's founders, he's interested in being on the ticket. Louis Cass,

Jackson's secretary of war, who was in charge of Indian removal, also wants to get on the ticket. But somehow, none of these men make it through the final ballot, and the presidential nomination swings to James K. Polk, the dark horse who nobody saw coming. Walt, how did Polk's political career set him up for this moment?

Jackson's secretary of war, who was in charge of Indian removal, also wants to get on the ticket. But somehow, none of these men make it through the final ballot, and the presidential nomination swings to James K. Polk, the dark horse who nobody saw coming. Walt, how did Polk's political career set him up for this moment?

Jackson's secretary of war, who was in charge of Indian removal, also wants to get on the ticket. But somehow, none of these men make it through the final ballot, and the presidential nomination swings to James K. Polk, the dark horse who nobody saw coming. Walt, how did Polk's political career set him up for this moment?

Bob, so it's Polk for the Democrats, and on the opposing side, we have Henry Clay for the Whig Party. And Clay, I remember from my high school American history classes, is basically being the most important statesman of the 19th century to never become president. Like every compromise to delay or allay the threat of civil war has Clay's name on it.

Bob, so it's Polk for the Democrats, and on the opposing side, we have Henry Clay for the Whig Party. And Clay, I remember from my high school American history classes, is basically being the most important statesman of the 19th century to never become president. Like every compromise to delay or allay the threat of civil war has Clay's name on it.

Bob, so it's Polk for the Democrats, and on the opposing side, we have Henry Clay for the Whig Party. And Clay, I remember from my high school American history classes, is basically being the most important statesman of the 19th century to never become president. Like every compromise to delay or allay the threat of civil war has Clay's name on it.

And this poor guy, he runs for president more or less continuously between the 1820s and 1840s, losing over and over and over again. He's like the Buffalo Bills of the 19th century. So that's the showdown. You've got the great statesman Clay with maybe his best chance of becoming president. He's facing the dark horse, Polk. Bob, what is this election about?

And this poor guy, he runs for president more or less continuously between the 1820s and 1840s, losing over and over and over again. He's like the Buffalo Bills of the 19th century. So that's the showdown. You've got the great statesman Clay with maybe his best chance of becoming president. He's facing the dark horse, Polk. Bob, what is this election about?

And this poor guy, he runs for president more or less continuously between the 1820s and 1840s, losing over and over and over again. He's like the Buffalo Bills of the 19th century. So that's the showdown. You've got the great statesman Clay with maybe his best chance of becoming president. He's facing the dark horse, Polk. Bob, what is this election about?

Is Texas the overriding issue or other broader economic issues that define this race?