Inside the Nixon and Reagan White Houses with Ken Khachigian

·48 min·4 clips

Ken Kachigian describes how he avoided crossing Nancy Reagan while crafting a Reagan speech.

The episode opens with host Scot Bertram introducing the show's theme of bringing Hillsdale College's educational mission to a wider audience. The first segment features an interview with Dr. Kathleen O'Toole, Assistant Provost for K-12 Education at Hillsdale College. She discusses an op-ed she wrote about classical charter schools helping reverse COVID learning losses. O'Toole explains the persistent effects of pandemic school closures, particularly on young students developing foundational habits and skills. She uses the analogy of building a math skyscraper to illustrate how gaps in early learning jeopardize future understanding. O'Toole describes how Hillsdale's classical charter schools responded during the pandemic, emphasizing synchronous Zoom instruction and a clear educational plan. She argues classical education is beneficial for all students, not just an elite few. The second segment is an interview with Ken Kachigian, author of 'Behind Closed Doors: In the Room with Reagan and Nixon'. Kachigian, a veteran of nine presidential campaigns and a former speechwriter for Reagan, contrasts Hollywood portrayals of the White House with his firsthand experiences. He discusses the political culture of California during the Nixon and Reagan eras. Kachigian analyzes why Nixon lacked support from congressional Republicans during Watergate, citing fatigue from defending Vietnam policy, the Watergate scandal itself, and a concurrent economic recession. He briefly contrasts the Watergate and Iran-Contra scandals. A significant portion covers Nancy Reagan's influential role as a close advisor and occasional 'bad cop' to the president, including a specific anecdote about a conflict over abortion language in a 1987 State of the Union address. The third segment presents excerpts from a Hillsdale College lecture by Clay Travis, co-host of the Clay and Buck Show and founder of OutKick. The lecture, titled 'Wokeness in Sports', was delivered in April 2024. Travis describes his entry into sports journalism as an escape from serious topics. He argues that sports have historically been a unifying, meritocratic space but have been infiltrated by identity politics. Travis criticizes the notion that biological men should compete in women's sports, stating his outlet, OutKick, is a rare media voice on this issue. He expresses optimism that truth and the market will eventually prevail, encouraging women to speak out against men taking over women's athletic spaces. The episode concludes with promotional material for other Hillsdale College podcast offerings.

As heard by us

A broad civic hour links learning loss, presidential memory, and the public role of institutions.

The episode frames its Education focus around Dr. Kathleen O'Toole's case that classical charter schools can help answer COVID learning losses, giving the opening a civic and policy angle.

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Why you'd press play

You can move from COVID learning loss to closed-door Reagan and Nixon history in one distinctly Hillsdale hour.

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