Topic: Bull Moose

The historical figure of Teddy Roosevelt is emerging as a new media meme used to justify modern economic reforms and trust-busting. References to TR are appearing in new books and political speeches by both Barack Obama and John McCain. The "Bull Moose" Progressive Party's influence on the 1912 election and the subsequent rise of Woodrow Wilson are discussed.

The discussion evaluates the viability of running for president as an independent, referencing Ralph Nader and Ross Perot. Ron Paul reportedly dismissed the idea of an independent run for personal and strategic reasons, citing the difficulty of entering debates outside the Republican party. The hosts recount the theory that Perot withdrew from his campaign due to alleged government threats against his family.