Whistlestop

The Presidency as a Consumer Experience (Part 1)

Will the psychology of self-soothing and social media dopamine destroy democracy as we know it?

This episode of Whistlestop travels to Oct. 12, 2012, when Democratic candidate Barack Obama was declared the loser at the first presidential debate against Mitt Romney, and Twitter won.

Whistlestop is Slate’s podcast about presidential history. Hosted by Political Gabfest host John Dickerson, each installment will revisit memorable moments from America’s presidential carnival.

Love Slate podcasts? Listen longer with Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, ad-free versions, exclusive podcasts and more. Start your two-week free trial at slate.com/whistlestopplus.

Email: whistlestop@slate.com.

Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank. Research by Brian Rosenwald and Elizabeth Hinson.