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Chasing Power: Politics. Campaigns. Conflict.

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by Charles Denyer

5.0(4 reviews)
21 episodes
Updated Daily
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Podcast Overview

Chasing Power: The Path to Pennsylvania Avenue takes you inside the fierce, high-stakes fight for the American presidency, the most powerful office on Earth. Hosted by political insider and national security expert Charles Denyer, this podcast uncovers the ruthless strategies, calculated power plays, and hidden battles that shape campaigns and decide the nation’s future. Experience the drama behind the headlines. 👉 Subscribe now on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://www.youtube.com/@ChasingPowerPodcast 👉 Explore ⁠more politics: ⁠https://www.chasingpowerpodcast.com⁠

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Publishing Since

10/8/2025

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Recent Episodes

Episode thumbnail for Sarah Palin 2008: 21 Days from Breakout Star to Breaking Point | EP 20

July 9, 2026

Sarah Palin 2008: 21 Days from Breakout Star to Breaking Point | EP 20

<p>How does someone go from political unknown to national sensation—and then unravel in just 21 days?</p><p><br></p><p>In this new episode of <strong>Chasing Power: The Reckoning</strong>, host Charles Denyer revisits one of the most dramatic vice-presidential rollouts in modern American politics. On September 3, 2008, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin delivered a Republican National Convention speech that electrified conservatives and instantly transformed her into the Republican Party&#39;s newest star. Less than a month later, a series of interviews and relentless media scrutiny had turned that triumph into one of the fastest political collapses in presidential campaign history.</p><p><br></p><p>This chapter explores the extraordinary gamble behind John McCain&#39;s decision to choose Palin as his running mate. From the rushed 40-hour vetting process to the convention speech that captivated the nation, from the infamous Katie Couric interview to Tina Fey&#39;s unforgettable Saturday Night Live impression, this episode examines how preparation, perception, and political theater combined to define an election—and reshape Republican politics for years to come.</p><p><br></p><p>One speech created a phenomenon.</p><p>One interview changed everything.</p><p>And 21 days altered the future of American politics.</p><p><br></p><p>#ChasingPower #TheReckoning #SarahPalin #JohnMcCain #Election2008 #RepublicanConvention #KatieCouric #SaturdayNightLive #AmericanPolitics #PoliticalPodcast</p><p><br></p><p><strong>What You Will Learn:</strong></p><ul><li><strong>The Political Gamble:</strong> Why John McCain made one of the riskiest vice-presidential selections in modern history by choosing an almost unknown governor from Alaska.</li><li><strong>The 40-Hour Vetting:</strong> How a rushed and incomplete vetting process left Sarah Palin unprepared for the scrutiny of a presidential campaign.</li><li><strong>The Convention Breakout:</strong> Why Palin&#39;s Republican National Convention speech instantly electrified conservatives and briefly transformed the momentum of the 2008 election.</li><li><strong>The Katie Couric Interview: </strong>The questions that exposed serious concerns about Palin&#39;s readiness for national office—and changed the trajectory of the campaign.</li><li><strong>The Tina Fey Effect:</strong> How an iconic Saturday Night Live impression cemented Palin&#39;s public image and accelerated one of the fastest political declines in modern politics.</li><li><strong>The Lasting Legacy:</strong> Why Palin&#39;s outsider style outlived her own campaign and paved the way for a new era of Republican politics culminating in Donald Trump&#39;s rise.</li><li><strong>The Ultimate Lesson:</strong> Why two unforgettable convention speeches—Barack Obama&#39;s in 2004 and Sarah Palin&#39;s in 2008—produced vastly different outcomes, and what preparation had to do with it.</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Episode Highlights and Timestamps:</strong></p><p>00:03 Introduction: The speech that launched—and doomed—a political phenomenon</p><p>01:54 Three keys to understanding Sarah Palin&#39;s meteoric rise and rapid collapse</p><p>04:53 The Republican National Convention speech that electrified America</p><p>06:30 The campaign&#39;s decision to shield Palin from the media</p><p>07:20 The Katie Couric interview that changed everything</p><p>08:15 Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live, and the parody that defined a candidate</p><p>09:08 Election Day, McCain&#39;s defeat, and Palin&#39;s political future</p><p>09:55 Palin&#39;s resignation and the political movement she helped inspire</p><p>10:45 The case made by Palin&#39;s defenders</p><p>11:53 Final thoughts: Why preparation matters when the spotlight arrives</p><p><br></p><p><strong>About The Host:</strong></p><p>Charles Denyer is a nationally recognized expert in cybersecurity, national security, and global risk. He has advised U.S. vice presidents, cabinet officials, senior military leaders, and Fortune-class organizations, bringing field-tested analysis and cinematic storytelling to today’s most urgent threats.</p><p><br></p><p>💥 The power plays. The pressure. The people pulling the strings. This is Chasing Power.</p><p><br></p><p>🔔 Subscribe on YouTube, new episodes break down how power is really won.</p><p> </p><p>👉<strong> Explore more politics:</strong> www.charlesdenyerproductions.com</p><p><strong>🎧 Apple:</strong> https://podcasts.apple.com/gy/podcast/chasing-power-politics-campaigns-conflict/id1845424742</p><p>🎧 <strong>Spotify: </strong>https://open.spotify.com/show/1jzxjxpfclZRlYP25ET2Qw</p>

Episode thumbnail for The Night Nobody Knew His Name — Barack Obama's 2004 DNC Keynote Speech | EP 19

May 7, 2026

The Night Nobody Knew His Name — Barack Obama's 2004 DNC Keynote Speech | EP 19

<p>What happens when a 42-year-old state legislator nobody knew delivers a 17-minute speech that changes everything?</p><p><br></p><p>In this electrifying episode of our new mini-series, Chasing Power: The Defining Moments, host Charles Denyer takes you inside the night of July 27, 2004, when Barack Obama, a little-known Illinois politician, stepped onto the stage at Boston's Fleet Center and delivered a keynote address that would redefine his career and reshape American politics. From the fractured America of 2004 to the century-old "keynote curse" that no Democrat had ever broken, this episode explores the craft, the chaos, and the consequence of one unforgettable night. With firsthand accounts from David Axelrod, Valerie Jarrett, and Dick Durbin, we reveal how a man who was a footnote in his own party's convention program became the 44th president of the United States.</p><p><br></p><p>The keynote slot was supposed to be a graveyard.</p><p>He broke a 100-year curse.</p><p>And nobody has been the same since.</p><p><br></p><p>#ChasingPower #DefiningMoments #BarackObama #2004DNC #KeynoteSpeech #PoliticalHistory #Obama #PresidentialElections #ConventionSpeech #PoliticalPodcast</p><p><br></p><p>What You Will Learn:</p><p><br></p><p>- The Fractured America of 2004</p><p>How post-9/11 unity had faded, replaced by unease over Iraq, intelligence failures, and a growing sense of national division.</p><p><br></p><p>- The Keynote Graveyard</p><p>Why no Democratic keynote speaker in the 20th century had gone on to win the presidency, including Mario Cuomo and Bill Clinton's rambling 1988 address.</p><p><br></p><p>- "Who the Heck Is This Guy?"</p><p>How the Philadelphia Daily News headline captured exactly how unknown Obama was, even convention chairman Bill Richardson drew a blank when asked about him.</p><p><br></p><p>- The Stolen Line</p><p>Why John Kerry's team made Obama cut his climactic "red states and blue states" passage and how losing that line made everything that remained more powerful.</p><p><br></p><p>- 33 Standing Ovations</p><p>The moment Obama "went on fire" at the podium, transforming from stiff and methodical to a force that drew comparisons to Martin Luther King Jr. and JFK.</p><p><br></p><p>- The Aftermath</p><p>How Obama's team braced for crowds to shrink back to normal, only to find over 1,000 people in hostile Republican territory, and a 70% Senate victory that November.</p><p><br></p><p>Episode Highlights and Timestamps:</p><p>00:01 Introduction: The night a state legislator nobody knew changed everything</p><p>01:15 The three pillars: A fractured America, the keynote graveyard, and a complete unknown</p><p>02:30 Writing the speech: Yellow legal pads, state capitol men's rooms, and 1:30 a.m. pacing</p><p>03:45 The stolen line: Kerry's team kills Obama's best passage and why he never needed it</p><p>05:00 The transformation: From stiff gestures to "on fire" 33 interruptions for applause</p><p>06:30 The immediate aftermath: From a Senate campaign to a national movement</p><p>07:45 Breaking the 100-year curse: How Obama did what Cuomo, Jordan, and Richards never could</p><p>09:00 The craft: Julius Caesar, King, Kennedy, and the rhetorical techniques behind the magic</p><p>10:15 The verdict: Without that speech, would Barack Obama be president?</p><p>11:30 Conclusion: The line he lost and why what remained was more than enough</p><p><br></p><p>About The Host:</p><p><br></p><p>Charles Denyer is a nationally recognized expert in cybersecurity, national security, and global risk. He has advised U.S. vice presidents, cabinet officials, senior military leaders, and Fortune-class organizations, bringing field-tested analysis and cinematic storytelling to today’s most urgent threats.</p><p><br></p><p>💥 The power plays. The pressure. The people pulling the strings. This is Chasing Power. </p><p><br></p><p>🔔Subscribe on YouTube, new episodes break down how power is really won. </p><p><br></p><p>👉 Explore more politics: <a href='http://www.charlesdenyerproductions.com/ '>http://www.charlesdenyerproductions.com/ </a></p><p><br></p><p>🎧 Apple: <a href='https://podcasts.apple.com/gy/podcast/chasing-power-politics-campaigns-conflict/id1845424742'>https://podcasts.apple.com/gy/podcast/chasing-power-politics-campaigns-conflict/id1845424742</a></p><p><br></p><p>🎧 Spotify: <a href='https://open.spotify.com/show/1jzxjxpfclZRlYP25ET2Qw'>https://open.spotify.com/show/1jzxjxpfclZRlYP25ET2Qw</a></p>

Episode thumbnail for What the President Doesn't Know - Part 4: Gerald Ford | EP 18

May 1, 2026

What the President Doesn't Know - Part 4: Gerald Ford | EP 18

<p>What happens when a president understands the system so well that he chooses not to fight it—but to operate within its limits?</p><p><br></p><p>In this revealing fourth episode of our mini-series, Chasing Power: What the President Doesn&#39;t Know, host Charles Denyer turns to Gerald Ford—the only man to become president without being elected to either the presidency or the vice presidency. </p><p><br></p><p>This chapter traces how Ford, unlike Nixon, did not try to bypass the system or confront it head-on. Instead, he understood its architecture, its layers of compartmentalized knowledge, and its limits. </p><p><br></p><p>Ford did not go to war with the system.</p><p>He chose to work within its boundaries.</p><p>And that restraint may have saved the presidency itself.</p><p><br></p><p>#ChasingPower #WhatThePresidentDoesntKnow #GeraldFord #CIA #ChurchCommittee #FamilyJewels #PresidentialHistory #IntelligenceCommunity #PoliticalPodcast</p><p><br></p><p>What You Will Learn:</p><p><br></p><p>- The Accidental President</p><p>How Ford became the only man in American history to hold the presidency without being elected to either ticket—and why his 25 years in Congress mattered more than any campaign.</p><p>- The Warren Commission&#39;s Editing</p><p>How Ford personally edited the final report&#39;s description of JFK&#39;s wounds to support the single bullet theory—fueling decades of skepticism about his impartiality.</p><p>- The Family Jewels</p><p>Why Ford was the first president briefed on the CIA&#39;s most controversial activities—and why that briefing was a curated presentation, not an act of discovery.</p><p>- Kissinger as Gatekeeper</p><p>How Henry Kissinger shaped what information reached Ford, when it was delivered, and how it was framed—controlling the president&#39;s view of the intelligence world.</p><p>- The Nixon Pardon</p><p>The most controversial decision of Ford&#39;s presidency—and the lingering questions about whether an implicit deal was made before he assumed office.</p><p>- Dick Cheney&#39;s Revelation</p><p>What Ford&#39;s chief of staff shared in private conversations: that Ford was &quot;no dummy&quot; and &quot;knew exactly where the bodies were buried.&quot;</p><p>- Executive Order 11905</p><p>How Ford placed formal rules on a system he could still not fully see—prohibiting assassinations without ever controlling the underlying structure.</p><p><br></p><p>Episode Highlights and Timestamps:</p><p>00:01 Introduction: The man who did not seek the presidency</p><p>01:15 Ford&#39;s 25 years in Congress and his role on the Warren Commission</p><p>02:45 The Family Jewels: Being shown a curated version of the CIA&#39;s secrets</p><p>04:10 Kissinger as gatekeeper and the architecture of controlled disclosure</p><p>05:30 The Church Committee and the realization that the system had never lied</p><p>06:50 The Nixon pardon: Protection, healing, or an implicit deal?</p><p>08:05 Cheney&#39;s private words: &quot;Ford knew exactly where the bodies were buried&quot;</p><p>09:30 Executive Order 11905: Placing rules on a system he could not fully see</p><p>10:45 The quiet wisdom: Operating within limits rather than trying to break them</p><p>12:15 Conclusion: The restraint that saved the presidency from another rupture</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><strong>The Host:</strong></p><p>Charles Denyer is a nationally recognized expert in cybersecurity, national security, and global risk. He has advised U.S. vice presidents, cabinet officials, senior military leaders, and Fortune-class organizations, bringing field-tested analysis and cinematic storytelling to today’s most urgent threats.</p><p><br></p><p>💥 The power plays. The pressure. The people pulling the strings. This is Chasing Power.</p><p>🔔 Subscribe on YouTube, new episodes break down how power is really won. </p><p>👉 Explore more politics: www.charlesdenyerproductions.com</p><p><br></p><p>🎧 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gy/podcast/chasing-power-politics-campaigns-conflict/id1845424742</p><p>🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1jzxjxpfclZRlYP25ET2Qw</p><p><br></p><p>This podcast is for news reporting, commentary, and criticism. We use excerpts, clips, and quotations from political events and other copyrighted works under the fair use doctrine (17 U.S.C. § 107). All rights in those works remain with their respective owners. The views expressed are our own and do not represent any other entity.</p>

21 total episodes available

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What is Chasing Power: Politics. Campaigns. Conflict.?

Chasing Power: The Path to Pennsylvania Avenue takes you inside the fierce, high-stakes fight for the American presidency, the most powerful office on Earth. Hosted by political insider and national security expert Charles Denyer, this podcast uncovers the ruthless strategies, calculated power plays, and hidden battles that shape campaigns and decide the nation’s future. Experience the drama behind the headlines.

👉 Subscribe now on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://www.youtube.com/@ChasingPowerPodcast 👉 Explore ⁠more politics: ⁠https://www.chasingpowerpodcast.com⁠

How often does this podcast release new episodes?

This podcast updates daily.

Where can I listen to this podcast?

This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.

Does this podcast accept guests?

No, this podcast does not typically feature guests.

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