The Contenders

A look at the lives and careers of 14 candidates for the presidency of the United States who were determined to have made significant impacts on U.S. politics despite not having won the presidency. Most episodes were broadcast from a location of significance to the person being profiled, and featured interviews and discussion with a variety of experts.

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Created By

Status

Returning Series

Original Name

The Contenders

First Air Date

September 2, 2011

Last Air Date

December 16, 2011

Seasons

1

Episodes

16

Language

English

Production Companies

Networks

C-SPAN

S01E16

The Contenders, Historians Retrospective

Richard Norton Smith, Carl Cannon, and Jean Baker participated in a roundtable discussion reflecting on the C-SPAN series, “The Contenders: They Lost the Election But Changed Political History.” They talked about the concept of the series, what was learned about each of the 14 candidates chosen for the series, and what themes emerged. They reacted to video clips from the programs. Also shown were a few clips, including George McGovern and Ross Perot, that were not included in the series. Topics included the historical context of the presidential candidates and their relevance to the upcoming 2012 presidential election.

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