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Stranglehold

NHPR 21 episodes Latest Feb 12, 2026

An investigation into the power and people behind the New Hampshire Primary, exploring how one small state gained control over the presidential selection process and why it refuses to relinquish that power. The podcast delves into the political dynamics and historical context of the New Hampshire Primary, offering a unique perspective on American politics.

Episodes

Introducing: Safe to Drink Feb 12, 2026 2019 Introducing “Safe to Drink:” A New Hampshire town finds out its water has been contaminated by a chemical. The most basic question — whether the water is safe to drink — doesn’t have a clear answer. Nobody seems to know much about this so-called forever chemical, which is weird because… this has all happened before. From the Document team at New Hampshire Public Radio, "Safe to Drink" is a four-p

"Make Room" Feb 23, 2023 2525 New Hampshire’s “stranglehold” on the way we pick presidents could be losing its grip. The Democratic Party changed its presidential nominating calendar to give voters of color more sway. But New Hampshire isn’t backing down, setting up a major test of the stranglehold and its power. Get all episodes and more at strangleholdpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoice

Via Live Stream Feb 12, 2020 756 While most of the candidates are either celebrating or conceding in New Hampshire, one former front runner is conspicuously absent from a party in his honor. In this special episode, produced in the midnight hours after the 2020 N.H. primary, we take you to a campaign headquarters that’s missing its candidate, and speculate what the election results may mean for the future of the New Hampshire pr

All Out Feb 11, 2020 2470 The N.H. presidential primary is here and the stranglehold is on full display. We take you behind the scenes of one of the craziest weeks in American politics. Want to make sure NHPR continues creating projects like Stranglehold? Donate $20 today right here: www.strangleholdpodcast.org Stranglehold is the story of how one small state got its hands around the way we pick presidents - and won’t le

What's It Worth? Feb 6, 2020 1526 There is nothing New Hampshire is more famous for than the presidential primary. And that fame has a value of its own. A value greater than dollars spent or earned. In this episode, we try to answer the question: How does that value help to explain this state’s stranglehold on the presidential nominating process? Want to make sure NHPR continues creating projects like Stranglehold? Donate $20 tod

WTF Iowa??? Feb 5, 2020 816 After caucus chaos, many in New Hampshire are wondering: If Iowa gets punished for this mess, will New Hampshire take a hit too? Want to make sure NHPR continues creating projects like Stranglehold? Donate $20 today right here: www.strangleholdpodcast.org Stranglehold is the story of how one small state got its hands around the way we pick presidents - and won’t let go. It’s a political story un

The Newsroom Jan 30, 2020 1691 As we hold up the mirror to ourselves and our colleagues, we see just how much the local media has helped maintain the so-called Stranglehold. Want to make sure that NHPR continues creating projects like Stranglehold? Click here to donate: www.strangleholdpodcast.org Stranglehold is the story of how one small state got its hands around the way we pick presidents - and won’t let go. It’s a pol

The Outsiders Jan 16, 2020 1377 Sometimes, it takes a bunch of outsiders to rattle the cage of a bunch of insiders. Stranglehold is the story of how one small state got its hands around the way we pick presidents - and won’t let go. It’s a political story unlike any you've heard before. Learn more at www.strangleholdpodcast.org Want to make sure NHPR continues creating projects like Stranglehold? Donate $20 today right here: w

The Long Shot Jan 7, 2020 1609 We spend a day on the trail, chasing a myth: Can New Hampshire catapult a struggling campaign all the way to the White House? Or are some campaigns just deluding themselves? Want to make sure NHPR continues creating projects like Stranglehold? Donate $20 today right here: www.strangleholdpodcast.org Stranglehold is the story of how one small state got its hands around the way we pick presidents

The Other First State Dec 26, 2019 1264 You may have heard New Hampshire isn’t TOTALLY first in the nation. We invited Kate Payne and Clay Masters, hosts of the Caucus Land podcast from Iowa Public Radio, to talk about how Iowa got that first spot. Stranglehold is the story of how one small state got its hands around the way we pick presidents - and won’t let go. It’s a political story unlike any you've heard before. Learn more at www.

The Moldy Cookie Dec 14, 2019 2015 We take you inside the world of local politicos whose endorsements are courted by some of the most powerful people in American politics. Want to make sure NHPR continues creating projects like Stranglehold? Donate $20 today right here: www.strangleholdpodcast.org Stranglehold is the story of how one small state got its hands around the way we pick presidents - and won’t let go. It’s a political

The Crescendo Nov 27, 2019 1128 Remember when Secretary of State Bill Gardner said he'd let us interview him after he set the date of the N.H. primary? We try to hold him to his word. Want to make sure NHPR continues creating projects like Stranglehold? Donate $20 today right here: www.strangleholdpodcast.org Stranglehold is the story of how one small state got its hands around the way we pick presidents - and won’t let go. It

Alive and Dying Nov 26, 2019 1703 Is the New Hampshire primary dying? Or is it alive and well? Local politicos lead us through two very different types of candidate events to find two conflicting answers. Want to make sure NHPR continues creating projects like Stranglehold? Donate $20 today right here: www.strangleholdpodcast.org Stranglehold is the story of how one small state got its hands around the way we pick presidents - a

The Office Nov 14, 2019 1495 There’s a drab office in the N.H statehouse that for every four years amounts to a pilgrimage site for would-be presidents. We’ll take you inside that office during a traffic jam of 2020 candidates. Want to make sure NHPR continues creating projects like Stranglehold? Donate $20 today right here: www.strangleholdpodcast.org Stranglehold is an investigation into the power and people behind the N

Manipulate the Manipulation Oct 30, 2019 1583 The New Hampshire town hall has long been a forum where normal people can have real interactions with presidential candidates. Lately it's starting to feel like those interactions are being co-opted by outside forces. Want to make sure NHPR continues creating projects like Stranglehold? Donate $20 today right here: www.strangleholdpodcast.org Stranglehold is the story of how one small state got

The Weekend Oct 9, 2019 1817 In February 2020, voters in New Hampshire will send some presidential candidates limping out of the Granite State and maybe lift others to future victories. But do New Hampshire deserve that privilege? Want to make sure NHPR continues creating projects like Stranglehold? Donate $20 today right here: www.strangleholdpodcast.org Stranglehold is the story of how one small state got its hands around

The Identity Crisis Oct 2, 2019 2224 For decades, New Hampshire could stand its ground and knock down anybody that tried to steal its prized possession. But battle lines are being redrawn, and the N.H. primary can’t escape it. Stranglehold is the story of how one small state got its hands around the way we pick presidents - and won’t let go. It’s a political story unlike any you've heard before. Want to make sure NHPR continues cre

The Midnight Special Sep 27, 2019 3478 Every four years, a caravan of national news networks descends on a remote corner of New Hampshire to broadcast the first results from the first-in-the-nation primary. The press paints a picture of storybook democracy in a small town. We report a scoop that complicates that story. But look a little closer and you’ll see, there’s more — a lot more — to the story. Want to make sure NHPR continues

The Dragon Egg Sep 18, 2019 2659 Jimmy Carter’s 1976 primary campaign gave New Hampshire one hell of a gift: the state’s best argument for why it deserves the privileged status of having the first-in-the-nation presidential primary. And it also gave a lot of politicos in this state their ticket to power. Stranglehold is the story of how one small state got its hands around the way we pick presidents - and won’t let go. It’s a po

The Guardian Sep 11, 2019 3688 One man has built a reputation as "the guardian" of New Hampshire’s most sacred political institution. Some consider him an icon. Others say he’s a problem. Stranglehold is the story of how one small state got its hands around the way we pick presidents - and won’t let go. It’s a political story unlike any you've heard before. Want to make sure NHPR continues creating projects like Stranglehold?

Stranglehold: The Trailer Aug 2, 2019 291 How one small state got its hands around picking our presidents - and why it won't let go. An investigation into the power and people behind the New Hampshire Primary, and a political story unlike any you've heard before. Stranglehold is the story of how one small state got its hands around the way we pick presidents - and won’t let go. It’s a political story unlike any you've heard before. Lear

Stranglehold

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