Three Martinis with Tevi Troy: ‘Unprecedented’ History, Presidents vs. CEO’s, ‘Die Hard’

As America pauses for Labor Day, Jim and Greg welcome in highly respected presidential historian Tevi Troy of the Bipartisan Policy Center. His latest book is "The Power and the Money: The Epic Clashes Between Commanders in Chief and Titans of Industry." Tevi is also a huge fan of "Die Hard," so you know they won't miss a chance to talk about that!

They begin by noting that Troy is well known for being the historian pouring cold water on politicians and their supporters, who are frequently and loudly insisting that whatever they are upset about is unprecedented and proof that the other side is on the brink of ruining the nation. Tevi says that over 235 years of the presidency we've seen a lot, and the people pulling their hair out don't know their history and are often substituting politics for religion.

Next, they dig into Troy's book, "The Power and the Money" and how in the span of 150 years, America went from a posture of government and business being completely separate to now being very closely intertwined and impacting our lives regularly. They explore who deserves a lot of the blame for that disturbing evolution and which historical examples best inform of us of today's nexus between business and politics.

Finally, as promised, they close out their discussion with a deep dive into "Die Hard," exploring why it remains a cultural phenomenon and what separate it from other great action movies. And they reflect on how it portrays institutions like the government and the media.