DeepSummary
The podcast episode covers Part 4 (chapters 21-24) of Robert Caro's book The Power Broker, focusing on Robert Moses' failed gubernatorial campaign and his subsequent resurgence after FDR's attempt to undermine him backfires. Moses proves to be an inept political campaigner, antagonizing supporters and the press, but regains power when FDR's order to remove Moses from key positions is leaked and portrayed as political payback.
Roman Mars and Elliot Kalin discuss how Moses leverages his relationship with the press and his ability to get federal funds for projects to amass power beyond the control of elected officials. They analyze Moses' blindness to the needs of poor and minority communities, his indifference to individual lives impacted by his projects, and his increasingly standardized and detached approach to building parks and roadways.
The episode features an interview with journalist Brandi Zadrozny, who offers insights on Caro's commitment to deeply researching Moses' life, the challenges of changing people's minds about established narratives, and the similarities between Moses' quest for power and modern conspiracy theories profiting off misinformation.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Robert Moses proved to be an inept political campaigner but regained power after a failed attempt by FDR to undermine him.
- Moses increasingly relied on underhanded tactics like deception and bullying to consolidate power beyond democratic oversight.
- Moses was indifferent to the impacts of his urban renewal projects on poor and minority communities.
- Moses' singular focus on building prevented him from adapting his park designs to serve the needs of city neighborhoods.
- The press was easily manipulated by Moses through strategic leaks and personal relationships with publishers.
- Caro's commitment to deep archival research, including speaking to former Moses staffers years later, was essential to unraveling Moses' mythos.
- Conspiracy theories can persist by profiting off outrageous claims rather than seeking truth.
- Powerful individuals are often driven more by rapacious desires for control than pure civic motives.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “I'm a girl from Florida, Georgia. Like, I went two different states in one place. I know it's amazing, but I'm not a New York City elite, despite what the folks who read my work sometimes would have you believe. So I'm constantly impressed by people and things.“ by Brandi Zadrozny
- “If we just discuss this with him, if we can just get in there and talk to him about it, we're sure we could show him the truth. And that's how Caro leads into the end of the chapter, which is chilling, he says, but Moses no longer had to discuss.“ by Elliot Kalin
- “Caro is the person who we all sort of dream about coming down into the dusty stacks with this big idea, and you become, as a reference librarian, you become a partner in that search. It's not just, I'm looking for this exact book.“ by Brandi Zadrozny
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Episode Information
99% Invisible
Roman Mars
5/18/24