Politics in the front, pop culture in the back.

Hello and welcome to Whig, a newsletter about politics and pop culture by me, Hunter Schwarz.

Whig takes its name from America’s long-lost political party. The Whigs were the first to really bring pop culture to politics, if you think about it.

The Whigs carnivalized politics and turned campaigns into a party. They held big parades with log cabins on wheels and slogan balls, served hard cider to supporters, and sought to portray their leaders as heirs to George Washington. William Henry Harrison, the first Whig president, was only in office a month before he died, but his Log Cabin Campaign of 1840 left a lasting impression.

If politics today seems like a circus, well, we have the Whigs to thank.

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