Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: Bunk Or Fascinating?
Date: October 3, 2025
Host: Armstrong & Getty (with Katie)

Overview

In this "One More Thing" segment, Armstrong & Getty dive into a historical discussion inspired by a recent Substack column from Derek Thompson. Using the theme "Bunk Or Fascinating," they juxtapose two projects on American history—the 1619 Project and the less-known "1872 Project"—to discuss the origins and significance of the secret ballot in modern democracy. The hosts reflect on how this fundamental shift in voting practices radically expanded political freedom and individuality, sharing personal anecdotes and thoughts on the nature of voting and privacy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Intro: Setting the Theme

• The episode kicks off with a tongue-in-cheek contrast:
  • "The 1619 project was bunk. The 1872 project fascinating. It's one more thing." (05:49, Armstrong)

2. The Derek Thompson Substack List

• Armstrong highlights Derek Thompson and his column, "The 25 most interesting ideas I’ve found in 2025 so far."
• The list covers topics like:
  • Marriage as a “luxury good”
  • Alleged religious revivals among young people
  • The fact that “half of Americans don’t get their news from the news” but from social media
• The conversation lingers on the religious revival claim (with skepticism), and the prevalence of news via social media.
  • "Half of Americans don't get their news from the news. They get their news from social media." (06:30)

3. The Secret Ballot: 1872 as a Turning Point

• The hosts focus on #7 from Thompson's list: “Was 1872 the most important year for political freedom in the world?”

  • Getty tries to recall what happened in 1872; Armstrong summarizes:

    • Before 1872, voting was a public, communal act, not a private one.
    • 1872: Pontifect, West Yorkshire—first modern use of the secret ballot for a parliamentary election.
    • Quickly adopted by the rest of the Western world; U.S. followed about a decade later.

  • “For most of democracy's history, voting was a performative and communal act, with public declarations and even open parades. The secret ballot … is a relatively recent invention.” (07:26, paraphrasing David Bell)

  • The secret ballot allowed voting to be an “expression of purely personal choice”—private, individual, and free from coercion.

4. The Social Effect and Individual Freedom

• The episode highlights how secret voting transformed not only procedures but mindsets:

  • Before secret ballots: “Everyone could see how everyone else voted…you’d be, like, filling it out in front of everybody.” (08:08)

  • After: Voting seen as a “personal choice in accordance with an individual's deep beliefs and values” (paraphrased, 08:37)

  • Voting booths furthered the sense of privacy and conscientious decision-making.

  • Armstrong (reading and summarizing): “Imagine what people would say if the White House said it was banning secret ballots and forcing all voting to be public and thus open a state coercion. Imagine that. And you get a sense of why 1872 can plausibly be considered a formative moment in political freedom.” (09:17)

5. Personal Experiences with Voting

• The crew share vivid stories and reactions:

  • Getty remembers asking for a Republican ballot in a liberal area and feeling outed:

    • “Everybody, like, turned and looked at me. I was like, 18. I was like, okay. Wow. It was very. It was bizarre.” (09:45)

  • Katie’s first presidential election was for Obama; she recalls being surprised she didn’t need her ID:

    • “I handed her my id, thinking we needed an ID to vote. Yeah, I know. I've had that experience several times. Or get up my driver's license. You don't need that. I don't. I find this troubling that I do not need my ID for this. Yes, I need it for everything. Everything I do all day long. But not this. Oh no, that would be oppressive.” (10:21)

  • Armstrong jokes about being old:

    • “I voted Harding my first presidential vote. And you regret it, don't you?...I was trying to keep the women's from voting and, well. Right. Rode that wave as long as I could.” (10:40)

6. Tone and Style

• The tone is relaxed, slightly irreverent, and leans into personal storytelling.
• The hosts blend historical analysis with humor and approachable analogies.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• "The 1619 project was bunk. The 1872 project fascinating." (05:49, Armstrong)
• "Half of Americans don't get their news from the news. They get their news from social media." (06:30, Armstrong paraphrasing Derek Thompson)
• “Was 1872 the most important year for political freedom in the world?” (07:04, Armstrong reading Thompson)
• "For most of democracy's history, voting was a performative and communal act, with public declarations and even open parades.” (07:26, Armstrong paraphrasing David Bell)
• “Once voting became secret, it became far easier to imagine it as an expression of purely personal choice.” (08:37, Armstrong)
• “Imagine what people would say if the White House said it was banning secret ballots and forcing all voting to be public... you get a sense of why 1872 can plausibly be considered a formative moment in political freedom.” (09:17, Armstrong quoting the essay)
• "Everybody, like, turned and looked at me. I was like, 18. I was like, okay. Wow. It was very... It was bizarre." (09:45, Getty on requesting a Republican ballot)
• “I handed her my id, thinking we needed an ID to vote.” (10:21, Katie)
• “I voted Harding my first presidential vote. And you regret it, don't you? Looking back on that.” (10:40, Armstrong & Getty joking)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 05:49 – Segment open: contrasting 1619 and 1872 projects
• 06:10–06:50 – Derek Thompson's Substack and key social trends
• 07:04–08:37 – The birth and impact of the secret ballot
• 09:17–09:45 – Implications of banning the secret ballot; personal voting stories begin
• 10:21–10:40 – Voting anecdotes from Katie and Armstrong

Summary

This "One More Thing" episode uses humorous banter and sharp historical storytelling to spotlight the pivotal year 1872, when the secret ballot first emerged. Armstrong & Getty credit this little-known innovation with fundamentally expanding individual political freedom, drawing a line from public, communal voting to the private, conscience-driven act Americans take for granted today. The discussion weaves in Derek Thompson’s thought-provoking list, skepticism toward media trends, and the hosts’ own voting tales—making for a segment that's both educational and thoroughly entertaining for any listener, even those new to the topic.