After months of wrangling over when and whether a presidential debate would take place, a miraculous debate agreement was reached on Wednesday morning. Things quickly escalated after Joe Biden released a video challenging Donald Trump to two debates.
“I received and accepted an invitation from @CNN to the debate on June 27th. Regards, Donald. Like you said, anytime, anywhere, anywhere,” Biden said. Said in X's post.
President Trump responded, “The answer is yes, I accept it.''
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Since we've already broken tradition and held a presidential debate in June (these events are usually reserved for the fall), it's a modest suggestion. Why not get creative with your discussion moderators?
Indeed, outside the confines of a supposedly impartial journalist, finding an acceptable host is as difficult as finding a juror who isn't familiar with Donald Trump's criminal charges. Everyone will have some baggage, and if they don't, they're probably too boring or stupid for the job. So what qualities am I looking for?
This shouldn't be someone without an opinion, but it shouldn't be a cheerleader for either candidate. This person (I'll be on the panel) should have enough authority to command the stage. Plus, it helps if this person has some kind of pop culture entry point into parts of America that wouldn't normally be interested in political discussion.
Without further ado, here are seven unconventional moderators who will liven up the atmosphere.
1. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
He's a wrestler, a movie star, a mogul. He supported Biden in 2020, but now he says he shouldn't have voiced his opinion either. “My goal is to unite this country,” he told Fox & Friends about 2024. “At this level of influence, I intend to keep my politics private.” It's between me and the ballot box. ”
The Rock is not some crazy partisan ideologue. But even if Biden starts filibustering or Trump starts going off the rails, he's someone you don't want to get involved with either. What is rock cooking? How about a discussion that would be interesting to people who watch professional wrestling or Fast and Furious movies?
2. Piers Morgan
The British are meaner and tougher when it comes to interviewing (interrogating?) people. Morgan is both. Although he is anti-gun, he also seems to fit into the anti-woke/anti-political correctness atmosphere. Either way, his desire for a good TV show and shameless self-promotion will outweigh any partisan political leanings he may harbor.
3. Jerry Seinfeld
Fresh off his commencement speech at Duke University (where some pro-Palestinian students walked out), Mr. Seinfeld is having another moment. At one time, Seinfeld, the Jewish comedian from New York who became a huge TV star, would have been considered too liberal.
But in today's fast-paced, chaotic world, Seinfeld's pro-Israel, anti-cancel culture, and anti-PC stances have earned him scorn from the progressive left. Plus, because he's spent years doing crowd work and getting heckled, comedians are almost always sharper and quicker than politicians (see Jon Stewart criticizing Crossfire).
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4. Nikki Glaser
While we're talking about comedians, did you see her roasting Tom Brady last week? No doubt she's on the progressive side, but denies she's serious. you can't. It's hard to imagine someone so irreverent hosting an entire presidential debate, but why not take her out of the bullpen and discuss both candidates for five to 10 minutes? Looking.
5. Oprah Winfrey
Although she is famously a Democrat, she hosted President Trump on her show and helped launch the career of Dr. Mehmet Oz, who ran for the Pennsylvania Senate as a Republican. Both Trump and Biden need to appeal to suburban soccer moms, and it's hard to imagine anyone else with a similar cachet.
6. Mark Cuban
Although he's not a Trump fan, the former owner of the Dallas Mavericks is a billionaire businessman who voted for Nikki Haley. He also spent years as one of the main “sharks” on ABC's “Shark Tank.” Cuban probably isn't cut out for medium solos, but like Glazer, I'd love to see him participate in segments.
7. Matthew McConaughey
He is a famous movie star with a down-to-earth charm. His first major film was 1996's A Time to Kill, in which he played a southern liberal lawyer who defends a black man who shot and killed two white men who had raped his daughter, while at the same time killing the rapists. He also supported the death penalty.
McConaughey's real-life politics are equally interesting. “I'm an artist. I'm a storyteller. I'm a folk singer,” he said. “[Are] What parts of me could be useful in a political leadership position, a state or national CEO? perhaps. ” I don't know if that makes him a great candidate, but I'm sure he would make an interesting debate moderator.
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These are obviously strange ideas, and these people may each be crazy in their own ways (but no more crazy than continuing to do what we've been doing). In other words, regular mainstream media figures haven't done a great job over the years of (a) aligning candidates or (b) educating the American public.
Moreover, in these times of populism, America's traditional stuffed-shirt journalists project an outlandish image, which candidates (literally or figuratively) use to get cheap applause. It can be used for.
The time has come to reconsider how we proceed with the discussion. These are not traditional candidate locations or normal times. So why act as if traditional moderators are the answer?
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