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So, did you watch it? That feels like the first question out of everyone’s mouths Wednesday morning, no?
But the other big question following Tuesday night’s presidential debate (one filled with lots of drama and… dogs) is: does it really change anything? It certainly seems as though former President Donald Trump is on his heels (and, at least for now, isn’t agreeing to Vice President Kamala Harris’ proposed second debate) but how much do presidential debates move the needle?
There’s some interesting research from Harvard and HEC Montreal that shows debates don’t actually do that much to change voters’ minds. We spoke this week with one of the researchers who looked at before and after voter surveys of more than 50 debates in seven countries and found that voters’ minds weren’t changed that much by debates. You can hear from the professor about why she thinks that is (and why she still believes debates are important) on the It’s Just Politics podcast.
In Michigan debate-ville, Democratic Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin and former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers are hoping debates do help their respective campaigns in the state’s all-important open U.S. Senate seat as the two finally seem to have agreed on a debate schedule. Slokin and Rogers are now set to meet for two debates next month: October 8th in Grand Rapids and October 14th in Detroit. As we’ve noted before, it’s a rare thing to not have an incumbent running and this race will absolutely help determine which party holds control of the Senate. The seat is considered a toss-up which means both Slotkin and Rogers need to get their message across to as many voters as possible… in, say, a debate.
Digging deeper: For an update on where things stand in the Senate race, Zoe joined NPR’s Here & Now this week to break down the latest in the Slotkin and Rogers’ campaigns.
Got questions (or want to share your takeaways from the debate)? We always want to hear from you! Shoot us an email at politics@michiganpublic.org!
— GET CAUGHT UP —
Aside from the presidential debate (and all the memes it generated), there is heightened attention being paid this week to election security. On Wednesday, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson was in Washington, D.C. as part of a bipartisan panel of state election officials testifying before a U.S. House committee on managing elections and ballot security.
Benson’s testimony focused on federal funding for elections, disinformation, and the safety of election workers. Surprisingly, the event wasn’t the fire-storm one might expect. There were definitely differences between Republicans and Democrats on the panel and Benson was asked to defend her progressive-friendly ballot access and election integrity plans. She also said that the current environment is making it hard to hire and retain election workers from polling place staff to county clerks.
“It is not a partisan role and despite being an elected position, it is not a political role,” Benson said. “But it is a role that increasingly forces us – whether we consider ourselves Republicans, Democrats, or independents – to endure threats, harassment, false and malicious attacks on our character and integrity. Why? Because of lies – about our work, about the security of our elections and our own integrity.”
And, as Joey Cappelletti of the Associated Press reported, Benson wasn’t the only Michigander talking about election security this week as former Michigan Governors Republican John Engler and Democrat Jim Blanchard, as well as “other former elected officials from both parties are joining a wider effort to combat misinformation and attacks on voting and ballot-counting in several swing states ahead of the fast-approaching presidential election.” As Cappelletti notes, “the focus on strengthening trust in elections in battleground states follows years of attacks on their election systems by Trump and his allies, who have consistently sought to undermine the 2020 presidential results. In Michigan, where 15 Republicans have been charged for acting as false electors, Trump pressured officials to not certify results, and armed protesters surrounded the secretary of state’s home, alleging voter fraud.”
Speaking of those aforementioned Republicans who have been charged for acting as false electors, NPR’s Hansi Lo Wang reports this week that pro-Trump electors who were linked to efforts to try and reverse his 2020 loss are back for 2024, including six in Michigan. And, in Kalamazoo, Michigan Public’s Dustin Dwyer reports, “the ACLU of Michigan says it’s reached an agreement to drop a lawsuit against a county election official who said he would refuse to certify the results of this year’s election if he believed the ballots were invalid.”
— IJP ON THE ROAD —
| In case you just didn’t get enough post-debate analysis, take a listen to a special call-in show from The Middle this week as Zoe joined the one and only Katie Couric to take calls from listeners across the country. (Tune in for the analysis, stay for Couric making a schweddy-balls joke). Zoe also joined WDET’s Created Equal and Detroit PBS’s One Detroit to dig into all-things-presidential-debate. (Yeah… it was a busy week). |
— WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AT THE DINNER TABLE —
Legal affairs: It was a big week in Michigan at the intersection of politics and justice. Rick reported on a judge’s decision to send to trial what’s essentially a corruption case against two former top legislative aides to former Republican State House Speaker Lee Chatfield; the allegation of assault leveled against Republican state Representative Neil Friske was sent to the Michigan Attorney General’s office; and Detroit’s-own The White Stripes sued the Trump campaign over copy-right infringement for using the band’s song in a campaign video.
RFK Jr: Speaking of courts, we’re starting to feel like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. needs his own weekly newsletter segment. Last week we brought you the news that his bid to remove himself from the Michigan ballot had met its final failure in state courts. Now, this week, the former presidential candidate (and possible third-party spoiler) has taken his case to the federal courts. It’s in the weeds legally but the outcome, as we’ve previously reported, could have huge consequences on the presidential race.
Debate quiz-time: We’ll end this week how we started: talking debates. There's no doubt Tuesday night’s debate will go down in history. But debate zingers are more often prepared “impromptu” moments than off the cuff. We could share some of the most-memorable ones, but that would ruin the fun of taking this Washington Post quiz.
We’ll tell you our scores if you tell us yours!
Yours in political nerdiness,
Rick Pluta & Zoe Clark
Co-hosts, It’s Just Politics
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