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Culture War Roundup for the week of October 7, 2024

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you really can't "play hardball" with a presidential candidate, because everyone they're the belle of the ball right now. everyone wants to interview them, so they can pick and choose their venues. There's zero incentive for them to go on a hostile interview, or even a less-than-friendly interview. Especially for Democrats, since so much of the mainstream media is sympathetic to them.

I wish there was more cultural demand for, not exactly hardball questions, but a surprise quiz here and there to let voters know the candidate isn't completely out to lunch.

"Yes, thank you for delivering your prepared remarks on immigration and the southern border, but if you don't mind, could you please name the President of Mexico?"

"That depends on which cartel is currently most powerful"

"I hear they have a great president, people tell me all the time, I tell you what, when you reelect me, we'll sit down and make a deal. All of these people from jails, from mental institutions- they won't be coming through Mexico anymore."

Presidential candidate jeopardy would be enormously interesting.

I mentioned Kyle Clark in another reply but he said something along these lines when asked why his debates/interviews were as substantive as they are. He said that whomever is running for mayor of Denver or one of Colorado’s seats in the house still needs Denver’s NBC affiliate to reach voters, and that may not hold up with national office.

yeah, it's a whole different ball game between local and national office, and then president is a whole other level. With the lower levels, a lot of the race is just name recognition, getting voters to know and care about who you are. Journalists there have a lot of power, since they gatekeep the shows that can make the politicians famous. But Harris and Trump are already the most famous people on earth, there's really nothing that a journalist has to offer them except bootlicking.