Four years ago, the first presidential debate between then-President Donald Trump and Former Vice President Joe Biden was held in Cleveland and if you don't remember, it was filled with interruptions, shouting and cross-talk, despite moderator Chris Wallace's pleas for order. It was what NPR political correspondent Domenico Montanaro called, "maybe the worst presidential debate in American history."
Thursday at 9 p.m., the pair are heading into their much-anticipated rematch, the first presidential debate of the 2024 election. The debate will be hosted by CNN's Jake Tapper and Dana Bash in Atlanta. There will be no live audience and new rules. First, microphones will be muted unless a candidate is directed to speak. Second, candidates are not allowed to bring prewritten notes or props. And third, a coin toss determined podium positions and the order of closing statements. Biden won the coin toss according to CNN, and will be positioned on the viewer's right, and Trump chose to deliver the final closing statement.
On Thursday's "Sound of Ideas," we're going to spend some time previewing the debate, including what issues voters care about, the overall state of the race, and whether the debate will have any impact on helping voters decide in November. We'll also talk about the potential for a certain U.S. Senator from Ohio to be named Trump's vice presidential pick.
Later in this hour, we'll discuss the Youth Filmmaker Academy summer camp offering free tuition to students for the first time. And, we'll hear the next episode of our music podcast, "Shuffle."
Guests:
-J. Cherie Strachan, Ph.D., Director, Bliss Institute of Applied Politics, University of Akron
-Kyle Kondik, Managing Editor, Sabato's Crystal Ball, University of Virginia's Center for Politics
-Eric Swinderman, Filmmaker & Executive Director, Young Filmmakers Academy
-Sofia Castellanos, Actress, Student, Young Filmmakers Academy & Junior, Hawken School
-Amanda Rabinowitz, Host and Producer, "Shuffle" and "All Things Considered"
-Mike Tolan, Musician
