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Checks and Balance from The Economist

Open to debate: Harris and Trump clash

Checks and Balance from The Economist

The Economist

Politics, News & Politics, News, Us Politics

4.61.7K Ratings

🗓️ 13 September 2024

⏱️ 53 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

On Tuesday night in Philadelphia Donald Trump and Kamala Harris took part in what might be the only debate between them in this campaign. The race is extremely close: will the debate make any difference? 


John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Adam O’Neal. They’re joined by The Economist’s James Bennet, Lane Greene and Owen Winter. 


This episode draws on audio from CBS and C-Span.  


Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts


Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.

Transcript

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0:00.0

The Economist.

0:08.0

It's often thought that the first televised presidential debate

0:12.0

was between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon in 1960.

0:16.0

That's not quite right.

0:18.0

This is Eleanor Roosevelt and Senator Margaret Chase Smith face the nation.

0:26.5

That was the first televised debate between candidates,

0:29.7

but four years earlier, two surrogates took part

0:32.2

in what was technically the first ever televised

0:34.7

presidential debate on CBS's Face the Nation.

0:38.0

Today we have two charming ladies, both top campaigners for their parties in the closing days of this campaign.

0:46.0

Shot in black and white in a small TV studio, a panel of newsmen sat ready to grill the charming ladies.

0:53.0

Republican Senator Margaret Chase Smith, standing in for President Dwight Eisenhower,

0:58.0

and representing Democratic challenger Adelai Stevenson, the former first lady,

1:02.0

Ellen Roosevelt.

1:04.0

And I think anyone who has watched the situation in the Middle East growing

1:10.0

has been longing to see some kind of constructive action on the part of the administration

1:16.7

for some time.

1:18.2

It was the height of the suis crisis, so foreign policy dominated the discussion.

1:22.6

Roosevelt, then probably the most famous woman in America,

1:26.0

commanded much of the debate.

1:28.0

Smith saved her fire for the end.

1:31.0

Democratic presidents, together with leaders of our allies, chose Dwight D. Eisenhower to lead

...

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