The 46th: Will Georgia's Races Change The Senate?

Matter of Opinion

New York Times Opinion

Society & Culture, Ross Douthat, News, New York Times, Journalism

4.2 • 7.2K Ratings

🗓️ 18 December 2020

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

As part of our series “The 46th,” The Argument’s hosts and guests are debating the events of the transition and what America under a Biden administration should look like. Now that we’re less than three weeks away from the Georgia runoff elections that will determine the balance of power in the U.S. Senate, Michelle, Ross and fellow Times columnist Jamelle Bouie take stock of the Democratic candidates and assess their strengths and weaknesses. Jamelle and Michelle make the case for a Warnock victory, while Ross makes a surprising prediction of the outcome. Then Michelle and Ross debate whether President Trump’s actions over the past four years constituted fascism or just looked like fascism. Michelle says Trump has insidiously invaded democratic institutions, while Ross argues that sometimes conservatism can look a little bit like fascism. And Michelle has a recommendation for last-minute holiday shoppers. For background reading on the episode, visit nytimes.com/theargument.

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm Michelle Goldberg.
0:01.8	I'm Ross Douthett, and this is the argument.
0:05.4	Today, we continue our series, the 46th, looking at this strange transition period to the
0:16.6	Biden presidency and the forces that might shape his first 100 days.
0:21.6	And to that end, we're taking a look at the runoff elections in Georgia, which will actually
0:25.8	determine much of what Biden is able to accomplish.
0:29.4	Then, as the Electoral College seals Biden's victory, Michelle and I will take one more
0:34.0	look back on all the arguments about the meaning of Donald Trump and how he was ultimately
0:39.8	defeated.
0:41.3	A contested presidential election and a historically speedy vaccine approval have overshadowed
0:49.7	the upcoming runoff for two Senate seats in the state of Georgia, but it's likely to
0:53.9	be the main political excitement over the Christmas holidays.
0:57.6	And also an incredibly influential event for the next two years, since the outcome will
1:02.0	determine what kind of Senate landscape Joe Biden faces and what from his official
1:07.1	campaign agenda might actually be able to be passed.
1:11.0	To dive a little deeper into those races, what's going on in Georgia and what it will mean
1:15.6	for not just the state but the country at large, we have our regular guest and fellow
1:20.5	op-ed columnist, Jamel Buie, joining us.
1:23.2	Jamel, how are you?
1:24.2	I'm good.
1:25.2	Thank you for having me.
1:26.2	It's always a pleasure to have you.
	...

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