Become a fan of the Political Gabfest on Facebook. We post to the Facebook page throughout the week, so keep the conversation going by joining us there. Or follow us @SlateGabfest! The email address for the Political Gabfest is gabfest@slate.com. (Email may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

The Slate Political Gabfest is sponsored by Casper, an online retailer of premium mattresses for a fraction of the price. Casper mattresses come with free delivery and returns within a 100-day period. Right now, get $50 toward any mattress by visiting casper.com/political and using the promo code POLITICAL.

And by Trunk Club. Answer a few simple questions about your look, style, and size, and receive a trunk full of great looking clothes that fit perfectly and make you look amazing. Only pay for the clothes you keep, and shipping is free. Go to trunkclub.com/gabfest.

And by Stamps.com. Buy and print official U.S. postage using your own computer and printer, and save up to 80 percent compared with a postage meter. Sign up for a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer when you visit stamps.com and use the promo code GABFEST.

To listen to the discussion, use the player below:

Subscribe in iTunes ∙ RSS feed ∙ Download ∙ Play in another tab

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, the hosts discuss how they keep abreast of the news while on vacation. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/gabfestplus.

On this week’s Slate Political Gabfest, Emily Bazelon, David Plotz, and John Dickerson discuss the inaugural 2016 Republican primary debates on Fox News, the potential presidential candidacy of Vice President Joe Biden, and #BlackLivesMatter movement on the one year anniversary of Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson, Missouri.

Here are some of the links and references mentioned during this week's show:

• The 2016 Republican Primary is now in full swing after the first of at least a dozen debates. How did Donald Trump do, who ultimately won (was there even a clear winner?) and what happens next?
• The  inaugural debates included awkward questions, Donald Trump's predictable “trumping” (can he “trump” Fox News?), direct engagement with the GOP front-runner, surprising humor, their fair-share of heated exchanges,  real-life compassionate conservatism, blissful ignorance, pitiful responses, and plenty of errors.
• Vote now in Slate’s reader polls and tell us who won and who had the best one-liner from the first GOP debates.
• Read more of Slate's coverage of the GOP primary.
• Maureen Dowd’s recent New York Time’s piece has fueled speculation that Vice President Joe Biden will make another run for the Democratic nomination (after some thought he might step down following the death of his son, Beau Biden). When will he decide (or is he already running)?
• Should Biden run or would another campaign be a bad idea (and possibly damage his legacy)? And how might a Biden candidacy impact the 2016 Presidential Election (especially for front-runner Hillary Clinton)?
• John provides a comprehensive review of the GOP fight night from Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, as well as insight into Joe Biden's "end of summer" decision.
• Read more of Slate's coverage of the 2016 Campaign.
• This week marks the one-year anniversary of the death of Michael Brown at the hands of former police officer Darren Wilson. Following the damning investigation of the Ferguson police department what—if anything—has changed?
• The events of Ferguson were the genesis of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Have the protests worked (and how much more work remains to be done)?
• Read Jake Halpern’s profile on Darren Wilson in The New Yorker (and the response by Lesley McSpadden, the mother of Michael Brown).
• Slate’s Jamelle Bouie explores how Ferguson changed America.
• Read more of Slate's coverage of News and Politics.

Emily chatters about the This American Life episode on the integration of the Normandy School District in Normandy, Missouri, and the recent U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit decision narrowly holding that the state of Texas will be barred from enforcing at least part of its law requiring a photo ID before a voter can go to the polls.

John chatters about Japanese artist Tanaka Tatsuya’s creatively intricate miniature worlds.

David chatters about the Elena Ferrante trilogy, the Neapolitan Novels, and fascinating documentary on the late Amy Winehouse, Amy.

Slate’s Political Gabfest is coming to San Francisco on Sept. 15 at the historic Nourse Theater. Tickets are available at slate.com/politicalSF. If you are a Slate Plus member, you will be eligible for a discount on your ticket purchase. If you’d like to become a Slate Plus member, visit slate.com/gabfestplus.

Topic ideas for next week? You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest (#heygabfest). (Tweets may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Matt Collette and Joel Meyer. Links compiled by Tarik Barrett.