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For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, the hosts discuss John’s widely acclaimed moderation of the Democratic debate. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gabfestplus.
On this week’s Slate Political Gabfest, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the aftermath of the Paris attacks, the Supreme Court’s first abortion case in years, and the all-around genius of the Broadway musical Hamilton.
Here are some of the links and references mentioned during this week’s show:
- Our very own John Dickerson, moderator of the Democratic debate, opened the night with discussion of the tragedy, but it was not in any of the candidates’ interests to propose foreign policy plans and focus quickly turned to economics.
- Hillary Clinton claimed that she had wanted greater action against ISIS (Obama had not listened!), but in any case supports all the president has done. Has she managed to toe the line given President Obama’s recent comments? Has she properly distanced herself from his controversial statement that ISIS is the JV team?
- The events have unnerved the world, showing that ISIS has attack capability. How do policies change in this fear-ridden time? GOP governors announce they’ll ban Syrian refugees from settling in their states. Russia allies with France after concluding that ISIS bombed its plane in Egypt. So how do you combat the ideology of ISIS?
- The Supreme Court has taken on its first abortion case in years, Whole Woman’s Health v. Cole. Is the intent of the Texas legislation actually to benefit women’s health?
- What will swing-vote Justice Anthony Kennedy decide this time around? Is it possible the nation will end up with states without any abortion clinics? If so, who will suffer most?
- Everyone is talking about the musical Hamilton. Why? Is it because of the reclaiming of history by the actors, all people of color? Or the retooling of Hamilton as a villain? Or simply the complicating of him? Perhaps the incredible music and use of hip-hop to represent revolution? Maybe all of the above?
- Read more of Slate’s coverage of news and politics
John chatters about the history of the once hated, now praised Lincoln-Douglas debates, as reported in the Atlantic (and no, they did not have a moderator because the debaters were actually interested in true argument). He also mentions the enjoyable audiobooks on the topic.
David chatters about the reversal of his opinion on the Iran versus France wine-at-dinner debacle, asserting that religious beliefs should not be privileged over secular ones. He mentions François Mitterrand’s last meal as testament to this claim.
Emily chatters about a New York Times Magazine article on the hunt for red mercury, a source of incredible nuclear power—or whatever it exactly is.
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 Jayson De Leon. Links compiled by Elle Bisgaard-Church.
