RCP Podcast: Debate Night in Michigan and Maine, Does Trump Help or Hurt Candidates? Kamala or Cruz in 2028?
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/10/06/rcp_podcast_debate_night_in_michigan_and_maine_.html

Tuesday on the RealClearPolitics podcast, Carl Cannon, Tom Bevan, and Andrew Walworth look at some key races with the midterm election four weeks away, and debates scheduled for tonight for the Senate races in Michigan and Maine. Also, is South Carolina in play with Darline Graham as the GOP candidate? The group also touches on 2028, asking whether Ted Cruz still sees himself as presidential material and if Kamala Harris is serious about running.

Plus, the left is upset about an out-of-context remark (https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/10/06/scarborough_trump_is_graded_on_a_curve_because_reporters_are_numbed_to_his_antics.html) about an Iranian attack on Los Angeles and San Diego. Does Trump's presence on the campaign trail help or hurt Republican candidates? Also, a possible outbreak of plague in Russia and new information from the DOJ about past investigations into Donald Trump and parents who disagreed with COVID mandates.

Listen live weekdays at 11:00 a.m. Eastern on SiriusXM's Megyn Kelly Channel 111, or on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/realclearpolitics-podcast/id1509826894), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/5FkNemg3aIaPPNBImIcW2l), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@realclearpolitics4074), or other platforms.

00:00 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCXwHXLAa90&pp=0gcJCWMAwfN6Pr3D) - Opening:

Walworth, Cannon, and Bevan discuss the Senate races in Michigan and Maine, both of which have debates scheduled tonight.

Watch Live: Michigan Senate Debate Between Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers (https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/10/06/rcp_podcast_debate_night_in_michigan_and_maine_.html)

Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers will debate tonight. "This is a big moment for Mike Rogers because he gets to stand on stage and make this case directly against El-Sayed, make him try and answer questions," Bevan said. "El-Sayed's very good, by the way, at sort of dodging and weaving and deflecting, and he seems to be pretty quick on his feet verbally."

Watch: Maine Senate Debate Between Sen. Susan Collins and Troy Jackson (https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/10/06/rcp_podcast_debate_night_in_michigan_and_maine_.html)

Maine remains a genuine toss-up as Susan Collins and Troy Jackson begin a four-debate home stretch of the campaign. "This is really like a true, true toss-up," Bevan said. "However, she is Susan Collins, and with that she's sort of an institution in Maine and known as a moderate."

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07:39 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCXwHXLAa90&t=459s&pp=0gcJCWMAwfN6Pr3D) - Is South Carolina in Play?

The panel turns to Darline Graham's campaign to replace her brother in the Senate, as spending in South Carolina suggests the GOP is taking a race once considered safely Republican more seriously than expected.

"These are not states Republicans expected you would even have to think about," Carl Cannon said.

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10:03 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCXwHXLAa90&t=603s) - Cruz vs. Vance

Ted Cruz's clash with JD Vance is fueling speculation that Cruz still sees an opening for another presidential run in 2028.

"I think that some Republicans, Ted Cruz among them, are starting to see: If Donald Trump continues to lose altitude, if he gets down there-he's in the high 30s-if he gets in the mid-30s, the low 30s, well, then the bottom falls out," Cannon said. "Well, then the thinking is JD Vance is not a shoo-in, and maybe even Marco Rubio is tainted by his association with the Trump administration, and maybe then it's an open-it's a truly open race."

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16:36 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCXwHXLAa90&t=996s) - Harris's 2024 Problem