RCP Podcast: Debate Night Gets Personal, Letitia James Draws a Blank, The Case for Primary Reform
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/10/09/rcp_podcast_.html

Friday on the RealClearPolitics podcast, Carl Cannon, Tom Bevan, and Andrew Walworth discuss a contentious night of debates, including Mike Rogers and Abdul El-Sayed clashing in Michigan; Jon Ossoff's personal attacks on Mike Collins in Georgia; Letitia James' rocky performance in New York; and Susan Collins demanding an apology from her Democratic opponent in Maine.

Nick Troiano, author of "The Primary Solution" (https://www.amazon.com/Primary-Solution-Rescuing-Democracy-Fringes/dp/1668028255) and director of "Unite America," joins the show to discuss how to fix the broken primary system that contributes to political polarization and delivers substandard candidates on both sides.

Plus, remembering legendary Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka, the debate over an ICE shooting in New York City, and the week's "You Cannot Be Serious" moments.

Listen live weekdays at 11:00 a.m. Eastern on SiriusXM's Megyn Kelly Channel 111, or on (https://uniteamerica.org/)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.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/10/09/rcp_podcast_.html) - Opening: Fiery Debates Last Night

Walworth, Cannon, and Bevan discuss Senate debates last night in Michigan, Maine, and Georgia that got increasingly personal and heated.

Watch: El-Sayed: Israel and Iran Both "Have Proven Dangerous In Their Own Way" (https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/10/08/el-sayed_israel_and_iran_both_have_proven_dangerous_in_their_own_way.html)

"It's not a no-brainer for him," Cannon said. "This is a disturbing answer, or non-answer. And it hasn't hurt him."

Watch: Jon Ossoff: If John Lewis Were Marching In Selma Today, "Mike Collins Would Be Grabbing A Billy Club" (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/10/08/jon_ossoff_if_john_lewis_was_marching_in_selma_today_mike_collins_would_be_grabbing_a_billy_club.html)

"I mean that is just... reprehensible," Bevan said.

"But Ossoff is gonna win by 8-10 points. What he's doing is auditioning to run for president," Cannon said. "He's a guy who's done nothing in the Senate ... Trying to show Democrats who hate Trump that he's willing to fight."

Watch: Susan Collins and Troy Jackson Clash In Second Maine Senate Debate (https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/10/08/watch_live_collins_and_jackson_clash_in_second_maine_senate_debate.html)

"Collins should sue him for defamation, honestly," Bevan suggested,

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18:15 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TarbTUC5Rvw&t=1095s) - The Primary Problem

Nick Troiano, author of "The Primary Solution" (https://www.amazon.com/Primary-Solution-Rescuing-Democracy-Fringes/dp/1668028255) and director of "Unite America," (https://uniteamerica.org/) explains potential reforms for low-turnout partisan primaries that he says are responsible for much of the country's political dysfunction. He advocates open primaries and ranked-choice voting as possible solutions.

New Poll: Voters Say Primaries Reward Partisan Bases, Sideline Ordinary Voters (https://uniteamerica.org/articles/new-poll-voters-say-primaries-reward-partisan-bases-sideline-ordinary-voters)

"We call it the primary problem for a reason, because it's not the only problem, but it's the biggest one and the biggest solvable one that actually exacerbates the other challenges," he said. "Our Congress is not representative and responsive to a true majority of voters. And that's what we've got to fix."