Lost Debate

As Kamala Harris and Donald Trump prepare for their September 10 presidential debate, Ravi takes a closer look at the history of presidential debates. He starts with the TV era, from JFK and Nixon to Kerry and Bush, and explores how the format, impact, and strategy of debates have shifted over time. This episode is part one. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q-EMB1CUm...

Ravi sits down with Ann Bauer to discuss her piece, "America’s Families Are Not Okay" and the growing crisis of family estrangement. Ravi and Ann first explore why over one in four millennials and Gen Zers say they are estranged from at least one family member before turning to the role that TV, film, and social media may play in familial expectations and interactions. Finally, they look to the fu...

A priest said he was threatened. The community said they felt ignored.  In part two of the series, Ravi visits Rosebank, a neighborhood on Staten Island’s northeastern shore, to investigate another chapter in the migrant shelter controversy. Through conversations with neighbors and the people at the center of the issue, he searches for common ground and a path forward.  Leave us a voicemail with y...

In the summer of 2023, Staten Island erupted in protests over the opening of an emergency migrant shelter at a former Catholic school. As New York City grappled with an immigration crisis, some islanders insisted it wasn’t their problem.  In part one of this two-part series, Staten Island native Ravi Gupta explores the forgotten borough’s complex history that led to this moment, revealing larger t...

Ravi kicks off the show by reflecting on the final day of the DNC convention, how the past four days could impact Democrats’ chances against Trump in November, and the implications of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s pending withdrawal from the race. Ravi then welcomes New York Times housing reporter Conor Dougherty to the show to discuss the current state of the housing crisis, how political dynamics infl...

Ravi kicks off the show by taking a closer look at Tim Walz's claims that his family benefited from IVF treatments, new comments from Andy Beshear about JD Vance's stance on abortion, and increased speculation that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will exit the presidential race later this week. He then turns to the Democratic National Convention and breaks down the key moments from nights one and two. Final...

Ravi welcomes Todd Rose, co-founder and CEO of Populace, back to the podcast to discuss the current political climate, from the topics most Americans care about that no presidential campaign has addressed to the state of the Israel-Hamas war and its influence on the 2024 election. Ravi and Todd then react to Columbia President Minouche Shafik’s decision to resign and the need for universities to r...

Ravi welcomes Tyler Austin Harper, contributing writer at The Atlantic and assistant professor at Bates College, to the podcast to discuss the 2024 presidential race. They cover everything from the continuing series of identity-based fundraisers like White Dudes for Harris and the need for the Harris-Walz campaign to define their policy positions to whether there’s truth in JD Vance’s claims that...

Ravi welcomes Bob Spitz, music journalist and the foremost rock biographer, to discuss his recent biography on Led Zeppelin. They explore the rise of Zeppelin and their impact on the music scene of the 1970s. They also dive into Bob’s experience managing Bruce Springsteen in the early '70s and writing about iconic bands such as the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling Stones. Leave us a voicemai...

Ravi kicks off the show by tackling Trump’s Mar-A-Lago press conference and Joe Rogan's endorsement of RFK Jr. Next, Ravi welcomes Isaac Saul from Tangle and Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a senior fellow at The Atlantic and a U.S. citizen from Gaza, to discuss the current state of the presidential race. They debate Kamala Harris's choice of Tim Walz as her running mate, examine the pro-Palestinian movemen...

Vice President Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. A veteran, former teacher, and seasoned lawmaker, Walz spent a decade in Congress before becoming governor. He gained national attention on “Morning Joe” after he called Donald Trump and JD Vance “weird.” Ravi dives into everything you need to know about Tim Walz, from his childhood in Nebraska to his political re...

Ravi welcomes New York Times Op-Ed columnist Pamela Paul to the show to discuss her skepticism about Vice President Kamala Harris as a candidate and the way in which Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee. Ravi and Pamela explore what Harris needs to do to start making her case to voters, from the importance of a new vision for K-12 education to how voters crave authenticity in today's p...

Why has the Trump campaign struggled to adapt to the new realities of the presidential race? Ravi breaks down how Biden’s departure has impacted the way the election is framed, why voters may be more likely to view Vice President Harris as the change candidate, and what both campaigns need to prioritize to appeal to moderate voters. Then, Sal Khan, founder and CEO of Khan Academy, joins the show t...

Ravi runs through the state of the presidential race, from Kamala Harris' ascendancy as the presumptive Democratic nominee and the candidates who could join her on the presidential ticket to why JD Vance has quickly become a liability for the Trump campaign. Time Stamps: [2:10] Kamala-mentum [12:04] Vance's Last Dance [34:38] Trump Assassination Attempt What do you want to know about the election?...

Ravi kicks off the show by giving his immediate take on President Biden’s highly anticipated press conference at the NATO Summit. Then Ravi is joined by Matt Barnum, The Wall Street Journal’s K-12 Education Reporter, to discuss the current trends in education. Ravi and Matt discuss cell phone policies in schools, the potential impact of ESAs on traditional school districts, and the state of the ch...

Ravi kicks off the show by taking stock of the continued fallout from President Biden’s disastrous debate performance. He then welcomes Laura Meckler, national education reporter for The Washington Post, to discuss the evolution of homeschooling and the discourse surrounding it, from funding to regulation and accountability. [0:01] Biden’s Standoff [26:29] Homeschooling Revolution Leave us a voice...

Ravi shares his latest thoughts on President Biden’s disastrous debate performance. He explains how months of obfuscation from Biden, his team, and the insiders closest to the administration could impact the 2024 election, advocates for more truth-telling, and responds to those who say it’s too late to replace the president on the ticket. Ravi then welcomes Jamie Hodari, co-founder and CEO of Indu...

Ravi reacts to President Biden’s performance during the presidential debate, makes the case for Biden to step aside ahead of the Democratic National Convention, and calls for more accountability and honesty from left-wing media and the leadership within the Democratic Party. Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show: 321-200-0570 Subscribe to Lost Debate on Substack: https://thelostdebat...

In this special episode, Ravi is joined by Michael D. Shear, White House correspondent at The New York Times, to discuss what to expect from the upcoming presidential debate. They then turn to President Joe Biden’s closest advisers; who they are, why they’re largely unknown, and how they wield their power within the administration. Finally, Ravi and Michael explore the political reasoning behind a...

President Biden and former President Trump will face off in the first 2024 presidential debate later this week. Ravi takes stock of where both candidates stand heading into the debate, from their status in the polls and different approaches to fundraising to why TikTok videos about Trump receive more positive engagement than videos that mention Biden. Then, Ravi welcomes Derrell Bradford, presiden...

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi secured a third term in office earlier this month, but voters denied him an outright parliamentary majority after an election cycle dominated by concerns over the economy, environmental degradation, and corruption. In this special episode, Ravi speaks with Kapil Komireddi, author of the recent New Yorker piece, 'My Father’s Fate and India’s,' about the repercus...

The first presidential debate is around the corner. Ravi takes stock of the ways the Biden and Trump teams have approached debate preparation, explains how both camps have worked to shape the narrative leading up to the debate, and whether the candidates’ performance could impact the state of the election. He then turns to external forces in the election and explores a new piece from Julia Ioffe i...

President Biden and former President Trump have the highest share of “double haters” in at least three decades, with new data from Pew showing that a quarter of Americans hold unfavorable views of both men. Ravi discusses this after diving into the politics behind Biden’s latest executive action, which will offer new legal projections for undocumented immigrants who are married to or stepchildren...

Hunter Biden was convicted on all three counts in his federal gun trial this week. Ravi takes stock of the verdict and President Biden’s response before diving into the secret recordings of Supreme Court Justices Alito and Roberts, the new partnership between OpenAI and Apple, why to pay attention to foreign political interference in Canada, and what’s behind Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s increa...

Ravi dives into the news of the day, from the aftermath of the Trump verdict and Biden’s asylum ban at the US-Mexico border to what Mexico’s recent elections say about the rise of authoritarianism in the country. He then gives an update on Amanda Knox’s latest legal challenge and explains why more people should care about the lack of air conditioning in U.S. prisons. Finally, Prime Minister Narend...