Do Vice Presidential Debates Matter?
Also, art in community activism, a hurricane, and a creamy chicken dinner.
Vice President Mike Pence will take on Senator Kamala Harris in the 2020 Vice Presidential Debate tonight. As far as prime time television goes, it is definitely a thing that is happening.
It's really hard to get excited about this one. The last debate was a trainwreck and since the last debate the news cycle has been insane. I mean, President Donald Trump got COVID-19. It's been an insane ride ever since that bit of info dropped. I almost forgot this debate was even happening. But, happening it is, and it is something to pay attention to.
In the past, vice presidential debates have never really mattered. People don't vote based on who the running mate is. They vote for who the presidential nominee is. The running mate is just along for the ride. There have been no elections that were transformed in any meaningful way by this debate.
And yet, 2020 is out there, lurking around every corner and waiting for the perfect moment to destroy any and all preconceived notions. If any year is going to see a vice presidential debate turn the tide of an election, it will be this year.
What to Expect?
Well, Harris has been laying low and been very quiet on the campaign trail. A couple of her public appearances and media hits have been a bit problematic for the campaign, like the time she referred to a "Harris administration" instead of a Biden one. She has also been out of sync with the campaign on key issues.
However, Harris has had experience debating using her skills as a prosecutor to tear opponents apart. The problem she'll face is doing so without alienating the voters, like she did in the race to be the Democratic nominee. Still, she's not battling other Democrats. She's battling a Republican. Chances are she won't scare off Democrats. Her goal here will be to attack and tie hit the Trump administration on the issues of race and COVID-19.
But if she doesn't handle herself well on issues that may chase away moderate voters, like healthcare, taxes, and the Green New Deal, you can expect moderate voters to get antsy.
That is where Pence's strength comes in. In 2016, Pence debated Tim Kaine, whose debate strategy appeared to be 35,000 dad jokes in lieu of a personality. This time, he's taking on a more aggressive opponent in Harris, but his strategy will likely remain the same. He'll focus on being calm and collected throughout while attempting to tie Harris to extreme progressive policies.
The goal will be to frighten moderate voters away from the socialist policies the Harris-Biden... er... Biden-Harris administration will try to enact. Pence will be focused on touting the successes of the Trump administration, but he will be sure to add "And you will lose all this if Biden and Harris win," because they're super progressive and will be out to get you.
Who Will Win?
Given last week's debate, I'm not sure anyone can "win" here, but I expect that there will be plenty of opportunities to lose. The goal of both campaigns in 2020 appears to be more "scare people away from the other side" rather than "attract people to our side." Trump has got to expand his base, and this is Pence's chance to do it. Likewise, Biden's campaign has to show that there is unity and strength in the ticket, and Harris has to succeed in being aggressive where Biden can't always be.
The debate begins at 9 p.m. ET tonight and will air on every major news network.
Hurricane Delta is Coming
Hurricane Delta is aiming right at south Louisiana (where I live!) and it’s looking to be a strong one. It went from Category 3 to Category 4 very quickly Tuesday morning, and it’s ripping through the Caribbean and heading into the Gulf of Mexico.
The good news for Louisiana is that it is moving so fast we’ll be spared a lot of intense flooding. Still, localized flooding due to rainfall is expected, and those winds are going to be an absolute beast. If you’re reading this from south Louisiana, I would not be surprised to see evacuation orders coming out soon after you read this (depending on how early you check your email).
Say a prayer for south Louisiana. It’s going to be a big week.
Homestyle: Poetry and Community
On this week’s episode of Homestyle, my co-host Leigh Guidry and I interviewed Alex "Poetic Soul" Johnson, a local poet in south Louisiana who does spoken word poetry and focuses her words on community issues, particularly black community issues. Along with her spoken word poetry, Johnson has written a book and worked on murals in the community, and has worked for social change. Her perspective is an interesting one, and well worth a listen.
If you want to hear more, you can always go back and listen to previous episodes, and we’d love to hear your feedback. Subscribe, rate, and review the podcast here, and if you have cooking, crafting, or family activity ideas, you can find us on Facebook and on Instagram (@Homestylepod).
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The Homestyle Podcast is a joint venture between myself and one of my best friends, education reporter Leigh Guidry. Throughout each episode, we discuss cooking, crafting, and other hobbies as well as how we make sure to spend time with our families despite how insanely busy life can be. The goal of the podcast has always been to take a moment to focus on what’s really important because, at the end of the day, family and life is more important than whatever distractions are going on in the world around us.
Recipe of the Week: Creamy Chicken and Mushrooms
This was a happy accident. Or just unplanned. Not sure which. Regardless, what happened was that I had defrosted too many chicken thighs for dinner earlier this week. I got out the biggest cast iron skillet and decided to just cook them there. Problem was, I was struggling with getting them cooked through without burning them.
So, I got a good sear on them and then pulled them out of the skillet, put some mushrooms and butter in, and then piled all the chicken back in and just added a ton of cream and cheese. The result was a very good mushroom alfredo sauce to serve over the already cheesy chicken and rice.
8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 cups sliced baby portobello mushrooms
1 stick butter
3 cups heavy cream
2 cups shredded parmesan cheese
two cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. parsley
black pepper and salt, to taste
Heat a 12-inch cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
Add olive oil and sear chicken thighs until browned on both sides. Do this in batches and set aside.
Add stick of butter to the skillet and turn down the heat. Once melted, add the mushrooms and stir in and let sautee. Add garlic and stir in with the mushrooms.
When mushrooms are cooked through, add all the chicken back to the pan and add the parsley.
Add cream and let come to a boil (will happen pretty quickly), then add parmesan cheese.
Stir/mix everything together and let sit for 15-20 minutes. This will help reduce the cream and cheese to make the sauce a bit thicker.
Take off heat and let cool until cream is no longer bubbling.
Serve chicken and mushrooms over rice, then top with cheese sauce.
Final Thoughts
Again, say a prayer for south Louisiana. No matter which way the storm shifts, there will be some damage and a lot of lives affected.