Photo credit: Janet Donovan
The Atlantic held their own reality show – i.e. Presidential Debate Watch Party – at The Hamilton in downtown Washington, DC just prior to the first Presidential debate where Atlantic panelists James Fallows & Alex Wagner egged on BuzzFeed’s John Stanton to a spirited debate about the campaigns and the possible outcome of the 2016 election.
Guests donned patriotic flashy boas, top hats, blanket scarfs and pins, drank tons of Tito’s Vodka and paraded in front of a Comcast photo booth for their two minutes of video fame. Ok, yes, we did it.
It’s always fun to look back on what you said before a debate and how it played out after. All three panelists gave insightful comments, laced with occasional sarcasm and likely the audience was in agreement.
Alex Wagner, John Stanton, James Fallows
Miss District of Columbia Cierra Jackson showed up – there’s that.
The Atlantic’s Steve Clemons with Miss DC
“In a campaign like no other, the first Presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton has the potential to be the most-watched political event ever. From Little Marco to low-energy Jeb, the spectacle of the Republican primary debates were entertaining, unpredictable and, at points, wild. Now the businessman-turned-reality TV star will take his unconventional campaign to the podium up against a former Secretary of State, Senator and First Lady, who’s known the spotlight.
The Atlantic and the Aspen Institute kicked off Washington Ideas Week with a live viewing of the first Presidential debate and a panel of political experts to talk what’s at stake. We analyzed each candidate’s strengths and weaknesses, and laid out what to watch for in a campaign that has been anything but predictable.” The Atlantic
The Atlantic’s Margaret Low, President of AtlanticLIVE introduced the panelists:
