The Real Loser of the V.P. Debate
The Real Loser of the V.P. Debate  
Podcast: The Opinions
Published On: Thu Oct 03 2024
Description: M. Gessen, an Opinion columnist, watched Tuesday’s vice-presidential debate with a sense of dread. In their mind, the question was not who would win the debate but, rather: How much did we lose? In this audio essay, Gessen argues that when we put Trump and his acolytes on the same platform as regular politicians and treat them equally, “that normalization degrades our political life and degrades our understanding of politics.”Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.