It was Constitution Day on Newsmakers at Noon, marking the signing of the U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787. Thirty-nine delegates ultimately signed the document, a fitting backdrop for a show filled with questions about elections, government power, individual rights and the institutions Americans depend upon. National Archives
Oregon’s governor’s race brought us back to an old political question: What happens when a third-party candidate becomes a meaningful factor in a close race? A recent DHM Research poll of 600 likely voters had Christine Drazan and Tina Kotek separated by two points, inside the poll’s four-point margin of error, with Pacific Green candidate Brett Smith drawing 4% after undecided voters were pressed for a preference. OPB reports that some Democrats are concerned Smith could draw votes Kotek needs, while Smith rejects the idea that voters supporting him are simply taking votes from another candidate. opb
And Oregon has plenty of history here. Third-party candidates have drawn vote shares larger than the eventual margin between the major-party candidates in several past races. That gave us a good Constitution Day question: Is a third-party vote primarily an expression of principle, a strategic decision, or can it be both? opb
We also used Constitution Day to talk about the Electoral College and competing ideas about the structure of American government, including a Federalist article criticizing the Democratic Socialists of America and its political agenda.
Technology and individual rights collided in another remarkable story: a Flock license-plate camera hit led Florida troopers to the wrong woman in a fatal hit-and-run investigation. She ultimately spent nearly two weeks jailed on three homicide charges before further investigation undermined the case against her. It provided a sobering example of why automated surveillance evidence still requires careful human verification. https://www.investigatetv.com/
We also discussed the legal fight involving an Oregon Christian mother and the state’s adoption rules, and then ended considerably lighter, with the surprisingly debatable question of whether walking around your own house barefoot is actually good for your feet.
And our trip through September 17 history took us from George Washington and Harriet Tubman to the Camp David Accords, the Space Shuttle Enterprise, Oprah’s Book Club and the reopening of the stock market following 9/11.
Links from Today’s Show
OPB — Third-Party Candidates and Oregon’s Governor’s Race
The Federalist — There Is No Such Thing As A Moderate Democrat Anymore
InvestigateTV — A Flock Camera Hit Sent Troopers to Her Door; They Had the Wrong Car
LifeNews — Christian Mom Defeats Oregon Bid to Stop Her From Adopting
Yahoo Health — How Bad Is It to Walk Around Barefoot at Home?
