This week, we can’t not talk about the President of the United States contracting coronavirus. But instead of speculating about Trump’s illness and what it might mean, Emma and Chloe discuss what it reveals about American healthcare. They also take a look at the Senate, and how some previously safe seats like Lindsay Graham’s in South Carolina have some Republicans worried this election cycle.
They also take a look at the role of the media in US politics, and the legacy of the Watergate scandal of the 1970s. Watergate reshaped the relationship between the White House and journalism; journalists became focused on accountability, but also on glamourous, ‘gotcha’ moments, helping to create a journalistic tradition removed from the public interest.
Finally, Emma and Chloe take a look at why Americans do and don’t vote, explaining just how different our own compulsory voting system is to a voluntary system mired by racist voter suppression.
Links:Felipe De La Hoz in the New Republic on the vast inequalities of American healthcare: https://newrepublic.com/article/159550/covid-symptoms-outlast-insuranceSlate covers the South Carolina Senate race: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/09/lindsey-graham-jaime-harrison-south-carolina-senate.htmlAnd don’t forget to subscribe to the Barely Getting By newsletter: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/r/3B47D9547CCBBA3E2540EF23F30FEDED

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