(Note: This video is for our main weekly episode, The Kids’ Table, our bonus post debate coverage is linked blow.)

Josh and Kate break down the first Republican debate of the 2024 cycle on this bonus mini pod episode of The Josh Marshall Podcast.

You can listen to the new episode of The Josh Marshall Podcast here.

Plus The Kids’ Table!

Josh and Kate preview the first Republican debate of 2024.

The Miami Herald’s headline this morning had it that the state’s governor “fights for attention” in the first GOP presidential debate. Instapolls and betting markets says it was a big win for Vivek Ramaswamy who as I put it last night “comes off as a cocky little shit” and thus will “probably be rising in the polls.” For a good rundown of what happened you can listen to Kate Riga and my overnight insta-pod, in which we provided our initial reactions.

Kate Riga and I just recorded a quick debate recap insta-pod which should be showing up in your feed a bit later in the evening if you’re a Josh Marshall Podcast subscriber. If not, we’ll post it here on the site too. Our first impressions were pretty similar: surprisingly strong showing by Mike Pence. We debated today on the regular episode whether Hutchinson or Christie would be the one who brought the fight to Trump. Pence was also possible but he simply didn’t seem to have it in him. But as it turned out, it was Pence who took up that challenge and he managed to wrestle applause from the audience for doing it. There’s a strong element of “not that it matters.” But in the context of this debate, it was Pence.

10:23 p.m.: Needless to say this debate is a total mess. The way that this cranked-up weirdo Ramaswamy basically takes over the whole debate with his inane claims is the story in microcosm of the contemporary GOP.

10:11 p.m.: Pence helped himself with that little speech that he gave when he briefly took over the debate.

10:04 p.m.: DeSantis gives a highly principled explanation of why he has to dodge the question.

9:58 p.m.: Finally Christie at least justifies his being on the stage … I would say Christie did okay with that. But he could have done better. Sorta meh.

9:38 p.m.: Fascinating to me that Pence makes an unabashed, bible-based anti-abortion stand and then embraces the 15-week national ban. That’s a pretty good barometer of where the pro-life movement is.

9:26 p.m.: Fox just let them veto the climate hand raise. Amazing.

9:16 p.m.: Even though I expected it, it’s kind of amazing to me how much of this debate is being conducted as though Trump never happened.

9:14 p.m.: Kind of a small thing but Tim Scott said unemployment was 3%, the lowest ever when they lost their majority. Actually in November 2020 it was 6.7%.

9:08 p.m.: I was hoping Chris Christie would entertain me tonight. But this is weak. Mealymouthed.

8:58 p.m.: Tonight is going to be pretty traditional coverage for us. But we’re going to be doing more live, real-time coverage of some breaking events in the future. Likely election nights, perhaps major breaking news and possibly debates. So let us know what you think about that. I like being able to get immediate audio and video commentary but I don’t necessarily want to get the canned stuff from the cable networks. So we’ll be experimenting with that.

8:55 p.m.: Trey Gowdy: “All eight have something in common. They’re behind.” Good one. Lol.

8:52 p.m.: This debate could decide who will come in second place for the GOP nomination.