The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Trump and Biden Ditch the Commission on Presidential Debates | Kamala Harris’s Holistic Thought Advisor

Episode Date: June 2, 2024

Jon Stewart is joined by co-founder and co-chair of the Commission on Presidential Debates, Frank J. Fahrenkopf Jr., to learn what it means for President Biden and Donald Trump to break tradition and debate outside of the Commission’s rules and regulations. And Kamala Harris’s holistic thought advisor, Dahlia Rose Hibiscus (Desi Lydic), takes us behind the scenes of how VP Harris’s words become idea voyages.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey everybody, John Stewart here. I am here to tell you about my new podcast, the weekly show. It's going to be coming out every Thursday. So exciting. You'll be saying to yourself, TGID. Thank God it's Thursday. We're going to be talking about all the things that hopefully obsess you in the same way that they obsess me. The election. Economics. Earnings calls. What are they talking about on these earnings calls? We're going to be talking about ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches. And I know that I listed that fourth, but in importance it's probably second. I know you have a lot of options as far as podcasts go, but how many of them come out on Thursday?

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Hey, welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight. He is the co-founder and co-chair of the Commission on Presidential Debates. Please welcome to the program Frank Ferenkov. Let me, first of all, thanks. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. The reason on the commission and explain it very quickly. The reason for the Commission for Presidential Debates kind of got blown out of the water. You guys had run the debate since 87. Ain't dead yet. The two candidates, Trump and Biden, the two main candidates, made their own agreement and kind of cut you guys out of the process. Is that correct? Well, they're trying to. I see. Why would why. Why. Why, the the the the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, why, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason why, the the reason why the reason why the reason why the the the the reason why the reason why the the reason, the the reason, the the reason, the the the reason, the the reason, the the reason, the the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, the reason, their the their own agreement and kind of cut you guys out of the process. Is that correct? Well they're trying to. I see. Why would they do that? Because we're not nice people I guess. And they seem so nice. But why, what was

the reasoning behind not having it in the way that it's been since 87? You know it started in 87 for a reason. We were created after two studies, one at Harvard, one at the Georgetown. I'm not familiar. For the Senate. And because there was so many problems with the candidates on both sides over the years. Remember, we went 16 years without any presidential debates because they wouldn't participate. No one can be forced to debate. They thought it was too partisan when it was the League of Women Voters. That's the the voted. That's right. And so we were created, Paul Kirk was then the chairman of the Democratic National Committee,

I was President Reagan's chairman of the RNC, and we created the commission and have done them now for, well, we've done 33 over the last 36 years. And we were created for one purpose, to be in the middle of the candidates, to be representing the people. A bipartisan commission. the the the the the the the the th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, the the the the thi, the th. And we're the the the the the the president, the president, the president, the president, the president, the president, the president, the president, the president, the president, the president, the president, the president, the president, the president, the president, the president, the president, the president, the the the the the the the thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, the the the threate, the the threat, the the threat, the the president, the president, the president, the president, the president, the president, the president, the president, the president, the president, the the the people. A bipartisan commission. Nonpartisan. Nonpartisan. Nonpartisan. Nonpartisan. I see. And so at this point in time, with this particular battle, yes. There's a lot of things unexpected happening.

And I don't know what the hell is going to happen as to go forward. Agreed. So we have to wait and see. theymea. to to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. the to. the to. the to. the the the toe. the the the the the the to. to. to. the too. too. too. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. to. the. to. the. the. the. the. but now the question is what there's gonna be one debate on CNN apparently and then one other debate I I'm not exactly if you were ABC ABC now the questions are been settled because I hear that the former president today said he won't appear unless a drug test is taken by Biden to show he wasn't hopped up like he allegedly was when he made his speech you you know, the State of the Union speech. I don't know, I don't think that the president Biden's going to go on. They want Biden drug tested because they think he's trans? What, what do they think is happening?

What, what do they believe? They believe, I guess, that he was hyped up And the other thing is, what's undecided, John, is how do they walk out on the stage? Or they seated at the table like this? These are the things they decide where to sit. Oh yeah, a lot of things. Uh-huh. The mute button. I put a mute button in four years ago because they weren't obeying the others. I put one of those in my TV. And I used it as soon as they started. Let me let me ask you a question and perhaps this may not. What are we missing? Like, so let's say they don't go with the presidential commission and they don't go with, what are we

really losing? I mean, to be perfectly frank i don't get much substantive out of these debates anyway the idea that their answers have to be a minute and a half and there's a buzzer that that's a wrong done yeah that's all been changed we changed that sometime ago what happens is the debate's ninety minutes divided in the six fifteen minute pods that each answer a question for two to to to the the the m m m m m m the m m m m m m m m m m m m mn a the the the the the the the the the the the mater at a the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the debate is the debate is the debate is the debate is the debate is a the debate is a the debate is a the debate is a the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the teateateateat is teat is teat is teateateat is teateateat is teateateateate is the the the the the the the the six 15-minute pods. They each answer a question from the moderator for two minutes without interruption, and

then the moderator can drill down. There's no of these two minutes, one minute, and all the rest, like existed a long, long time ago. Those are the things we changed. And so, you know, what they're going to do here, they haven't answered those questions. But do you believe that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that the the the the the the the the the. they the. their thi their the. theateatheateateateateateatr. their theateateateateateatr. thia. thia. thia. thia. thia. their can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can can't their. their. And their. And their. And their. And thi. And thi. And thi. And thi. And thi. It is. It is. It's theateateateateateateateateatea. And their. And the the the theauuauaua. It's. It's thea Trump and Hillary or Trump and Biden or Trump and let's say a door I didn't necessarily I didn't find much what we do what we do after each cycle is we go out and ask the public did the debates have an effect with any good for you in making this

decision and about 65 to 70% say it's not the only and the most significant factor, but yes it does play a part. And you know we look at it in two ways John, not only are they answering the questions about issues that are important to the people who they want to hear it, but you'll learn an awful lot about the personality, the attitude of a person, how they conduct themselves in the debates. For example, the their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, thiii, their, their, their, thi, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, and their, and their, their, their, their, their, and their, their, and their, and, their, their, and, and, is is ise, ise, ise, ise, is. Wee. Wea, their, the.e.e.e.e.e. toge.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e. Ande.e. And, totale. And, the. And, total, the attitude of a person, how they conduct themselves in the debates. For example, I think former President Trump really hurt himself in the first debate last time. I think Al Gore back in 19, or in 2000, walking across the stage in front of George. So they learn the feeling that.

I think that's kind of my point, which is if what we take away from it is Al Gore sighed. And wore rouge. So he shouldn't he th. I I I I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I thi. I thi. I th. I th. I their their their f. I their f. I their f. I their f. I their f. I their f. I their f. I their their their their their their their their their. I their. I their. I their. I their. I their. I their. I their. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I is Al Gore sighed and war Rouge. So he shouldn't, so he shouldn't be president. That strikes me as a methodology that is terribly flawed. Well you tie that with what the answers to the questions were also. But no one remembers those. And isn't, because I think the point is you have this sort of system set up for tradition, but the media has changed so drastically. It's so polarized, it's so sensationalized. They're not looking to accomplish what maybe

the commission even is looking to accomplish. And is that now at odds? What we lose is this. Number one, we lose the town hall meeting in this situation where there are private citizens who are on the stage and get to ask the president, former president, whatever, questions. That's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, what we, what we, what we, what we, what we, what we, what we, what we, what we, what we, what we, what we, what we, what we're th, what we're the, what we're, what we, what we, what we're, what we're, what we're, what we're, what we're, what we're, what we're, what we're, what we're, what we're, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the get to ask the president, former president, whatever, questions. That's a real big part of this. Plus we go to campuses. We've got, I mean, there are four schools right now. Texas State, Virginia State, Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, the University of Utah and Salt Lake. They're cramp, they're working up right now to put on what they do. They teach civics, special, thccics thcics thcics thcics thcics thcics thicics thicivics thicivics thiats thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. That's thi. That's thi. thi. That's thi. That's thi. That's thi. That's thi. That's th. That's th. That's th. That's th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. theeea. thi. thi. thea. thi. thea. thea. thi. thi. th now to put on what they do, they teach civics, special civics courses. I mean, there's an awful lot that's done.

Those schools really deserve a hand because they're whole... I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm pretty sure those schools are supposed to be teaching civics, and their thanks. I'm sorry. I'm pretty sure those thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thuol thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus are thus are thus are thus are thus are thus are thus are thoes are thoesa. thates are supposed thoes are thoes are thoes are thoes are thoes are thoes thoes thoes thoes thoes thus thus thus thus thus are thus are thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thoes thoes thoes thoes thoes thoes thoes thoes thoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. I don't think we should give them applause like the University of Utah is teaching physics and civics. I guess my worry is we have this are we clinging to an institution that nobody is particularly satisfied with whether they think the moderators are too partisan, whether they think the rules are too archaic or too steeped in Robert's rules of order. And we're not working hard enough to design a system that will help our democracy flourish rather than just become sensationalistic fraud.

I think that that is a criticism that's been there. But we have changed. What we do now wasn't what happened when we did it back when it started or how it was done before us. Just dividing, in fact, the 90 minutes and the six minutes, giving the moderating time. Not having an audience seems to me a way of dispelling a little bit of the theatrical nature of it. But you know that was a both parties,

both candidates and both candidates. At our debates, their the their their their their their their parties, both parties, both parties, both parties, both parties, both, both, both, both parties, both, both, both, both, both, both, both, both, both, both, both, both, both, both, both, both, both, both, both, both, both, both both parties, both parties, both parties, both parties, both parties, both parties, both parties, both parties, both parties, both parties, both parties, both, both, both, both, both, both, both, both, both. the the the the the the the they. they. they. the, both, both, both parties, both parties, both parties, both parties, both parties, both parties, both parties, both parties, both parties, both parties. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the they. they. they. they. theyme. the theymea. the the the the theymea. the the they. the the the they. the the the, both parties, both parties, our debates, there's roar, people are booing, uh-uh, those are the primary debates. We have nothing to do with the primary debates. In our debates, you can go back and look at all 33 of them. Very few times do you even hear that there's an audience. They may laugh if something funny, the ticket said, you're not allowed to make a noise. The ticket said, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, the Secret, you, you, the Secret, the Secret, you the Secret, you the Secret, you the Secret, you're the Secret, you're the secret, you're the secret, you're the secret, you're the secret, you're the secret, you're the secret, you're the secret, you're the secret, you're their their their their their their their their their their, you can, you can, you can, you can, you can, you can, you can, you can, you can, you can, you can, you can, you can, you can, you can, you can, you their their their their their th. th. thi, thi, thi. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi. thi. thi. the. thean, tho. thoan, thoan's thoan's thoan't thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. been pretty good. They've been pretty good. Do the Secret Service really drag people out for making noise? Yes, yes. I don't think you're making the case for democracy you think you're making. I think you're finding yourself in there. All right. Well, John, we're not perfect. Understood. I'm starting to get that sense.

How does the commission regain its footing? We're not perfect. Understood. I'm starting to get that sense. How does the commission regain its footing or is it out of the barn and that's the end? Let me say this. As I said, we were, we would start it so that we could provide the middle, down the middle for the public. If these two candidates, you were going to say clowns. No, I saw it. Well, you started with that and switched. But if they're successful, if they do this and it works out

and so that people sitting at home and watching on television have learned something, we'll salute them. We'll salute them. Now whether that doesn't mean we're not ever going to come back. But if they crash, which they they may still because a lot of things things th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th thi thi thi thi thi thi thi, you thi, you thi, you thi, you're thi, you're thi, you're thi, you're thi, you thi, you thi, you thi, you thi, you thi, you thi, you thi, you thi, you thi, you thi, you thi, you th. You th. You th. You th. You th. You th. You th. You th. You th. You're th. You're th. You're th. You're th. You're thi, you're thi, you're thi, you're thi, you're to to to thi, you're to to thoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. You're the. You're the, you that doesn't mean we're not ever going to come back. But if they crash, which they may still, because a lot of things have to be figured, we're going to be there. We're going to be there until we know for sure what happens. You'll be there to pick up the pieces. This is one of the situations where you say to down that way. I remember that. Yes, that's good. You will fall. All right. Frank Frank Frank, truck.

Ladies and gentlemen, we're going to take a break. Hey everybody, John Stewart here. I am here to tell you about my new podcast, the weekly show coming out every Thursday. We're going to be talking about the election earnings calls. What are they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they th th th th th th tha tha tha than than the than to to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to to to to to to to to to the the the the the the the the the the the the the they talking about on these earnings calls? We're going to be talking about ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches. I know you have a lot of options as far as podcasts go, but how many of them come out on Thursday?

Listen to the Daily Show. Vice President Tomla Harris has been out on the campaign trail, which is very refreshing. For a long time it felt like the White House was hiding her. Possibly because whenever she speaks it's mostly an unintelligible word salad, but it turns out that's all on purpose. Talking about the significance of the passage of time, right, the significance of the passage of time, so when you think about it, there is great significance to the passage of time. It seems like maybe it's a small issue.

You need to get to go and need to be able to get where you need to go to do the work and get home. It is time for us to do what we have been doing in to do........ to do to do to do th to do to go and need to be able to get where you need to go to do the work and get home. It is time for us to do what we have been doing and that time is every day. Every day it is time for us to agree that... She's come so far since our first session. My name is Dahlia Rose Hibiscus and I am Vice President Kamla Harris's holistic thought advisor. What is a holistic thought advisor? It's holistic, yes?

And I am advising. And what do we mean when we say that? It means that I am the one by whom the thoughts are being advised from a place of advisement, and then once advised, communicated holistically. Uh, what? Mm-hmm. You get it. I lead the vice president on not so much sentences as idea voyages.

You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you. It's a process I call speaking without thinking. It's not about the destination of the thought. It's about the journey and how many words you use to describe the journey. That's on top of everything else. That's the thought. It's about the journey and how many words you use to describe the journey. That's on top of everything else that we know and don't know yet based on what we've just been able to see and because we've seen it or not doesn't mean it hasn't happened. Whenever the vice president gets a speech from her staff the first thing I do is cut out all the words

individually and then I take those words to my word cave. That's where I wait to learn what order the universe wants them to be in. Words have vibration. The feeling they give you is so much more powerful than what they mean. We have the ability to see what can be unburdened by what has been, and then to make the possible actually happen. I hear the counter arguments all the time. People should be able to understand what their leaders are saying when they talk.

But I prefer to leave comeless thoughts open to interpretation, like a work of modern art that you look at and go, I wonder what that was all about. See the moment in time in which we exist in our present and to be able to contextualize it, to understand where we exist in the history and in the moment as it relates not only to the past but the future. It really is. Such a career highlight to be working with someone with such an advanced mind space as the vice president.

I also sell essential oils on Facebook Marketplace. Explore more shows from the Daily Show podcast universe by searching the Daily Show, wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Fairmount Plus. This has been a Comedy Central podcast. Hey everybody, John Stewart here. I am here to tell you about my new podcast, The Weekly Show, coming out every Thursday. We're going to be talking about the election, earnings calls. What are they talking about on these earnings calls? What are they talking about on these earnings calls? We're going to be talking about the election earnings calls. What are they talking about on these earnings calls?

We're going to be talking about ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches. I know you have a lot of options as far as podcasts go, but how many of them come out on Thursday? Listen to the weekly show with John Stewart, wherever you get your podcast.