As my colleague Jeff Milyo wrote somewhat recently, the national sport isn’t baseball; it’s politics. With Americans across the nation loyally cheering on either Team Red or Team Blue (or, for a growing few, Team Purple), the discussion around key political events can seem somewhat superfluously shallow. That’s where the Cato Institute comes in.

#Cato2016

Throughout the 2016 campaign season, Cato scholars will be injecting insightful commentary and hard-hitting policy analysis into the national conversation using the Twitter hashtag #Cato2016. 

We’ll be off to a running start with not one, not two, but three major nationally televised events this week.

Tonight at 7:00 p.m. EST, the Voters First Forum will be held at the Dana Center at Saint Anselm College and broadcast nationwide on C‑SPAN. Featuring Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina, Lindsey Graham, Bobby Jindal, John Kasich, Jeb Bush, Rick Perry, Scott Walker, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Rick Santorum, and George Pataki, the forum will be the first time the majority of the GOP presidential primary contenders will be sharing one stage. Tune in on Twitter for commentary from Emily Ekins, Jonathan Blanks, Adam Bates, and more. You can find a full list of participating scholars and follow their accounts here.


Then, on Thursday, August 6th, Fox News will host two nationally-televised debates featuring candidates for the GOP nomination for the 2016 presidential elections. The first of these debates—to be held at 5:00 p.m. EST—will be an opportunity to hear from some of the lesser-known contenders, while the second of these debates—to be held at 9:00 p.m. EST—will feature those candidates who place in the top 10 of an average of the five most recent national polls, as recognized by FOX News, leading up to the debate. Tune in on Twitter for commentary from Emma Ashford, Alex Nowrasteh, Patrick Eddington, Michael Cannon, Jason Bedrick, and more. You can find a full list of scholars participating in the 5:00 p.m.  and 9:00 p.m. debates via the @CatoEvents Twitter account.


Tuning into the debates (or simple wondering how they might impact the policy debate)? Join the conversation on Twitter with #Cato2016.