Will Joe Rogan moderate a 2020 Presidential Debate? Oddsmakers weigh in
On a lark, some genius started a petition for Joe Rogan to moderate a 2020 presidential election debate.
Now, after amassing nearly 200,000 signatures, you can bet on whether or not that’s actually going to happen.
If you want to wager on Joe Rogan’s odds to host one or more upcoming 2020 presidential debates, you can do so at Bovada. Currently, the “yes” option is trending at +400, while the “no” option is sitting at -700.
Will Joe Rogan Moderate A 2020 Presidential Debate?
- Yes +400
- No -700
Started by Ashton Stowell, the viral petition’s purpose is to encourage the Commission on Presidential Debates to select the well-known podcast host and UFC commentator to handle the back-and-forth between presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump and whichever Democrat candidate comes away with the DNC nod.
Per the petition, Stowell makes the case for Rogan based on four criteria:
- Rogan is a “widely respected host who has hosted interviews with politicians, economists, scientists, and other popular figures” and has “revolutionized the way political interview and discussion works.” In other words, he has the entertainment and news industry bona fides to moderate this thing.
- A large proportion of the voting public is “disenfranchised with pundits and/or anchors” who have apparent “ulterior motives or ties to a certain party or politician.” Rogan is viewed as an Independent without such conflicts of interest, making him an ideal moderator.
- For his podcast entitled “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Rogan has interviewed representatives of both sides of the political divide, including current Democratic presidential candidates like Bernie Sanders, Andrew Yang, and Tulsi Gabbard, as well as Republican media personalities like Benjamin Shapiro and Candace Owens.
- Rogan has an audience “from all areas of the political spectrum” and “can serve as an arbiter to create a discussion of policies and ideas rather than a dramatic spat.”
For his part, Rogan has not commented on the petition, and it is unclear whether he actually has any interest in hosting such a debate. As for Stowell’s assertion that Rogan would be an effectively centrist moderator, the man himself apparently disagrees.
“I’m pretty liberal…across the board. If you want to talk to me about gay marriage if you want to talk to me about gay rights, women’s rights, drugs. You go down the line…Universal healthcare, universal basic income, I mean I’m pretty liberal.”
If you’re thinking about putting money on Rogan to moderate a presidential debate in 2020, don’t forget to tilt the scales in your favor by heading over to Change.org and signing the petition yourself.