Political commentators to discuss Supreme Court nomination, arguments in American politics at 150th Giant Leaps event

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Renowned political writers and commentators Ben Domenech and Ezra Klein will be featured speakers at an upcoming 150 Years of Giant Leaps event on Sept. 26.

Domenech, the founder and publisher of The Federalist, and Klein, editor-at-large and founder of Vox, will join Purdue President Mitch Daniels for an hourlong conversation and audience Q&A in Stewart Center’s Fowler Hall at 6:15 p.m. The Giant Leaps Series: The Current Supreme Court Nomination and Evolving Arguments in American Politics is free and open to the public.

“While there is so much political divisiveness and tribalism in American politics right now, these two gentlemen who represent both sides of the country’s political perspective will discuss their contrasting views on the current Supreme Court debate as well as the contemporary political climate,” Daniels said.

Ezra and Domenech will be speaking about the vacant Supreme Court seat, midterm elections and fundamental ideology of the left and right and implications for the future. This is one of many events celebrating Purdue’s Sesquicentennial, 150 Years of Giant Leaps. This yearlong celebration is highlighting Purdue’s remarkable history of giant leaps, while focusing on what giant leaps Purdue can take to address the world’s problems.

Klein is the editor-at-large and founder of Vox, as well as the host of “The Ezra Klein Show” podcast. Before that, he was columnist and editor at The Washington Post, a policy analyst at MSNBC, and a contributor to Bloomberg. He’s written for the New Yorker and the New York Review of Books, and appeared on “Face the Nation,” “Real Time with Bill Maher,” “PBS Newshour,” “The Daily Show,” and many more programs.

Domenech is the publisher of The Federalist, host of “The Federalist Radio Hour,” and writes The Transom, a daily subscription newsletter for political insiders. He was previously a fellow at The Manhattan Institute and a senior fellow at The Heartland Institute; editor in chief of The City, an academic journal on faith and culture; and a speechwriter for former HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson and U.S. Senator John Cornyn of Texas. He co-founded Redstate and co-hosted “Coffee & Markets,” an award-winning economic podcast. His writing has been published in The Wall Street Journal, The Daily Beast, Politico, Commentary, Reason, and GQ, and he is a CBS News commentator. 

Writer: Abbey Nickel, 765-496-1325, nickela@purdue.edu 

Media contact: Amy Patterson Neubert, 765-494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu