For the affirmative: Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch

For the negative:  Sarah Longwell and Tim Miller

Moderated by Peter Suderman

For the first in the REASON VERSUS series, Reason magazine is partnering with The Bulwark to debate the resolution, “You Don’t Have To Pick a Side in Politics.”

This debate will center on partisanship in politics but will also explore broader questions, such as:

• What does it mean to “take a side” in politics?

• Is political allegiance necessary? Is it virtuous?

• Does treating politics as a team sport undermine democracy—or is it unavoidable?

On Wednesday, December 18, you are invited to join Reason and our friends at The Bulwark for this thought-provoking discussion. Whether you’ve made up your mind about the necessity of choosing sides or are questioning the whole premise, this debate will challenge your assumptions and broaden your perspective.

When the debate wraps up, keep the energy going with drinks and discussion at Right Proper Brewing Company, located right next door to the Howard. All are welcome!

For the affirmative:

Nick Gillespie is editor at large at Reason, host of The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie, and a regular panelist on The Reason Roundtable. He was editor in chief of Reason.com and ReasonTV from 2008–2017 and was Reason’s editor in chief from 2000–2008. He is co-author, with Matt Welch, of The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What’s Wrong With America and has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, NPR, CNN, and hundreds of other media outlets.

Matt Welch is editor at large at Reason and a regular panelist on The Reason Roundtable. He co-hosts The Fifth Column podcast and is a frequent guest on HBO’s Real Time With Bill Maher, CNN’s NewsNight, and The Megyn Kelly Show. He served as Reason’s editor in chief from 2008–2016 and is the author of the 2007 book McCain: The Myth of a Maverick.

For the negative:

Sarah Longwell is the publisher of The Bulwark, which she helped found in 2019. She regularly conducts focus groups with voters across the political spectrum and hosts the podcast The Focus Group, which is in its fourth season. She also co-hosts The Next Level podcast and The Secret Podcast.

Tim Miller is The Bulwark's writer at large, host of The Bulwark Podcast, and an MSNBC political analyst. He was previously political director for Republican Voters Against Trump, communications director for Jeb Bush, and spokesman for the Republican National Committee. He is the author of the New York Times best-selling book Why We Did It: A Travelogue From the Republican Road to Hell.