“Was January 6th an Existential Threat to American Democracy?” Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates Live at the Village Underground in NYC, December 15

Shortly after the January 6th attacks on the Capitol, President Biden sought to convey the severity of what had just happened. “The insurrection was an existential crisis — a test of whether our democracy could survive,” he said. Now, on the heels of the midterms where candidates who questioned the outcome of the 2020 election lost key races, many not only openly wonder whether that democracy crisis is over, but also question if the words Biden chose were overblown in the first place. It is in that context, and as the 2024 elections come into focus, that Intelligence Squared U.S. returns to the Comedy Cellar at the Village Underground stage on December 15 to debate the question: “Was January 6th an Existential Threat to American Democracy?” Press are invited to attend.

Arguing that it was an existential treat is election strategist Rebekah Caruthers, Managing Partner at CAE Strategies and Vice President of the Fair Elections Center. Arguing that it wasn’t is author Andrew Keen, host of the “How to Fix Democracy” podcast.

The “Was January 6th an Existential Threat to American Democracy?” debate will be held on Thursday, December 15 at 6:00 PM (5:30 PM doors) at The Village Underground (130 W 3rd St. btw 6th Avenue and MacDougal Street), then air soon after on the syndicated public radio show and podcast "Intelligence Squared U.S." Media can email raypadgett@shorefire.com for access to the in-person event.

PARTICIPANT BIOS

* Rebekah Caruthers: Election Strategist, Managing Partner at CAE Strategies, and Vice President of the Fair Elections Center 

Rebekah Caruthers is Vice President at Fair Elections Center. Over the past 20 years, she worked on political and government projects all across the country. She has managed or consulted on campaigns, voter projects, and with candidates in over two dozen states including presidential and down ballot races in battleground states.

Ms. Caruthers has worked with several national organizations including MoveOn.org, Everytown for Gun Safety, the National Democratic Training Committee, Equal Justice Works, and the National Network for Arab American Communities. She worked on Capitol Hill for Congressman John Dingell focusing on the Affordable Care Act before moving on to become director of a lobby shop at an energy trade association focusing on tax, energy, and manufacturing issues.

Ms. Caruthers’ network includes elected and appointed officials at every level, business executives, trade associations, grassroots coalitions, and community organizations. She studied law at the University of Nebraska College of Law and studied abroad in South Africa through Howard University School of Law. Ms. Caruthers attended Creighton University for her undergraduate studies in political science. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the Metropolitan (DC) Chapter of the Links, Inc. Ms. Caruthers is a member of the Bar of the District of Columbia.

* Andrew Keen: Author and "How to Fix Democracy" podcast host
Named as one of the “100 most connected men” by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is one of the world’s best known broadcasters and commentators on democracy. He is the host of ‘How to Fix Democracy,’ the long-running internet show that includes Margaret Atwood and Madeleine Albright amongst its many illustrious guests. In 2023 and 2024, the show will focus on a hundred year history of American democracy between 1924 and 2024. Andrew wrote and produced the 2020 How to Fix Democracy movie, a documentary about democracy shot in Greece, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. He also presents ‘Keen on Democracy,’ a popular podcast show getting several million downloads and views a year. He is the author of four acclaimed books on the relationship between technology and democracy including the best-selling ‘Cult of the Amateur’ and ‘The Internet Is Not the Answer’. Andrew studied contemporary history and politics at the Universities of London and California at Berkeley. He is currently working on a book about democracy in America.

ABOUT INTELLIGENCE SQUARED U.S.
Intelligence Squared U.S. was founded to address a fundamental problem in America: the extreme polarization of our nation and our politics. Through its award-winning live debates and associated programming, the nonprofit organization serves as a model for responsible media in a new age - fair, intelligent, nonpartisan - while restoring critical thinking, facts, reason, and civility to public discourse. Recognized as "Best Podcast Event of 2020" by Adweek, Intelligence Squared U.S. reaches millions through multi-platform distribution, including public radio, podcasts, video live streaming, newsletters, interactive digital content, and on-demand apps. With over 220 debates and counting, plus additional podcast and video content, the organization has encouraged the public to "think twice" on a wide range of provocative topics for over a decade. Intelligence Squared U.S. was initiated by The Rosenkranz Foundation, which continues to provide major support.

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For more information on Intelligence Squared U.S., contact Ray Padgett (raypadgett@shorefire.com) or Mark Satlof (msatlof@shorefire.com) at Shore Fire Media.