The most substantive debate of the 2024 presidential cycle will involve a guy who isn’t running for president and a guy who might as well not be running for president.

That’s what happens when the presumptive nominees of the two major parties are mentally compromised geriatrics. To quench our thirst for ideological bloodsport, we’re forced to turn to also-rans and never-beens who are, at least, compos mentis.

In June, Sean Hannity interviewed California Gov. Gavin Newsom and used the opportunity to invite him to debate Ron DeSantis. Why DeSantis instead of Trump, you ask? For one thing, Trump would never agree to it. If he won’t take the arguably necessary political risk of debating other Republicans, he certainly won’t take an unnecessary one by debating Newsom.

But Hannity had a better reason to focus on DeSantis: He was taking a cue from Newsom himself. The governor of California has been needling the governor of Florida to debate him for almost a year.