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The polls are clear: Neither Joe Biden nor Donald Trump has the full confidence of American voters. But is Biden’s latest competition, Democratic Representative Dean Phillips of Minnesota, the answer to voters’ malaise? Or perhaps an independent candidate like Robert F. Kennedy Jr.?

On this week’s episode of “Matter of Opinion,” the hosts imagine their own alternative candidates for 2024 and debate what good — if any — could come from long-shot contenders.

(A transcript of this episode can be found at the top of the episode page on the Times website.)

Mentioned in this episode:

• “Dean Phillips Has a Warning for Democrats,” by Tim Alberta in The Atlantic

Thoughts about the show? Email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com.

If you want to share your dream matchups for the 2024 presidential election, leave us a voice mail message at (212) 556-7440. We may use excerpts from your message in a future episode.