Given the speaker was actually speaking into the podium mic, I can make a highly educated assumption that a feed off that chain would have surpassed whatever would be on a micro recorder. Mix and his partner still would need to connect the pocket recorder to a laptop, manage files, and start the replication process. I don't think it would have been tough to even use the same pocket recorder off the rec out on the mixer.
You're assumptions aren't going to be educated if you fail to account for who is speaking (amateur), who the audio engineer is (DJ), and what type of mic is being deployed (PG48?)
1.) We don't know the person at the podium was speaking "into the microphone" - they could just as easily have been off axis, too tall, too short, or leaning on and to one side of the podium. All we can hope to assume is that they are the loudest voice in the vicinity of the podium. This is where the VR is more reliable.
2.) You've elevated Mix to an A1 role and I don't think he has that skill set, or those tools (mics.) The VR is again more reliable in this situation.