Tia Oso nailed it - the Black Lives Matter question was total softball.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

From Twitter:

Tia Oso ?@Tia_Oso 5h 5 hours ago

Softball question #DemDebate #BlackLivesMatter . Way to let everyone off on the same old Dem political hook.

For being the burning issue even in our jaded media for most of the last year, that was a totally softball question, with no real follow-ups. 'GUNZ' got what, like 3-5 times as much airtime? Now admittedly, most of the black people being killed by cops (or cop wannabes) are being killed with guns, but that was not the focus of the 'GUNZ' question.

Black Lives Matter needs more substantive debate time in the remaining debates, and more than just a single question that basically lets candidates say 'Black Lives Matter' good or 'Black Lives Matter' bad. The CampaignZero points would be a good starting point for real debate. (The one on police issues, obviously, not the one about medical errors that also pops up on Google searches.)

(And btw, softball or not, Webb didn't even to be swinging at the ball, I wasn't even sure he'd picked up the bat.)

[TM99]

1. Well, then I hope that BLM

will stage a massive protest at the next debate. Get on stage, shut it down, and do so on national TV.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

2. Will they get a chance?

This first one was invites only. I'm guessing the DNC is taking precautions to make sure BLM CAN'T get on stage. At best they'll be able to protest outside before or during, and maybe get some media.

[1StrongBlackMan]

3. I suspect you are responding to snark from a poster that is highly critical of BLM ...

not because Black Lives don't Matter (I guess); but, because BLM interrupted Bernie ... ergo, shills for HRC.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

4. Ah, I missed the snark, if that's what it is.

My sympathy to your candidate, btw. The debate format was designed to cheat him, Webb, and Chafee of airtime. I hope, probably in vain, that in future debates they make some attempt to give more equal airtime to all of the candidates.

[1StrongBlackMan]

6. Yeah ...

During the debate I posted that I'll have to down-grade my O'Malley bump estimate ... not that he didn't do well; but, because Bernie and HRC sucked ALL of the O2 out of the room.

And, sadly, short of some kind of stunt, I don't see how that will change.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

7. It was deliberate.

By awarding additional airtime for responses to 'direct mentions', CNN guaranteed that most of the airtime would go to those already in the lead. Hillary and Bernie would only be helping the other candidates if they even mentioned them, while possibly looking like bullies, while the other three HAD to mention them if only to try and draw contrasts.

The actual airtime breakdown was something like 30 minutes HRC, 27 minutes BS, 15 min O'Malley, and even less for Webb and Chafee.

[1StrongBlackMan]

11. I saw the break-down of talk time ...

I was not surprised.

[Ken Burch]

10. O'Malley looked the other way while cops killed scores of black people in Baltimore

O'Malley has actual African-American blood on his hands. Bernie doesn't.

How could you possibly feel that Bernie(who NEVER supported or defended"broken windows"/"zero tolerance" policing when he was a mayor)is worse than that guy on fighting institutional racism?

[1StrongBlackMan]

12. O'Malley was responding to the demands ...

Last edited Thu Oct 15, 2015, 07:54 AM - Edit history (1)

Of the people ... Black people, that were saying their neighborhoods being over-run by drugs; increased policing was the right call.

And to say he turned a blind eye to the killingsame by police is a gross simplification.

And, again, this is not about Bernie.

[TM99]

5. If they want to continue to be taken seriously

and they want to actually influence those who will support them, then they need to try.

A large & loud protest outside is a start, and attempts to infiltrate I would definitely support.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

8. If they can't influence the moderators, one or more of the candidates need to bring them up.

And I'll say again that the Campaign Zero platform is the place to start. I'd love to see Bernie (or a moderator) enumerate the Campaign Zero goals/issues to be addressed, and a followup discussion among the candidates on how each WILL address those points if elected.

[TM99]

9. Actually that would be a great idea.

Coordinate with the Sanders campaign such that he uses his time for answering a question instead to present BLM's Campaign Zero platform.

[Snotcicles]

13. BLM should host a debate. I would kick in a couple bucks to help them finance it. nt

[TM99]

14. Had the DNC allowed more than six

moderated debates, one of my suggestions for an outside one would have been an BLM moderated one at an AA college campus.

[Snotcicles]

15. I don't think the DNC will be able to hold to that. nt