Democratic Primaries
Related: About this forum2020 Democrats go after the DNC amid increased debate requirements
AxiosThe Democratic National Committee is upsetting some of its own including those running for president in 2020.
Driving the news: The DNC's new threshold to qualify for the September debates doubles the requirements to take part. They had always said the rules would change for future debates, but hadn't released the specifics until earlier this week.
The big picture: This is just the latest example of how the national party and candidates are trying to navigate the unruly primary field in 2020.
- A number of candidates (like Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet and Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, for example) have yet to qualify for the debates at all. Eight have qualified just through polling.
- Eleven have qualified via polling and donations, but the DNC won't announce who has officially made the first debate stage until next month.
Why it matters: There are 24 Democrats running to replace Donald Trump as president. That number cannot possibly be sustained. And some worry that drastically changing the rules will severely winnow the primary field particularly for minority candidates.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)will be affected. People who cannot get even basic support from the electorate by then shouldn't be on the debate stage, confusing, disaffecting, and distracting from candidates who really could become our next president.
Anyone who'd "go after the DNC" instead of just focusing on meeting the sensibly raised but still extremely low requirements for remaining in the debates would be self-disqualifying for consideration anyway. We really don't need losers making trouble when we have real trouble to deal with.
For sure our serious candidates are not among them.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
bearsfootball516
(6,369 posts)Its only an issue for those struggling to even get 1 percent, which is exactly why they made the new guidelines. The point here is to trim away the fat and excess so our best candidates emerge.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
robbedvoter
(28,290 posts)Get us 4-5 candidate on the stage. Top. Otherwise, not very effective.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
UCmeNdc
(9,589 posts)You cannot have everybody and their mother on stage just because they declared they are running for the presidency. You should, as a legitimate candidate, be able to show some real support by your supporters that you deserve to be considered a real contender.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Gothmog
(143,999 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden