The next Democratic Pesidential debate is this Saturday...

[cascadiance]

19. Umm... I was noting that season ticket holders PAID MONEY TO ATTEND THE GAME!

Over 70,000 ticket holders of that game (probably around half of them Democrats) are being forced in to a choice. And as I was noting, part of what debates are are trying to appeal to independents and other voters not already dedicated Democrats to say that they should be voting for Democrats later, and perhaps join the party to attend the caucuses at the beginning of the coming year.

The Iowa caucus is also a unique experience where voters TALK with each other and vote on many issue stances, not just candidates in that process that in effect is the first forum of such at a national level that starts the country's primary season in a unique way. My first presidential election process was attending a caucus there as a college freshman. You pollute that process with many PO'd people asking why the Democratic Party leadership didn't try to push them in to choices, you are talking about limiting the ability to reach out to those in the middle to draw them in as Democrats.

This party's leadership should be more strategically focused on increasing the overall voter base, and not what appears to be mostly trying to rig the process to favor one candidate who wants less public scrutiny when being compared to her primary contenders. Outsiders perceive this, and this will work against the party in general.