What do you think that Hillary thinks of the debate schedule now?

[CoffeeCat]

At every Iowa campaign stop Hillary Clinton now says, “You are owed a spirited debate over what our differences are, because we have substantive differences and it’s important that you know before you caucus on Feb. 1 what those might be.”

Fascinating that Clinton seems to be craving more "spirited debate."

Debbie Wasserman Schultz and the DNC scheduled only five Democratic debates; all were scheduled on weekend evenings when audiences would be small (the Saturday night before Christmas, for example).

Look at where we are now. More debates could provide a high-profile opportunity for Hillary to draw that contrast that she is so desperately seeking--as Bernie surges in Iowa and Clinton's numbers fall.

The Iowa Public Television debate in Des Moines, which has been a staple in Iowa caucus politics for decades, was cancelled this year. Sorry, Hillary. The DNC wouldn't allow the candidates to attend.

For the first time in the history of Iowa's Black and Brown Forum, candidates were not allowed to debate each other. Sorry again, Hillary. You had to sit up there, by yourself, disseminating talking points that were neither going to help or hurt you, because the format had been neutered months in advance.

January 17 is the last debate scheduled before Iowans attend their February 1st caucuses.

But...uh oh. That debate is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. on a Sunday evening, when viewership will most likely be low. The very viewership that you need, probably won't be there.

Look, I don't know if the DNC and Debbie Wasserman Schultz colluded to protect Hillary's "inevitability" with fewer debates during ridiculous times. However, if they did, they have hamstrung themselves, while Hillary's campaign sits at a very critical crossroads.

Oh, the irony.

[leftofcool]

1. She won the first 3, she will win the rest

[JonLeibowitz]

4. Great! Then I'm sure we can both work to achieve that

And Hillary, since she will win the rest, will be calling for more debates.

....Right?

[roguevalley]

12. she didn't win the first three. if talking heads counted then she did but the

people berned things up for him.

[persuadable]

10. As a supporter of Hillary, it is a damn shame

that DWS and the DNC gave the GOP so much free air time that we could not respond to. If the market and the economy tank in '16 as it seems to want to, she will have a major problem.

[CoffeeCat]

11. It's debatable whether or not she won any of the debates

but what's not debatable is that these debates have not helped her candidacy. Bernie is ahead in Iowa and in NH.

Those debates were not viewed by enough people to make a difference for any candidate.

Same with the last one. 9:00 p.m. on a Sunday night.

Because they were scheduled during low viewership times, these debates will continue to be irrelevant--nothing more than a low audience of die hards who have all ready made up their minds.

I remember when our Democratic debates were big events! They were held on weekdays, on network television during primetime.

This year...not so much. OH well.

[libdem4life]

2. There's this think called karma. Sometimes it comes quickly, other times, not so much.

We'll see which this is.

[JonLeibowitz]

3. Spirited Debate to Clinton means sending Chelsea out to lie about Sanders, when he can't respond n/t

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

14. Wow. Hollowry is using her family to do her knifework?

Shameful.

[in_cog_ni_to]

5. If she asks Bernie for more debates, he should completely ignore her like she did him and Martin.

Just don't acknowledge her. Pretend you didn't hear it.

PEACE
LOVE
BERNIE

[kenfrequed]

6. The minute after Bernie wins Iowa and New Hampshire...

Hillary will want more debates in the south hosted by Fox News all over the place.

[CharlotteVale]

7. She doesn't want more actual debates. When she says

"spirited debate" she means increasingly egregious lying to see what she can get to stick against Bernie. So far that hasn't worked too well. "Spirited" is just a buzzword denoting that she's gonna pull out all the stops.

[thereismore]

8. I think you nailed it. Spirited debate = mean tricks. nt

[kath]

9. THIS.

[merbex]

13. Definite irony

DWS and HRC must be fuming that the number of debates - teeny tiny, and the schedule, weekend evenings?, are now combined with the current state of polls which is coming back to bite them.

When some members of the DNC, upset that the GOP had twice the number of debates, getting more coverage in the msm - DWS let it be known:no dissent on her dictates.

Well, well, well, I don't know about anyone else - but I have a longstanding arrangement in January, on Sunday evening, for years, to watch at 9 pm - Downton Abbey.

Karma.

I'm supporting Bernie Sanders.

Stay classy HRC.