Campaigns go public with anger at Democratic National Committee as first debate looms

[question everything]

Some Democratic presidential candidates are not happy with the Democratic National Committee, and their anger is no longer being kept private. At least three candidates and their closest advisers are publicly criticizing the committee, with some lambasting it for limiting space in the first two debates -- which require candidates to meet donor or polling thresholds -- and others refusing to focus a debate on climate change.

The uptick in criticism for the DNC brings to light conversations that have to date largely happened behind the scenes. But with the first Democratic primary debate in three weeks and the prospect that at least one current Democratic office holder could not make the debate stage, campaigns are starting to go public with their complaints against the DNC and their debate rules.

The DNC announced earlier this year that candidates will qualify for the first two Democratic debates -- one in June and one in July -- by achieving at least 1% support in three polls from an approved list of pollsters or receiving campaign contributions from 65,000 unique donors, including 200 donors each from 20 different states. The committee recently announced that they were doubling those thresholds for the third and fourth debates -- in September and October respectively -- requiring candidates to achieve both 2% in four polls from a slightly changed list of approved pollsters and 130,000 unique donors from the date of their campaign's creation.

(snip)

The three candidates at risk of missing the debates are Miramar, Florida, Mayor Wayne Messam, whose campaign has struggled to get any traction; Rep. Seth Moulton, who announced his campaign in late April and has yet to qualify on either threshold, and Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, who has currently not qualified for the debates by either committee standard and whose team is the angriest about the possible snub.

Bullock got into the race in mid-May, relatively late compared to other 2020 contenders. The governor has told CNN that he launched late because, as the governor of Montana, he had to oversee his state's legislative session, which happens every two years. Bullock did that and the body passed Medicaid expansion. His advisers now believe that the DNC rules are punishing a candidate who stayed at work instead of running for President.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/07/politics/campaigns-complain-democratic-national-committee-2020-debate/index.html

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I am going to donate to Bullock. He deserves a seat more than Williamson.

[dsc]

1. I actually have a bigger problem with them changing the rules on whether to count a poll

after the results were known. I don't see any way to justify that. Bullock should be let in for that reason alone.

[George II]

2. Candidates knew the rules going in, and as far as I remember (back to the Nixon/Kennedy debate)....

....there has never been a debate limited to a single issue.

Sorry folks, you knew what you were getting yourselves into.

[left-of-center2012]

3. "three candidates and their closest advisers are publicly criticizing the committee"

Three candidates out of twentysomething?

That's awesome.

[left-of-center2012]

4. These are the guys who want to make the rules ...

"The three candidates at risk of missing the debates are:

Miramar, Florida, Mayor Wayne Messam, whose campaign has struggled to get any traction;

Rep. Seth Moulton, who announced his campaign in late April and has yet to qualify on either threshold;

and Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, who has currently not qualified for the debates by either committee standard.

[question everything]

5. Gillibrand, apparently, too

Almost a month later, Gillibrand still remains short of the 65,000-donor threshold (she qualified based on polls months ago). She announced on Thursday that she was within 5,000 donors and her campaign spokeswoman said they had seen a recent uptick in support, days before the DNC determines who makes the first debate stage.

Seth Moulton is a former Marine. He deserves to be in the debate.

[left-of-center2012]

6. It sounds like the kids who couldn't make the team ...

It sounds like the kids who couldn't make the team
want to say how the game should be played.