Booker and Castro accuse DNC of excluding minorities

[brooklynite]

Politico

Cory Booker and Julián Castro are taking aim at the Democratic National Committee over a primary process they say is excluding them from this month’s debate but allowing a billionaire to buy his way on to the stage.

California Sen. Kamala Harris’ abrupt departure from the 2020 race Tuesday has exposed the lack of diversity among the remaining group of top candidates. Despite falling from the top tier, Harris was the leading candidate of color and the only minority candidate to qualify for December’s debate in Los Angeles.

With her exit, prompted by a lack of financial resources to sustain a viable campaign, the current lineup of qualified debate participants are all white: Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Amy Klobuchar and Tom Steyer. Entrepreneur Andrew Yang and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, however, are on the cusp of making the cut.

The Booker and Castro campaigns say Harris’ announcement triggered an outpouring of financial support for them. Booker had the best online fundraising day of his campaign on Wednesday, and Castro had the best fundraising day of this quarter on Tuesday. But that momentum is unlikely to earn them a lectern at the upcoming debate, as both candidates have little chance of reaching the 4 percent threshold in four approved polls before next Thursday’s deadline.

[customerserviceguy]

1. Booker and Castro

need to be wondering why African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans, respectively, were excluding the two of them from their consideration.

[Demsrule86]

6. They should be ashamed and look to their own campaigns for what went wrong...they failed to

attract support and so did Harris. You have to have an organization that can win...

[HerbChestnut]

8. This.

As convoluted as this primary process has been, the voters ultimately decide who gets on the debate stage.

[Poeraria]

2. Im not certain what they would wish the DNC do about this.

Are they suggesting that the rules should be altered to allow one or both the participate?

[LisaM]

3. When Steyer is in and Harris is out, something's wrong. I don't know that it's the DNC's fault, but

something is amiss.

I blame the voters more than the DNC for this, though. Their thirst for outsiders like Steyer, who is inordinately unqualified in my opinion, hurts the process and the country.

[msongs]

4. the something wrong is harris doesnt have what voters seem to want nt

[cilla4progress]

5. I completely agree.

Thank you, Lisa, for articulating far better than I have here! Not sure who is to "blame," though.

(By the way - same for Booker and Castro.)

Isn't this about representative government, FFS???!

[LisaM]

7. I think the preference of the DNC would be to help Democrats first and foremost.

Unfortunately, 2016 poisoned that completely.

[Raine]

11. Those voters are Democrats

at this point in time.

[Mike Nelson]

9. Always liked Booker and Castro...

... respectfully, but they are not correct. The voters being polled, those sending money, and Harris herself (for dropping out) are responsible - not the DNC. I guess this is going to turn into another year when the candidates start to shout "Rigged!" I hope not...

[msongs]

10. gee which candidate is most likely to do that lol nt