Patterico's Pontifications

6/14/2019

Lineup For First 2020 Democratic Debate

Filed under: General — Dana @ 1:17 pm



[guest post by Dana]

Debate season is just about upon us. Hoo boy, anything is possible in the Thunderdome.

Of the 20 qualifying candidates, these are the top five contenders at this point in time: Biden, Sanders, Harris and Buttigieg and Warren. The two nights of debate will be held in Miami.

Here is the lineup for June 26:

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren
Former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker
Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro
Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio
Former Maryland Rep. John Delaney
Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan

Here is the lineup for June 27:

Former Vice President Joe Biden
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders
South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg
California Sen. Kamala Harris
New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet
Author Marianne Williamson
California Rep. Eric Swalwell
Businessman Andrew Yang
Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper

How disappointing that Sanders and Warren won’t be on stage together to entertainingly try and out-socialism each other. Of course, his “Americans would be delighted to pay more taxes” silliness is still fresh in people’s minds, and her American Indian issues are still making the news. They’ve got problems. Clearly front-runner Biden will be the main target of the other contenders on the second night. And boy, has he given them some stuff to work with: flip-floppingon abortion, finger-wagging condescension toward women, flip-flopping on China threat, etc. I’m surprised that “spirituality guru” Marianne Williamson made the cut while Governor Bullock of Montana didn’t. Bullock being the only candidate to win a statewide election in a state won by Trump…But then again, we’re talking California and Montana.

Here is some background on how the matchups were decided:

According to NBC, the media sponsor for the first debate, a representative from NBC News Standards & Practices conducted the drawing.

Each campaign was invited to send one representative to NBC headquarters at Rockefeller Center in New York for the noon drawing. According to people in the room, the names were drawn and then NBC determined which set of Democratic hopefuls would debate on either night.

NBC announced that candidate podium placements would be based on polling and announced closer to the debates.

Candidates had to qualify for the first debate by either receiving at least 1% support in three polls from an approved list of pollsters or received campaign contributions from 65,000 unique donors, including 200 donors each from 20 different states.
Three Democratic hopefuls — Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton and Miramar, Florida, Mayor Wayne Messam — did not qualify for the first contest.

Let the games begin.

(Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.)

–Dana

45 Responses to “Lineup For First 2020 Democratic Debate”

  1. I’m concerned I’m having just a little too much fun with the left side of the aisle nuttiness. But honestly, it’s nice to focus on theirs for a change. So, pass the popcorn.

    Dana (bb0678)

  2. >Governor Bullock of Montana didn’t.

    Gov. Bullock has been complaining. The party’s argument is that he didn’t meet either the 65K unique donors threshold OR the 1% in polls threshold. He says he did in this one poll, the party says that poll doesn’t count because of how it asked its questions.

    aphrael (e0cdc9)

  3. Looking at that list – all of them are a stain on America.

    mg (8cbc69)

  4. Hey now, Elizabeth Warren’s economic plan “sounds like Trump at his best” according to … spaniel-boy Tucker Carlson.

    Dave (1bb933)

  5. So, when the GOP had 12 or 15 candidates, did they get offered two nights of debate? I guess it’s possible that Priebus turned that down for some reason, being an idiot, but they could have featured Trump in one debate, and everyone else in another.

    Kevin M (21ca15)

  6. Looking at that list – all of them are a stain on America.

    At this point, how would you see the stain?

    Kevin M (21ca15)

  7. I sure would like to be able to ask a few questions:

    * Do you believe that all residents of the USA, whatever their status, should be eligible for all tax-supported benefits and services?

    * Do you believe the 2nd Amendment guarantees an individual right of self-defense through arms?

    * Can you assure seniors that “Medicare for All” will not diminish the benefits they’ve paid for over their working years?

    * Do you believe that “All lives matter”, or only some lives?

    * Some in your party have made it clear they view white people, and particularly white men, to be at the core of our nation’s problems. Do you agree with this view? Explain.

    * A number of states have imposed drastic limits on abortion. Should abortion-on-demand be available after the first 20 weeks of pregnancy? If not, what specific common-sense regulations would you find reasonable?

    * Assuming that no great changes are made, what would you do to save the current Medicare system, which is relied upon by about 50 million Americans. Some have suggested curtailing benefits; would you?

    * Assuming that no great changes are made, what would you do to shore up the current Social Security system, which most seniors rely upon as the core of their retirement income? Some have suggested expanding benefits; would you?

    NONE of these questions will be asked. Instead it will be “What is wrong with Trump?” in various forms.

    Kevin M (21ca15)

  8. Hey now, Elizabeth Warren’s economic plan “sounds like Trump at his best”

    You are so right. Trump should sue Carlson for defamation. Piketty should sue her for plagiarism.

    Kevin M (21ca15)

  9. @5 The GOP did have 2 scheduled times for each set of debates when they had a ton of candidates for 2016. I think they decided to separate them by polling percentage, though, instead of placing them randomly. I watched both groups in each set at the time.

    Nic (896fdf)

  10. The GOP debates had too many people and seemed useless for anything but posturing. This strikes me the same way.

    DRJ (15874d)

  11. The GOP debates had too many people and seemed useless for anything but posturing. This strikes me the same way.

    It’s less of an opportunity for posturing than it is for the press to fawn over the candidates.

    Chuck Bartowski (bc1c71)

  12. Biden has it easy on name recognition against such a crowded field. He should find a way to get Bullock on here. They could have a Beto, Biden, Booker, Bullock, Bernie, Blasio, Buttigieg, Bennet debate called The B Team.

    Dustin (6d7686)

  13. NONE of these questions will be asked.

    But Kamala Harris thinks we need to have that conversation.

    Dave (1bb933)

  14. The GOP debates had too many people and seemed useless for anything but posturing. This strikes me the same way.

    Oh, I dunno. There seems to be plenty of opportunity for yelling, ranting and generally being a boor.

    Kevin M (21ca15)

  15. > Do you believe that all residents of the USA, whatever their status, should be eligible for all tax-supported benefits and services?

    Certainly not. Only veterans should be eligible for tax-supported programs set aside to take care of veterans, for example.

    The question, in my mind, should be: what’s the relationship between the status and the goal of the program?

    > Do you believe that “All lives matter”, or only some lives?

    All people’s lives matter. The phrase “Black lives matter” was intended as a reminder to people who seem to believe that only non-black lives matter. The reaction to the use of the phrase has proven the point.

    > Can you assure seniors that “Medicare for All” will not diminish the benefits they’ve paid for over their working years?

    No. But neither can anyone with integrity assure seniors that the current system will not diminish the benefits they’ve paid for over their working years.

    I think the intent in both cases is to minimize the risk that such benefits will be diminished. But — *assurance* about the future is tricky at best.

    aphrael (e0cdc9)

  16. Heh. Then I guess we will see who they fawn over the most, Chuck.

    DRJ (15874d)

  17. The B Team.

    They could call it the Bs Debate.

    Kevin M (21ca15)

  18. Be honest, doesn’t it make you chortle to picture Beto trying to argue policy with Warren? Biden and Sanders, the two old white guys, have the name recognition second night. That should be fun.

    Dana (bb0678)

  19. Yes, aphrael, but you aren’t running. A Democrat who says “All lives matter” will be pilloried. And even you seem to miss the point about residents and benefits as CA starts giving tax-subsidized medical benefits to illegals.

    Medicare can be fixed by a few small changes, both by limiting some benefits (or relegating them to supplement plans) and raising the tax a bit. The longer we wait, though … it could have been fixed for next to nothing 10 years ago. Submerging it into a global plan with reduced benefits, then taxing seniors’ investment income to pay for it, will not be seen by seniors as “saving Medicare” but as “betraying seniors”, a full third of the actual voters.

    Kevin M (21ca15)

  20. What are the odds on any of the female candidates distinguishing themselves from the field? I’m going with a big, fat zero. None are very charismatic or likable, but seem dull and forced. Clearly Hillary is a carrier… she’s doomed Democratic women.

    Dana (bb0678)

  21. Be honest, doesn’t it make you chortle to picture Beto trying to argue policy with Warren?

    Yes, but I thought it would be funny to watch Trump argue policy with Cruz or, well, anyone, but it turned out that facts, policies and logic were not what voters wanted to hear.

    Kevin M (21ca15)

  22. “B Team”
    Laughing.
    Cheers Dustin.

    mg (8cbc69)

  23. Good point, Kevin M. Not sure Dems will be the same though.

    Dana (bb0678)

  24. Bill de Blasio made it – he had 1% in some Reuters polls – or a Reuters poll clinched it.

    Not even mentioned amsong the also rans is Mike Gravel.

    Sammy Finkelman (d542b2)

  25. @3/@6. “Looking at that list – all of them are a stain on America.”

    … And the rebuttal:

    ‘It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.’

    Theodore Roosevelt, ‘Citizenship In A Republic,’ April 23, 1910

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizenship_in_a_Republic

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  26. How soon you forget The Weenies of 2016. Don’t fault any candidates for making a run; question both parties for establishing a system that has devolved into little more than a circus.

    And Putin smiled…

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  27. Staining America is all the democrats have ever accomplished in the last decade.
    If you need a professional stainer phone a democrat.

    mg (8cbc69)

  28. Well tulsi has yet to break out of the pack.
    Since it will be in Florida

    Narciso (b0b7ad)

  29. And Putin smiled…

    You voted for his candidate.

    Dave (1bb933)

  30. @29. Yes. And Helsinki was forever unforgivable. And it’s all a mere transient with the success thus far of the longer game strategy:

    So we got treated to another finger-wagging, ‘outrage’ “Nancy Rant” yesterday. So who is more the ‘criminal’- the fella and his ‘folks’ who keeps ‘pushing the envelope’ – as corporate-authoritarian types tend to do- as long as he/they can get away with something– the ‘catch me if you can’ attitude; or the ol’babe w/t gavel who has been handed a lengthy, documented report full of evidence w/t power to do something about it and in a calculated, self-centered move, decides [so far] not to bother going after him– in hopes the voters will do the ‘hard work’ on their own for her instead in 18 months- and then reap the rewards without risking dirtying her hands.

    By Pelosi’s current mindset, there was no point to pursuing articles of impeachment against Nixon in ’74, because– well, why bother, he’d be out of office by ’76 anyway. Which makes her televised rants that ‘nobody is above the law’ and so on so laughable. So who is the bigger ‘betrayer’ of the so-called ‘rule of law’– IMO, it is Pelosi; she is worse because with documentation in hand she knows better. The message she is sending to the young and to overseas observers is oaths be damned, ‘yes, you can get away with it.’

    Warren has been correct; an impeachment inquiry should be opened on the SOB and the case made to the American people though televised House hearings and if articles pass and a TeeVee Senate trial comes about, let the likes of a Lee, or a Cruz, or a Cornyn or the always entertainingly effervescent Graham stand up and defend him on national television and endure the consequences, for better or worse– if McConnell would let it play out at all.

    But that won’t happen. Which is why, along with the continuing strategy to neuter the modern conservative movement, yes, Dave, my plan is to vote for Trump again– because he has the balls ‘to get away with it’ and Pelosi didn’t have them to stop him. That, and of course, because he’s such a deliciously better show than ‘Biden Time’ could ever dream to be. A Trump Steak trumps a platter full of 24 weenies any time. 😉

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  31. And what came out of Helsinki, nothing, by contrast Khrushchev kicked Kennedy so hard after Vienna, he needed another session with fiddle and fiddle, and he got the greenlight to put the r7s in cuba.

    Narciso (b0b7ad)

  32. @31. What came out of Helsinki????

    Good TeeVee!!! If you can’t handle the program, change the channel.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  33. ‘Little flexibility’, led to the Ukrainian invasion, the 30 senators including air claire who shared stroganoff with kislyak

    Narciso (b0b7ad)

  34. DCSCA (797bc0) — 6/14/2019 @ 5:06 pm

    In political jargon, a useful idiot is a derogatory term for a person perceived as a propagandist for a cause, the goals of which he or she does not fully comprehend, and who is used cynically by the leaders of the cause. The term was originally used during the Cold War to describe non-communists regarded as susceptible to communist propaganda and manipulation. The term has often been attributed to Vladimir Lenin, but this attribution is unsubstantiated.
    – Wikipedia

    Dave (1bb933)

  35. DCSCA (797bc0) — 6/14/2019 @ 5:06 pm

    That’s not an argument for voting for Trump. That’s just an argument for voting for better Democrats.

    Kishnevi (378575)

  36. Yes the women are dull as dishwater. Personally I like Bernie the best. Just like the cut of his jib, but don’t think he has a chance and his ideas are crazy. Second to that I like Biden. He seems a little more authentic than the rest. All the rest are fake as hell.

    JRH (52aed3)

  37. @34. Yes, Will and Kristol folded fast, didn’t they. Don’t be so hard on yourself, Dave.

    @35. Neutering the modern conservative movement is a superb argument, k. And it’s working.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  38. @35. Postscript; k, remember, a GOP Senate w/balls could shut him down in a Senate trial. But country over party ain’t there; no patriots in that bunch. The train wreck is all on them.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  39. But country over party ain’t there; no patriots in that bunch. The train wreck is all on them.

    You should be happy, then, since unneutered conservatives would shut him down.

    BTW George Will has not folded
    https://www.amazon.com/Conservative-Sensibility-George-F-Will/dp/0316480932/

    Kishnevi (378575)

  40. Voting republican is foolish.

    mg (8cbc69)

  41. No, ‘unneutered’ conservatives won’t. They just quit the party. Will has. Bolted the GOP long ago and folded like a cheap tent. Yes, he’s quilled a silly tome dedicated to dead BarryGee, of all people. He doesn’t realize he’s being stuffed back in the trunk. Saw him going nomad, wandering from cabler to cabler pitching it a few times, claiming to be the keeper of the Republic with some throw way line about Doris Day — until someone musta mentioned to him it was in poor taste to say as she’d just passed away– so he changed it. Endured him w/Goldberg, another outcast, on CSPAN awaiting another broadcast, trying to blame everything on the Great Society, omitting Vietnam and, of course, Watergate.

    Will lost his way long ago with his Obama blue jeans slam when Reagan wore them on the ranch.

    And yes, it’s a joy watching the deck finally get shuffled… long overdue. And if it takes a transient dolt like Trump to do it, fine. Just amazed at the speed. Welcome to 1964.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  42. Like Kevin Phillips quitting the party in the 80s, despite he created the southern strategy, so called Michael Lind in the 90s because pat Robertson irked him. John di Julio who came up with the ‘super predator ‘ theme behind the crime bill. We’ve seen this story before.

    Narciso (b0b7ad)

  43. According to people in the room, the names were drawn and then NBC determined which set of Democratic hopefuls would debate on either night.

    So, NBC decided that the more interesting debate – the debate with more high polling candidates – woud be last.

    Sammy Finkelman (d542b2)


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