Fireworks at San Francisco DNC meeting as committee votes down climate debate resolution

[babylonsister]

Nothing is more important imo...


Fireworks at San Francisco DNC meeting as committee votes down climate debate resolution
Fight over climate debate expected to continue Saturday
By Casey Tolan | [e-mail] | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: August 22, 2019 at 11:05 am | UPDATED: August 22, 2019 at 2:34 pm


SAN FRANCISCO — The question of whether Democrats should hold a climate-specific presidential debate erupted into its own acrimonious debate at an annual party meeting Thursday, with officials stamping down a resolution to support it in the face of raucous opposition from activists.

In a 17-to-8 vote, the Democratic National Committee’s resolutions committee defeated a resolution that called for the candidates to debate each other about their views and policies on climate change — on a national stage.

Young protesters filling the room hissed, jeered and sang the union song “Which Side Are You On?” before and after the vote.

snip//

The battle hinges on the definition of a debate or a forum. DNC rules only allow third-party groups to hold forums, with candidates speaking one at a time, not debates, with candidates onstage at the same time.

CNN and MSNBC are hosting two presidential forums on climate change next month, but activists say that isn’t enough. Rather than a format that that doesn’t allow interaction between the contenders, they’re demanding a head-to-head, DNC-sponsored debate to give the climate crisis the attention it deserves.

Party leadership, including DNC chair Tom Perez, is strongly against the idea, insisting it would be unfair to focus a debate on any single issue.

more...

https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/08/22/climate-debate-democratic-national-committee-fight/?fbclid=IwAR1JkB5_gYogHNr5l-1d_5wOJVkhpoIeJ28tt2JiqD1kppQAFKEb4FMdGuA

[Me.]

1. THat 'Single' Issue Is Crucial

or haven't they been paying attention? The ignominy of it all.

[Mike 03]

5. You said it!

You can tell how bad climate change is going to get by how few people want to talk about it.

[elleng]

2. 'The battle hinges on the definition of a debate or a forum.

DNC rules only allow third-party groups to hold forums, with candidates speaking one at a time, not debates, with candidates onstage at the same time, not debates, with candidates onstage at the same time.

CNN and MSNBC are hosting two presidential forums on climate change next month, but activists say that isn’t enough. Rather than a format that that doesn’t allow interaction between the contenders, they’re demanding a head-to-head, DNC-sponsored debate to give the climate crisis the attention it deserves.

Party leadership, including DNC chair Tom Perez, is strongly against the idea, insisting it would be unfair to focus a debate on any single issue.'

Oh nice, let's fight in public.

[babylonsister]

7. IKR? Sigh. nt

[elleng]

11. Sadly, NPR news, appended to my classical music station,

didn't mention the FORA DNC has planned, and mentioned the 'fight.'

[mopinko]

3. climate is not a single issue, tom.

jesus fucking christ. even if it was, i dont get how this has anything to do w fairness. am i dense? is there an argument to be made here?

[msongs]

4. imo the forums are better. 1st media wants a brawl an forums prvent that. 2nd

forums allow candidates to go into detail without interruption. 3rd,
people who actually care will still watch these

[Mike 03]

6. Good point.

Forums are a really good way, too. Let's just get this conversation going! Let's normalize serious discussion of climate change.

[Florida Bull]

8. Climate Change is very serious

It is not just a “single issue.” It could eventually end Earth’s ability to sustain life. We need to stop downplaying and ignoring the crisis!

[emmaverybo]

9. Another pressing, urgent, crucial, existential issue: foreign policy and relations. In fact, experts

contend we are closer to a first nuclear war breaking out in one of the many hot spots in the world than ever before in history.

Sadly, Dems are not very concerned about working on anti-nuclear proliferation, addressing historical policy problems in Central America, dealing with the Israel-Palestinian situation, or with what is going on (aside from politically potent issues) between Russia and the US, with NK, Pakistan and India, in the Mideast.

If we do have a nuclear conflict, we will have climate catastrophe, not change, but disaster, and famine, widespread.

I want to know how candidates plan to lead in the world—not only in America—how tackle the existential threat posed by the real potential for nuclear conflict, how help broker peace in the Mideast, how reassure our allies, how relate to our enemies in the wake of Trump’s dangerous foreign policy and relations blunders.

Getting back to the Iran deal might not be as juicy as the Green New Deal, but it should be one of the first pieces of business for a new administration.

[hunter]

10. We can work out the details when we have a Democratic President.

For now it's okay for a Democratic candidate to simply accept the science of climate change in a way Republicans do not.

Democrats shouldn't be beating one another up about this issue now.

Climate change is such a horrible thing NOBODY is going to like the very harsh realities of dealing with it.

(And, no, Bernie Sanders doesn't have the one true answer...)

[abqtommy]

12. sarcasm on: I'd sure hate for Democrats to offend anyone...sarcasm off.

To me climate change isn't "a single issue", it's THE issue!

[LiberalFighter]

13. What is the deal. The DNC provides an alternate venue.

[Raine]

14. This is infuriating

no issue is more important then the one that involves the very air we breath and the water we drink!