2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumVox: CNN is basically begging Joe Biden to join its Democratic debate
Vox: CNN is basically begging Joe Biden to join its Democratic debateThe criteria are quite simple. Essentially, all you have to do is hit an average of 1 percent support in three national polls from CNN's approved list of organizations, which Biden has already done. After that, you just have to say you'll declare your candidacy to the FEC by Wednesday, October 14 the day after the debate.
This is quite unlike the rules CNN set for its Republican presidential debate earlier this month. In addition to reaching a poll threshold, candidates had to officially file with the FEC and say they were running three weeks before the debate. They also had to have a paid campaign aide working in at least two of the four early voting states (Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada). And they had to have visited two of those states at least once.
But the disparity between CNN's own Republican and Democratic qualifying rules is just the latest to raise some uncomfortable questions about the role of ratings-hungry cable networks in these increasingly important debates. Indeed, neither Fox News nor CNN has yet managed to lay out clear qualifying rules for a debate well in advance and stick to them.
CNN's rather late announcement of these Democratic debate rules is just the latest in this pattern. Once again, there's a lack of transparency. The debate is only 15 days away, and the qualifying rules are just being announced now. Once again, the rules seem to be designed to benefit one person in particular in a way that just so happens to seem likely to boost ratings.
I say lets give all debates back the the League of Women Voters.
daleanime
(17,796 posts)they run honest debates, not sound bite competitions.
PoliticAverse
(26,366 posts)Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)Because of the demands of the Republican and Democratic parties...
PoliticAverse
(26,366 posts)Note that the Commission on Presidential Debates was established and took control of the debates away
from The League. The Commission selected The League to sponsor the last debate in 1988 but The League
refused due to conditions imposed on them.
daleanime
(17,796 posts)brooklynite
(93,844 posts)daleanime
(17,796 posts)would that matter?
I can't be the only one tired of politicians thinking that trading sound bites passes for real debate.
brooklynite
(93,844 posts)daleanime
(17,796 posts)I have nothing but sympathy for you.
brooklynite
(93,844 posts)I remember the LWV debaters, and they were the same 2 min answer/1 min response formats. There was nothing dynamically different, other than the decision as to who got in, which isn't relevant today.
daleanime
(17,796 posts)because they didn't like the color scheme that the parties wanted?
Or the need to bring in extra equipment?
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&ved=0CEAQFjAFahUKEwiMkI7Yj5vIAhWTth4KHRBnBkQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.democrats.com%2Fbulge&usg=AFQjCNEtFjstxMwC0Y4z0loyn3p1oiYFvA&sig2=qG11Ef1YhRIymU1AOoGg2A
Or maybe the Leagues own release from then.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB0QFjAAahUKEwj_7c20kZvIAhUM1h4KHSwoByY&url=http%3A%2F%2Flwv.org%2Fpress-releases%2Fleague-refuses-help-perpetrate-fraud&usg=AFQjCNHbew0NcjQusd-eMSXiwCqq-ZAMXw&sig2=I3JCCB_dnKYtSzIczme-OQ
But let's face it, I can't make you see dishonesty if you don't want to. So like I say, you have my sympathy. I hope the shock of dealing with the world isn't too much for you.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)Metric System
(6,048 posts)Kelvin Mace
(17,469 posts)because their corporate masters do NOT want honest debates of substance.
99th_Monkey
(19,326 posts)reddread
(6,896 posts)what is really fueling this election is media consolidation.
ill be looking forward to those questions, CNN, TIA!
senz
(11,945 posts)The 4th Estate used to serve as a balance to elite power. Now they are elite power.
Snotcicles
(9,089 posts)jfern
(5,204 posts)So he could literally just show up as a total surprise it everybody?
kenfrequed
(7,865 posts)They really, really don't like Sanders very much and desperately want another candidate in the race that will act like the kinds of candidates they prefer that play the "he said/she said" negative spinmeister bull.
They do not like candidates that pivot to the issues or that fixate on policy that makes them have to do research when asking their questions. They also don't like candidates that threaten their ad revenue.
Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)The reason being they said the parties were corrupting the debate process.
I don't think the League would be interested in having anything to do with the "debates" as they are currently arranged by the party.
senz
(11,945 posts)If they're still as fair as they used to be, I could go along with it. What we have now is a farce.