The qualifying criteria for the next Democratic debate are out, and they manage to exclude the only veteran and only woman of color left in the race: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D–Hawaii).
This afternoon, Politico reported that the candidates still in the running for the Democratic presidential nomination will need to have earned at least 20 percent of the delegates awarded thus far in order to participate in the March 15 debate hosted by CNN and Univision in Phoenix, Arizona.
That means that only former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I–Vt.), who respectively have 48 percent and 41 percent of the delegates so far, will be on next Sunday’s stage.
Despite her strong showing in the American Samoa caucuses where she won two delegates, Gabbard still falls short of that very high threshold.
Had the Democratic National Committee stuck with its criteria for the last debate it held on February 25—which only required each candidate to have won a single delegate—Gabbard would have qualified.
Federal court blocks Newsom’s bid to shackle ICE in Trump immigration win
Dem senator likens ICE operations in American streets to oppressive British regime during Revolutionary War
Idaho murders: New book on Kohberger reveals previously unseen evidence, claims sheath could be inadmissible
Trump Rips SCOTUS a New One: Dems Don’t Need to Add Justices Because the Court Is ‘Already Packed’ for Them
Marine veteran allegedly gunned down by husband in attack outside home, police say
Biden Loves to Say His WH Bid Was Sparked by Charlottesville Rally, Which DOJ Says the SPLC Helped Plan
Trump claims Iran ‘starving for cash,’ ‘collapsing financially’ after extending ceasefire
EXCLUSIVE: Planned Parenthood set for massive taxpayer windfall if Senate fails to act
China decries Japanese prime minister for World War II shrine support
Anthropic’s moral compass architect suggested AI overcorrection could address historical injustices
Supreme Court liberals side with Clarence Thomas on Taliban suicide bomber lawsuit, 3 others dissent
ActBlue employees pleaded the Fifth 146 times in depositions. Here’s what they didn’t want to answer
Myrtle Beach man with lengthy arrest record charged with stabbing two people in popular beach destination
Sheriff leading Nancy Guthrie probe admits quitting past police job to dodge discipline
Iran Opens Fire on Three Ships in Strait of Hormuz, Seizes Two of Them
DNC Communications Director Xochitl Hinojosa foreshadowed this decision on Super Tuesday, saying on Twitter that “by the time we have the March debate, almost 2,000 delegates will be allocated. The threshold will reflect where we are in the race, as it always has.”
We have two more debates– of course the threshold will go up. By the time we have the March debate, almost 2,000 delegates will be allocated. The threshold will reflect where we are in the race, as it always has.
— Xochitl Hinojosa (@XochitlHinojosa) March 4, 2020
In response to the expected rule change, Gabbard tweeted Thursday about her campaign’s foreign policy focus, and how that can’t be separated from the domestic issues that have gotten the most attention in past debates.
Federal court blocks Newsom’s bid to shackle ICE in Trump immigration win
Dem senator likens ICE operations in American streets to oppressive British regime during Revolutionary War
Idaho murders: New book on Kohberger reveals previously unseen evidence, claims sheath could be inadmissible
Trump Rips SCOTUS a New One: Dems Don’t Need to Add Justices Because the Court Is ‘Already Packed’ for Them
Marine veteran allegedly gunned down by husband in attack outside home, police say
Biden Loves to Say His WH Bid Was Sparked by Charlottesville Rally, Which DOJ Says the SPLC Helped Plan
Trump claims Iran ‘starving for cash,’ ‘collapsing financially’ after extending ceasefire
EXCLUSIVE: Planned Parenthood set for massive taxpayer windfall if Senate fails to act
China decries Japanese prime minister for World War II shrine support
Anthropic’s moral compass architect suggested AI overcorrection could address historical injustices
Supreme Court liberals side with Clarence Thomas on Taliban suicide bomber lawsuit, 3 others dissent
ActBlue employees pleaded the Fifth 146 times in depositions. Here’s what they didn’t want to answer
Myrtle Beach man with lengthy arrest record charged with stabbing two people in popular beach destination
Sheriff leading Nancy Guthrie probe admits quitting past police job to dodge discipline
Iran Opens Fire on Three Ships in Strait of Hormuz, Seizes Two of Them
I welcome the opportunity to raise & discuss the foreign policy challenges we face, like the new cold war/nuclear arms race, Turkey's efforts to drag the U.S. into a war with Russia over Syria, the coronavirus, & more. Domestic policy cannot be separated from foreign policy. https://t.co/jgVxSz1huX
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) March 5, 2020
Biden and Sanders have sparred in the past over the former’s initial support for the Iraq War, so there is some chance that the two candidates’ contrasting foreign policy visions will be on display come the next debate.
Still, it might have been interesting to have Gabbard, an Iraq War veteran, up on stage to offer her own unique perspective on foreign policy. She’s repeatedly argued that rising tensions between the U.S., Russia, and China is putting the country on the road to nuclear war.
A Bernie-Biden smackdown will likely feature less talk of a nuclear apocalypse and a lot more bickering about health care. That’s enough to get anyone running for their fall out shelter.
Story cited here.
