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.
Climber dies in fatal fall on Colorado 14er south of Aspen
US forces sink narco-refueling station linked to Ecuadorian cartel in Pacific: SOUTHCOM
Trump Pre-empts Canada’s Retaliatory Tariffs by Telling Jet Maker Bombardier ‘No More Selling’ in US
‘You’re Fired’: Police Event Scraps Jelly Roll Performance in Response to Trump-Bashing on ‘Kimmel’
Watch: Stadium Erupts as Florida Brings Back Chant That Was Banned for Years Due to Imaginary ‘Racist’ History
Leftists Call for Murder of Liberal Financial YouTuber for Promoting Personal Responsibility to Overcome Debt
Trump Admin Preparing Plan to Boost Nuclear Families by Paying Stay-at-Home Moms: Report
NTSB reveals if crew survived Amazon cargo jet disaster as it shares details about victims
Dem Governor Orders Flags at Half-Staff for Gloria Steinem – Will Remain Lowered on Anniversary of Charlie Kirk’s Murder
Menendez brothers granted 2027 parole hearing a year earlier than expected
Convicted Murderer Karmelo Anthony Now Begging Supporters for Another $250,000
New Mexico’s Dem Governor Triggered After Trump Jokingly Suggests New Name for Her State
Radical Muslim Kills Gay Pro-Palestine Activist Outside Gay Bar
WJ Straw Poll: Rubio Surges to Commanding Lead, Vance Cruises Past Massie
Alleged cryptoscam ringleader set for plea hearing in $240M bitcoin theft
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.
Climber dies in fatal fall on Colorado 14er south of Aspen
US forces sink narco-refueling station linked to Ecuadorian cartel in Pacific: SOUTHCOM
Trump Pre-empts Canada’s Retaliatory Tariffs by Telling Jet Maker Bombardier ‘No More Selling’ in US
‘You’re Fired’: Police Event Scraps Jelly Roll Performance in Response to Trump-Bashing on ‘Kimmel’
Watch: Stadium Erupts as Florida Brings Back Chant That Was Banned for Years Due to Imaginary ‘Racist’ History
Leftists Call for Murder of Liberal Financial YouTuber for Promoting Personal Responsibility to Overcome Debt
Trump Admin Preparing Plan to Boost Nuclear Families by Paying Stay-at-Home Moms: Report
NTSB reveals if crew survived Amazon cargo jet disaster as it shares details about victims
Dem Governor Orders Flags at Half-Staff for Gloria Steinem – Will Remain Lowered on Anniversary of Charlie Kirk’s Murder
Menendez brothers granted 2027 parole hearing a year earlier than expected
Convicted Murderer Karmelo Anthony Now Begging Supporters for Another $250,000
New Mexico’s Dem Governor Triggered After Trump Jokingly Suggests New Name for Her State
Radical Muslim Kills Gay Pro-Palestine Activist Outside Gay Bar
WJ Straw Poll: Rubio Surges to Commanding Lead, Vance Cruises Past Massie
Alleged cryptoscam ringleader set for plea hearing in $240M bitcoin theft
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.









