How the Democratic Debates Narrow the Field

The Daily

The New York Times

Daily News, News

4.3 • 107.7K Ratings

🗓️ 2 August 2019

⏱️ 25 minutes

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Summary

Twenty Democratic presidential candidates have appeared on the debate stage for the last time. That’s in part because the Democratic National Committee has introduced a set of rules explicitly designed to narrow the field. We look at the intended and unintended consequences of that change. Guest: Reid J. Epstein, a political reporter for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading: It will be twice as hard for the 2020 Democrats to qualify for the next debate. In addition to the seven who already have, three are within striking distance.Democratic candidates aiming to replace President Trump are forced to choose between adopting his media tactics or being left behind as others do.

Transcript

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0:00.0	From the New York Times, I'm Michael Barrow. This is Daily.
0:09.6	Today, this year, the Democratic National Committee introduced a new set of rules,
0:17.2	explicitly designed to narrow the field so that this week's debates are the last time you'll see
0:24.0	20 candidates on stage. Read Epstein on the intended and unintended consequences of that change.
0:43.3	It's Friday, August 2.
0:45.6	Read.
0:51.2	This is Read. Hey, Read, it's Michael. Hey, Michael. Read, I want to start with a bit of background.
0:55.9	When I was watching the first primary debates this year on MSNBC.
1:08.4	And now watching the debates on CNN. Now, the stage is set for the biggest
1:14.1	presidential field in history to campaign for change in a state they want to take back from Trump.
1:20.2	There's this kind of undeniable sense of spectacle about them. Tonight, a fight for the heart of the
1:26.6	party. Senator Bernie Sanders determined to seize his second chance at the nomination.
1:31.8	The way that they are teased these loud previews, these like, especially made soundtracks,
1:38.6	these voice of God introductions. You've covered several presidential campaigns now. Could you put
1:48.8	this year's Democratic primary debates into some sort of larger context?
2:09.4	Lincoln and Douglas barnstormed around Illinois in the 1850s.
2:12.3	Like Brutus in Shakespeare's immortal tragedy, Mr. Lincoln is an honorable man. I grew up in
2:18.9	Piori, Illinois and there's a plaque by the courthouse saying this is the site of the Lincoln
2:23.5	Douglas debate where however many thousand people came to watch them speak. But also like Brutus,
2:28.8	he is an adept at the art of inserting daggers between an opponent's ripples just when
2:34.4	said opponent least expects it. Now, that was about getting their message out to the biggest
2:39.2	audience they could. The candidates need no introduction. The Republican candidate,
	...

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