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‘White, male & 70+ years old’? DNC scorched for shifting debate rules AGAIN, after Tulsi Gabbard meets previous threshold ‘White, male & 70+ years old’? DNC scorched for shifting debate rules AGAIN, after Tulsi Gabbard meets previous threshold
(about 1 hour later)
The DNC has changed the qualifying threshold for the next Democratic primary debate, supposedly targeting no one specifically, but ensuring Tulsi Gabbard – the last remaining woman and person of color in the race – is excluded.The DNC has changed the qualifying threshold for the next Democratic primary debate, supposedly targeting no one specifically, but ensuring Tulsi Gabbard – the last remaining woman and person of color in the race – is excluded.
The rule change was announced by the DNC on Friday for the upcoming debate in Arizona later this month, requiring candidates to rack up 20 percent of convention delegates to qualify. While Gabbard had met the previous threshold, having won two delegates in American Samoa on Super Tuesday, the new standard guarantees that she will not make the cut – a move that was blasted far and wide across social media. DNC announced the rule change on Friday, requiring candidates for the upcoming debate in Arizona later this month to rack up 20 percent of convention delegates to qualify. While Gabbard had met the previous threshold, having won two delegates in American Samoa on Super Tuesday, the new standard guarantees that she will not make the cut – a move that was blasted far and wide across social media.
A DNC spokesperson teased the new rules last Tuesday, on the very night Gabbard passed the previous threshold, noting the stricter standard would “reflect where we are in the race.” Supporters of the Hawaii rep and anti-war stalwart weren’t buying it, however, pointing out the convenient timing of the decision. The party's move is not entirely unexpected, as on the very night Gabbard passed the previous threshold a DNC spokesperson said there would be stricter standards that “reflect where we are in the race.”
Supporters of the Hawaii congresswoman and anti-war stalwart weren’t buying it, however, pointing out the convenient timing of the decision.
Though Gabbard still has a chance to win additional delegates before the March 15 cutoff – with voters heading to the polls in six states next Tuesday, including delegate-rich Michigan – she is unlikely to meet the 20 percent threshold, currently polling at under 2 percent on average, according to Real Clear Politics.Though Gabbard still has a chance to win additional delegates before the March 15 cutoff – with voters heading to the polls in six states next Tuesday, including delegate-rich Michigan – she is unlikely to meet the 20 percent threshold, currently polling at under 2 percent on average, according to Real Clear Politics.
An earlier overhaul of the rules in January eliminated an individual donor requirement – a common measure of grassroots support – allowing billionaire media mogul Michael Bloomberg to easily qualify for subsequent debates, spending hundreds of millions to saturate the airwaves with campaign ads. But after a dismal showing on Super Tuesday, Bloomberg was forced to drop out of the race. An earlier overhaul of the rules in January eliminated an individual donor requirement – a common measure of grassroots support – allowing billionaire media mogul Michael Bloomberg to easily qualify for subsequent debates despite not even being on the ballot in many states. Bloomberg spent hundreds of millions to saturate the airwaves with campaign ads, only to drop out of the race after a dismal showing on Super Tuesday. All four of his delegates came from Gabbard's native American Samoa.
Though Gabbard still has a chance to win additional delegates before the March 15 cutoff – with voters heading to the polls in six states next Tuesday, including delegate-rich Michigan – she is unlikely to meet the 20 percent threshold, currently polling at under 2 percent on average, according to Real Clear Politics. Biden and Sanders, meanwhile, have earned 664 and 573 delegates, respectively. The two remaining candidates that qualify under the new DNC rules are former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders – both male septuagenarians – who have 664 and 573 pledged delegates, respectively.
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