# Democrats and the Debates **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 29, 2015, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-and-the-debates/729298 "2015-08-29T16:50:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-and-the-debates/729298/21 "2015-08-30T14:31:22Z")
Both national party machines engineered the schedule of “officially sanctioned” debates with a view to minimizing prime-time gaffes and freakshows and dark horses coming out of nowhere, favoring the expected “sensible choice” mainstream frontrunners-presumptive (Hillary and a Jeb-type if not the guy himself) with a handful of token ideological outliers for spice, while having the campaigns spend more time hitting at the other party than fighting internally. That included, as mentioned, imposing terms that you don’t get to make it into an “official” debate if you go free range. Still, candidates in the back of the pack can get themselves face time and put out their ideas if they bother doing and saying things that will interest the broadcast and online media, and frontrunners tend to hog the light and air – that has always been the challenge, it’s not new to this year. It’s not fixed by making us sit through a dozen debates with a dozen people onstage. That some people in both parties feel they wound up with the “wrong” frontrunner and want more chances to make someone shine against him/her, or to let him/her stumble, is to be expected but really… we already saw one debate in which that did not seem to work as expected. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-and-the-debates/729298/22 "2015-08-30T15:52:54Z")
But, as noted above, how does one force HRC to agree to more debates? If the other candidates want to debate each other, and if they can convince a media outlet to cover said debate, no one is stopping them. Had HRC come out and said “I will attend one debate and one debate only”, I think there would be plenty of room to criticize. But 6 debates? I find it impossible to criticize her for that. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-and-the-debates/729298/23 "2015-08-30T16:07:37Z")
> [@davida03801](#): > > Wait……………you mean the party that is for open borders and inclusiveness, isn’t for open debates and inclusiveness? > > On my, what a bunch of Nazi’s. Well, as godwins go that sorry attempt at humor needs to have the note that there are much less than 6 degrees of separation from Trump to Arpaio to Neo Nazis. > **[Joe Arpaio Takes Pic with Neo-Nazi, Gives Nazis Intelligence on Marchers](https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/joe-arpaio-takes-pic-with-neo-nazi-gives-nazis-intelligence-on-marchers-6500180)** > > As mentioned in a previous blog post, at Saturday's Walk for Respect to Joe Arpaio's Tent City, I spoke with neo-Nazis J.T. Ready and "Vito Lombardi," both of whom were throwing up the sieg heil sign as they verbally attacked the marchers passing by... > [@](#): > > If our eyes are to be believed, why is a top law enforcement official giving the time of day to a bunch of neo-Nazis, much less photo ops and info on protesters? Not that Joe hasn’t hobnobbed with goosesteppers before. Back in 2008, Sheriff Joe spoke before a crowd of United for a Sovereign America members. U.S.A. has allowed neo-Nazis to join its group, and on the evening Joe spoke, old-time Arizona neo-Nazi Elton Hall was present, cheering him on. > > Is Arpaio so desperate for attention and support that he needs Hitler-worshippers in his camp? When I challenged Joe on meeting with U.S.A. back in 2008, he blustered that he talks to “everybody.” I got the same response from his top flack Lisa Allen. Seems there’s no shame in their game. Even when it comes to Arpaio rubbing shoulders with swastika-lovers. Trump is really clueless about the guys he is seeking support or to be his buddies, or that he does not care about that and still likes them as fellow travelers. Choose his poison. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-and-the-debates/729298/24 "2015-08-30T16:12:15Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > In the 2008 democratic primary there were 26 debates I liked that format, where each debate addressed issues starting with the next letter of the alphabet. By the time they got to zootropic epidemics, I felt fully informed. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-and-the-debates/729298/25 "2015-08-30T17:23:30Z")
I lost interest after the debate on who could play xylophone on xanax the best. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-and-the-debates/729298/26 "2015-08-30T18:06:37Z")
You really missed out. Clinton riding a yak was majestic. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-and-the-debates/729298/27 "2015-08-30T18:22:59Z")
What kind of maladjusted misfit toy watches six Democratic primary debates - and then clamors for more? Six debates is already, like, five and a half more debates than any normal person is going to sit through. The only people who want more debates are the cable “journalists” who need constant fresh material so that they can gin up their ratings. Cable news companies are doing their damnedest to turn our democracy into a reality-tv series. Anything that caters to that goal is a bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-and-the-debates/729298/28 "2015-08-30T20:15:52Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > There was a discussion about this with a Sanders group I attended recently, the consensus was that it was an effort to help Clinton get the nomination by limiting the number of debates which would make viewers realize there were more progressive options to Clinton in the primary. LOL! I was just thinking this had to have something to with helping Clinton . ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-and-the-debates/729298/29 "2015-08-30T20:20:33Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > What kind of maladjusted misfit toy watches six Democratic primary debates - and then clamors for more? A maladjusted, misfit masochist? 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-and-the-debates/729298.md?page=1)