# DNC declines to relax rules for December debates
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dnc-declines-to-relax-rules-for-december-debates/844917
**Category:** Politics & Elections
**Created:** [December 15, 2019, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dnc-declines-to-relax-rules-for-december-debates/844917 "2019-12-15T22:45:29Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2019, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dnc-declines-to-relax-rules-for-december-debates/844917/1 "2019-12-15T22:45:29Z")
> **[Top Democratic candidates ask DNC to change debate qualifying rules](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/top-democratic-candidates-ask-dnc-change-debate-qualifying-rules-n1102361)**
>
> The effort was led by Sen. Cory Booker, who will not appear in Thursday's debate in Los Angeles because he didn't meet the criteria.
There was some handwringing when kamala Harris dropped out of the race and there would no longer be a black candidate.
I like Cory Booker and I am surprised he hasn’t caught fire. In my opinion he is better than Butigieg, Harris, Yang, and could really give the top seeded candidates a run for their money. But I applaud the DNC for not changing its rules to let in candidates that simply didn’t make the cut.
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### Author:  [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2019, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dnc-declines-to-relax-rules-for-december-debates/844917/2 "2019-12-15T23:01:31Z")
Yang is getting lots more attention from the media than he usually does, as the ‘only candidate of color on the December debate stage.’ So he’d definitely prefer no rules change.
These debates haven’t really been major, lasting game-changers for the candidates anyway, so far. Granted, primary season is approaching, but it’s not as though people will be voting next week.
Changing the rules would look bad for a lot of reasons. Democrats shouldn’t want to give Republicans the ammunition they’d get from ‘rigged system’ and snide references to ‘affirmative action.’
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### Author:  [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2019, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dnc-declines-to-relax-rules-for-december-debates/844917/3 "2019-12-15T23:36:00Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#):
>
> Yang is getting lots more attention from the media than he usually does, as the ‘only candidate of color on the December debate stage.’ So he’d definitely prefer no rules change.
>
> These debates haven’t really been major, lasting game-changers for the candidates anyway, so far. Granted, primary season is approaching, but it’s not as though people will be voting next week.
>
> Changing the rules would look bad for a lot of reasons. Democrats shouldn’t want to give Republicans the ammunition they’d get from ‘rigged system’ and snide references to ‘affirmative action.’
Is Tulsi Gabbard not a person of color, or is she just too white?
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### Author:  [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2019, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dnc-declines-to-relax-rules-for-december-debates/844917/4 "2019-12-15T23:38:25Z")
> [@pool](#):
>
> Is Tulsi Gabbard not a person of color, or is she just too white?
She didn’t make the cut for the debates, right?
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### Author:  [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2019, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dnc-declines-to-relax-rules-for-december-debates/844917/5 "2019-12-15T23:40:13Z")
Ahh I see now she is skipping the debate, I retract my question.
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### Author:  [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2019, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dnc-declines-to-relax-rules-for-december-debates/844917/6 "2019-12-15T23:49:04Z")
> [@pool](#):
>
> Ahh I see now she is skipping the debate, I retract my question.
She didn’t qualify, IIRC.
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### Author:  [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)
#### Post date: [December 16, 2019, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dnc-declines-to-relax-rules-for-december-debates/844917/7 "2019-12-16T00:44:33Z")
People will be starting to vote around the time of the January 14 debate. It’s time to thin the herd and no, you don’t get a microphone just because you think you have something to say. Barring a bolt from the blue, we know the top 4 candidates. I wish Booker would have done better, I’ll miss hearing from Harris, and Klobuchar could have broken out. But it hasn’t happened.
A smaller debate stage gives us time to hear Warren debate Bernie and Biden debate Buttigieg. That’s what I want to hear.
In full disclosure, I am an enthusiastic volunteer for Buttigieg.
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### Author:  [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)
#### Post date: [December 16, 2019, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dnc-declines-to-relax-rules-for-december-debates/844917/8 "2019-12-16T04:00:39Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#):
>
> Yang is getting lots more attention from the media than he usually does, as the ‘only candidate of color on the December debate stage.’ So he’d definitely prefer no rules change.
[FTR](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/14/us/politics/democrats-2020-debates.html), Yang joined in Booker’s petition to change the debate qualifications.
Yang also expressed his decision not to cross the picket lines of the strikers at Loyola Marymount to get to the debate stage. He was the third candidate to announce that. All seven candidates have now announced that they will not cross the picket lines.
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### Author:  [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)
#### Post date: [December 16, 2019, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dnc-declines-to-relax-rules-for-december-debates/844917/9 "2019-12-16T21:55:28Z")
> [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](#):
>
> [FTR](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/14/us/politics/democrats-2020-debates.html), Yang joined in Booker’s petition to change the debate qualifications.
>
> Yang also expressed his decision not to cross the picket lines of the strikers at Loyola Marymount to get to the debate stage. He was the third candidate to announce that. All seven candidates have now announced that they will not cross the picket lines.
The cynical side of my thinks he is trying to pick up voters from candidates that have dropped out.
He is benefitting from still being in the mix. I for one am paying more attention to him now and his policies are not as stupid and crazy as they first appeared.
I would never have even given him a hearing if he hadn’t made it this far. Someone linked a youtube of him with Joe Rogan and it was a pretty deep dive into his view of the issues. Everything from education, to trade, to labor to energy, to climate, etc. And at the end, you realize that the UBI isn’t as crazy as it sounds.
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### Author:  [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)
#### Post date: [December 16, 2019, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dnc-declines-to-relax-rules-for-december-debates/844917/10 "2019-12-16T22:03:53Z")
they only have 3 days to settle the strike or I guess they move the debate to another place or date or both?