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Democratic bigwigs fear debates will devolve into horror show

The prospect of taking on a sitting president after a months-long internal bloodbath is keeping many Democrats up at night.

By HOLLY OTTERBEIN

06/25/2019

This week’s debates will be the first time millions of Americans meet the cast of Democrats trying to take out President Donald Trump.

That’s precisely what has party brass terrified.

Interviews with nearly 20 Democratic elected officials, party chiefs, labor leaders and operatives the past week revealed an air of foreboding verging on alarm that the debates will degenerate into a two-night, bare-knuckle brawl. With the divisive 2016 Democratic primary fresh in their minds and the current presidential candidates starting to take swipes at one another, the fear is that voters will be left with the impression of a bickering, small-minded opposition party.

“I’m worried it’s going to be a scrum — a lot of people trying to score points on each other and looking like scoring points was more important than communicating with the American people,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers and a member of the Democratic National Committee. “That circular firing squad is not going to help save our democracy or help working families.”

There are a few reasons Democrats think the presidential hopefuls — after pulling their punches for months — might escalate their attacks on Wednesday and Thursday. Former Vice President Joe Biden’s rivals have increasingly shown a willingness to take him on, especially over his recent remarks about working with segregationists in Congress during his time in the Senate.
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Cory Booker blasts Biden's segregationist remarks: He 'shouldn't need this lesson'
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Sen. Cory Booker said last week that Biden’s “relationships with proud segregationists are not the model for how we make America a safer and more inclusive place for black people.” Sen. Kamala Harris was no less blunt: “I would not be a member of the United States Senate if those men that he praised had their way.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders, meanwhile, has long criticized Biden for voting for the Iraq War and free trade deals. At the same time, moderate candidates have been unloading on their progressive opponents. After Sanders defended democratic socialism in a major speech in Washington, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper bashed Sanders’ left-wing ideology.

The first debates of the primary also come as a number of candidates are barely registering in the polls and desperate for a splashy moment.

“It’s fine to draw policy distinctions. People get that. That’s what primaries are about. But negative personal attacks are something people are worried about,” said Troy Price, chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party. “Everyone is united behind the fact that we have to win and people don’t want to see anything that distracts from that.”

Of course, a free-for-all this far out from the start of voting might be long forgotten by the time elections get underway next year. Republicans had their own circus-like spectacle in the 2016 primaries, yet Trump still managed to win the White House in the end.
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But the prospect of taking on a sitting president after a months-long Democratic bloodbath is still worrisome to many in the party.

Several Democrats stressed that they're fine with the candidates debating policy, as long as it doesn't go further than that. Said Dan Sena, executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee when the party flipped 40 seats in last year’s midterm elections: “In 2018, the primaries really didn’t set us back. It’s my hope that personal attacks — attacks outside of the policy realm — are outside of the conversation.”

But the distinction between personal attacks and policy disagreements are sometimes in the eye of the beholder. In the 2016 primary, many Hillary Clinton supporters thought Sanders was too aggressive and blame him for her eventual loss. Sanders’ aides strongly disagree with that view and insist he challenged her only on policy, noting that he famously said in an October 2015 debate, “The American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn emails.”

The 2016 campaign still weighs on many Democrats anxious about a slugfest in 2020. They’re apprehensive of a primary that leaves its nominee too damaged and its party too divided — and fear this week’s debates could kick off that kind of race.

“I’m worried about a repeat of 2016, just being up front with you,” said Jerry Govan Jr., chairman of South Carolina’s state legislative black caucus. “We could have won that election, but we had a percentage that stayed home because their candidate was not the nominee.”
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Your 2020 Democratic debate cheat sheet

The decade-long insurgency within the Republican Party is also top of mind for some Democrats.

“I think the entire party watches what the tea party did to the Republican Party … and wants to find a way to move politics and governance leftward, but not burn the world down as it does it,” said Scott Mulhauser, a former aide to Biden.

Some progressives see things very differently. They worry that any candidate who challenges Biden will be cast as divisive, even if it’s over policy. They view hand-wringing over any kind of disagreements in the primary as a way to stifle debate — and as an unrealistic demand in a 24-person race.

Democrats also said they’re worried that the media — rather than the candidates themselves — will encourage and exaggerate divisions.

“One thing I’m not really fond of is people sort of falling for the [notion] that this is about candidates beating each other up, rather than [an exchange of] ideas,” said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA.

Not all Democrats were downcast about the coming clash.

"I don't think you're going to see the kind of things you saw on the Republican stage in 2015," said Karen Finney, a former Clinton staffer, recalling Trump's taunts of his rivals in particular. "'Little Marco,' I don't see it being like that. I expect it'll be a far more substantive conversation."

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/25/democrats-2020-debates-1378848

Personal attacks get you the nomination, if the last election cycle is an indicator. I don't think they'll be able to avoid it.

I expect some at a minimum too.

I believe the term is, "circular firing squad".

You'd be right. I've also heard it called campaigning, debating, and fighting to win. It's going to go about as bad as the GOPer 16 did, except Trump won't be there so it can't go that bad. I'm sure he'll be tuned in and toilet tweeting though.

It’s the trump era after all. It can’t be as bad as the crap show round of debates the GOP’ers had in 2016. lol It looked like a Jr. High school debate show with their class bully at center stage spewing insults towards all of others. No real substance in any of their debates at all.

Well as long as it's better than that, they win....

Maybe. Or maybe they’ll all be singing, “save the world...lock him up” and dancing arm to arm.

That would be equally stupid.... but congrats on making every attempt to take a thread about democratic debates and making it about the GOP... #whatabout

Unfortunately the lineups have been made to where I really don’t give a damn about the first debate. I want to see tomorrow’s debate.

Don't forget to download your debate bingo cards, invite some friends over and play along at home.

I just want to hear how far they will one up each other on freebies.

Well, they have ways to go to catch up to the freebies trump gave farmers and NK.

Warren got a bye.

Exactly. Tonight’s debate should be easy for her. But I expect her to screw it up somehow.

And the 1%.

She's the Biden backup for the establishment. Anybody but Bernie. But she'll do a lot of progressive things if she gets in.

If the Dems are wise they will realize this is not a debate but a tv show.

The lower rated folks, many of whom are unknown, must use this opportunity to introduce themselves to the voters and then work in an interesting stance.

The higher rated, better known folks need to show they are above it all and concentrate their attack on his greatness, Trump.

his greatness?

so you do view trump as a king. sad and pathetic.

I also see this debate as a chance for Tim Ryan to shine.

The kind of statement that shows that you have been brainwashed. smh

Right, like the Democrats are above that kind of Politics.

The progressives will kill any chance of winning if they take control. And we already see the attacks starting. They've been trying to nitpick Biden and twist everything he says. That's what I see coming.

Progressives will go after the moderates. I would advise Biden and Mayor Pete to dress in full military combat gear including a flak jacket. If Tim Ryan gains any steam in the polls, he should follow suit.

It's going to be a crap show to start out at the very least. The example was set in 2016 as to what Americans consider a politician. An entertainer. They don't really care about substance.

So far:

Berne is giving away free health care, college, and forgiving student loan debt.
Fauxcahantus is giving away all bernie is with reparations for AINs.
Biden is going to cure cancer, and is for free health care.

I guess the libs like higher taxes.

mayor pete actually has combat gear to put on.

biden dodged so he doesn't have the equipment.

I think you know that as of now, out of all the Democrats, I fave Mayor Pete gets the nomination.

He lets his police shoot unarmed black men.

Mayor Pete is done already.

He has shown himself to be a weak and feckless Mayor.

His Police and the Black community now hate him.

Yeah, just like every mayor in America just lets cops shoot people. You're pathetic.

pretty much.

this could be quite entertaining

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fpete-buttigieg-faces-protesters-in-south-bend-after-fatal-police-shooting-of-black-man&psig=AOvVaw1Z4CgQ-Piobo7rwPjjV5UJ&ust=1561655041417769

And you're ill informed. There has been racial problems in his police department for a while, which he had covered up.

Awe....

You mean lie everyone running for president that is out on the campaign trail?

I thought you were a person who railed for personal responsibility? Since when is it the fault of a mayor that a police officer shot someone? Oh that's right. Your one of those people that never want to blame a cop for it.

And since when did you begin to stand up for poor, black communities?

I can answer that one myself. Since never.

i like him as well.

ive been paying attention to the situation in his city right now. and more broadly, i've been paying attention to his body language and response.

the guy has been grilled on the street by protesters and in town halls. and he sat there and took it. he sat there, listened to their concerns, took the public lashing, and instead of making excuses, told them he would come up with a plan and work with the city to rectify these issues.

i gotta give respect to that, because thats something i haven't seen from any other democratic politician, and something we ALL damn well know trump won't do.

mayor pete has combat experience, and actual executive experience at the government level.

he's the most qualified person in BOTH parties, imo. he actually fits the definition of a "washington outsider".

Given his history, it would be the rightful end of Joe Biden if he showed up in anything even remotely resembling military combat gear.

It seems that nobody has seemed to mind that so far. They get elected all the time. I'm just looking for a moderate who isn't a comlpete jack wad. It won't take much to be an improvement at this point.

I agree with all of that.. just pointing out that Biden, who actively avoided the draft, standing next to Butti, who actively served, both in full military garb, would not show well for Joe...

Still longing for that old school Republican I see... or the Dem R-Lite. Hasn't 40 years of establishment trickle down government from the center(right) taught you anything? We need to reclaim the center, the original center... somewhere to the left of Mayor Pete, Biden, and other so called moderates.

Bernie or Liz might be too far left for you, I get that. But calling for more of the same old crap we've had for 40 years pre-trump is insane.

And believe me when I say Progressives can see that shunning progressive candidates for the establishment centrist in 2016 didn't teach moderates a damn thing. Progressives will settle for a slight swing to the left to avoid 4 more years of Trump, but ignoring progressives altogether will get him re-elected. Just saying.

I'm voting for whoever the nominee is, but a lot of progressives won't because they feel it's their time, their turn.

Guess we can use this thread as a live feed.

All the candidates standing by each other...looks like a bunch of losers who volunteered to be hall monitors in grade school.