|
|
|
Joe
Biden,
Kamala
Harris
will
face off
again as
lineups
for CNN
Democratic
primary
debates
are set
By
Dan
Merica
and
Gregory
Krieg,
CNN.com
Washington
- It's
time for
round
two.
CNN's
two-night
Democratic
primary
debate
will
offer a
rematch
of
former
Vice
President
Joe
Biden
and
California
Sen.
Kamala
Harris,
whose
clash
over
race
became
the most
closely
watched
moment
of the
first
round of
debates.
Biden
and
Harris
will
debate
in
Detroit
on
Wednesday,
July 31.
The
match-ups
mean
Biden,
much
like the
first
debate,
will be
the
center
of
attention,
drawing
fire not
only
from
Harris,
but also
from
Booker,
who has
also
shown a
willingness
to slam
the
former
vice
president
for
comments
he made
about
his
ability
to be
civil
and work
with
segregationist
senators.
The
debates
will
also,
for the
first
time,
offer a
match-up
between
Massachusetts
Sen.
Elizabeth
Warren
and
Vermont
Sen.
Bernie
Sanders,
the two
top
progressives
in the
Democratic
primary.
The duo
-- who
will
debate
on
Tuesday,
July 30
-- were
not on
the same
stage
during
the
first
debate.
The
lineups
for each
night
were
announced
on air
during a
live,
random
draw for
transparency
around
the
event.
There
were
three
distinct
draws
based on
polling:
One to
divide
the
bottom
10
candidates,
one to
divide
the
middle
six
candidates
and one
to
divide
the top
four
candidates.
The
20
candidates
who
qualified
for the
debate
stage,
based on
rules
outlined
by the
Democratic
National
Convention
were:
Colorado
Sen.
Michael
Bennet,
Biden,
New
Jersey
Sen.
Cory
Booker,
Montana
Gov.
Steve
Bullock,
South
Bend,
Indiana,
Mayor
Pete
Buttigieg,
former
Housing
and
Urban
Development
Secretary
Julián
Castro,
New York
Mayor
Bill de
Blasio,
former
Maryland
Rep.
John
Delaney,
Hawaii
Rep.
Tulsi
Gabbard,
New York
Sen.
Kirsten
Gillibrand,
Harris,
former
Colorado
Gov.
John
Hickenlooper,
Washington
Gov. Jay
Inslee,
Minnesota
Sen. Amy
Klobuchar,
former
Texas
Rep.
Beto
O'Rourke,
Ohio
Rep. Tim
Ryan,
Sanders,
Warren,
author
Marianne
Williamson
and
businessman
Andrew
Yang.
Warren
and
Sanders
will
join
Delaney,
Hickenlooper,
Ryan,
Bullock,
Williamson,
Klobuchar,
O'Rourke
and
Buttigieg
on July
30.
Harris
and
Biden
will
join
Gillibrand,
Gabbard,
Bennet,
de
Blasio,
Inslee,
Booker,
Yang and
Castro
on July
31.
Though
the
dynamics
of the
race are
remarkably
fluid,
the draw
leaves
Sanders
and
Biden
missing
an
opportunity
to
confront
each
other.
That's
in part
because
they
will
again be
separated
from
each
other.
Both
seem to
be
relishing
their
ongoing
clash
over
health
care,
but they
won't
have a
chance
to duke
it out
on the
debate
stage
and grab
the
headlines
they
both
want.
"Mark
the
date:
July 31,
2019.
@JoeBiden
finally
gets his
own
Senate
Judiciary
Committee
Hearing,"
tweeted
Michael
Tyler,
spokesman
for the
Booker
campaign.
For
Biden, a
rematch
with
Harris
risks
another
long
conversation
about
his
complicated
record
on race.
Booker,
too,
will
likely
see an
opportunity
to hit
Biden
over his
past
comments
about
working
with
segregationist
senators.
But
for
Biden,
it could
be an
opportunity
to make
a strong
showing
after a
shaky
first
debate
performance.
The
first
night's
debate
will
feature
most of
the
Democratic
field's
moderate
voices
--
alongside
Sanders
and
Warren,
the
race's
two top
progressive
candidates.
Delaney,
Hickenlooper,
Ryan,
Bullock
and
Klobuchar
are all
more
moderate
the most
candidates
running
for
President.
And the
fact
that
Warren
and
Sanders
will
also be
stage on
Tuesday
night
gives
each
candidate
a chance
to
burnish
the
moderate
credibility
by
attacking
a top
progressive.
The
mix of
moderates
and
progressives
give
candidates
like
Buttigieg
and
O'Rourke
-- two
candidates
further
left
than
most,
but not
as far
left as
Sanders
and
Warren
-- a
chance
to prove
themselves
to
progressive
voters.
Sanders
will
appear
with his
friend
and ally
Warren,
who
could
very
well
play up
their
agreements
and
leave it
to
viewers
to
decide
who they
believe
is a
more
imposing
general
election
prospect.
The
lower
polling
moderates,
like
Hickenlooper
and
Delaney,
will
likely
spend
the
night
strafing
Sanders
over his
democratic
socialism.
Sanders
and
Warren
will
likely
view it
differently.
The
debate,
should
they
play
nice
with
each
other,
presents
them
both
with a
golden
opportunity
to talk
up their
progressive
plans
without
a
heavy-hitting
critic
like
Biden
there to
criticize
them. If
it
shakes
out that
way, it
will be
a good
night
for the
left
wing of
the
party,
no
matter
which
candidate
they
support.
Buttigieg
and
O'Rourke
on the
same
stage
also
offers a
unique
match
up.
Both
younger
Democrats
are
considered
rising
stars in
the
party,
but
their
presidential
campaigns
are
going in
distinctly
different
directions:
After
announcing
a
presidential
exploratory
committee
with
little
fanfare,
Buttigieg
raised
nearly
$25
million
the
second
quarter
of 2019.
Compare
that to
O'Rourke,
who
raised
$9.4
million
in the
first 18
days of
his
campaign
but only
raised
$3.6
million
in the
second
quarter.
CNN's
formula
guaranteed
that two
of the
top four
candidates
and five
of the
top 10
candidates
will be
on the
same
stage.
During
NBC's
debate,
where a
different
drawing
formula
was
used,
Warren
was the
only top
five
candidate
on the
first
night of
debates,
while
Biden,
Buttigieg,
Harris
and
Sanders
were all
on the
second
night.
For
many
candidates,
especially
those in
the
bottom
10, this
could be
their
final
shot to
make a
moment
on
national
television,
given
the DNC
is
doubling
the
threshold
to
qualify
for the
third
and
fourth
Democratic
primary
debates
later
this
year.
Massachusetts
Rep.
Seth
Moulton
and
Miramar,
Florida,
Mayor
Wayne
Messam,
two
candidates
who did
not make
the
first
debate
stage,
will
also
miss the
second
debate
after
failing
to
qualify.
Billionaire
investor
Tom
Steyer
and
former
Pennsylvania
Rep. Joe
Sestak,
two
candidates
who
recently
got into
the
presidential
contest,
also
failed
to
qualify
for the
second
round of
debates.
Candidates
had
until 11
a.m. ET
Wednesday
to
certify
with the
DNC that
they
have
either
achieved
at least
1%
support
in three
polls
from an
approved
list of
pollsters
or
received
campaign
contributions
from
65,000
unique
donors,
including
200
donors
each
from 20
different
states.
In
order to
qualify
for the
third
and
fourth
set of
debates
in
September
and
October
respectively,
candidates
will now
have to
achieve
2% in
four
polls
from a
slightly
changed
list of
approved
pollsters
and
receive
130,000
unique
donors
(from
the date
of their
campaign's
creation),
including
400
unique
donors
per
state in
at least
20 US
states.
|
|
|
|
|
|