O'Malley, Sanders, Webb, and Chafee should reach out to Richard Trumka and the AFL-CIO.

[cherokeeprogressive]

They should ask him to have his AFL-CIO sponsor (sanction? I hate that word) two debates; one at the end of August, and one in mid to late September. Let Hillary Clinton choose not to attend if she's got too many $2700 per plate private forums scheduled; I don't care one way or the other.

Letting the Co-Chair of Hillary Clinton's failed 2008 presidential bid set the dates and requirements for the debates is ludicrous.

The fact Martin O'Malley and Bernie Sanders are blasting the scheduling of the debates leads any sane person to believe that neither was consulted before the schedule was announced. DWS was Co-Chair of Clinton's failed campaign in 2008. Think there was no coordination between the DNC and the Clinton campaign over scheduling of the debates? I was born at night, but it wasn't last fucking night.

Yes. Let the AFL-CIO sponsor the first two debates and DARE the DNC to exclude O'Malley, Sanders, Webb, and Chafee for participating in them.

I think it's fucking insane to give the republicans two months+ to winnow down their field while at the same time honing their message AND lobbing bombs at our field with no answer back from Democrats other than in the media and we all know the media isn't very much trusted these days. Fucking insane.

Who better than the AFL-CIO... certainly NOT the DNC.

[Cali_Democrat]

1. Clearly you didn't pay attention to the 2012 election cycle

I think it's fucking insane to give the republicans two months+ to winnow down their field while at the same time honing their message AND lobbing bombs at our field with no answer back from Democrats other than in the media and we all know the media isn't very much trusted these days. Fucking insane.

Romney pretty much destroyed himself before the GE with his comment about self deportation. The debates were a total clown show which hurt the GOP. There were no Democratic debates and Obama still wiped the floor with Romney in an electoral college landslide. He won pretty much every swing state.

Your argument is flawed.

[cherokeeprogressive]

3. President Obama was an incumbent and my DOG could have beaten Romney.

Next talking point?

[think]

2. The AFL-CIO held a debate in 2007. While I don't think they should confront the DNC they should

schedule similar events that don't violate the new rules.

They should push for TV coverage or internet coverage and let the Americans hear these candidates answer questions and discuss their solutions to the great challenges facing this nation. If they weren't great challenges we'd have fixed them already.

Personally I feel limiting the debates to 6 and demanding that candidates don't engage in other debates is wrong but I am for taking the high road and playing within the rules. Still we need to be doing what ever it takes to get our candidates out in front of the American public so they can learn and become informed about the candidates positions and solutions for moving America forward.

[Cheese Sandwich]

4. Maybe instead of a debate they could call it a discussion or a forum?

I don't know if that would still violate the rules. Having a discussion.

[think]

5. The DNC has said other formats are OK. Just not debates:

Liberal group latest to call for more Democratic debates


There is a loophole, of sorts. While the extra debates are forbidden, the DNC’s rules welcome additional candidate forums, where contenders speak back-to-back from the same stage, but do not engage directly with each other.

Source:
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/liberal-group-latest-call-more-democratic-debates

[cherokeeprogressive]

6. "where contenders speak back-to-back on the same stage, but do not engage directly with each other."

I an almost hear it now... "Her speech will be her interview."

[askew]

7. They aren't allowed to appear on stage together.

So, we'd get one canned speech after another. That isn't going to give us anything we haven't heard before.