After another round like Tuesday there probably won't need to be any more debates.

They don't want their carefully planned coronation derailed.

I am frightened of a Democratic party that is afraid to champion it's own platform.

We have strong values. We have ethics.

Why *IS* it a problem to scream them from the highest rooftop, declare it from the highest tree?

I'm not ashamed at all for being a Democrat, nor for supporting the agenda of Democrats.

If you were waiting for me to be in support of all war, all the time, keep waiting. If you were waiting for me to NOT take a jaundiced eye toward Wall Street while contemplating getting some bleach and a bucket? Keep waiting.

I want some damn sunlight, some clean tiles, and if I have to be the janitor, I'm not afraid of doing the humble work.

Somebody has got to clean up our government's shit.

Everyone has already chosen which team they want to see win. Now we're just cheering from the stands while the Ultras are getting ready to beat each other's asses after the match.

Seriously, nobody is watching these debates to learn anything -- we're waiting for the other side's candidate to say something stupid so we can run to Meme Generator and put the quote over the least-flattering photo we can find and get it posted to DU before the debate ends.

We're watching so we can reinforce our existing opinions. Clinton has been a national political force for over two decades. Sanders has been in Congress for roughly the same amount of time. We know what's up with these two.

I disagree now. We've had Occupy Wallstreet, Black Lives matter, and people marching in the streets more than they have since the late 60's.

I'm not some youngster; I'm well into my 40's, income inequality, your friends losing their homes, watching your 401K dwindle due to reckless bundled mutual funds, is real.

It isn't reality TV, and a shitload of people are starting to realize that.

We are fighting for a chance to have a politician that gives a shit about us, too, and not one that is doing it because she thinks it's her turn.

Sorry - It's the American people's turn.

for members of the Democratic Party to decide that it is OUR time.

I'm sick of operatives on both sides. I want an authentic candidate that addresses my concerns without bullshitting, answers direct questions without flinching, and has the grace to be kind to his fellow human beings even during a debate.

Personally, I think that the American public deserves that politician. They don't deserve to be suffocated with pablum and platitudes, they need some real, honest forthrightness.

As I understand it, this new exclusivity rule wasn't voted on by the Democratic National Committee, or even by some smaller body ("2016 Debates Task Force" or the like) that had been delegated the power. It was the decision of one person, Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

Even aside from the merits of this particular decision, I'm very surprised and disappointed that the Democratic Party could be so undemocratic as to empower the Chair to make such a rule unilaterally.

The message that people want to hear from the party is carried by an outsider who would cut off their stream of bribe money. The main reason the party apparatchiks want Hillary as the candidate is so their corruption can continue.

People power over money. That's what Gore ran on and look what happened to him.

become sick of the race to the bottom.

Thanks for the thread, Aerows.

It's so much better to be victimized by a conspiracy I guess.

As a participant in the discussion way back in days of yore about how many debates to have , I was among a group that eventually prevailed. Debates don't serve a useful purpose beyond five or six, that was my take and that was our position.

No one conspired with Hillary's advisors about this, it was just my opinion, and everyone else at the time, that debates over expose the candidates and a kind of anti-candidate burnout feeling creeps in.
The net effect is that just when you want the American electorate to pay attention to you around January, they have tuned you out because of the burnout factor.

That was all it was, really. That and I hate the framing of the things as some kind of prize fight horse race with all the rhetoric that accompanies. I honestly think this is a huge turnoff to many Americans, and among the reasons so many don't vote.

You may now resume your conspiracy complaining.

around 25 debates with Clinton calling for more around 20 in and you deciders must have missed people kept tuning in setting several new records for Democratic primary contests.

Your statements and assessments in no way correlate with reality and seemingly are just a smug and self serving fantasy.

Did we not just witness the Internet explosion, focus group shifts, donations go through the roof and polls climb after the general public met Bernie during the first debate?

THAT'S WHAT THE PTB FEAR! Bernie is set to take away their gravy train and they cannot let that happen. The Oligarchs are NOT going to be happy. The fewer people that see and hear Bernie, the better for TPTB.

PEACE
LOVE
BERNIE

...are offended by the number of debates on traditional media.

"Hillary has this sewn up, no need for anybody but her to run."

Isn't it time to have that baby soon?