2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumDNC Contributed to Rise of Trump.
'The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has contributed to the rise of Donald Trump and the attention hes been given by limiting TV debates and holding them on weekend nights, Democratic presidential candidate Martin OMalley charged Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters following a speech at the National Immigrant Integration Conference in Brooklyn, NY, OMalley said, Our party bears a lot of culpability for Donald Trumps rise by the way that we have delayed debates; we have cut off debates, and we have hidden debates.
We are a great people and our history has been a beacon of hope to the world. But human beings can fall very, very susceptible to fascist appeals when they feel vulnerable and feel threatened, the Democratic presidential hopeful explained.
OMalley insisted that the debate calendar, enforced by DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, was intentional.
The Democratic Party needs to stop acting in undemocratic ways. The Democratic Party should not limit debates or close off debates, he said. Look when the Republicans scheduled theirs: on a weeknight when the greatest number of people see it and talk about it the next day. Look when our party schedules the debates: the same time as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on a Saturday. And yet, we shrug and take it.
Republican presidential hopefuls are expected to take the stage Tuesday evening Wolf Blitzer for the 5th TV debate aired on CNN and Facebook at Sheldon Adelsons Venetian Casino in Las Vegas. The three Democratic candidates are set to square off for the 3rd time at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, and aired on ABC, Saturday night.
Tonights debate will focus on National Security following the recent terror attacks in Paris and San Bernardino. According to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released on Monday night, 40 percent of Americans say national security and terrorism should be the governments top priority. The poll showed that while 58 percent of Republican primary voters say national security/terrorism is their top concern, just 26 percent of Democratic primary voters who say that.
But OMalley argued national security and domestic issues go hand-in-hand, insisting that the shift of the public debate over the war on terror and homeland security does not in any way reshape the race or have an effect on his candidacy. Im the only candidate that has actually since the attacks on September 11th (2001)- been at the forefront of homeland security and preparedness in our own country, the former Maryland Governor told Jewish Insider. So, I look forward to this debate the defining debate. The first job of the President of the U.S. is to protect the people of the United States, and Governors have led us successfully and victoriously through two world wars. And I have the ability and discipline that I have learned by being a chief executive to keep the people of the U.S. safe.
OMalley said the Democratic presidential candidates have not yet debated and discussed the issue enough in the last debate, but he hopes to draw a stark contrast with his main rival Hillary Clinton in the next debate. I think Secretary Clinton has not demonstrated the ability to anticipate change, he stressed. I think she has shown time and time again that while she has a reflexive pole for the big military intervention, she does not have the foresight to anticipate change or, really, to be the sort of collaborative leader that can reform these sigh load bureaucracies that still today fail to communicate with each other even on things of routine, or checking social media to see if people have dedicated themselves to jihad before granting them visas.
As the nature of warfare has changed, so too must the nature of our own leadership here, OMalley told Jewish Insider. We have to become a lot more collaborative, a lot more fast and much more quickly adapting to the change.
It is like an immune system in your own body, he asserted. Your immune system is strong not because it outnumbers the bad bugs in the world or the germs. Your immune system is strong because it is better connected, more intelligent, and it could respond more quickly. And thats what we need to be able to do.Theres a lot of talk about sharing information between our country and other countries, but we have challenges still in our own nation in sharing information from our federal, our state and our local government.'
http://jewishinsider.com/5623/omalley-dnc-contributed-to-the-rise-of-trump/
Historic NY
(37,449 posts)the RNC runs their debates for their people ....the DNC for ours. Its the freaking primary not the general election. Nothing would shunt Big Mouth...the Republicans can't even shut him down. Trump would laugh in O'Malleys face and use some derogatory Irish slur and have people roaring. The people driving him are the less that politically astute he is hitting all those thing prissy politically correct people wouldn't say even if they think it. I just came away from a conversation with a great Trump defender....he knows the Republican Party hates Trump, thinks he hasn't a chance, also thinks he;s for the guys that got nothing, yup the billionare...you think O'Malley or any more debates can reason with that. Coming from a guy that barely registers on the radar screen its sound like a desperate excuse.
AgingAmerican
(12,958 posts)DWS is intentionally taking the wind out of the Democratic sails. Hillary's supporters openly agree too, with Op after Op stating Trump should get all the attention. DWS/Hillary foolishly believe that she can win on name recognition alone.
ChiciB1
(15,435 posts)IF the DNC would give MORE attentionn, focus and/or support for the OTHER TWO candidates running for the Democratic nominee MORE people might get a "look see" at this Democratic Party! What TWO things are happening this weekend? A Democratic Debate AND the debut of STAR WARS!! Ya wanna take a guess what people will be talking about??
Debbie Wasserman-Schultz was HUGE for Hillary when she ran before and NOW somehow she's the head of the DNC!!! I don't personally know ANYONE who cares for her or who supports her as the head of the DNC!
There IS no doubt that this is a strategy thought out long before any of our nominees announced. It was a given that Hillary was going to run AND many, many, many people high up in the Party intended for her to be the nominee! It may not be said out loud, but it WAS a plan and there isn't anyone who can convince me otherwise.
The other two candidates get NO media coverage, no match-up comparison by the media, it's ALWAYS... how Hillary polls against th Repuke candidates. Did you know that Rubio polls ahead of Hillary head to head, BUT Bernie actually beats Rubio AND every other Rupuke candidate!!
ABC has given Trump 81 minutes of coverage and Bernie less than ONE minute. O'Malley gets ZERO all the time!
How does ANYONE think someone can register on ANY radar screen when they don't get any coverage??? Only political junkies follow this stuff closely, this country barely votes in mid-term elections & most ONLY pay attention during POTUS time! I know many. many people who don't have a clue about much of anything political! Most say they don't have the time to find out about this stuff. BIG mouth TRUMP is what they DO KNOW!
WHERE is our very own Democratic Party?? What are they doing to counter-attack?? NOTHING AT ALL! Scheduling debates that have conflicted with other huge events that all too many Americans would rather see. VERY, VERY few Democrats will even think about supporting anyone but HILLARY! Yeah, THEY got the message too!
I'll stop, but it makes me sick and it also makes me ashamed and FURIOUS that the Party I once loved and believed in has been hijacked the way it has been. It's almost completely DLC and those of us who have been the bed rock of the Party for years and years are being called out as some sort of "other." This Party really needs to look closely at what's happening because if they haven't already noticed, many Democrats have switched and become Independents. Independents are now the largest group as political Parties go. It USED to be Democrats!!
Funny that! NOT SO MUCH!
ChiciB1
(15,435 posts)billhicks76
(5,082 posts)There is economic market share, political market share and media market share. By bowing out and not having Hillary and her crony Wasserman-Schultz are giving away that market share and allowing Trump to fill the vacuum, define the dialogue and set the tone. Its absurd. These two are traitors to our party because they put themselves above us and the the country itself. Its a freakin crime. Blame them when we have President Trump...he's only getting bigger and unlike these two headaches he is energizing the electorate and bringing in new voters. Thats how you win. Bernie does that. And of course Hillary assumes she will win because she is entitled and wants to be like royalty. How did that work out last time Hillary? I will be blaming all her supporters when we have President Trump. The old ways of doing business dont apply anymore in case anyone didnt notice.
Android3.14
(5,402 posts)Don't be obtuse.
The debate schedule makes the antidemocratic cooperation between DWS and HRC obvious.
99Forever
(14,524 posts)... real political guru, isn't she? With a freakin' genius like that running the show, what else can you expect?
ibegurpard
(16,685 posts)They have deliberately allowed this vacuum to be filled by him just to hang onto absolute control over the process. It has even been to the detriment of the candidate they are trying to protect.
bvar22
(39,909 posts)After the Centrist Clinton Administration, the Party left a BIG vacuum on The Left in 2000,
and.....well, here we are.
Vacuums are filled.
Its Physics.
....and people are wondering WHY Trump & Republicans are getting all that face time on TV?
It is no mystery.
That is the direct consequence of Hillary and DWS hiding the Democratic Party during debate season.
DWS and Hillary have made sure that the Republicans are the only game in TV Town.
elleng
(130,964 posts)and SHAME for ignoring the dire consequences.
Cassiopeia
(2,603 posts)the last weekend of shopping before the biggest holiday of the year..... one could go on and on.
The sad thing is this wasn't just a bonehead move, it was decisive planning by DWS and the DNC at minimum.
Augiedog
(2,548 posts)to America the truth of the Republican Party and its scummy underpinnings.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)Sadly, I'm afraid it's the latter.
jeff47
(26,549 posts)MisterP
(23,730 posts)restorefreedom
(12,655 posts)she is, once again, helping her buddies in the gop
JI7
(89,252 posts)appalachiablue
(41,144 posts)zentrum
(9,865 posts)SmittynMo
(3,544 posts)OMalley insisted that the debate calendar, enforced by DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, was intentional.
I'm sorry, but people want MORE information, not less. We should be dominating the airwaves.
PoliticalMalcontent
(449 posts)to the Democratic Party Nominee.
SmittynMo
(3,544 posts)DWS has got to go. She has shown to be useless for our party.
Dr Hobbitstein
(6,568 posts)George II
(67,782 posts)Very bizarre "accusation".
elleng
(130,964 posts)compares badly with the attention the Democratic candidates have NOT been given.
still_one
(92,217 posts)that on the popularity of Trump is not valid. For one thing, Trump is running as a republican, not a Democrat. It is the republicans who are supporting him, NOT the Democrats.
In addition, outside of the debate forum, Trump was making most of his outrageous statements, and receiving all kinds of media attention from those statements.
It is those outrageous statements why he is getting all the media attention, not because of the lack of Democratic debates.
It can be legitimately argued that Sanders, and especially O'Malley aren't getting the coverage they deserve because of the lack of Democratic debates, but I would also argue that compared to the republicans, Clinton is getting that much coverage by the media, unless it involves her email, or a assumed controversy.
That is what the media thrives on, controversy, and like it or not that is what they are more interested in rather than substance.
elleng
(130,964 posts)Of course the media thrives on the drama, and we (and O'Malley in particular) need exposure.
still_one
(92,217 posts)is valid for O'Malley and Sanders not getting the coverage they deserve, but have nothing to do with Trump's rise. That is because of the craziness of the republicans
elleng
(130,964 posts)by limiting TV debates and holding them on weekend nights . . .'
still_one
(92,217 posts)disadvantage because the number of Democratic debates is limited. I also agree that limiting the number of Democratic debates is a disservice to the Democrats who want to understand where the Democratic candidates stand on the issues
Anyway, that is just how I view it
jeff47
(26,549 posts)creates a void in coverage. The media has filled that void with Trump.
More debates not scheduled for minimal impact, more drama in the Democratic primary. More drama causes more coverage of the Democratic primary, which leads to less time filled by Trump.
still_one
(92,217 posts)Trump's coverage is happening outside of the republican debates, not because of them. At least that is my perception.
I understand the point being made, I just don't agree that Trump has been "elevated" because of the lack of Democratic debates.
jeff47
(26,549 posts)The point is there is a void, and it's being filled by Trump. That has zero to do with the Republican debates. He's controversial and he gets eyeballs. A Republican debate is not required for that.
With the media refusing to cover a Democrat not named Clinton, and the lack of Democratic debates to build drama, the media has to fill airtime somehow. They are filling it with Trump, whether or not he is in a debate.
jalan48
(13,870 posts)elleng
(130,964 posts)brooklynite
(94,592 posts)...to hang an anchor like Trump on the Republicans is a brilliant tactic.
leftofcool
(19,460 posts)still_one
(92,217 posts)Trump, or Cruz or Rubio.
To blame that on the DNC makes no sense at all.
What O'Malley can argue, is that the lack of Democratic debates are not providing him a chance to get his message out to Democrats.
merrily
(45,251 posts)still_one
(92,217 posts)candidate on the issues. I don't believe the lack of Democratic debates elevate Trump though.
merrily
(45,251 posts)The paucity of debates is a disservice to voters, to Sanders and O'Malley and to the supporters of Sanders and O'Malley. In that it also left the field clear for Republicans so long, and deprives candidates of free air time, it disserves the entire Democratic Party...with the possible exception of the candidate who requested only four debates.
brooklynite
(94,592 posts)still_one
(92,217 posts)At this point it is most likely an academic exercise because I do not believe that they are going to add more debates to the schedule.
It is what it is
...great post!
Renew Deal
(81,861 posts)UglyGreed
(7,661 posts)ain't that the truth K/R