The Democratic National Committee is seeking to avoid the disaster that was the 2016 Democratic presidential primary. Former DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz was berated for months for limiting the number of Democratic debates to six, a decision which clearly favored candidate Hillary Clinton, who enjoyed both clout and name recognition. Others, like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), had to fight to be noticed. Voters booed Democratic leadership for essentially silencing their preferred candidates. The candidates should be getting a fairer shot in the primary process in 2020, with the DNC having scheduled double the amount of debates. Yet, because of the vast amount of candidates, still not everyone will get a spot on the stage. The committee's new criteria for debate participation asks for candidates to reach a certain threshold in either polling or grassroots fundraising. Only the top 20 will make it and if necessary, the debate will be stretched to two nights. “We’ve spent months working with media partners to provide this unprecedented opportunity for candidates and voters to get to know each other,” DNC Chair Tom Perez said. “Because campaigns are won on the strength of their grassroots, we also updated the threshold, giving all types of candidates the opportunity to reach the debate stage and giving small-dollar donors a bigger voice in the primary than ever before.” Donna Brazile wrote a whole book about the preferential treatment she witnessed while serving as the DNC's interim chair in 2016. For instance, the committee entered into a joint fundraising agreement with the Clinton campaign that allowed them to "control" the DNC's funds. It was revealed on Thursday that NBC News, MSNBC and Telemundo will be hosting the first Democratic presidential primary debate in June 2019. NBC News chairman Andy Lack congratulated his team and he promised voters they can expect a fair, formidable contest. “Our coverage will reflect what the American people have come to expect of us: a substantive, rigorous, and inclusive examination of the candidates’ views across the most important issues," he wrote in a memo.<doc-sep>The Democratic National Committee on Thursday unveiled the criteria for participation in the first two presidential primary debates, splitting the debates across two consecutive nights to accommodate an already sprawling field of candidates. Party officials, anticipating a rush of candidates eager to grab a spot in the nationally televised forums, created a new set of standards that would accommodate a maximum of 20 candidates. To qualify, a candidate must either reach 1 percent in three approved polls or raise money from at least 65,000 donors in 20 states, with at least 200 unique donors in each state. Each candidate’s slot will be selected by a random drawing. The criteria will apply only to the first two debates, scheduled for back-to-back weeknights in June and July, allowing the committee to update its requirements as the field shifts. NBC News, MSNBC and Telemundo are sponsoring the first debate, and CNN will host the second, with specific dates and locations to be announced in the coming weeks.<doc-sep>CEO of ADL: Seeing a 'blitzkrieg of anti-Jewish' acts across US Dana Bash: This is so telling about where the Republican party is NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 24: Trump Tower stands on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan on August 24, 2018 in New York City. Following new allegations over hush money that former Trump attorney Michael Cohen paid to an adult-film actress, the Manhattan district attorneyÕs office in New York City may seek criminal charges against the Trump Organization in the coming days. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Why GOP is standing in the way of Capitol riot investigation WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 08: US Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner (R-VA) remarks on the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld at the US Capitol November 8, 2006 in Washington, DC. Warner said he supports President George W. Bush's nomination of former CIA Director Robert Gates for Secretary of Defense. Warner said he anticipates Gates' confirmation before the end of the year. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), joined by Senate Assistant Minority Leader John Thune (R-SD) (L) and Senate Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO), speaks following a Senate Republican Policy luncheon at the Russell Senate Office Building on May 18, 2021 in Washington, DC. Hear what Matt Gaetz said about Paul Ryan before his speech Former GOP senator: If McConnell said this, 'it's shameful' 'Some people have no shame': Biden calls out GOP lawmakers with list (CNN) — The Democratic National Committee on Thursday announced details for the first two presidential primary debates of the 2020 cycle, with plans to hold each debate over two consecutive nights in anticipation of a large field of candidates. The first debate will take place in June and the second one in July of 2019. NBC, MSNBC and Telemundo are set to partner on the June debate, and CNN is set to host the July event. Each debate will feature randomized lineups drawn from a maximum of 20 qualifying candidates, according to the DNC. A total of 12 presidential primary debates are planned during the 2020 cycle. The exact dates and locations of the debates were not announced. The Democratic field to take on President Donald Trump in 2020 is already large and diverse, with 11 contenders in the race and other high-profile candidates, including former Vice President Joe Biden and former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, still considering a run. Qualifying for the debates is based on a “two-path” system, determined by both polling and grassroots fundraising. The selection methodology will use “the two measures in combination” if more than 20 candidates qualify and the field needs to be narrowed down. “We’ve spent months working with media partners to provide this unprecedented opportunity for candidates and voters to get to know each other. Because campaigns are won on the strength of their grassroots, we’ve also updated the threshold, giving all types of candidates the opportunity to reach the debate stage and giving small-dollar donors a bigger voice in the primary than ever before,” DNC Chair Tom Perez said in a statement. According to the DNC, candidates “may qualify for the debate by registering at 1% or more support in three separate polls (either national polls or polls of the electorate in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and/or Nevada) publicly released between January 1, 2019, and 14 days prior to the date of the debate,” with “qualifying polls” coming from a DNC-approved list. That list includes polls from the Associated Press, ABC News, CBS News, CNN, Des Moines Register, Fox News, Las Vegas Review-Journal, Monmouth University, NBC News, New York Times, NPR, Quinnipiac University, Reuters, University of New Hampshire, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Washington Post and Winthrop University. The three polls used by candidates to qualify for the debate must be from three different organizations, or the same organization but of different geographical areas. In addition to the polling criteria, candidates may qualify if they have received campaign contributions from at least 65,000 unique donors, and a minimum of 200 unique donors per state in at least 20 US states. If more than 20 candidates qualify, the selection would prioritize those who met both thresholds, followed by those who met just the polling threshold, and then grassroots fundraising. The new selection criteria will initially apply only to the first two debates. The DNC first announced its plans to hold 12 debates in December. Six of the debates will be held in 2019, while another six will be held in 2020. In addition to the June and July debates, there will be one debate in September, October, November and December this year. The final debate is set to take place in April 2020, roughly two months before the Democratic National Convention in July.<doc-sep>
NBC News, MSNBC and Telemundo will host the first 2020 presidential primary debate in June, the Democratic National Committee announced Thursday. The debate could be held over two consecutive nights in prime time, given the anticipated size of the field, the DNC said. NBC News, MSNBC and Telemundo will broadcast the debate simultaneously on back-to-back weeknights in June, should multiple debate stages be necessary. The debate will also stream online free on NBC News' digital platforms, including NBCNews.com, MSNBC.com, the NBC News Mobile App and OTT apps in addition to Telemundo’s digital platforms. The debate location and exact dates are yet to be announced. The commission's chairman, Tom Perez, said in a statement Thursday that he is "committed to running an open and transparent primary process," which includes updating the threshold for candidates to qualify for a spot on the debate stage that places a premium on grassroots support. According to the DNC, the lineups for each debate will be chosen at random, not strictly from how candidates are ranked in polls. To qualify, a candidate will need to either have at least 1 percent support in three qualifying polls, or provide evidence of at least 65,000 unique donors, with a minimum of 200 different donors in at least 20 states. If more than 20 candidates reach one of those two qualifications, the top 20 will be selected by using a separate method that rewards contenders for meeting both thresholds, followed by highest polling averages, and then the most unique donors. There will be 12 debates in total over the 2020 Democratic primary season — the June debate is the first of six scheduled this year, with six more scheduled for 2020. CNN will host the second debate in July. The expanded debate platform comes after the party was criticized in previous presidential primary cycles for having too few debates. A number of prominent Democrats, including Sens. Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand and Amy Klobuchar, have already announced their campaigns, with others like former Vice President Joe Biden and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders contemplating getting into the race as well. CORRECTION (Feb. 14, 2019, 8 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated one qualification to make it to the Democratic debate stage. Candidates must provide evidence of at least 65,000 unique donors, not $65,000 in individual donations.