We are nearing the end of the “pre-season” of the nomination process.  Next week will be the last official debate before the Iowa Caucuses (which are less than four weeks away).    While there are some additional post-Iowa debates scheduled, what happens to them is still somewhat up in the air.

In any case, the results on the ground will soon make the debate about debates slip into the background.  And, if the voters are sensible in November, the Democratic Party will not have to consider debate rules for another eight years (although the last clowns in the clown car that is the Trump Republican Party will have to decide the rules for the 2024 debate regardless of the results of this year’s election).

One thing that both parties should have learned from the last two cycles is that the size of the field matters.  If you only have six or seven “recognized” candidates, there is no need to pick and choose between them.  Whomever is running can be in the debate.  The problem is when you have more candidates running.  Even with a three-hour debate, seven candidates equals about twenty-five minutes of speaking time per candidate (less time for the moderators to ask questions).  More candidates reduce that minimal time even more.  And at a certain point, there are simply too many candidates and you need to have two (or more) separate debates for each round of debates. Continue Reading...