The first televised debate for Democrats seeking the presidency will be held on the evening of April 26, at South Carolina State University. Eight candidates will participate. Their names, followed by their showings in the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll taken April 20-23, are below:
Hillary Clinton 36%, Barack Obama 31%, John Edwards 20%, Joe Biden 3%, Bill Richardson 2%, Dennis Kucinich 1%, Chris Dodd 0%, Mike Gravel 0%.
For general election presidential debates, the Commission on Presidential Debates applies a 15% polling standard. If that standard were applied to the April 26 Democratic debate, the field would be trimmed from 8 candidates to 3.
Considering their long-running prejudice toward minor-parties, I dub the Commission on Presidential Debates: the “Omission on Presidential Debates.”
My top 3 picks before tonight’s democratic debate are:
1) BILL RICHARDSON
2) Mike Gravel
3) Write in Candidate (Al Gore)
Al Gore won. These Democrats were just dreadful that Gore must be licking his chops from Tribeca.