DNC should be cautious about overemphasizing debates, as Trump may skip them in 2020
By Aaron Kall, opinion contributor — 01/27/19 03:00 PM EST The primary debate schedule constructed by the Democratic National Committee during the 2016 presidential election cycle was an unmitigated disaster for the party and its candidates. Former Maryland Governor and presidential candidate Martin O'Malley candidly referred to it as "a thinly veiled sham and a fraud."
Only six debates were initially sanctioned and they didn't begin until October of 2015, just months before the first votes were cast in Iowa. To add insult to injury, several of the debates occurred on weekends and holidays, which generally ensures less attention and media coverage.
Analysis by a Democratic think tank found that television viewership of the 12 Republican primary debates was more than double the audience that Democrats had.
The DNC and its former chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz were accused of trying to protect frontrunner Hillary Clinton through a "rigged" debate process. After internal party and campaign e-mails were released by WikiLeaks, these accusations of bias only gained additional traction. Supporters of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders were especially incensed by these revelations, which further complicated party unity at the conclusion of the Democratic primary. Many of these voters refused to support Clinton in the general election and some even ended up backing Donald Trump for president.
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https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/427099-dnc-should-be-cautious-about-overemphasizing-debates-as-trump-may-skip-them
