Several prominent Democrats are calling out the Democratic National Committee (DNC) for refusing to host primary debates in the upcoming election cycle — especially amid widespread concern over President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline and potential corruption.
Both of Biden’s current Democratic challengers, bestselling author Marianne Williamson and environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr., condemned the DNC’s decision.
“The DNC ‘plans no primary debates.’ As though there simply ARE no other candidates … no other ideas we should discuss about ways to win in 2024, or other ideas we should discuss about ways to repair the country. Too many people are too smart to accept this,” Williamson said in a tweet.
The DNC “plans no primary debates.”
As though there simply ARE no other candidates … no other ideas we should discuss about ways to win in 2024, or other ideas we should discuss about ways to repair the country.
Too many people are too smart to accept this.
— Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) April 24, 2023
“I think that’s a bad thing for democracy,” Kennedy Jr. said during an interview on Newsmax. “I think… right now, there’s so many people who think that the system is rigged against them — the economic system and the political system. And they’ve lost faith in American democracy.”
Former Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner (D), who also served as co-chair of Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, called the DNC’s decision “undemocratic” and argued that it “robs voters of choice.”
“It’s simple — I believe in democracy, therefore I believe in debates. The DNC, RNC, and every third party should hold that same belief in a democracy. This isn’t a radical idea,” Turner said in a tweet on Monday.
It’s simple — I believe in democracy, therefore I believe in debates.
The DNC, RNC, and every third party should hold that same belief in a democracy.
This isn’t a radical idea.
— Nina Turner (@ninaturner) April 24, 2023
Another prominent Democrat, Cenk Uygur of the podcast The Young Turks, also referred to the decision as “undemocratic” — while calling it a “power grab” and asserting that the decision essentially means the DNC doesn’t want Biden to be challenged.
“DNC has already announced that it will not allow any debates in the 2024 primary. Biden is not to be challenged. Everyone on the Democratic side must shut up and fall in line. Not having debates is undemocratic and ridiculous. No progressive should agree to this kind of power grab,” Uygur tweeted.
DNC has already announced that it will not allow any debates in 2024 primary. Biden is not to be challenged. Everyone on the Democratic side must shut up and fall in line. Not having debates is undemocratic and ridiculous. No progressive should agree to this kind of power grab.
— Cenk Uygur (@cenkuygur) April 24, 2023
Twitter CEO Elon Musk also commented on the decision in several different tweets on Tuesday, announcing that Twitter would be giving each candidate a voice even if the DNC won’t.
“We will do our best to support candidates from all parties, so that the public may make the most informed choice. Far too much back room dealing seems to be happening,” Musk tweeted, responding to a tweet asking him to “consider hosting political debates on Twitter.”
We will do our best to support candidates from all parties, so that the public may make the most informed choice.
Far too much back room dealing seems to be happening.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 25, 2023
The Twitter CEO also accused the Democrat Party of doing “far too much back room dealing.”
Meanwhile, the decision to not hold primary debates against a sitting president isn’t unusual — as the Republican National Committee (RNC) did the same for former President Donald Trump in 2020, due to Trump leading in the polls by a wide margin. However, some have pointed out that these two decisions are not the same, as there were no legitimate concerns about Trump’s cognitive abilities — nor was there as much backlash against his leadership within his own party. Many polls over the past year have shown that Democrat voters favor choosing a new candidate for 2024.
NBC Poll: 70% of Americans don't think Biden should run for reelection. Even 53% of 2020 BIDEN VOTERS say he shouldn’t run.
CNN Poll: Only 32% say Biden deserves to be reelected.
ABC Poll: Only 31% of DEMOCRATS want Biden to be their nominee.
— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) April 25, 2023
