Democratic presidential candidates have gathered in Manchester, N.H., of all places, to hold a debate on a Saturday night a few days before Christmas, when the NFL hosts a rare Saturday night game and when many are lining up for what may be the biggest movie of all time on its opening weekend.
Some had the nerve to suggest somebody didn’t want a huge audience–imagine.
For January’s Democratic debate, DNC will call the press 30 minutes beforehand and reveal its location in a riddle
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— Benjy Sarlin (@BenjySarlin) December 20, 2015
And this time, the Democrats have decided to start fighting–at least their campaigns–after Friday’s big political story, that members of the Bernie Sanders campaign accessed voter data compiled by Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton. Will the candidates clash on stage? Will anyone watch–even with the drama? We know this much: reporters will be there, and many of them will be quite cold, as the media filing center is situated inside an ice rink:
Press file and spin room. The briefing on ice, if you will…. #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/MNWcUVLUrT — Christina Reynolds (@creynoldsnc) December 19, 2015
The moderators tonight are David Muir and Martha Raddatz. The hashtag is #DemDebate. If you’re looking for a #DemDebate wine pairing, you might try one of the rich, bold reds they favor at Manchester’s popular Hanover Street Chop House, where you can get a glass of Seven Falls Cabernet from Washington State for $12.50.
If that’s not your style, you could grab one of the 30-plus beers they have on tap at Manchester’s Central Ale House, like, say, the Woostock Inn Pigs Ear Brown Ale. Now drink up and let’s get on with this Saturday night debate.
8:00 p.m. ET: Never Trust the Start Times ABC begins its 8 p.m. debate with a mini-newscast anchored by George Stephanopoulos. The mini-cast includes a report from the media filing center by correspondent Cecilia Vega on the data dispute, and a discussion of the latest polling with ABC chief White House correspondent Jon Karl.
Wait, what? 20 minutes until the debate? [Shakes fist at sky]
— Chris Cillizza (@TheFix) December 20, 2015
We imagine at some point ABC will actually air a debate. 8:17 p.m. ET: “Debate Ten Minutes Away” That’s what George Stephanopoulos just said. So if you thought you needed to rush the kids to bed and slam some food in the microwave in time to be in front of your TV at 8, expecting to see Hillary Clinton’s face as she knifed Bernie Sanders, well, you’ve been had.
This new thing where debates don’t start and end on time is crap. We need to revolt. — Lisa Tozzi (@lisatozzi) December 20, 2015
And so we repeat: drink up and let’s get on with this debate.
8:22 p.m. ET: What Are Those Green Things? ABC has–of course–a focus group of voters. But we couldn’t get past those green things on the table next to Byron Pitts. Mini-planters?
8:30 p.m. ET: The Debate Begins–With a Major Diss The first shot of the debate comes not from a candidate, but from ABC, which completely ignores Martin O’Malley in its dramatic open, shaping the debate as a fight between Bernie and Hillary. But seriously–not even a MENTION that there’s a third candidate?
8:37 p.m. ET: Apology. Apology Accepted. Sanders explained the data breach, was asked by Muir if he should apologize to Clinton, and he said flatly, “I apologize.” Not just to Clinton but also to his supporters. Clinton accepts. If you were hoping for a dustup…
8:55 p.m. ET: Whoa Whoa Whoa, Let’s Calm Down a Little Bit, Martin. The clash does come, but it’s Sanders and O’Malley, over gun control. O’Malley accuses Clinton and Sanders of being weak on gun control, and Sanders attempts to shut down O’Malley with “whoa, whoa, whoa…let’s calm down a little bit, Martin.”
9:02 p.m. ET: O’Malley Shut Down by Raddatz: Martin O’Malley is working hard to get into the debate, but Raddatz isn’t having it. “No, no, governor, no. no. Not yet, governor. I’ll come to you when we call on you,” she says when O’Malley tries to interject:
O’Malley just wanted to tell a little story. https://t.co/uUrmvM5dKh
— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) December 20, 2015
Raddatz’s questions–and refusal to roll when the candidates try to control the debate–is earning her kudos on Twitter:
Martha Raddatz should moderate all debates
— Gabriel Snyder (@gabrielsnyder) December 20, 2015
Can Martha Raddatz be president?
— Lydia Polgreen (@lpolgreen) December 20, 2015
Great Q by Martha Raddatz who knows foreign policy as well as anyone.”What’s your plan B?” Sanders: “My plan is to make it work.” #nprdebate
— Domenico Montanaro (@DomenicoNPR) December 20, 2015
9:25 p.m. ET: These Two are Both Old: Martin O’Malley bluntly suggests that he’s younger than Sanders and Clinton. “Can I offer a different generation’s perspective on this?” He gets boos and groans from the audience.
9:30 p.m. ET: Half-Time ABC takes a commercial break, and returns with shots of the audience milling about, stretching their legs. We are apparently in half-time, and fittingly, we go to the booth for some analysis from Stephanopoulos and Karl.
Now more commercials.
9:34 p.m. ET: Livid Over Livestream On Twitter, some journalists are complaining about the ABC debate livestream:
I want a debate with the person who arranged this livestream. ABC has such a sophisticated news operation. Let down by this tech malfunction
— Heidi N Moore (@moorehn) December 20, 2015
Getting nothing out of this debate because @ABC live stream is AWFUL. #DemDebate
— Shannon Vance (@shannonhvance) December 20, 2015
9:35 p.m. ET: Where’s Hillary? The debate resumes, but Hillary’s lectern is empty. Muir awkwardly asks if Mrs. Clinton will be walking onstage at any moment, then begins his next question.
Yo, they started without her? That’s … bold.
— Philip Bump (@pbump) December 20, 2015
Many observers noted that debate agreements with host networks usually include agreements that empty lecterns and references to candidates’ use of bathrooms will not make air. It was not immediately clear whether such an agreements was made between the Clinton campaign and ABC.
The audience cheers as Clinton returns, and says “sorry.”
“If they can’t start a meeting without you, well, that’s a meeting worth going to, isn’t it?” pic.twitter.com/TexeN8FUEa
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) December 20, 2015
9:40 p.m. ET: “Everybody Should” You’ll be seeing this clip all day tomorrow. But here it is right now, anyway:
.@DavidMuir asks @HillaryClinton: “Should corporate America love Hillary Clinton?” https://t.co/2uyOmzwGht pic.twitter.com/CRx6H3r46x
— POLITICO (@politico) December 20, 2015
9:45 p.m. ET: Trump Wins As the debate’s first hour ended, Twitter crunched the numbers–and in terms of new followers, Sanders is first, but Donald Trump is second:
— Twitter for News (@TwitterForNews) December 20, 2015
10:00 p.m. ET: Clinton vs. Muir David Muir repeatedly interrupts Clinton in an effort to move on to a new question, and it feels very, very awkward. Neither Clinton nor Muir gives in. Viewers express frustration:
Why do moderators keep cutting off the candidates when contrasting w/ each other? Let them work it out… you know, debate. #DemDebate
— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) December 20, 2015
Come on moderators, there is PLENTY of time (2+ hrs) to ask questions to three candidates. Let’em debate
— Mark Murray (@mmurraypolitics) December 20, 2015
David Muir stepped all over a great Clinton-Sanders exchange. “This is fun,” he says. It’s not — but it would be if he’d let them go.
— Eric Bradner (@ericbradner) December 20, 2015
9:34 p.m. Raddatz Fans Revolt They loved her tough questioning on foreign policy, but flowers and china patterns? Not so much. A question to Mrs. Clinton about the role of the presidential spouse fell flat for many:
Oh, Martha, Martha.
— Greg Mitchell (@GregMitch) December 20, 2015
Ugh. Went in loving Martha Raddatz. Now? Not so much. What an incredibly lame question. #DemDebate
— Joe Adalian (@TVMoJoe) December 20, 2015
The role of the president’s spouse? Martha I was rooting for you.
— Lisa Tozzi (@lisatozzi) December 20, 2015
.@ABC entirely left out immigration from #DemDebate a hugely important issue in the GOP debate last week. But we got to hear about WH china!
— Adrian Carrasquillo (@Carrasquillo) December 20, 2015
And there weren’t many fans for ABC’s repeated commercial breaks–and in-debate analysis. There were at our counting at least three breaks.
THERE IS MORE MID-DEBATE ANALYSIS! #saturdays! #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/61F8087bBp
— BuzzFeed Politics (@BuzzFeedPol) December 20, 2015
10:45 p.m. ET: Trump Responds Shortly after Jonathan Karl reported that Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump had maintained “radio silence” during the #DemDebate, the Donald emerged–to blast Stephanopoulos:
.@GStephanopoulos stupidly believes that Hillary wants to run against me because she said so. She says that so people believe it – opposite!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2015
10:50 p.m. ET: May the Force Be With You Coasting and comfortable, Hillary Clinton closes this strange debate with a surprising nod to what most people did instead of actually watching this debate. “Thank you, good night, and may the force be with you.”