Martin O'Malley's Team Slams DNC for Limiting Debates

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley isn’t happy there will be only six debates between the Democratic presidential candidates. O’Malley’s team is calling foul on the Democratic National Committee’s announcement on Thursday about the six debates. 

“I can’t believe this just happened,” Bill Hyers, a strategist with O’Malley’s team, emailed supporters on Thursday. “The DNC just released their debate schedule, and it is one of the slimmest that I have ever seen. Literally. What they’re proposing does not give you, the voters, ample opportunity to hear from the Democratic candidates for president.

“The DNC has no place determining how many times voters in early states can hear from presidential candidates, and what's ironic is that their schedule has made this process much less democratic,” Hyers continued. “They’ve  tried this before and failed -- but this year, they’re threatening to ban candidates who participate in ‘unsanctioned’ debates from participating in any other debates. This isn't how democracy works.

“For decades, the tradition and importance of robust debates has defined and enriched our election process -- especially in early states," Hyers added. In the 2004 presidential election cycle, there were 15 primary debates. In 2008, there were 25. This year, the DNC's schedule proposes just four debates before the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary, and their arbitrary rules of exclusion are not only contrary to our democracy, they are clearly geared toward limiting a debate on the issues and instead facilitating a coronation. It’s ridiculous. The campaign for presidency should be about giving voters an opportunity to hear from every candidate and decide on the issues, not stacking the deck in favor of a chosen candidate.”

Hyers was briefly affiliated with former Gov. Charlie Crist’s 2014 gubernatorial bid but left out after a few days with rumors of conflicts with the candidate’s wife. Crist refused to debate his Democratic primary challenger, former state Senate Minority Leader Nan Rich.