Today is the final day that any 2020 Democratic presidential candidate can qualify for the third debate. ABC revealed that next month’s discussion would take place on September 12 (and 13th if needed) at Texas Southern University. Per DNC guidelines, each candidate is to have a minimum of 2% support in four polls and contributions from at least 130,000 individual donors. Per these requirements, nearly half of all of the remaining 21 candidates meet the criteria to move on to the “Magnolia City.”
So, who is left?
According to US Today, the following ten candidates have qualified:
- Former Vice President Joe Biden
- Senator Bernie Sanders – Vermont
- Senator Elizabeth Warren – Massachusetts
- Senator Kamala Harris – California
- Senator Cory Booker – New Jersey
- Senator Amy Klobuchar – Minnesota
- Mayor Pete Buttigieg – South Bend, Indiana
- Former Representative Beto O’Rourke – Texas
- Andrew Yang – Entrepreneur
- Former HUD Secretary Julian Castro
According to the most recent polling data, Biden still maintains an average double-digit lead over the rest of the Democratic field.
| Poll | Date | Biden | Sanders | Warren | Harris | Buttigieg | O’Rourke | Booker | Yang | Gabbard | Castro | Klobuchar | Williamson | Steyer | Spread |
| RCP Average | 08/9 – 08/26 | 28 | 17.7 | 16 | 7.7 | 4.6 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.6 | Biden +10.3 |
| Emerson | 08/09 -08/26 | 31 | 24 | 15 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Biden +7 |
| Politico | 08/24 – 08/25 | 33 | 20 | 15 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Biden +13 |
| Monmouth | 08/16 – 08/20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | TIE |
| Economist/YouGov | 08/17 – 08/20 | 22 | 19 | 18 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Biden +3 |
| CNN | 08/15 – 08/18 | 29 | 15 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Biden +14 |
| Fox News | 08/11 – 08/13 | 31 | 10 | 20 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | Biden +11 |
| The Hill/HarrisX | 08/09 – 08/10 | 31 | 16 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | Biden +15 |
And then there were 4?
Given the above polling data, only four candidates (Biden, Sanders, Warren, and Harris) are trending in double figures. More importantly, even though ten candidates may move on to next month’s debate in Houston, the Democratic field of 21 is dwindling to 4. Several of the bottom-feeding Democrats (trending below 2%) are displeased with the new debate requirement. Many have petitioned the DNC to allow for participation in a single-issue debate. However, this movement quickly quashed with Beto O’Rourke and the rest of the “2-percenters or less” left criticizing the DNC for their “removal from relevance.” Candidates without face-time are about as popular as AOC’s New Green Deal. Three additional bottom-trending Dems are hoping for an eleventh-hour “Hail Mary” in hopes in making the Houston debate.
The three on life support are:
- Tom Steyer – Businessman
- Representative Tulsi Gabbard – Hawaii
- Senator Kirsten Gillibrand – New York
Of the 3, Steyer is standing the best shot in sneaking into Houston, having met the 130,000-donor requirement. The latest poll coming out tomorrow is trending Steyer over the 2-percent threshold; however, the DNC will review all incoming data tomorrow before announcing the debate field.
So, what’s next?
The NFL Regular Season begins September 5. The second Thursday Night Football game scheduled for debate night with the Carolina Panthers taking on a divisional rival, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. It would be safe to assume that most Americans would rather see Cam Newton dive across the goal line than see 8-9 “2-percenters” take on a “Socialistic Squad of 4” made of the best that the Democrats could muster to take on Trump in 2020.
ou can contact Eric Wright through the Liberty Loft website or by Twitter.
