Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders wants more Democratic primary debates — and also inter-party debates with all the GOP presidential candidates.
He’ll get no such thing.
On Monday, Sanders sent a letter to Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz requesting more than the six primary debates already sanctioned. He also asked for debates among Republican and Democratic hopefuls.
“I believe that these inter-party debates would put in dramatic focus the shallow and at times ridiculous policies and proposals being advocated by the Republican candidates and by their party’s platform,” Sanders wrote.
In response, DNC spokeswoman Holly Shulman told Politico’s Dylan Byers that the debate framework is already in place. She made no mention of Sanders’ request for inter-party debates.
But the Republican National Committee did not mince words, telling the Washington Examiner there would be no such debates.
“The RNC has made clear that if any Republican candidate participates in an unsanctioned debate they will not be allowed to take part in any of the other RNC sanctioned primary debates,” RNC spokesman James Hewitt said.
When asked if the RNC would ever sanction a debate among multiple candidates of both parties, Hewitt made clear: “That’s what general election debates are for.”
Sorry, Sanders, your only chance to debate a Republican presidential candidate will be to first take out Hillary Clinton in the Democratic debates and win your party’s primary.
