Why Some Democrats Are Calling New Presidential Debate Schedule 'Ridiculous'

[Communists In America]

While the Republican presidential candidates are just hours from
taking the stage at their first debate, Democrats have just
rolled out a schedule for their own six debates -- but not
everybody is happy about it.

Former Maryland governor Martin O'Malley's campaign called the
schedule "ridiculous," asserting that Democrats are hosting a
small number of debates in order to help Hillary Clinton
maintain her frontrunner status.

"The DNC just released their debate schedule, and it is one of
the slimmest that I have ever seen," says strategist Bill Hyers,
whose candidate is polling in the low single digits, roughly 50
points behind frontrunner Hillary Clinton. "What they’re
proposing does not give you, the voters, ample opportunity to
hear from the Democratic candidates for President."

"If anything, it seems geared toward limiting debate and
facilitating a coronation, not promoting a robust debate and
primary process," he said.

Martin O'Malley ?@MartinOMalley
Hey @TheDemocrats: hands off our debates! You're not in charge.
They should be set by the voters, not folks in DC. #WeNeedDebate
8:30 AM - 6 Aug 2015
87 87 Retweets 65 65 favorites

Democrats are slated to host four of their six debates before
the Iowa caucuses in January, according to a statement released
late Thursday morning. The first Democratic presidential debate
is scheduled roughly two months from now. ABC News will co-host
one of the debates in Manchester, New Hampshire on December 19.
Four of the six debates will take place before the Iowa caucuses
in January.

Here is the full list of Democratic debates:

1. October 13 – CNN – Nevada, TBD

2. November 14 – CBS/KCCI/Des Moines Register – Des Moines, Iowa

3. December 19 – ABC/WMUR – Manchester, New Hampshire

4. January 17 – NBC/Congressional Black Caucus Institute –
Charleston, South Carolina

5. February or March, TBD – Univision/Washington Post – Miami

6. February or March, TBD – PBS – Wisconsin, TBD

Vermont's independent Senator Bernie Sanders, who is polling in
the high teens nationally, has also asked for more debates, even
rolling out an online petition requesting debates earlier in the
race for the nomination.

But Democratic Party Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz disagreed.

"These six debates will ... give caucus goers and primary voters
ample opportunity to hear from our candidates about their vision
for our country’s future," she said in a statement.

Hillary Clinton campaign strategist Joel Benenson told reporters
during a call yesterday that Clinton is looking forward to
debating. "She prides herself on doing very well in debates," he
said.

The Democrats held roughly 25 presidential debates in the 2008
election cycle - four times as many as they will hold this year.
And they are hosting about half of the 11 debates that the
Republicans currently plan to hold throughout the primary
process.

While Republicans are hosting their first debate in the
important general election swing state of Ohio, the Democrats
are headed to the early primary states. Their first four debates
will be in Nevada, Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/presidential-debate-times-watch-
democrats-duke/story?id=32920797