getting gritty in the motor city
reviewing the 2nd Democratic debate (Night 2)

August 1, 2019 – After a quiet first night of debates, Ballotball refs had their hands full calling penalties on night 2. Find out who was flagged for not answering questions below.

night 2 candidates

California Senator Kamala Harris
Penalty for changing the subject – While responding to a criticism of her health care plan by Congresswoman Gabbard, Harris announced she was changing the subject and criticized Vice President Biden’s plan. You better believe that drew a penalty from the Ballotball referees.
New York Senator Kristen Gillibrand
Penalty for not answering the question – Senator Gillibrand was asked her opinion on Senator Harris’ Medicare for All plan. Instead, she explained why she wants to improve healthcare and blamed Republicans for standing in the way.
Vice President Joe Biden
Penalty for not answering the question – When asked about what he was doing while the Obama administration deported 3 million undocumented immigrants, Vice President Biden praised his former boss for creating the DREAM Act and DACA.
New Jersey Senator Cory Booker
Penalty for not answering the question – Senator Booker was asked to explain how he claimed to support Medicare for All, but opposed eliminating private insurance (which is what Medicare for All would do). Rather than address the question, Booker criticized President Trump, discussed his personal biography, and called for an end to Democratic squabbling on the issue.
Secretary Julian Cástro
Penalty for not answering the question – Secretary Castro was asked about his plan to decriminalize crossing the border and instead make it a civil offense. He was asked whether this would increase the amount of illegal border crossings. Instead, he stated his intent to end family separations and increase foreign aid to countries where immigrants come from, but he never definitively said whether his plan would increase illegal immigration.

The Penalties

Candidates can receive a penalty for the following infractions:

  • Failing to answer a question
This one is pretty self explanatory. Candidates might have a good reason to avoid the question, but this is a debate and if you're not here to answer the questions, then it's just a televised press conference. 

  • Failing to stay on topic
For instance, in an earlier debate, Lindsey Graham was asked about his opinion on the right of bakers to refuse to cater a gay wedding. He responded: "Whether you're the wedding cake baker or the gay couple or the Baptist preacher, radical Islam would kill you all if they could."

  • Candidates can receive a technical foul by comparing their opponents to the Nazis.
​​This rule might be controversial due to the innumerable times Donald Trump's opponents have compared his xenophobic policies to Nazism. However, going back to the first debate, we, at Ballotball, have held a zero-tolerance policy towards Nazi comparisons. We flagged Lindsey Graham for comparing ISIL to the Nazis, and we were watching Governor Mike Huckabee closely after he compared President Obama to the Nazis after he agreed to the Iran nuclear deal (this didn't happen during a debate, so no penalty was issued). The reason for this rule is threefold:
  1. Nazi comparisons are lazy. If you'd like to compare Donald Trump's ban on Muslims entering the country to a historical precedent, why not try McCarthyism, or the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, or the Jim Crow south? Instead, people always grab the low-hanging fruit of the Nazis to make their point.
  2. Nazi comparisons ignore the fact that there are still Nazi parties alive and well in many countries. They have not receded to the dustbin of history and currently have at least one member sitting on the European Parliament. 
  3. This is a debate. And nothing shuts down a debate faster than a Nazi comparison. It is our strong opinion that such comparisons send all parties to the barricades and prevent anyone from actually communicating. Disagree strongly, and make your case the best you can, but leave the Nazi metaphors at home, please.