The first whammy in Miami
reviewing the 1st Democratic debate (Night 1)

June 27, 2019 – The first 10 Democratic candidates went at it last night in Miami. Ballotball referees had a light night, with just six penalty calls all night. Only a few candidates had trouble answering their question or strayed off topic. Read below for more details.

night 1 candidates

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren
Penalty for not answering question - ​Senator Warren was asked if the government should go beyond banning the sale of new assault weapons and go after assault weapons that are already owned by Americans. In response, she said she would not do this in the case of gun collectors, but did not clearly respond to the question.
Former Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke
Penalty for not answering question - ​The Congressman was asked specifically if he supported a 70% marginal tax for the richest taxpayers. Instead of weighing in on an issue that might divide voters, he derided Republicans for passing tax cuts and vowed to improve voting rights and curb gerrymandering.
New Jersey Senator Cory Booker
Penalty for not answering question - ​Senator Booker was asked about his proposed gun buy back program. He talked passionately about his personal history of dealing with gun violence, but didn’t mention the program.
Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard
Penalty for changing the subject - The Congresswoman was asked about how she would tackle the issue of equal pay for women. Instead of answering the question, she talked about her experience as a Major in the army and the dangers of fighting unnecessary wars overseas.
Former Maryland Congressman John Delaney
Penalty for not answering question - Several candidates exchanged comments about getting rid of private insurance in favor of Medicare for all. Congressman Delaney joined in on the discussion but then changed the topic to his own biography-i.e., growing up as the son of a union electrician.

Penalty for not answering question - When asked if Donald Trump should be prosecuted after leaving office, the Congressman repeatedly ignored the question before changing the topic to the economy.

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.