The first whammy in Miami
previewing the 1st Democratic debate (Night 2)

June 26, 2019 – All eyes are on Miami as the Democrats come to town. Over the next two nights, 20 candidates will fight for air time as they try to convince their party's voters that they should be the one to take on Donald Trump in the 2020 election. 

As always, Ballotball.com is going to play referee at the debate. We don't pick a winner—you, the voter, should decide that for yourself. But we do try to keep the bout civil by throwing flags and calling penalties in real time. There are essentially only 3 rules: answer the question, don't stray off topic, and don't compare any of your opponents to the Nazis.

​Enjoy this brief preview below and then tune back in the day after the debate to find out who received penalties.

night 2 candidates

Former Vice President Joe Biden
If Senator Warren was the front runner on the first night, former Vice President Biden is the clear front runner on night two. However, running in the front of the pack puts a bull's eye on your back. Expect his rivals to get their shots in early and often.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders
After performing radically better in the 2016 election than the Ballotball.com editorial board expected, we aren't going to underestimate the Senator's chances this time around. However, 2016 had far fewer candidates to compete with--so, how will Senator Sanders adapt his strategy?
South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg
Mayor Buttigieg's star has risen quickly already during this campaign. But with an ongoing police scandal in his home town and the first debate looming, how will he respond?
California Senator Kamala Harris
Senator Harris has been seen as a top tier contender since she announced her candidacy. How will her years as a prosecutor prepare her for the debate?
New York Senator Kristen Gillibrand
While all the Democrats are competing to succeed Hillary Clinton as the party's nominee, only Senator Gillibrand has experience in that regard. She succeeded Clinton as the junior senator from New York in 2009.
Former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper
One of two Coloradans in the race, former Governor Hickenlooper will likely court the moderate democratic vote.
Venture Capitalist Andrew Yang
Though he has no experience in political office, Yang does have a strong list of issues he'll talk about on Thursday night. Expect him to mention his plan for a universal basic income, early and often.
Colorado Senator Michael Bennet
At first we thought that Senator Bennet's wikipedia page had been falsified. But it turns out that he was, in fact, born in India. His father was serving as an aide to the US Ambassador.
Author Marianne Williamson
​Best-selling author and activist Marianne Williamson is running for President of the United States.
California Congressman Eric Swalwell 
Congressman Swalwell became eligible for this debate by having at least 65,000 unique donors or having at least 1% support in three national polls. The more you know.

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.