indica News Bureau-
The campaign of Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, has released a statement requesting that the Democratic National Committee change the list of polls certified by the party and used to determine which candidates will qualify for its next debate to “ensure transparency and fairness.”
Gabbard, a converted Hindu who represents Hawaii in the U.S. Congress, has exceeded 2 percent in 26 national and state polls, according to the campaign, only two of those polls are on the DNC’s certified list, potentially leaving Gabbard short of meeting the party’s requirements to take the stage at the next debate.
The DNC requires candidates to score at least 2 percent in four party-certified polls to qualify for the third and fourth Democratic primary debates, but the DNC has not released the selection criteria for the 16 certified polling organizations, the Gabbard campaign said in the statement.
In addition, candidates must get donations from at least 130,000 unique donors, to qualify for the next round of debates set for Texas Southern University, a historically black institution, in Houston spread out over Sept. 12 and 13 depending on the number of qualifying candidates, according to published reports. ABC and Univision are scheduled to host.
The campaign statement said many of the uncertified polls, including those done by The Economist and the Boston Globe, are ranked by Real Clear Politics and FiveThirtyEight as more accurate than some DNC certified polls.
“The Democratic National Committee has the responsibility to facilitate more conversations between the future leaders of this country, not less,” the campaign statement said. “Notably, there have been only four qualifying polls released after the second Democratic primary debate compared with fourteen qualifying polls released in
the month after the first Democratic primary debate.”
Gabbard received 2 percent in a qualifying CNN poll released last week, leaving her two DNC-certified polls away from qualifying for the debates in Houston next month, according to the campaign.
The Gabbard campaign said that in the interest of “transparency and fairness: it is calling on the DNC to deliver on the party’ promise made last year to reassess and adjust the debate qualifying process.
“Crucial decisions on debate qualifications that impact the right of the American people to have the opportunity to participate fully in the Democratic process should not be made in secret by party bosses,” the campaign’s statement said. “For the sake of democracy, those decisions must be made openly, with clear and consistent standards and a sufficient window of opportunity for candidates to demonstrate genuine grassroots momentum and enthusiasm.”
In related news, two Republican candidates have entered the GOP race for the nomination, challenging incumbent President. Donald Trump. For Massachusetts Gov.
William Weld. who has long been talking about entering the race, announced last week he is running. Former Congressman for Illinois and conservative talk show host Joe
Walsh said Sunday that he is running to change the direction of the party and the country.
