LIVE – Watch the last #DemDebate before Iowa Caucuses
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The Democratic candidates for President are in South Carolina for their fourth presidential debate and the New York Times says “while the previous events had few fireworks, Sunday night’s promises to be a feistier affair.”1 That’s because with the Iowa caucuses only two weeks away, the race there has gotten much closer — especially between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton.
So far, candidates have been asked about nonsense issues and gaffes 100 percent more than they have about climate change so far.2 But there’s reason to think that could change tonight — if we tune in and tell NBC (the host of tonight’s debate) that we want them to #AskOnClimate. Here’s why: all three of the leading Democrats on the stage tonight have laid our ambitious plans to tackle Climate Change, but the plans are not all the same or equally clear.3 And with last week’s Republican debate being criticized for focussing too much on biting, personal attacks, NBC will be looking for topics and questions that let candidates talk forcefully but respectfully about their differences.
But it’s where they’ll be asking that’s our biggest opportinity: NBC is streaming the debate on YouTube, and using data and comments there, along with Google trends data, to come up with some of the questions asked during the debate. Twitter and Facebook will also be loaded with commentary NBC will look at to pick questions and topics. If we show up, not just to watch but to PARTICIPATE on those social media channels – we can tell NBC to #AskOnClimate in a way they’ll notice.
It all starts tonight, Sunday, January 17, 2016 at 9 ET (8pm CT, 6pm PT) on NBC and even if you’re not the most computer-savy person out there, we’ve made it simple to watch and communicate with NBC through social media
Tonight’s debate will be live from the Gaillard Center in Charleston, South Carolina, and is organized by the Congressional Black Caucus Institute. Anchor Lester Holt, the first African-American to host of a major network’s nightly newscast, will moderate.
There’s no ‘undercard’ or earlier debate so all three candidates will be on stage at once, though Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley only just barely qualified in recent polls. It’s these candidates final chance to make their cases to a national audience before the first ballots are cast in Iowa on February 1, followed by New Hampshire on February 9.
I know it’s a holiday weekend and all (more on what we think of this debate schedule another time), but if you’re free tonight, wont you join us?