Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is reportedly considering a boycott of the October Democratic debate, accusing the Democratic National Committee of rigging the primary process for the second consecutive election cycle.
In a video posted to the Congresswoman's Twitter account, she pointed to what she described as nontransparent qualification requirements as evidence that party leaders "are trying to hijack the entire election process.”
I am seriously considering boycotting October 15 debate to bring attention to DNC/corporate media’s effort to rig 2020 primary. Not against Bernie this time, but against voters in early states Iowa, New Hampshire, South… –> https://t.co/x5P3GFGbyn
pic.twitter.com/UgKCj6DGI0— Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard) October 10, 2019
"The 2016 Democratic Primary election was rigged by the DNC and their partners in the corporate media against Bernie Sanders,” Gabbard said in the video. “In this 2020 election, the DNC and corporate media are rigging the election again, but this time against the American people in the early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada.”
Gabbard is one of 12 candidates who have qualified for the debate slated to take place next week, but with increasing qualification thresholds, four candidates, including author Marianne Williamson, have not been invited to participate.
I have great respect for Tulsi for saying such inconvenient truth. She is absolutely correct. https://t.co/HDRV5avPMO
— Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) October 10, 2019
Even candidates who have had more success in the polls, like Sen. Bernie Sanders, are calling for less influence of outside forces on voters. Monday, the Vermont senator released an anti-corruption plan that aims to eliminate corporate money's influence within political parties, national party conventions and presidential inaugurations.
Sanders' plan would also end the Federal Election Commission and replace it with a Federal Election Administration and attempt to overturn the Supreme Court ruling Buckley v. Valeo, which considers money the same as constitutionally protected free speech.
“When we win the Democratic nomination and defeat Donald Trump, we will transform our political system by rejecting the influence of big corporate money,” Sanders said in a series of tweets. “Our grassroots-funded campaign is proving every single day that you don’t need billionaires and private fundraisers to run for president.”
With Gabbard's boycott gaining more and more traction, it will be interesting to see if she stands by her decision or ultimately decides to take the stage Tuesday at Ohio's Otterbein University.
