The three remaining Democratic presidential candidates will take the stage on Saturday in a debate sponsored by ABC News and the New Hampshire Democratic Party. The debate, taking place at Saint Anselm College, will be moderated by David Muir and Martha Raddatz. The local ABC affiliate in New Hampshire, WMUR, was booted from the debate sponsorship due to a labor union dispute.
Saturday, December 19, 2015
ABC News Democratic Debate
Aired On: ABC (Live Stream)
8pm ET (7pm CT, 5pm PT)
Candidates: Clinton, Sanders, O’Malley
Report from Politico:
The next debate is Saturday, live from Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire. Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley will return to a familiar weekend forum, this time hosted hosted by ABC News, the New Hampshire Democratic Party and the Union Leader. WMUR—a popular local TV station—was booted from the sponsorship list after a labor dispute between employees and ownership.
The location is a staple of American politics: The school’s Institute of Politics regularly hosts presidential candidates, and it plans to host a Republican debate in February. When bells rang out during a rally Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan held on campus in 2012, Romney joked that “only a Catholic guy would be able to get the bells to toll just at the right time at Saint Anselm’s.” John F. Kennedy—then a senator—gave one of his most famous speeches at the school.
The location is also friendly to the strongest underdog candidate, Bernie Sanders, who leads Clinton in an aggregate of recent state polling.
Given the proximity of New Hampshire to neighboring Vermont, where Bernie Sanders hails as Senator, this should be a favorable crowd for him. Either way, I don’t think it’s going to change much, especially since this debate is taking place on the last Saturday shopping day before Christmas. The ratings will be quite low, and the prior debates haven’t done anything to move the needle for Clinton’s opponents.
The topic of terrorism will likely lead the debate, given the events in San Bernadino, California. However, I doubt the entire time will be spent on that topic as it was in last Tuesday’s Republican debate on CNN.
The debate will be streamed at ABCNews.com, free for all to watch.
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