These used to air on Saturdays, the lowest prime-time viewing level of the week. In recent years, they've become must-see TV.
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton spar during a Democratic presidential primary debate hosted by MSNBC at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, N.H., on Feb. 4, 2016.
Those viewing levels likely got a boost from the presence of then-candidate Donald Trump on the debate stage. News executives and political experts believe the Democratic debates — the first airing June 26 and 27 on NBC, MSNBC and Telemundo and the second on July 30 and 31 on CNN — will also have robust audiences, as surveys show voter interest in who will face Trump at the polls next year is stratospheric.
“If a candidate is lucky and persistent, he or she may get 10 minutes, and that’s with interrupting and taking more time than you’re entitled,” said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics. “You can have the battle of the soundbites and that is not a very good indicator as how someone would perform as president.”
“They wanted everyone who qualifies to be treated equally,” said Rick Klein, political director for ABC News, which will have a Democratic primary debate in September. “The fact is that there are some nontraditional candidates, and the last cycle proves they can actually become president. They wanted to establish that in the rules.”
Stretching the event over two nights is also a bit of wild card. CNN Washington Bureau Chief Sam Feist said the 22 hours between the two nights could serve as a “half-time show” where candidates will be able to make their views heard and stoke interest in the second debate. “We’ve never had a two-night event like this or a pool as diverse, not only in how they identify but also in their points of view,” Jones said. “I think the curiosity factor is going to drive a lot of this.”
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