MSNBC host Rachel Maddow is set to moderate the network’s only event in the Presidential primary season, a forum from Winthrop University in South Carolina. Deemed the “First in the South Presidential Forum”, tonight’s event will feature frontrunner Hillary Clinton, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, and former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley.
The event in Rock Hill, SC is scheduled to air from 8-10 p.m. EST on MSNBC. Although the event is primarily sponsored by the South Carolina Democratic Party, the event is also being co-sponsored by twelve other southern states.
Maddow was careful to make the distinction that tonight’s event is a “forum” and not a formal DNC-sanctioned “debate”. DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz has continued to be under fire for limiting the official number of debates to only six.
The debate is being held in Rock Hill, South Carolina. There are many questions that loom. Will Bernie go negative? Will any one notice Martin O’Malley? Another question Alex-Seid Waltz wants to know is can Hillary maintain her monopoly on the black vote?
Clinton is likely to use the forum to focus on reaching out to people of color, who make up the majority of South Carolina’s Democratic primary electorate. In an op-ed published in Ebony magazine Friday morning, Clinton called for “a new and comprehensive commitment to equity and opportunity for communities of color,” that includes better investment in under-served communities.
The former secretary of state has a huge advantage among nonwhite voters over Sanders, capturing support from 8 out of 10 black voters in the Palmetto State. She lost the state handily to Barack Obama in 2008 in a bitter and racially charged primary.
Rep. James Clyburn, the most powerful Democrat in the state, said that’s been forgiven. “I have talked to a lot of people and they are not holding any of that against Hillary today,” he told MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki.
But Sanders will have a big chance to introduce himself for the first time to South Carolina black Democrats for the first time Friday night, and he’ll roll out a campaign leadership team in the state that includes Black Lives Matter activists and others.
Join us to watch the forum and get answers to these and more questions!!
The event from Rock Hill, SC will air live on MSNBC at 8 p.m. For viewers who are eager to watch the forum through their computers, the option to use the MSNBC TV app is available as well. The app is a free download from NBC News Digital. Additionally, a cable or satellite subscription with an active log-in account can access the content through http://www.msnbc.com/now as it airs.
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Rachel is introducing herself and her goals for the night. She’s asking folks not to hate her because she’s going to ask her own tough questions and follow ups since she’s trying to get information from the candidates. She’s asking what she wants. Martin is first, Bernie second, and the Hillary last. They will be one at a time. This is not a debate format.
He’s not mentioning the fact that Boeing moved from Washington D.C. to SC to avoid the Washington Unions. Why not talk about that, right now, right there in SC?
Yeah, that is a sore, sore point here in WA state. Not to mention that Boeing lost $$$$ with non-unionized workers unfamiliar with building planes, had lots of delays and safety problems, all because the Boeing fat cat CEO wanted to thumb his nose at the union engineers in WA State.
What is Bernie going to do to make all this organization of the Democrats happen in the states? He doesn’t even have much of a campaign organization. I’d like to hear some specifics. I know Hillary has a plan to rebuild the party.
I think that O’Malley comes to the table with a positive look to the future. My impression of Bernie is that he comes to the table as a downer. He is muck like Rand Paul on foreign policy, he doesn’t want any involvement in the Middle East. Guess what Bernie, it’s here to stay, for a long long time.
Rachel is doing a great job, and we can see in this setting that we can learn more in 1 1/2 hours than the 3 hour clown show debates.
I don’t think Bernie hurt himself, he was spot on with the Voting Rights.
It’s not like we are bashing Sanders by putting him in third place. Not at all, he was being Bernie, and he didn’t hurt himself in the discussions, but it’s the tone, it’s the downer thing that got to me.
He still can’t answer any questions on anything other than his pet economics things. He screwed up the ISIS question. All he said was every one has to be with us.
I thought they all did well and was actually proud of what I saw compared to what the other party is trying to palm off on us. I think Hills was the best. She is brilliant and she is the only one who REALLY knows what the job entails. But still, they all three came off as smart, sober, dedicated public servants rather than ego-maniacal whiney babies.
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Rachel is introducing herself and her goals for the night. She’s asking folks not to hate her because she’s going to ask her own tough questions and follow ups since she’s trying to get information from the candidates. She’s asking what she wants. Martin is first, Bernie second, and the Hillary last. They will be one at a time. This is not a debate format.
Thanks for posting this, Dak. I’m watching at the moment.
You know I like Martin OMalley but he just is so swimming upstream and Hillary is so superior
He’s OK, but I think he needs to acknowledge that his policies led to the police crisis in Baltimore.
Yup.
I kept thinking the same.
Thanks for live blogging this!
It’s always fun to hear all our like minds! Yqw!
Yes, and thanks to you!
She is so scary smart.
The first real question to OMalley is on climate change and Obama’s rejection of Keystone. They’re talking renewable energy.
Wow! A discussion on poverty and working class jobs!
Rachel always does her homework.
Yes. You can tell that in her follow ups.
Definitely. She’s a hard worker.
And well respected.
Absolutely! I hope whoever hired Chuck Toad is watching her and realizing what a BIG mistake he made.
Yup.
Good forum, doing what it is suppose to do.
Yeah. The discussion and follow up is good. She’s limiting some of the self promotion. Viewer questions are next.
Well, they ended with a discussion of criminal and economic justice with regards to minority communities.
Marty is rather appealing. Nice smile. I am so shallow it’s pathetic.
LOL! I saw a picture of him shirtless and thought, “Wow he’s hot!” And I’m a post-menopausal Lesbian.
That’s funny Sophie, I had to wonder about that photo of a 22 year old, and think what a hell of a party that was.
Hey, you can still appreciate something even though you don’t want it for yourself!
Rachel has some tough questions. She will not give Hillary a pass.
I know why he is not leading, but why is he so low in polls? What is it? Baltimore maybe?
No oxygen left.
He’s pretty much unknown around the country.
He doesn’t have endorsements, and not much in the way of family background into politics.
Senator Bernie Sanders up now.
I can’t look at Bernie without conjuring up Larry David.
Lol. Yup.
I hope he doesn’t have a heart attack in the middle of a sentence. He really looks old.
He and Hillary are practically the same age, yet she easily looks 30-40 years younger than him.
He’s not mentioning the fact that Boeing moved from Washington D.C. to SC to avoid the Washington Unions. Why not talk about that, right now, right there in SC?
Good point.
Yeah–wonder why she didn’t bring that up
Yeah, that is a sore, sore point here in WA state. Not to mention that Boeing lost $$$$ with non-unionized workers unfamiliar with building planes, had lots of delays and safety problems, all because the Boeing fat cat CEO wanted to thumb his nose at the union engineers in WA State.
The Repubs will never “beg” for Rachel to moderate.
They would be having a hissy fit.
Another thing, Osama Bin Laden was Saudi Arabian, and not Taliban. Rachel didn’t mention that.
The Dem slate is so impressive it makes the opposition truly resemble a “clown car”.
Their talking about issues … And policies! What a change!
The difference between night and day. They are adults. The Rs, not so much.
Bernie does “walk the talk”.
What is Bernie going to do to make all this organization of the Democrats happen in the states? He doesn’t even have much of a campaign organization. I’d like to hear some specifics. I know Hillary has a plan to rebuild the party.
I’ll believe him on that if and when he campaigns for downticket Dems.
Touche!
Wow, Bernie is shorter than Rachel.
She is not that tall so he must be really short.
Hillary is up!
I think that O’Malley comes to the table with a positive look to the future. My impression of Bernie is that he comes to the table as a downer. He is muck like Rand Paul on foreign policy, he doesn’t want any involvement in the Middle East. Guess what Bernie, it’s here to stay, for a long long time.
Rachel is doing a great job, and we can see in this setting that we can learn more in 1 1/2 hours than the 3 hour clown show debates.
I don’t think Bernie hurt himself, he was spot on with the Voting Rights.
Wow! Clearly she’s a rock star!
She is a rock star. A very smart and capable rock star.
It’s pretty damn obvious why Hillary is leading in the polls.
Sure is …
And for good reason.
We’re talking ENDA and Houston’s ordinance.
Clinton#1, O’Malley #2, Sanders #3
Agreed.
It’s not like we are bashing Sanders by putting him in third place. Not at all, he was being Bernie, and he didn’t hurt himself in the discussions, but it’s the tone, it’s the downer thing that got to me.
By the by, did you see Joy Reed, she said he was the best………….of course she has been promoting her book, Fractured!
He still can’t answer any questions on anything other than his pet economics things. He screwed up the ISIS question. All he said was every one has to be with us.
I like Bernie, always have, but he’s definitely a “Johnny one note”.
It never fails but Chris. Matthews always reminds me of what an insufferable assailed he is.
That should read ads hole.
I figured it out.
May I saw how much I fervently hate Auto-Complete? I don’t call it auto-correct, because it’s so often wrong.
I thought they all did well and was actually proud of what I saw compared to what the other party is trying to palm off on us. I think Hills was the best. She is brilliant and she is the only one who REALLY knows what the job entails. But still, they all three came off as smart, sober, dedicated public servants rather than ego-maniacal whiney babies.
I know. They all discussed issues intelligently and without malice. The Republican line up is an embarrassment.