WASHINGTON—Saying the oppressive rule would keep too many presidential hopefuls off the stage in Miami later this month, voters across the country criticized the Democratic National Committee Tuesday for requiring candidates to articulate at least one policy position before they can participate in debates. “It’s so unfair to disqualify people from these events just because they haven’t yet put forth any plans of any kind detailing how they would govern if elected,” Democratic voter Ted Nyland said of the new guideline, voicing a concern reportedly shared by many in his party that the DNC had gone too far in insisting candidates be able to present a coherent strategy for addressing a single one of the many problems the nation faces. “Do they really expect them to already have a bunch of clear ideas about what the next president of the United States will need to do in order to make progress on an issue? Some of these candidates are just going around the country trying to raise their profile and haven’t had a chance to really think things through yet. It’s almost as if the DNC is biased toward candidates who have a firm grasp of what they hope to accomplish.” At press time, party officials confirmed the new debate requirement would not apply to former vice president Joe Biden, who has committed himself to running a policy-free campaign.

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