To: Tom Perez, Seema Nanda, and the Democratic National Committee:



I, along with many Democrats, are pleased with your decision to not pursue Fox News as a debate host for the 2020 Democratic Presidential Primaries. It is clear to many people that Fox News is merely propaganda for the Republican Party and Donald Trump and they have absolutely no business hosting a debate for a party they openly despise.



As part of your plans to expand the scope and reach of your debates, you have indicated that you would be willing to double the amount of primary debates from 6 in 2016 to 12 in 2020. This is great news for those who want a truly open and unbiased primary; however, there is a key issue that this plan does not account for.



According to eMarketer, 33 million Americans have “cut the cord” - meaning they have cancelled a cable or satellite subscription as of 2018. YouTube averages more unique viewers (192 million Americans) than all viewers of cable and satellite TV combined (186.7 million) and the disparity of these two groups is only due to grow in the next few years. Therefore, it only makes sense that if you want to reach the most viewers, you will pledge to put at least 2 of the Democratic Presidential Primary debates on independent media.



The “netroots” - activists, independent journalists and commentators - are only growing in prominence and audience. For example, The Young Turks drew 4.5 million views during their 2016 election coverage, and half of their viewership comes from the 18-34 demographic, which leans Democratic. Further, outlets like Thom Hartmann and Sam Seder draw several thousand people every afternoon to their live streams, without taking into account radio and other television sources, like Free Speech TV. These hosts and commentators are well versed in debate as they all participate in productive discussions with people from all sides of the political spectrum, making them perfect candidates to moderate debates.



If we, as Democrats, wish to reach as many people as we can with our coverage, the best and most accessible way to do this would be livestreaming it on YouTube with many of the hosts and commentators that speak to this audience. Further, having the “netroots” host two debates ensures that the questions and presenters are representative of those in the party, not just those in the corporate media, where bias is omnipresent.



We, the undersigned, are asking you to consider the netroots for 2 of the 12 primary debates. These debates could be simulcasted on independent media outlets, furthering the outreach of our message. Examples of possible hosts could include, but are not limited to, the following:



Cenk Uygur

Ana Kasparian

Thom Hartmann

Stephanie Miller

Bill Press

Sam Seder

Amy Goodman

Benjamin Dixon

Kyle Kulinski

Jimmy Dore

Ron Placone

Stef Zamorano

Mike Figueredo

Nomiki Konst

Kim Iversen

Glenn Greenwald

David Pakman

Jayar Jackson

Randi Rhodes

Tim Black

Steven Bonnell II (Destiny)

Hasan Piker



I would ask that I be included in this list as well, if only for the fact that it was my idea to start said petition. Further, if there are more suggestions to add to this list, they can be emailed to netrootsdncdebates@gmail.com.



Let us not only be on the right side of history, but on the cutting edge of how best to take the debate process to the people. There’s no better way to do this than to empower those who represent the base the most.



Sincerely,

Justin Sindall

@JustinInBmore