Many Democrats running for that party’s nomination had expressed an interest in having a debate centered entirely on climate change, but the DNC, which initially seemed to agree to move forward with the idea, has reportedly had second thoughts:

JUST IN: DNC votes down climate change-focused debate despite mounting pressure from candidates, environmental groups https://t.co/ySBFrLcdBG pic.twitter.com/vm2T0Ogq4x — The Hill (@thehill) August 22, 2019

A proposal to hold a presidential primary debate focused only on climate change was rejected by DNC officials today. https://t.co/MPR5q1ffbP — NPR (@NPR) August 22, 2019

That was bound to spark a backlash, and that’s exactly what happened:

Yeah why focus on a existential threat to the planet https://t.co/Srysh0U5aH — Farhad Manjoo (@fmanjoo) August 22, 2019

The Amazon is going up in flames right now. To say nothing of the many, many signs that we are at the point of no return. Cowardice is (and always has been) lethal. And here were are. https://t.co/DcdjzskEej — Saeed Jones (@theferocity) August 22, 2019





This matters. A @DNC that won't bend the rules of its debate playbook in order to treat climate change like an emergency will not support policy that is transformative enough to actually stop the emergency. Luckily they aren't the only ones with a vote… #ClimateDebate https://t.co/cBEMmto3RS — Naomi Klein (@NaomiAKlein) August 22, 2019

The world is literally burning and the DNC is like "nah, let's talk about infrastructure so we can bore our constituents to death before climate change kills us all. makes for better tv" https://t.co/OnMeGgD3Hf — Zeke Spector (@zekeindahoose) August 22, 2019

It's official: The @DNC has voted against holding a climate debate. This only confirms what we already knew: Change can't come from inside a broken system. We need a revolution to restore democracy and guarantee that every person has a just, equitable, and thriving ecosphere. https://t.co/uehdf4ML0A — Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) August 22, 2019

Earlier we told you about reports of Barack and Michelle Obama’s plans to purchase a “mega-mansion” right next to the ocean on Martha’s Vineyard. That brought up some points:

Democrats are so genuinely concerned about the threats posed by climate change that the Obamas just spent $15Million on a house on Martha’s Vinyard. — Justin Redalen (@Justinredalen) August 22, 2019

So existential Obama just sank 15 million into ocean front property. — George Smith (@P1B_WMichigan) August 22, 2019

Barak Obama just bought a 15million dollar mansion on an island off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. That's how existential this all is. https://t.co/bS3jMOx2Rr — Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) August 22, 2019

(They don't actually believe there's an existential threat.) — Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) August 22, 2019

No they don’t, or people like the Obamas wouldn’t drop millions and millions of dollars on oceanfront property.