2020 Democratic debates
Tonight's debate will feature 5 Democrats polling at 0 percent
They say one is the loneliest number, but how about zero? Ahead of the first round of the two-night Democratic debates on Tuesday, exactly half of the people on stage were polling at zero percent according to a survey done by Echelon Insights. Oof.
Author Marianne Williamson, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, former Maryland Rep. John Delaney, and Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan all had numbers below 1 percent. The highest poller on stage Tuesday will be Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who Echelon Insights has at 14 percent. Former Vice President Joe Biden leads the Echelon poll with 33 percent, although he will not be debating until Wednesday night.
Echelon Insights' survey was conducted among 510 Democrats or "Democratic leaners" between July 23 and July 27. By comparison, RealClearPolitics, which aggregates polls, has Klobuchar at 1.2 percent, although Williamson, Hickenlooper, Delaney, and Ryan all sit below 1 percent in the national average as well.
To qualify for the debates this fall, candidates will need to score at least 2 percent in four national polls or state polls in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. That means Tuesday will have to be a big night for a certain five of the candidates on stage — but hey, no pressure.