It took CNN almost half an hour to ask a single question at the Democratic debate

(Image credit: Twitter/@CNN)

published 31 July 2019

If you turned on the TV this evening expecting to watch the 2020 Democratic debate but instead found yourself sitting through an intro more suited to the Super Bowl, you aren't alone. It took CNN nearly half an hour to ask the candidates the first question of the night; by comparison, NBC News, which hosted the first two-night debate in June, asked the first question within a minute.

CNN, though, had spent eight days building its elaborate debate stage, and it appeared the network intended to milk every chance for wide-angle shots. After a minutes-long intro video setting up the stakes for the night, the candidates were invited one-by-one onto stage. There was then an elaborate presentation of colors and performance of the national anthem. Then — well, then there was a commercial break.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox