Clarification appended
Something like half of the country’s adult population over the age 35 is gunning for the Democratic nomination for U.S. President. This presents some logistical questions for debate nights: Can one stage physically contain all of the candidates? Can we even fit them all in one photo frame? If some of them don’t show up, did they even really exist?
What we know so far is this: Only 20 of the 24 Dems running for the party’s nod met the criteria to get on stage this week in Miami (sorry, Joe Sestak). Even so, the Democratic National Committee had to split the debates up into two evenings.
The first will be held Wednesday, June 26, and the second on Thursday, June 27. Both run two hours from 9 to 11 p.m.
Want to watch at home? Here’s who’s streaming and broadcasting on the various tubes.
Or for more politically-minded fun, watch in public with a few of the humans who are not running for president in 2020. Here’s a rundown of the watch parties in Philly that we were able to track down. Let us know if we missed one in your political circle.
Field House
1150 Filbert Street
Time: Wednesday, June 26, 8 to 11 p.m.
Host: Philly for Warren
What: Philly’s newly formed fan club for Sen. Elizabeth Warren is hosting its first debate towards the back of the bar. Come an hour before the debate starts if you want to hang with a Warren campaign surrogate.
Finn McCool’s
118 S. 12th Street
Time: Wednesday, June 26, 8 to 11 p.m.
Host: Indivisible Philadelphia
What: Hosted by an anti-Trump group, this debate is a general hangout open with drinking and “probably lots of yelling at the screen,” according to event organizers. RSVP (it’s free) on Eventbrite — and head to second floor of Finn McCool’s. Indivisible Philadelphia is not hosting a debate party for the second night.
First Unitarian Church
2125 Chestnut St
Time: Thursday, June 27, 8 to 11 p.m.
Host: Philly DSA
What: The local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America is hosting a watch party in support of their guy, Joe Biden. Kidding! The chapter already voted overwhelmingly to endorse the only self-described democratic socialist in the pool, Bernie Sanders. He’s debating
