For those concerned about the state of our political discussion, or better yet, those who have turned their heads the other way because politicians don't seem to care about having a real conversation, there are fundamental issues that you should be paying attention to.
The Democratic Party, in the national narrative, holds itself out to be the party of inclusion and diversity. In the news, they gloat about how tribal and sophomoric the Republican Party has become. So, at whatever level there is truth to this sentiment, voters should understand that the Democratic party, a private corporation with a private charter, takes protecting its private interest in institutional self-preservation very seriously.
There are few things more important to the quality of civil discourse and the education of our electorate than the presidential debates. But, as the New York Times reports, the Democratic Party seems much more interested in protecting its party unity than offering the people a more democratic discourse:
Democratic National Committee