debate really is over whether to replace the affordable care act with something else, something better, something different, and not focused really on donald trump? no, i think we ve got to realize where we are. we are so far away from this game. in football parlance, we haven t even started preseason games yet. this is the august two-a-days. i m sure that we have a lot of time to winnow down this field. there s only seven of us that have made the september debate stage. i think this will get more on a fine point. especially when you start coming out of those two early primary states and get ready to head towards nevada and south carolina, you ll see a very small group of us still there. so a lot of the hand wringing right now over what s happening in the summer over these debates, that doesn t speak to our party. i think the themes by the way, the policy plans are really important, but remember, we have not always seen the person with the best policy plans become the president of
if they re not the nominee, they need to fall in line and support the person that is so that we can win. i guess the last question on sort of this same vein is are you concerned that democrats are now in such a circular debate about health care that that is where they are now and that the debate really is over whether to replace the affordable care act with something else, something better, something different, and not focused really on donald trump? no, i think we ve got to realize where we are. we are so far away from this game. in football parlance, we haven t even started preseason games yet. this is the august two-a-days. i m sure that we have a lot of time to winnow down this field. as you said, there s only seven of us that have made the september debate stage. i think this will get more on a fine point. especially when you start coming out of those two early primary states and get ready to head towards nevada and south carolina, you ll see a very small group of us still the
they are not paying as close of attention. so for the candidates trying to get on that september debate stage, time is really of the essence. they ve got to capture any momentum they can generate today. because otherwise it is going to be hard to do through this long slow month of this political summer. so one of the candidates trying to qualify for the next debate joining me now democratic congresswoman from hawaii, tulsi gabbard. thanks so much for joining us. how are you going to be spending your august to make sure you qualify for the next debate? we re continuing to reach directly to voters sharing with them who i am, my experience, the experience that i bring to serving as president and commander in chief. as you may know, i still serve in the army national guard as a soldier. i have served now for over 16 years, deployed twice to the middle east and served in congress now for almost seven years, really focused on
that s why as you-all were saying, this debate is so important and maybe he will do something on trade but i think the thing they will look at is how he punches back whether he s going to get attacked by everybody. you got to remember he s going to be in between kamala harris and senator cory booker, both looking to make a mark. and has to be sharp and focused. it was one thing to see him not sustain the attack against kamala harris but wasn t focused. he seemed out of step lost. so he also, how many i mean, there is 20 candidates on these stages. how many will disappear? i would say half the field. in terms of getting to the september depbate, they doubled the limits if ten, 11 people make it to the september debate stage, i m not saying the other nine will quit but the campaigns for all intensive purposes will be over because they won t be participating. this is the hunger games. killer details. totally.
also, how many i mean, there is 20 candidates on these stages. how many will disappear? i would say half the field. in terms of getting to the september debate, they doubled the limits if ten, 11 people make it to the september debate stage, i m not saying the other nine will quit but the campaigns for all intensive purposes will be over because they won t be participating. this is the hunger games. killer details. totally. yeah. everyone who has a small number is going to try to make their mark. so kirsten gillibrand will go hard i imagine on women s issues and de blasio will go hard on trade. you ll see at some point everybody will be trying. there is always so much time to go hard. and always butting in. some of these tier two candidates, drawing contrast is