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Sanders: Polling Average to Be Allowed in Debates Should Be Lowered

September 4, 2016

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) said the 15 percent polling threshold for candidates to be allowed into the presidential debates was too high during an interview Sunday on Meet The Press.

According to the Huffington Post, the five polls in which the candidates must average 15 percent support are ABC-Washington Post, CBS-New York Times, CNN-Opinion Research Corporation, Fox News, and NBC-Wall Street Journal. Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson and Green Party nominee Dr. Jill Stein are coming up short of that number, and they appear unlikely to reach it with the first debate coming up Sept. 26.

NBC host Chuck Todd asked Sanders whether he felt Johnson should be allowed in.

"Generally speaking, my view is that if people reach a certain level—you can debate about what that level is—what is it, 15 percent, they should be in the debates," Sanders said.

"You think that level, that 15 percent is a fair metric?" Todd asked.

"It's probably too high," Sanders said. "Probably should be lower than that."

Both Johnson and Stein have made plays for supporters of Sanders, who made a strong challenge to Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination by winning more than 20 primaries and caucuses. They have pointed to the historic unpopularity of Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump, the two most disliked major party candidates in polling history.