The impending strike by newswriters is already impacting the Democratic nomination campaign, and could even scratch the scheduled CBS debate if not settled, as candidates vow to honor all picket lines. Brooks Boliek has the story for Reuters’ Hollywood Reporter:
The writers strike is threatening to put on ice the December 10 Democratic presidential debate hosted by CBS News as the party’s front-runners say that they won’t cross a picket line.
The strike also is cooling the ardor of the candidates and their spouses to appear on ABC’s “The View,” as the candidates and their spouses are refusing to cross the picket line to make appearances on the talker.
In separate statements or interviews before the Thanksgiving holiday, the three front-runners said that they will honor picket lines set up by the CBS newswriters if they go on strike. The candidates also appeared willing to honor picket lines set up by the Writers Guild of America.
The newswriters’ union has authorized a strike but has not yet called for a work stoppage.
Read the whole story at the link above. The unions hold a political hammerlock on the Democrats – without the huge financial and in-kind contributions from the unions, far fewer Democrats would have been elected to federal office over the past several decades. Part of this power is evidenced by the modern “requirement” that Democratic candidates “honor” any union picket line anywhere.
While the newswriters may have legitimate disputes over their contracts (the screenwriters certainly do), they hardly fit the image of hard-working factory laborers – or even low-wage discount chain employees – on the picket lines. Still, no Democrat who failed to bow to the Picket Line would long be a viable candidate for the Party’s nomination.
One might suppose that, given the importance of the Presidential election to unions and their members, candidates might receive a dispensation to attend the televised debate – but one would be wrong.
