Twitter users complain about background at Democratic debate

Some viewers of Thursday night’s Democratic debate took to social media to comment on the moving background behind the seven presidential candidates who faced off in Los Angeles, calling it “distracting.”

{mosads}The seven candidates — former Vice President Joe Biden; South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D); Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.); Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.); Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.); entrepreneur Andrew Yang; and billionaire philanthropist Tom Steyer — debated issues ranging from President Trump’s impeachment this week to climate change and trade. As they talked, the names and logos of debate’s hosts PBS NewsHour and Politico streamed behind the candidates.

Some were quick to complain about the moving text. Attorney Michael Avenatti tweeted: “I don’t know who came up with the idea to have a moving background behind the candidates tonight, but it’s terrible.” 

I don’t know who came up with the idea to have a moving background behind the candidates tonight, but it’s terrible.

— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) December 19, 2019

Washington Post writer Neil Greenberg tweeted: “How distracting is the background during these debates? Very. Extremely. I can’t talk I have vertigo.”

How distracting is the background during these debates?

Very

Extremely

I can’t talk I have vertigo

— Neil Greenberg (@ngreenberg) December 19, 2019

Amanda Terkel, HuffPost Washington Bureau Chief, tweeted: “I’m a no on this moving debate backdrop.”

I’m a no on this moving debate backdrop

— Amanda Terkel (@aterkel) December 19, 2019

Others chimed in with their thoughts on the now-viral background behind the candidates. 

Overheard at the @DNC : “Hey, I’ve got an idea…let’s take a bunch of unlikable candidates and make their debate even more unwatchable by adding a distracting and dizzying background!” cc: @PBS @politico

— Jon Blumenthal (@JonBlumenthal) December 19, 2019

@NewsHour / @politico: STOP moving the background behind the Democratic candidates at tonight’s debate.

The motion is SICKENING – literally! Person behind this problem is a destructive idiot.@PBS @JudyWoodruff @Yamiche @IAmAmnaNawaz @TimAlberta @CNN @MSNBC @ChrisCuomo @maddow

— Sharon Carbine (@SharonCarbine) December 19, 2019

Who’s the doofus who thought it would be a good idea to have the background constantly moving on the Democratic debate? #DemDebate

— Roger Simon (@politicoroger) December 19, 2019

#DemDebate on a stylistic note, this PBS/Politico background at the debate is doing too much should’ve been a majority solid (not moving text) color imo

— Tamanisha J John (@TamanishaJohn) December 19, 2019