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CBS13 Political Expert: Bring Your Appetite For Debate Watch Party

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The first presidential debate of the 2020 election included so many democratic candidates, debate organizers split them in two for the first round of debates.

The first half took the stage Wednesday night. A tracker by the Washington Post showed of the 10 candidates on stage Wednesday, no one spoke for more than 11 minutes in all.

A debate watch party at Kupro's Restaurant in Midtown Sacramento was packed with 200 people, even though most didn't know the names of all the candidates they were watching.

On the menu at Kupro's: food, drinks, and political theater, perfect for people hungry for the 2020 election. CBS13's political analyst Gary Dietrich said this night for voters should feel like an "all you can eat" menu.

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"These kind of early debates, I think of them like a buffet line, 'Hey you try a little bit of this, you try a little bit of that, hey you know what, it turns out, I like the carrot salad a lot more than I thought I did, I'm going back for a lot more of that,'" Dietrich said.

Wes Brown came out to the watch party still looking for a candidate to inspire him.

"I don't know, it's a lot like falling in love, you know it when you feel it," Brown said.

Janet Heath likes the long list of candidates.

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"Well for me right now having so many candidates is not a bad thing," Heath said. "I think it's great because everybody is bringing something to the table."

On the stage were 10 Democratic candidates trying to make a good first impression.

"Don't get knocked out of the ring," Dietrich said, "That's what this really is about early on."

For those with a big appetite for presidential politics, this is the just beginning of the 2020 election feast.

"See what feels good for you, then come back for a second helping in the next debate," Dietrich said.

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