Tickets to Tuesday night’s debate in Charleston, South Carolina were sold for thousands of dollars, limiting the audience to wealthy donors.
According to local news station WCSC-TV, tickets for the debate ranged between $1750 and $3200. “The only guaranteed way to get a ticket is to become a sponsor of the debate,” the Charleston County Democratic party website said.
The ticket prices explain the audience’s hostility towards Bernie Sanders throughout the debate, booing after the Vermont Senator spoke.
The crowd sounded largely supportive of Michael Bloomberg, cheering his comments, and booing when Sanders said the former New York Mayor was supported by billionaires.
Primary voter Peter Davis told WCSC the debate should be more accessible to grassroots Democrats. “At the end of the day, it’s still a money game,” Davis said.
“Whoever has the most gets to attend these kinds of events that should be public and should be easily accessible.”
