The Democrats had a big problem, and CNN — which now functions as an arm of that radicalized progressive party — stepped up to solve it for them.  The party leaders in the Democratic National Committee (DNC) realize that the Green New Deal and other similar radical restructuring plans have no appeal to most voters.  The majority of people rightly understand that they would have to give up jobs, prosperity, and physical comfort (for starters, right now set your thermostat to 82 degrees on hot summer nights) to combat the "disaster" that computers models spew out when "adjusted" temperature data are fed in.

That is why the DNC announced three days ago that there would be no presidential debate focused on climate change.  The last thing they wanted was for their presidential field to be forced by the format of such debates to speak for a couple of minutes and try to satisfy the climate fanatics with a few sound bites that inevitably would be used against them in the general election.  That majority whose support is necessary to win in November 2020 is not "woke" in the eyes of the climate fanatics, who fully buy into the apocalyptic religion of climate disaster, the inevitable consequence of the original sin of abusing Mother Gaia.

But the "woke" faction is an important constituency that must not be so alienated that they fail to support the nominee.  And they were displeased that their pet obsession was not going to be the focus of a presidential debate.

That's where CNN comes in and takes one for team.  CNN has just announced that it will broadcast an unwatchable 7-hour prime-time marathon in which each of the ten Dems who make the cutoff criteria will be interviewed for 40 minutes by a CNN correspondent.

Ten Democratic presidential hopefuls will appear in New York at back-to-back town halls on Wednesday, September 4, taking audience questions about their climate plans as scientists sound the alarm about global warming.

Along with the candidates, the network also announced the CNN journalists and the approximate appearance times for the presidential hopefuls during the seven-hour, live event.

• Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro will be interviewed by CNN's Wolf Blitzer at 5 p.m. ET
• Businessman Andrew Yang, who will also be interviewed by Blitzer, will come on at 5:40 p.m.
• California Sen. Kamala Harris will be interviewed by CNN's Erin Burnett at 6:20 p.m.
• Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who will also be interviewed by Burnett, will appear at 7 p.m.
• Former Vice President Joe Biden will be interviewed by CNN's Anderson Cooper at 8 p.m.
• Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who will also be interviewed by Cooper, will be on at 8:40 p.m.
• Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren will be interviewed by CNN's Chris Cuomo at 9:20 p.m.
• South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who will also be interviewed by Cuomo at 10 p.m.
• Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke will appear with CNN's Don Lemon at 10:40 p.m.
• New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker will also be interviewed by Lemon and will come on at 11:20 p.m.

CNN previously announced that Chief Climate Correspondent Bill Weir will join in the questioning throughout the evening.

Don't bother applying for tickets.  The audience will be hand-picked.

This radically different format will allow each candidate to modify and shape answers interactively with the interviewer in a way that a two- or three-minute answer in a debate would not.  They can craft weasel words to soften the radical elements of the climate agenda, and avoid mention of the genuine sacrifices that the real approach of downsizing energy usage would require.

CNN is sacrificing viewership — already quite low, so not that big a sacrifice — in order to keep the climate radicals on board with the Democrats.  The people running the network hope the seven-hour marathon will not be seen by the rest of us.

My guess is that CNN will reap awards for this noble sacrifice — perhaps a Peabody or an Emmy.  Or both.