Debates-- Will They Even Be Worth The Time And Effort If Republicans All Start Behaving Like Trump?

Cone Of Shame by Nancy Ohanian

 

Nielsen reported that 27.3 million people watched Tuesday’s shitshow on the 4 broadcast networks, about a 35% drop-off from the 45 million who watched first debate of 2016 on those networks. From what I'm hearing and reading, people tended to tune in and become so horrified by Trump's shenanigans that they tuned out pretty quickly. Trump was just plain terrible; Biden wasn't particularly good. Should Biden even bother to do another one? Would a rules change even be able to fix anything? Maybe if the moderator could press a button and give the rule-breaker-in-chief a sharp jolt of electricity after he ignores verbal warnings. "Trump bullied moderator Chris Wallace, blew past his time limits and repeatedly and loudly interrupted Biden. It resulted in a mockery of presidential debates, growing so chaotic that it was impossible to follow entire segments."

The fact that every poll showed that Trump lost the debate isn't stopping Trump from telling his pitifully low-IQ base that he won and to repeat it to the media. Yesterday, before leaving for another super-spreader event in Minnesota, he told White House reporters, who aren't allowed to openly laugh at him, that he "thought it was a great evening. I see the ratings were very high and it was good to be there, felt very comfortable. I appreciate all the good words. I hear he doesn’t want to go forward, but that’s up to him. I mean, I would like to. By every measure, we won the debate easily last night. I think he was very weak, he looked weak, he was whining. Yeah, we won the debate by almost every poll that I saw." Apparently he didn't see any at all.

There are 2 more scheduled presidential debates this month, one in Miami and one in Nashville and there are definitely Biden allies telling him to not participate-- or at least not participate unless the debate commission comes up with some way to force Trump to behave like an adult. That doesn't seem likely, Politico reporting that the Orange Smear "was jubilant upon exiting the stage, and many in his inner circle were thrilled with his performance. Trump dominated with his aggressive approach, they argued."

Other Republicans-- presumably those with their own November elections to worry about-- "worried that Trump’s aggressiveness wouldn’t play well with undecided voters or suburbanites who are exhausted with his chaotic approach to governing." One Republican strategist added that if the asshole was looking for ways to lose more women voters "He accomplished that tonight."

Politico reported that "top Democrats" are urging Biden to keep debating Donald.

In interviews on Wednesday morning, Democratic allies in Congress said that Biden should continue participating in what may amount to just hours more of angry crosstalk on national television. They’re open to changes-- the debate commission should consider cutting off Trump’s mic if he speaks over Biden or even separate the two men by a greater distance.

But no one is arguing that Biden should pull the plug and try to ride his polling lead into November, despite the calls of some pundits to do so. Even though the debates offer Trump a chance to swing at Biden freely as he attempts to make a comeback, Democrats say the sheer contrast between Biden and Trump’s presentation will help his campaign.

“The American people saw what Donald Trump is all about and sometimes people just see clips on the news of his rallies. And I think it’s important for them to see that. So yes, I think that he should continue doing these debates,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), who ran against Biden in the party’s presidential primary.

“The loser of last night’s debate was the American people and the country looked terrible because of the way President Trump conducted it. I think Vice President Biden did as well as anybody can do,” said Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD). “It’s fine to do another debate. But that spectacle is not what we want for this country.”

...Biden “has to show that he’s not afraid of standing up to a bully,” said Sen. Angus King (I-ME), who caucuses with the Senate Democrats. “The more that people see the president in the form he was last night, the less support he has.”

Different Blue America candidates have have different experiences with the Republicans opposing them. Liam O'Mara is running for the Riverside County congressional seat held by Crook Ken Calvert. Calvert has no respect for his constituents and never debates anyone. O'Mara Has challenged him to debate and Calvert has refused. He's a coward that is prettified he will recalled out on his record. "When incumbents refuse to debate their challengers," Liam told me yesterday, "the voters and democracy both suffer. Our system of government relies upon an informed and knowledgeable citizenry. If the media cannot do its job, and both provide impartial information and facilitate debates between candidates, the people are the big losers. Likewise, if incumbents refuse to engage honestly with their challengers, the voters have no way of judging their character-- beyond, perhaps, recognizing their cowardice. My incumbent, Crooked Ken Calvert, is a habitual debate-dodger, and has refused multiple attempts to get him to debate me on the issues. Instead, he has relied upon a fear-based disinformation campaign which literally calls me a violent terrorist hell-bent on burning the country to the ground. The utter disregard with which the modern GOP treats the American public and our time-honoured democratic principles is a disgrace. Ken Calvert is a corrupt tool of corporate élites and radical nationalists, and his refusal to hold town halls or debate challengers is an affront to American democracy. He needs to be replaced. Our chance is coming on 3 November."

Trump ally Don Bacon in Nebraska has a different trick. He's refusing to debate until after people have started voting. One of the staffers on Kara's Eastman's campaign told me that Bacon "said he was too busy in Washington but actually was found in the district nearly half the month of September. Bacon clearly wants debates to occur long after many votes are already in."

This is Kathy Ellis' second run for the southeast Missouri congressional seat. Far right extremist Jason Smith refused to debate her in 2018 although a non-partisan group scheduled a debate. Kathy showed up. Smith ignored it. There was a cardboard cut out put in his place. Smith, one of the most radical right members of Congress-- and a closet case-- hasn't done a single public town hall since taking office. He knows that if he has to talk about policy, he will lose. He has no ideas outside of Trumpism.