No debates?

[question everything]

Yesterday on Smerconish he had Joe Lockhart who suggested that Biden should skip the debates.

I came toward the end. But this was Smerconish's question to the audience, whether Biden should skip the debate, and at the end, close to 20,000 voted and 67% said YES.

More::

Democratic strategists and supporters of Vice President Joe Biden are urging him not to debate President Donald Trump in the lead-up to Election Day, citing Trump's publicity stunts and disregard for the rules in 2016. Meanwhile Biden backers, including some conservatives, applauded the University of Notre Dame and the University of Michigan for cancelling their scheduled debates over COVID-19 concerns.

Former White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart joined several Democratic Party strategists in bluntly advising Biden, "whatever you do, don't debate Trump." Speaking on CNN Saturday, Lockhart said Trump shouldn't be given another platform which will enable him to "repeat lies," which he said occurred in the 2016 debates against Hillary Clinton.

https://www.newsweek.com/supporters-urge-joe-biden-not-debate-trump-applaud-hosts-canceling-over-covid-19-concerns-1522178

[napi21]

1. I think Joe should skip them too BUT I think he should wait for it to be DT's idea first! n/t

[TheCowsCameHome]

2. Trump isn't worthy of debating.

It just gives him a national platform and wastes his opponents time.

Sit it out, Joe. He isn't worth it.

[Hoyt]

3. Skip them only if trump's idea. Otherwise, think it's a mistake -- it's tradition. More importantly,

it's a platform to begin governing and show up GOPers on national TV.

[TreasonousBastard]

4. Agreed.

[crickets]

16. +1

[Sherman A1]

5. I would think skipping them would be a good idea

under the "gosh this whole covid-19 thing really makes debates hard to do".

[Ferrets are Cool]

6. I would hate to see VP Biden up on the stage with rotted shit

IMO, it will serve no purpose to have the OrangeAnus spout lie after lie on stage. All the VP will be doing is debating lies.

[TreasonousBastard]

7. 2016 debates don't count. Hillary has admitted mishandling some aspects and Joe is...

starting from a much stronger place. There is nothing out there these days like the anti-Hillary mobs back then.

(It is to our shame that we gave Trump a leg up by trashing Hillary so shamelessly)

And Trump did his best to intimidate her-- she admits she didn't fight back, but Joe won't be so compliant.

This year, the candidate to bail will be called "coward". Why would Joe risk that? Let it be Trump who runs to the shelter. If Trump dares to pull any crap, just let Joe cry "Bullshit" (or words to that effect)

[question everything]

18. The question is whether debates eve matter those days

Can any one’s mind be changed?

[TreasonousBastard]

19. I don't think that's the point any more, if it ever was. Debates tend to reinforce your opinion...

already formed. Or maybe let you back off a little if you don't like what you see.

There may be more people on the fence than we can see-- people who don't trust Trump, but are still unsure about Biden for some reason. Trump amok on stage and Biden the cool one could make up their minds.

I tend to doubt it will get more voters out, though.

[still_one]

8. He definitely should debate trump

[Trumpocalypse]

9. Bad advice

If Biden refuses to debate he’ll be painted as being afraid of Trump.

[nsd]

10. Skipping the debates is a terrible idea.

It would feed the Republican attack line about "cognitive decline." They'd say -- and some voters might believe -- that Biden was afraid to debate. An awful idea.

[ooky]

11. There is no point in debating a liar, but Biden should suggest a different format because

of Trump's lying. Something along the lines of call-in town halls where each candidate answers town hall questions one town hall at a time. A Trump night followed by a Biden night, and then switch off. Town Halls based on policies. One night, foreign policy, another night health care, another night race relations, another human rights, another COVID, and so on. Make Donald Trump lie about "what he would do" (because he doesn't know how to do anything) and then we can point out afterward that he hasn't done any of what he lies about.

What we don't want is a debate where he can spew lies about Biden and/or about what democrats want to do. It has to be focused on his own policies and when he deflects then turn off his microphone. Trump would back down from that format anyway, and then we could say he is the one afraid of having an honest debate about real issues that affect people, that he just wants to go out and lie about Biden and Democrats.

I think that's better than Biden just saying no.

[judeling]

12. God are we wimps or what?

Of course he should debate him. Actually let me restate that. Biden should take every chance he can to go one on one for a 90 minute or so session of baiting him.

Biden did well enough against tougher competition and Trump is actually badly prepared for them. Trump has spent the last last years in a bubble of dominance. Being onstage with an equal will be totally outside of his experience.

Biden should not pay much attention to Trump's past debates, but really study his one on one interviews.

[SiliconValley_Dem]

13. exactly. just have Biden attack Trump when he goes low

have him slam him as an cheating, corrupt coward who uas sullied our White House for far too long.

rip into that ass hole.

[stillcool]

14. I don't see a problem...

I don't think Trump does well going toe-to-toe with a smart man. He either fawns all over them, or runs away..especially with no audience to play to. If the mikes could be cut after every lie, for a fact-check...there would be no debate. Trump can not speak without lying. I wouldn't want to be within 6' of the diseased fucker either.

[Andy823]

15. Right now trump is

going down hill, and every time he is on TV, he looks dumber than the time before. By the time debates come up, his team may NOT want him debating Biden for fear of him really coming off looking "terrible". I think no matter how crazy he is by then, he would look even crazier if he went on TV, with no script to follow.

It will be up to Joe to decide when the time comes, but I think trump will back out for one reason or another.

[Iggo]

17. When he finds out he can't rig the debates, he'll call them rigged. That'll be his excuse.

[tinymontgomery]

20. Make a mask mandatory

Make a mask mandatory and if he takes it off he is out of there. Put some kind of divider between them
and force them to stay behind the podium. Inform Trump and Joe the first time
anyone breaks any of the rules, he is gone and only the other candidate stays on stage
and answers questions. We know Trump won't be able to do the above or won't debate
due to the rules.

State the rules at the beginning so the whole audience knows what they are.
Enforce the rules then Joe can say if your not willing to enforce the rules of this debate
then I won't stay on a stage where law lawlessness is allowed.

We know Trump will break the rules the first 10 minutes.

[ProfessorGAC]

21. Live Fact Checking As A Condition

Don't make Biden use his time to refute lies. Let him say what he wants.
Following that, moderator gives fact check on PINO, then Joe.
The second part won't take long.
I don't think Biden should debate without some structure to call out lies & fabrications.

[tinymontgomery]

23. Another Great Recommendation. n/t

[Codeine]

22. Nonsense. Obviously formats will need tweaking

but the notion that we suddenly forgo debates is weak fucking sauce. Push debates! Force that tangerine-hued piece of shit to step up and humiliate himself onstage or admit he’s a sniveling coward who can’t stand up to Biden!

[tinymontgomery]

24. Didn't say don't have debates

Didn't say don't have debates, just put major restrictions so he
can't put the shit he did in 2016. Make mask mandatory along with a short divider
so he can't start walking around. I also like the idea mentioned above about the instant
back checking. You put those 3 restrictions on him and he'll back out and make some excuse
like he has a golf date with Graham.

[Raine]

25. Skipping debates would look cowardly

and like there is something about Biden that is being hidden from voters, it's a terrible idea.