Donald Trump Will Not Debate Hillary, If Gary Johnson Not Allowed To Participate

[EricMaundry]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by NancyBlueINOklahoma (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Santa Monica Observer

The Donald Trump for President 2016 campaign has announced that it will pull out of the September 26 schedule debate between democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Trump, unless third-party candidates Gary Johnson and Jill Stein are also allowed to participate.

This is a tactical move believed by most analysis to help Trump because the third-party candidates seem to pull more from Clinton's support then they do from Trump's.

The requirement that presidential candidates average at least 15 percent support in national polls in order to participate in the presidential election debate stage is “probably too high,” Sen. Bernie Sanders said Sunday morning.

The Commission on Presidential Debates announced its 15 percent threshold last year, and last month it announced the set of five national polls it would use to measure each candidate’s support. The barrier is no problem for Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump, but it presents a potentially insurmountable hurdle for third party presidential candidates like Libertarian Gary Johnson and the Green Party’s Jill Stein.

Read more: http://www.smobserved.com/story/2016/09/04/news/donald-trump-will-not-debate-hillary-if-gary-johnson-not-allowed-to-participate/1894.html

[still_one]

1. F*K that weasel. He doesn't make the rules, though I have no doubt the sorry excuse we have for a

media will jump at this bullshit

[rpannier]

3. Surprised he doesn't want Jill Stein

the candidate from the constitution party, the communist party, the birthday party and any other party he can think of
The fewer people on stage the dumber he looks
He wants a bunch on stage
It's partially how he took the repub nomination

[PatSeg]

47. In the article,

he does want Jill Stein included as well. I knew he'd start finding excuses to get out of the debates.

[CincyDem]

57. I want to see a candidate from "The Rent is too Damn High" party. lol. n/t

[riversedge]

7. I have a feeling that this panal might be bullied by Donald.

[Igel]

55. No, he doesn't.

A private 501(c)(3) corporation makes the rules. At least for the debates that it sponsors.

Yes, the Commission for Presidential Debates is a private organization (a fairly transparent one, to be sure, but answerable only to itself). The name of the organization lets many assume it has some official status, perhaps governmental. It's a bad assumption, but one that's seldom questioned.

Most such organizations (including the Boy Scouts, League of Women Voters, and the Santa Monica Cactus and Succulent Society) are entitled to sponsor presidential debates. Few do.

The CPD was founded, however, for the purpose of hosting such debates. It needs to set the cut-off in order to prevent Joe Smith down the street with 23 supporters (all relatives) from qualifying. But its rules aren't set by Congress and it can change them.

Notice that this entire post ignores whether Trump made this statement or not, whether I think it's a good proposal or not.

[True Dough]

2. And here we go!

This was entirely expected. Don the Con will tilt the playing field in his favor or will take his ball and go home.

[nolabels]

14. He is probably afraid someone will see his small hands and leopards have a hard time changing spots

Or was it something about chickens changing their feathers? No matter, a complacent corporate press and an oligarch that enhances their wealth through deception should we really be expecting change through traditional routes

I am scratching off this whole year as one that is not worth remembering too much about

[Demit]

4. ? It says he wants Jill Stein (sorry, this was meant as a reply to post #3)

[Chakab]

5. He doesn't want to debate. It was obvious something like this was coming.

[Eagle_Eye]

29. ^^^ THIS ^^^

Trump ain't gonna' debate.

[Chakab]

30. I thought that he was going to complain about the moderators and refuse to participate

because of their "bias" against him.

This is a more interesting way to weasel out. I'll give him that.

[yellerpup]

35. Saw it coming.

He wasn't 'prepping' for the debate. No show coward with nothing to say.

[Lil Missy]

6. I knew he would come up with some excuse. He does NOT want to have a one-on-one with Hillary.

He knows he'll come off looking like a jackass.

[RKP5637]

13. Exactly!!! He knows he's a total loser. n/t

[Cryptoad]

16. He is not capable of talking

civilly for hour and half without a telepromter

[rurallib]

38. And treating a woman like an equal - oh the horrors!

[Botany]

8. I'm shocked

[riversedge]

9. umm...Sanders was asked about this also Sunday....

.............The requirement that presidential candidates average at least 15 percent support in national polls in order to participate in the presidential election debate stage is “probably too high,” Sen. Bernie Sanders said Sunday morning.

[still_one]

19. Sanders' should just go back to Vermont and deal with those issues

[Gore1FL]

27. He probably keeps forgetting that he has no right to any opinions as a U.S. citizen and Senator. nt

[still_one]

45. If this is the way he helps Hillary, by indirectly encouraging debate rule changes, for a

lower threshold, then yes, I would rather he go back to Vermont, instead of appearing on national networks spewing out right wing nonsense about a lower threshold.

[Loki]

43. I thought he was going to be out "actively" campaigning for Hillary.

I haven't seen this at all. Does is surprise me, no.

[still_one]

49. Adopting the R/W talking points about a lower threshold, and his remarks regarding the Clinton

Foundation, doesn't sound like someone campaigning for Hillary, but like someone wanting to get attention

[Me.]

56. Once Again His Petty Loserism

Wins the day. What's the old saying,,,with friends like this.....Yes Bernie, do everything you can to mess up the good works that foundation does globally, especially as you haven't really done anything for anyone but yourself

[displacedtexan]

59. I don't recall Clinton being asked her opinion on any campaign issue in 2008.

Insulting Clinton continues.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

10. So, she can debate an empty chair.

This is mostly silly stuff anyway. Are there really many people who are still undecided between Clinton and Trump? A debate might possibly help all three of the undecided voters make up their minds.

[Cryptoad]

11. Then HRC needs to pulls a Clint "Empty Chair"

[riversedge]

33. That would be delightful to actually see.

[OKNancy]

12. This is not being reported in any other place except this little site

Could be true, but I can find no verification.

[PatSeg]

51. That is the only source I can find as well

[brooklynite]

15. No other media outlet is carrying this story....

I find it hard to believe that a local paper Would scoop the national media on something this big.

[RKP5637]

18. I've been wondering too. I just searched and searched, nothing but this one paper. That,

is strange and likely IMO an advertising gimmick.

[Sunlei]

17. trumps afraid to stand alone against clinton because he's never done a real debate. republican

debates were just insults, veiled threats and tabloid bullshit.

[sufrommich]

20. This source is also "reporting" that SpaceX was blown up by UFOs

Consider the source.

http://www.smobserved.com/story/2016/09/04/news/ufo-causes-spacex-rocket-facebook-satellite-to-explode-photos-video-of-ufo/1880.html

[RKP5637]

22. Yep, I've been thinking that more and more, that this paper does bogus reporting. n/t

[Cryptoad]

23. Seems that

some at this paper is " bogarting that joint"

[Jim Dandy]

25. Then it seems like a good place ..

.. for Trump news.

[Pakid]

21. He knows that debating Hillary

will be a real mistake for him this is just his way of chickening out while trying to save face. Hillary will make a fool out of him and his very small tool

[Andy823]

24. If this is real

It's tactic to gang up on Hillary, pure and simple. A few years back the Governor of Idaho pulled something like this. He got some real idiots into the debate he was to have with the Democrat running against him, and those two dominated the debate, and went after the Democrat leaving the republican Governor pretty much able to avoid the issues. This is what I see happening if Johnson and Stein are allowed in the debate, they will allow Trump to avoid having to actually come up with real answers, and he will use them to gang up on Hillary, especially Stein.

[Jim Dandy]

26. Isn't that what useful idiots ...

... like Johnson and Stein are for?

[turbinetree]

28. You know what then lets have Tim Kaine up there debating, they are a team-----------why the hell not

since the "donald" has chickened out of everything he has done his entire life, he looks for an excuse on everything.
I hope Clinton and this "commission" says and Clinton says I will be there were are you!!!!!

[Duckhunter935]

31. Put an empty podium out there

And ask her the questions for her to answer. Make sure it is known he was invited but declined.

[oberliner]

32. This is a made-up story from a site that reports on UFO sightings

Other articles on their front page:

Some Paranormal Experts Say Rare 737 Engine Blowout Due to UFO Encounter

UFO Causes SpaceX Rocket, Facebook Satellite to Explode; Photos, Video of UFO

Please delete this nonsense.

[CanonRay]

34. I knew he'd come up with some bullshit so there'd be no debate

What a chickenshit loser

[Arkana]

36. No way he gets away with this.

If he does not attend the debate I GUARANTEE you that the press, which already doesn't like him, will fucking CRUCIFY him. Hillary will have tailor-made campaign ads calling him a coward for the rest of the election.

There are a few things you cannot do in a Presidential election in the modern era, and refusing to debate is one of them. He cannot and WILL not be allowed to get away with it without taking a beating.

[oberliner]

39. The story is not true

This is not a legitimate source.

[book_worm]

37. Interesting that this is the only news source reporting this...

You would think it was all over the web if true and on CBS, ABC, FOX, NBC & Cable.

[oberliner]

40. It's not a real story

This is a bogus source.

The other stories on their front page are about UFOs.

[Sienna86]

41. I think the third party candidates help define the issues.

I'd be happy of all citizens had a voice in the debates. Why should that threaten a Democrat?

[randome]

46. Define 'all citizens'. Do you think Sienna86 should be in a televised debate?

There needs to be a limit on the number of parties, otherwise we'll have a hundred different 'actors' vying for the stage. There are currently more than 35 political parties in the U.S. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_parties_in_the_United_States

Having all of them in a debate would be sheer chaos. Everyone has the opportunity to be heard. It's called campaigning.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]TECT in the name of the Representative approves of this post.[/center][/font][hr]

[muriel_volestrangler]

42. Looks like this 'paper' specialises in making up pro-Libertarian stories

eg, about a month ago, they ran "Romney, McCain, Bush, other major Republicans Set to Endorse Libertarian". But that, of course, was made up.

The site is currently unavailable, due no doubt to a lot of people wanting to see if this stands up. Assume it doesn't.

[Helen Borg]

44. Sounds good if Trump pulls out.

[Coyotl]

48. Wow, that's the best excuse Trump can find to weasel out of this?

My apologies to all the real, furry weasels with real hair.

[FBaggins]

50. Sounds like a mistake to me

I'd bet that there are more Trump supporters who will only vote for him because the only alternative is Clinton - than the other way around. Making a 3rd party candidate look legitimate can't help him.

[beachbumbob]

52. Trump wasn't going on stage against Hillary......

No surprise here....Hillary should debate an empty chair..

[Trust Buster]

53. Trump doesn't want a one on one debate. He flourished in the three ring circus that was the

Republican primary debates. It allows him to deflect. Trump needs the debates to catch up more than Hillary needs them. Hillary would be foolish to cave to this fools games.

[Imperialism Inc.]

54. *sigh* UFO site has now misinformed many DUers

who will no doubt be very surprised when they discover the debates are still on.

I tried alerting based on this being a kook website but I guess it survived the jury. Any ideas how to get this removed from LBN? Does anyone know which of the forum hosts tend to be most active?

edit: geez and it even has enough recs to make it to the greatest page.

[PSPS]

58. This is a fake story

1. No other media outlet is reporting this.

2. The story contains no link or reference to any such "announcement" nor any attribution for it.

3. The Intercept has a story today that says just the opposite:
https://theintercept.com/2016/09/04/donald-trump-once-wanted-third-parties-in-presidential-debate-but-not-now/

4. This "Santa Monica Observer" also has these stories:
- Some Paranormal Experts Say Rare 737 Engine Blowout Due to UFO Encounter
- UFO Causes SpaceX Rocket, Facebook Satellite to Explode; Photos, Video of UFO

[OKNancy]

60. Locking

not a reputable news site.