Should Biden agree to debate Trump?

woolfe9998

Lifer
Apr 8, 2013
16,188
14,090
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My answer is no. Biden has a wide lead, but also a penchant for verbal gaffes. So does Trump, but that aspect of Trump is baked in at this point. Biden has an advantage in being perceived as a more level headed, solid choice. If he gets into a debate and says one or more stupid things, his lead might shrink.

I think the perception that he's afraid to debate will be a lesser downside then the potential downside of debating. Not much upside either. According to polls, HRC won all three debates and got very little bounce in the polls.

He's in, say, the third quarter right now, is leading by 17 points, and he has the ball, 4th and 2 at the 50 yard line. No sense in going for it. Just punt the ball. If he was down by 17 points, then of course he should go for it. He needs to protect his lead by playing it safe.
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
82,854
17,365
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Trump uses bullshit logic and personal attacks in all of his "debates".
It wont convince any more liberals to vote Democrat, nor will it convince any more conservatives to vote Republican.

Much as I hate to say it, Joe should go negative. Avoid direct contact, run attack ads like crazy, win in a landslide.
Being nasty has worked great for republicans since at least Reagans first election.
 

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
37,404
8,038
136
Trump uses bullshit logic and personal attacks in all of his "debates".
It wont convince any more liberals to vote Democrat, nor will it convince any more conservatives to vote Republican.

Much as I hate to say it, Joe should go negative. Avoid direct contact, run attack ads like crazy, win in a landslide.
Being nasty has worked great for republicans since at least Reagans first election.
It's unbelievably easy to run attack ads against president bone spurs, tax return hiding, cry baby, reality denying, devoid of sympathy, by far most disrespectful, American pandemic death provocateur extraordinaire in residence. There is such a surfeit of material it's beyond incredible. Every day it keeps piling higher and higher. The Biden lead appears to be widening and widening. There may be a contraction when the GOP has their convention. Hopefully that's minimal and very temporary and the gap resumes snowballing.
 
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woolfe9998

Lifer
Apr 8, 2013
16,188
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I dont think he should. He can just use the truth as an excuse; trump doesn't debate, he lies. What's the point?

I agree. No debate can be had with Trump which is remotely close to anything informative to the public. Nearly the entire debate would consist of Trump throwing scurrilous lies at Biden, and Biden trying - successfully or not - to parry them. I see no point in exposing the public to such an exercise.
 

nickqt

Diamond Member
Jan 15, 2015
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If Biden is like 2008 and 2012, then it'd be hilarious to watch him laugh Trump off the stage.
 

Grey_Beard

Golden Member
Sep 23, 2014
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My answer is no. Biden has a wide lead, but also a penchant for verbal gaffes. So does Trump, but that aspect of Trump is baked in at this point. Biden has an advantage in being perceived as a more level headed, solid choice. If he gets into a debate and says one or more stupid things, his lead might shrink.

I think the perception that he's afraid to debate will be a lesser downside then the potential downside of debating. Not much upside either. According to polls, HRC won all three debates and got very little bounce in the polls.

He's in, say, the third quarter right now, is leading by 17 points, and he has the ball, 4th and 2 at the 50 yard line. No sense in going for it. Just punt the ball. If he was down by 17 points, then of course he should go for it. He needs to protect his lead by playing it safe.

No way. He needs to continue to put the pressure on. You lose when you protect leads. Nothing says a loss more than knowing your ahead and changing from what got you there to something else. Many a win was prevented by using the “prevent” defense in a game.

When you pressure your opponent, they make mistakes. It may not happen every time, but the advantage of being up is that each mistake by the opponent is magnified. Set back and now the need two good things to go their way to get them back to where they were.

I say debate him. Make him make a fool of himself aT each one. Say to him, “Are you kidding me when you said delay the election?” After his response say, “You know that you can’t do that. Is set in stone and it take a a Congress to make that happen. You think Mitch, the guy who said if your running for a Senate seat that if they need to distance from you, they should, is going to help you change the date of the election? You truly are the puppet.” Then follow up with, “If I am elected, I will push to make mail-in voting standard a cross the country. I will also rebuild their postal service and not dismantle it.” Watch tRump go crazy with that, and say that stuff he said today that everyone knows this, its logic. Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

He needs to continue to show the contrast. tRump gets so much “free” media attention that you have to constantly show the contrast. The debates are a great way to do that.
 
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tweaker2

Lifer
Aug 5, 2000
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Not saying Biden should as I prefer he not, however If Biden decides to debate Trump methinks Biden should exploit Trump's quirks and weaknesses the same way Pelosi and Schumer led Trump into saying he would shut down the gov't to get his wall built.


Attack his frail ego, attack his narcissism, attack his relationship with Putin, attack his many impeachable offenses, lure him into saying self-incriminating things, let him make those stupid lies that exposes his incompetence, his ignorance of world politics, the list goes on and on.

It's not a worthwhile gamble as things are, but it could work provided Biden keeps Trump on the ropes and covering up.
 

pcgeek11

Lifer
Jun 12, 2005
21,279
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I agree. No debate can be had with Trump which is remotely close to anything informative to the public. Nearly the entire debate would consist of Trump throwing scurrilous lies at Biden, and Biden trying - successfully or not - to parry them. I see no point in exposing the public to such an exercise.


Sounds like the hearing with Barr. Meaningless political grandstanding.
 

JEDIYoda

Lifer
Jul 13, 2005
33,981
3,318
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I agree. No debate can be had with Trump which is remotely close to anything informative to the public. Nearly the entire debate would consist of Trump throwing scurrilous lies at Biden, and Biden trying - successfully or not - to parry them. I see no point in exposing the public to such an exercise.
I agree!! Trump will try to turn the debate into a campaign rally!!!
 

sportage

Lifer
Feb 1, 2008
11,493
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You don't know Joe Biden very well if you think that Joe is at an disadvantage coming into the debate. Joe can be even nastier than Donald Trump, when Joe wants to. An untethered Joe may not be ready for primetime audiences, but that is what it would take to expose Donald Trump for what Trump really is and Joe knows this. Do not write off Joe to quickly, Joe can and would give Donald Trump a run for his money. In fact, I will predict it will be Donald Trump to chicken out if and when debate(s) are actually scheduled. Joe knows how to go straight for the jugular, however people seldom see that side of Joe because "other" democrats feel it is beneath Joe and not good for the party brand. I'd give it about five minutes on stage with Joe against Donald before the gloves would come off and Joe would hit Donald below the belt. And watching that would be priceless. Imagine, to see that look on Donald Trump's face the moment Trump realized he made a terribly huge mistake with debating Joe Biden on TV. I actually believe Donald might start crying, either that or piss his pants right there on stage in front of the world. I've seen the worst of Joe Biden, up close, and Joe can be a little SOB when he wants to or needs to. And in this case, age can make an even more cranky and insulting Joe Biden than that of the younger more controlled Joe Biden. If we have debate(s), the next day Fox News will not talk of how great Donald Trump did, Fox news will be whining on how mean Joe Biden was to Donald Trump. Fox will accuse Joe of down right disrespect for a president of the United States. That would the only way Fox could spin the humiliating performance from Donald Trump, and I don't know how Fox would spin the wet spot on Donald Trump's crouch. Set your VCR kiddies.
 

HurleyBird

Platinum Member
Apr 22, 2003
2,670
1,250
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I can't see a Biden v Trump debate working the same way debates usually do.

Rather, the way I see it is that even in the event Trump massacres and everyone thinks he won the debate, if Biden's performance doesn't play into the "cognitive decline" narrative, then Biden wins big time.

On the other hand, Trump might look like a total ass and make incendiary statements that get lots of people upset, but if Biden presents like he's going senile, then Trump wins big time.

And if Biden can wipe the floor with Trump and not give the slightest indication of cognitive decline, or if Trump wipes the floor with Biden and he does? Game over either way.

In hindsight I think it would have been smarter not to debate Trump because it's an unnecessary risk. Even if Biden is mentally fit as a fiddle, he can still have a bad day and "confirm" the narrative. Grey Beard is right that usually, trying to protect a lead is counter productive, but I think this is a unique case because, left to his own devices, Trump will most likely continue shooting himself in the foot. I'm not sure this election is about gaining a lead as much as it is not digging your own grave, and in that context letting Trump keep the spotlight while not making much in the way of waves has been an incredibly winning strategy so far. That said, since Biden has already agreed to debate it might make him look incredibly weak if he reneges now.
 
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Starbuck1975

Lifer
Jan 6, 2005
14,698
1,909
126
Debates aren’t really debate anymore, its all about spectacle and who does a better job at delivering their scripted made for Twitter one line zingers.

I don’t think we can trust the media to moderate anymore, they’ve proven incapable. Maybe its time for academia to step in.
 

ch33zw1z

Lifer
Nov 4, 2004
37,734
18,004
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Debates aren’t really debate anymore, its all about spectacle and who does a better job at delivering their scripted made for Twitter one line zingers.

I don’t think we can trust the media to moderate anymore, they’ve proven incapable. Maybe its time for academia to step in.

The intellectuals? That will insult millions of 'Muricans incelligence.
 

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
70,085
5,618
126
Refusing to Debate has its' own risks. As long as Biden can handle a full length Debate without major gaffes, then he should Debate. I suspect that they have been working on how to best get him through a Debate already. Best Diet, Drugs, Rest, etc regimen.
 

nOOky

Platinum Member
Aug 17, 2004
2,827
1,849
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Looks like he is going in for a hair smell! :eek:

I find that so amusing. Literally complaining about hair smelling as a presidential dis-qualifier. Meanwhile the other guy has 25 credible victims of sexual misconduct/abuse and rape lined up against him, which he threatens to sue and calls liars of course. Now tell me in your personal life how many friends/associates you have that have been accused of sexual assault, and how you continue to defend them. Most normal people would think that's a good enough reason to end that friendship or association, because it's not fucking normal.