Should Biden agree to debate Trump?

[HomerJS]

All this is moot. Biden has already agreed to debate. Biden need to insist on rule changes to prevent this from being a circus.

No audience
real time fact checking.
I would make each debate longer to allow for proper follow up when questions are not answered.

 

[Grey_Beard]

All this is moot. Biden has already agreed to debate. Biden need to insist on rule changes to prevent this from being a circus.

No audience
real time fact checking.
I would make each debate longer to allow for proper follow up when questions are not answered.

No need for real time fact checking. This will not stop atRump and has the potential to make it a circus. Everyone knows he lies and it will be fact checked for a week regardless when the debate is over. I think the outlandish and untruthful things tRump will spew will work against him as evidenced by the Axios interview.

 

[HomerJS]

No need for real time fact checking. This will not stop atRump and has the potential to make it a circus. Everyone knows he lies and it will be fact checked for a week regardless when the debate is over. I think the outlandish and untruthful things tRump will spew will work against him as evidenced by the Axios interview.

That's fine. When the clock has to be stopped so many times because Trump can't tell the truth his incompetence will be self evident.

 

[soundforbjt]

Don't know if this has been posted but Biden refused to have an extra early debate that Drumpf wanted.

 

[zinfamous]

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.

hah! anti-intellectual libertopian wants Academia to step in to elevate things.

sure.

 

[zinfamous]

As I already said, Biden may still have some remnants of childhood stuttering, but it doesn't explain the majority of his gaffes, and it doesn't explain the worsening with age.

no one talking about his stuttering is using that to explain his gaffes, which are a different thing.

They are and were quite directly responding to comments like Greenman's, where he incorrectly interprets Biden's "pauses, stops, and circumlocutions" as gaffes or dementia.

In one case, we can recognize that his speech pattern is affected by stuttering. In another, we can also recognize that he has a long history of simply saying stupid things. We get that. Stop trying to force what people are saying into what you want them to be saying.

 

[K1052]

Don't know if this has been posted but Biden refused to have an extra early debate that Drumpf wanted.

Yes and Biden's campaign said no. They agreed to the usual three debates as scheduled.

Trump has not even officially accepted the invitation to the debates but is the one pretending Biden's trying to get out of it while demanding the event and rules be changed to suit him. The correct answer to this is of course "nope". Let him whine, complain, and grouse but he's going to show up because it's impossible to keep that man out from in front of a camera.

 

[woolfe9998]

no one talking about his stuttering is using that to explain his gaffes, which are a different thing.

They are and were quite directly responding to comments like Greenman's, where he incorrectly interprets Biden's "pauses, stops, and circumlocutions" as gaffes or dementia.

In one case, we can recognize that his speech pattern is affected by stuttering. In another, we can also recognize that he has a long history of simply saying stupid things. We get that. Stop trying to force what people are saying into what you want them to be saying.

I was using the word "gaffe" to signify all his verbal missteps, whatever their nature. You are arguing pure semantics.

 

[purbeast0]

That's fine. When the clock has to be stopped so many times because Trump can't tell the truth his incompetence will be self evident.

His incompetence is already self evident and hasn't stopped him from doing anything or his followers loving him any less.

 

[TheVrolok]

He is going to ignore all debate questions and bombard Biden with garbled statements that include "Ukraine, Russia, Hunter Biden and "The Blacks"
Trumps handlers are hoping that by letting Trump ramble on long enough that Biden might eventually lose patience and his composure and slip up.
They are thoughtering and prayering that they can get a Harris vs Biden moment out of it to make him slip up on a word.

Exactly this.

 

[SMOGZINN]

The only problem is Trump would cheat unless someone neutral was watching him and he was checked for earphones.

I don't think it would even matter. The format I suggest is intended to talk about their platforms and not be a performance. I would expect it to be professionally produced and edited. I would expect both sides to do so.

Yes, that is what they are hoping.

The thing is, Trump's awfulness is a known quantity and the understanding of it is on a 60/40 political fault line. Right now, Trump is at his floor, meaning he isn't likely to lose any support no matter how the debate goes. But Biden can lose support. I think 8-10 points is Biden's maximum possible lead, and that this won't go up but could go down depending on events in the campaign and the country between now and then. That's why I don't think Biden should debate.

But he's going to do it anyway, so it's academic.

Deciding to not debate will come with a cost as well. I think what we are going to see, and in fact are currently seeing the opening moves of, is a dance between Trump and Bidens campaign to each appear like they want to debate but avoid it if at all possible, while at the same time trying to blame the other for the failure of a debate.

 

[pauldun170]

no one talking about his stuttering is using that to explain his gaffes, which are a different thing.

They are and were quite directly responding to comments like Greenman's, where he incorrectly interprets Biden's "pauses, stops, and circumlocutions" as gaffes or dementia.

In one case, we can recognize that his speech pattern is affected by stuttering. In another, we can also recognize that he has a long history of simply saying stupid things. We get that. Stop trying to force what people are saying into what you want them to be saying.

Generally, people who highlight stuttering as an indication of mental health, intelligence or anything worth caring about are idiots. Probably the same people who assume that people who wear glasses must be smart or going raw dog in a pool water will keep a girl from getting knocked up because of the chlorine.
Darth fucking Vader is a stutterer.
Biden's stuttering and delivery is a a non-issue because "science" and reality.
His occasional gaffes are just that gaffes. It's been his shtick before many of you were born.
That has nothing to do with the work the guy has put in the senate or in the white house.

 

[Jhhnn]

I don't think it would even matter. The format I suggest is intended to talk about their platforms and not be a performance. I would expect it to be professionally produced and edited. I would expect both sides to do so.



Deciding to not debate will come with a cost as well. I think what we are going to see, and in fact are currently seeing the opening moves of, is a dance between Trump and Bidens campaign to each appear like they want to debate but avoid it if at all possible, while at the same time trying to blame the other for the failure of a debate.

Both sides? Really? Biden said "I can hardly wait". He's pretty much a straight shooter, so I'll take him at his word. I also think it's entirely reasonable that there should be no live audience or that it be done by remote, neither of which will likely suit Trump at all.

 

[Starbuck1975]

hah! anti-intellectual libertopian wants Academia to step in to elevate things.

sure.

I am not anti-academia, people who self identify as intellectuals rarely are

 

[fskimospy]

Then Trump would shout from the roof tops that Joe is afraid to debate him. So while he may not have anything to gain, he has plenty to lose.

Interestingly enough, Biden has committed to the debates and Trump has not.

 

[Greenman]

Interestingly enough, Biden has committed to the debates and Trump has not.

I don't believe that Biden will engage in a "normal" debate with Trump. My wild ass guess is that it will be done on camera from separate locations. The reason for that is so that Joe can use a teleprompter. That's the only way he'll be able to stay on track.

 

[nickqt]

I don't believe that Biden will engage in a "normal" debate with Trump. My wild ass guess is that it will be done on camera from separate locations. The reason for that is so that Joe can use a teleprompter. That's the only way he'll be able to stay on track.

Tell that to Sarah Palin and Paul Ryan, chuckles.

 

[fskimospy]

I don't believe that Biden will engage in a "normal" debate with Trump. My wild ass guess is that it will be done on camera from separate locations. The reason for that is so that Joe can use a teleprompter. That's the only way he'll be able to stay on track.

You do realize that the whole ‘Biden cognitive decline’ thing is invented by right wing media, right? He seems fine.

Also, if you think that’s an issue surely you agree that Trump seems to be suffering from dementia, right? I mean there’s no way any person can see those interviews and think Trump isn’t in need of medical help.

 

[fskimospy]

It’s honestly so weird that conservatives would try and pretend that Biden has mental problems when Trump is babbling like a crazy person, and has been for the last four years.

It’s just like Hillary’s emails. They pretend to care.

 

[ivwshane]

Debates participants use teleprompters?


God damn righties say some of the dumbest shit!!

 

[ivwshane]

You do realize that the whole ‘Biden cognitive decline’ thing is invented by right wing media, right? He seems fine.

Also, if you think that’s an issue surely you agree that Trump seems to be suffering from dementia, right? I mean there’s no way any person can see those interviews and think Trump isn’t in need of medical help.

He doesn't realize anything. I think it's he himself who is in cognitive decline, his "gaffes" per post seem to be increasing.

 

[fskimospy]

He doesn't realize anything. I think it's he himself who is in cognitive decline, his "gaffes" per post seem to be increasing.

It is the new ‘Hillary’s emails’. They never cared about them, that’s why they immediately stopped caring once Trump took office.

The most important thing is when these clowns pretend to care, because they don’t.

 

[sandorski]

You do realize that the whole ‘Biden cognitive decline’ thing is invented by right wing media, right? He seems fine.

Also, if you think that’s an issue surely you agree that Trump seems to be suffering from dementia, right? I mean there’s no way any person can see those interviews and think Trump isn’t in need of medical help.

Not Invented, Apparent.

 

[kage69]

I'm sure people in both camps are pushing for no debates, but particularly Trump's. A remote format for covid safety would negate a lot of his interruptions and theater - the stuff he relies on instead of having knowledge, maturity, experience, the desire to learn and empathize while I'm here. I could go on of course.

Plus, he's busy trying to undermine the election completely right now. Going along with debates would be sending the opposite message wouldn't it? Debate a god hater, who would hurt god?

 

[Z15CAM]

Great Canadian politicians to date were and are Jack Layton (NDP). He died much too young, He would be our PM now if he had not died, his successor Tom Mulcair , absolute a brilliant man but resigned as he could not win against the Trudeau Liberal legacy.

Not saying Justin isn't a bad Commander and Chief as he tends to hold his own on the world stage but here at home is up for bids. Every Canadian wanted Justin to be as Political Smart as his father Pierre but is a question panning out.

I'm not being viscous but Justin would destroy both Trump and Biden in a political debate ;o)

So would Macron of France, Angela of Germany, Boris of England isn't bad and Putin of Russia, well he's Trumps twin brother - LOL