Trump Threatens To Drop Out of Virtual Debate

Both candidates subsequently endorse pushing it back to October 22.

The next debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden is supposed to take place in a week, but a shift to a virtual town hall has Trump threatening not to show up.

This morning, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that the next debate would not take place in person as planned. In order to "protect the health and safety of all involved" the commission decided that the Oct. 15 debate, which is going to look more like a town hall than a traditional debate, will host the candidates remotely, while moderator and veteran C-SPAN reporter Steve Scully will oversee the debate as planned from Miami.

Trump's recent COVID-19 diagnosis—and the spread of the virus among those close to Trump—would seem to make an in-person debate unnecessarily risky. Nevertheless, Trump this morning told Fox News that he would not participate in the debate if it were virtual.

"The commission changed the debate style and that's not acceptable to us," Trump told Maria Bartiromo on Fox News this morning. "I'm not going to waste my time at a virtual debate." He also complained that he'd have to sit behind a computer for a virtual debate and that the moderator would be able to cut him off, likely alluding to comments from the commission following last week's debate that they'd add "tools to maintain order" to stop Trump's frequent interruptions of Biden.

Trump instead said he'd be back on the campaign trail again. Listen below:

Biden's campaign has responded that he'll plan to answer voter's questions on his own Oct. 15 but also requested that the town hall debate be rescheduled for Oct. 22:

(Biden campaign)

Subsequently, Trump's campaign also agreed to pushing the next debate to Oct. 22:

Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien issues a new statement saying they agree to delaying the second debate by a week so it can be in person. "We agree that this should happen on October 22, and accordingly, the third debate should then be shifted back one week to October 29."

— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) October 8, 2020

 

CNN notes that it's not unheard of for a president to refuse to participate in a debate. President Jimmy Carter refused the first debate in 1980, in part because independent candidate John B. Anderson had also been invited. If Trump refuses to participate, maybe the commission should consider allowing third-party candidates to answer a few questions. Actually, they should consider doing that anyway.

Evening update: The Trump campaign is now insisting that Trump will be medically cleared to attend the debate in person next week and wants it to go on as originally planned. Here's the note:

(Trump campaign)

This post has been updated to add a response from Biden's campaign and subsequent reactions by the Trump campaign.

Comments

[damikesc]

Was pretty sure a change without feedback from both campaigns is a no-go.

[Commenter_XY]

Exactly. The PDC should have spoken to the campaigns first.

[mad.casual]

More "Fuck you, 'cuz COVID" etiquette.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

Trump forfeited any entitlement to a veto when he (1) brought a sketchy coronavirus history to the first debate stage and (2) broke the rules by having his dumbass family and followers remove masks in the audience.

If the clingers don't like adult supervision they should stop acting like toddlers.

[mad.casual]

More "Fuck you, 'cuz COVID" etiquette.

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[StackOfCoins]

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[Sevo]

"If the clingers don’t like adult supervision they should stop acting like toddlers."

If the asshole bigot can't act like an adult, s/he should fuck off and die.

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[Tom Bombadil]

I once asked my teacher if I could take my final exam at home.

She said I had to do it in person.
Yes, I was planning to cheat, but it was still so insulting.

[Moonrocks]

Sounds like your teacher was threatening to drop out of class.

[Chipper Morning Wood--------------------------------------------------------------------------]

I've done plenty of take home exams in my life. Also, most tests in grad school are open book. This is pretty common for disciplines that test understanding of complex concepts and deductive reasoning. Having access to helper materials isn't of that much help if you don't understand the material. This is becoming more and more relevant as everyone has access to the world's collective knowledge and rote memorization becomes less important.

[Tom Bombadil]

Is it helpful to have someone else take your test for you?

[De Oppresso Liber]

Trump certainly thinks so.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2020/08/28/report-upenn-professor-renews-call-for-investigation-into-trumps-alleged-sat-cheating/#750d9ea256fc

[JesseAz]

How many conspiracies do you believe?

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/widow-trumps-friend-pushes-back-mary-trump-sat/story?id=71678433

[Sevo]

De Oppresso Liber
October.8.2020 at 2:20 pm
"Trump certainly thinks so..."

Was the other guy on the grassy knoll Elvis's alien love-child, you pathetic piece of lefty shit?

[Chipper Morning Wood--------------------------------------------------------------------------]

You think someone is going impersonate Biden? Only a lizardman could do that.

[Ben of Houston]

There is a possibility of a teleprompter behind the camera.

[Gray_Jay]

"Is it helpful to have someone else take your test for you?"

"Whoever did write this doesn't know the first thing about Kurt Vonnegut!"

[Sevo]

"I’ve done plenty of take home exams in my life."

That explains a lot.
How many 6th-grade finals did it take to end the best years of your life?

[Echospinner]

Tom Bombadil.

You may know the old joke.

Some college students before the exam decide to pull an all nighter to cram and get ready.

They get more involved in the case of beer and oversleep.

So one of them goes to the prof and says they had a flat tire and could they get a retest.

The professor says sure. Show up tomorrow and I will give you a retest exam.

The four of them show up. He directs them to individual rooms and hands them each an exam book.

There is one question “which tire?”

[Echospinner]

When you get to the graduate and post graduate level it is expected that you have learned how to learn and are motivated.

The minnows though likely need a bit more push.

[Dillinger]

good. T is correct.

[Dillinger]

word is T is hosting the Limbaugh radio show tomorrow.

[Nardz]

A "radio rally"
Pretty innovative of Rush to offer it, and gracious of Trump to accept.

[Dillinger]

Fauci scrambles to decry gatherings around AM Radios

[The White Knight]

Weird. Isn’t Limbaugh part of “the media”, yet he is pro-Trump.

[Don't look at me!]

No grasshopper, he is not.

[The White Knight]

Huh, he has a regular and very propular program on the AM radio medium, but somehow “the media” is only defined as a nebulous leftist plot that conservatives can claim to be victims of.

[Nardz]

See the official Journolist

[R Mac]

Dee is so dumb she doesn’t know the difference between journalists and political commentators.

[The White Knight]

Huh, earlier today Red Rocks made the argument I was being too narrow in whom I included as “media”. Now you are arguing I am too inclusive:

https://reason.com/2020/10/08/harris-leans-into-prosecutor-past-at-vice-presidential-debate/#comment-8508636

[R Mac]

Dee is so dumb she doesn’t know the difference between “most of the mainstream media”, journalists, and a conservative radio political commentator.

[Echospinner]

I recall listening to his show years ago on the way to work. He declared the ABBA was the greatest band of all time. Then we found out he was wasted on Oxy the whole time which explains a lot.

[John]

Trump is likely going to be testing negative by the debate. Even if he wasn't, there is zero chance anyone would get it from him. This is a debate not a sex show. The committee just doesn't want Biden to have to debate again unless it is virtual where Biden can have a teleprompter and be fed every answer and Trump can't contradict anything he says.

[Union of Concerned Socks]

This is a debate not a sex show.

Which is why I won't be watching

[Earth Skeptic]

Plus no happy endings.

[Nardz]

What was the point of the ridiculous plexiglass walls if they were insufficient protection?

They couldn't be clearer that this is all just a psyop, and war on the American people.

[Echo Chamber]

It is known that Covid is attracted to plexiglass, striking it with such force that it falls harmlessly to the floor - just like a bird hitting a window.

[Nardz]

Then why would the debate need to be virtual...

[Sarah Palin's Buttplug 2]

"The commission changed the debate style"

Trump translation - "they will have a mute button and might prevent me from shouting over Biden with all my lies"

[John]

Third quarter growth is now estimated to be 19%.

https://www.forexlive.com/centralbank/!/atlanta-fed-gdp-now-sees-third-quarter-growth-at-193-20200803#:~:text=The%20Atlanta%20Fed%20GDP%20now,quarter%20came%20in%20at%2019.6%25.&text=The%20GDPNow%20model%20estimate%20for,11.9%20percent%20on%20July%2031.

Suck it asshole.

[Sarah Palin's Buttplug 2]

With Q2 at negative 32% The Dotard is insured of a terrible 2020.

[John]

And nearly all of that has been made up in two quarters. After the 09 downturn, it was years under Obama before the lost growth was recovered.

Suck it asshole.

[Chipper Morning Wood--------------------------------------------------------------------------]

Hey, look, John, my opinion is backed by facts:

The economy does best with a Democratic President and a Republican Congress

[Nardz]

Lol

[De Oppresso Liber]

"lol, you think I'll be convinced by nerdy numbers? think again, lib!"

[Nardz]

Did you read the link?
It offers no analysis whatsoever, isn't consistent, and doesn't even try to prove its central argument that correlation=causation.
It doesn't even posit what eunuch says, but instead "divided government is good economy", then throws some names and numbers out there.
It's laughable, hence "lol"

[R Mac]

Lying Jeffy is bad at reading links, whether he posted them, or someone else did.

[Chipper Morning Wood--------------------------------------------------------------------------]

Direct quote from the link:

Analysts at WalletHub have released their review of how the U.S. economy has fared since 1950 under both parties. Looking at times where one side controls the White House and Congress and times where the government was split, analysts find the best scenario for economy emerges when a Democrat is President, but Republicans control Congress.

The puling of resident shithead and Trump cultist Nardz does not negate this fact.

[Nardz]

People can read the link, nitwit.
But I'll go ahead and post the rest of your article:

"Over nearly 70 years, 12 men have occupied the Oval Office. While the study doesn’t crown any winners and losers, it does show which commander-in-chief oversaw losses and gains for the American people.
When looking at the stock market, Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower sits at the top. Ike saw the country get a nearly 16-percent annual return from the S&P 500 during his presidency. This just edges out President Clinton’s eight years in office (15.46%). It turns out President Eisenhower also oversaw the largest drop in the national debt, in terms of its percentage of the GDP.
Overall, GDP rose the most under Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson (5.1%) and unemployment fell the most under fellow party member Bill Clinton (-0.44%).
If you’re asking how the current administration is doing, President Trump’s performance compares very favorably to the last few Oval Office holders. In comparison to his predecessor, President Obama, the Trump administration has seen a higher return from the S&P 500, more economic growth, and added less debt to the country’s GDP (0.51%). The final number is a major change from Barak Obama’s time in office. During those eight years, the annual national debt grew by 4.55% in relation to GDP, the highest for any White House in the study.
So when it’s time to cast your vote, history shows it’s usually best when both major parties get a chance to lead, together."

[Nardz]

You, eunuch, are certainly stupid and desperate enough to go with "somebody says" as proof, but some of us have higher standards.
Your study looks at 1950 onward.
49-53: D prez, senate, house
53-61: R prez, D senate, house
61-69: D prez, senate, house
69-77: R prez, D senate, house
77-81: D prez, senate, house
81-87: R prez, senate, D house
87-93: R prez, D senate, house
93-95: D prez, senate, house
95-01: D prez, R senate, house
01-03: R prez, house, D senate
03-07: R prez, senate, house
07-09: R prez, D senate, house
09-11: D prez, senate, house
11-15: D prez, senate, R house
15-17: D prez, R senate, house
17-19: R prez, senate, house
19-20: R prez, senate, D house

So the claim that "D prez + R congress = best" relies on... 1995-1999 as the only applicable example.
4 years out of 70 is your "proof"

[Nardz]

*correction: 1995-2001, so 6/70 years

But looking at some other years with a D presidency and R majority in 1/2 bodies of congress, we add:
2011-2017
A whopping 6 years. You're up to 12/70 years, doubling your applicable example from 8.5% to 17% of the sample.

I think most will agree that the economy was good in the 1995-2001 period (except for that pesky dot com crash toward the end).
But 2011-2017? Much tougher argument.
Then there's those inconvenient (for your theory) years 2017-2019 of economic boom with R prez, senate, and house...

[Nardz]

It's a stupid and shallow argument which took all of 10 minutes to shred

[Nardz]

And it only took 10 minutes, instead of 30 seconds, because I'm on my phone navigating between pages and typing.
A look at the data (aka literal facts, not ill-formed opinions you mistakenly label facts) takes about 30 seconds to realize just how baseless a theory it is.

[Chipper Morning Wood--------------------------------------------------------------------------]

Why would anyone be upset that the economy is recovering?

[Dillinger]

your whining here and your bragging elsewhere don't jibe.

[Ken Shultz]

I don't see why Trump should want to subject himself to a debate where whether his mike and camera are working is a function of whether some debate official has turned his mike and camera on or off--and that's the way a Zoom debate would be, more or less.

I've said before that Biden should use the opportunity to avoid another debate with Trump now that he's leading in the polls, but I'm not sure being a COVID-19 coward will play well with swing voters either. If Biden doesn't want to be associated with shutting the economy down over COVID-19, he should take this on the chin and be a man about it.

[Overt]

In a year or two when the hacked emails come out, we will see the collusion between Biden and the Commission. It isn't a coincidence that they waited until after Harris's debate to pull this. Harris wasn't a complete disaster, so there is no reason they need a debate to shake things up. So the Commission promises to tilt the debate so far in Biden's direction that Trump has to bow out. It's win-win for Biden. He skips the debates without looking weak, or gets to do his "Folks, I'm concerned for you" schtick while people at home see a red-faced, muted Trump screaming at the camera.

[Nardz]

"Harris wasn’t a complete disaster"

Disagree.
It would be impossible for her to come off any less likeable than she did last night.
Just a virtuoso performance of resting bitch face, which can now be changed to resting Kamala face and everyone will know exactly what you're talking about.

[Moderation4ever]

Current Presidential debates provide little information to the voter and in most cases too late to decide. So I don't see dumping the debate as a big loss. President Trump only real hope in the debates was for Joe Biden to make a big gaff and that did not happen. Polling suggest Biden won the debate (not that it matters). The only things Trump could hope for in a rematch is to pass the coronavirus on to Biden. That is unlikely. I don't think there is any real need for any more debates. And if you disagree and want more debates, I would ask this, "is there really anything that would make you change the way you plan to vote?."

[Sarah Palin's Buttplug 2]

Only 2% of voters are likely to change their minds. Trump's lies and how he concealed the danger of COVED from the public have taken their toll.

"I learned a lot about COVED this week" the idiot said. Why wait until now to learn about COVID?

[Commenter_XY]

This is false = Current Presidential debates provide little information to the voter and in most cases too late to decide.

We should absolutely have more debates, not less. And they should have started in July, before voting started.

[Moonrocks]

Fundamentally, it's more a problem with how long presidential campaigns drag on for. If campaigns would start at least in the same year as the election itself, a September or October debate wouldn't be nearly as out of place.

[Kevin Smith]

How can the debates start in July when the parties didn't even finalize their candidate nominations until August? Its all part of the plan to ensure people have as little time as possible to decide on their votes

[Zeb]

By there being no doubt as to who the nominees will be.

If they want to cancel something, make it the conventions which are completely pointless at this point.

[Nardz]

The conventions are pep rallies, and this year were pretty damn illustrative.
They can fit in more debates, and no unelected commission is needed, nor should corporate media be allowed to dictate the conditions.

[Commenter_XY]

Personally Kevin, I would get rid of the primaries, and go back to what we had originally: the smoke-filled backroom where the parties picked their candidates.

[Earth Skeptic]

Nah. Skip the debates and start a series of cage fights.

[Gasman]

Debate host and networks should forge ahead.
If both show up, it's a debate, if one shows up, it's question and answer time with 90 minutes of open mic, and if none show up, then pundits get to fill the air time.

[MollyGodiva]

Oh please no. I can not stand even a minute of pundits.

[Chuck P. (The Artist formerly known as CTSP)]

I’m not sure being a COVID-19 coward will play well with swing voters either. If Biden doesn’t want to be associated with shutting the economy down over COVID-19, he should take this on the chin and be a man about it.

Biden needs to demonstrate to voters that Democratic nominee for POTUS is an essential worker. Why should the black lady grocery stockers take all the risks?

[Don't look at me!]

Why should the black lady grocery stockers take all the risks?
Because Biden thinks that is their place in life.

[Longtobefree]

The debates are a waste of bandwidth.
Voting is already under way, and those who are going to vote against Trump regardless of policies will not change their minds anymore than those who are going to vote for Trump will.
Both of the non-"media" people watching the debates are just boycotting pro sports.

[Sarah Palin's Buttplug 2]

FBI just arrested six far-right nuts who were plotting to kidnap Michigan governor Whitmer.

[mad.casual]

What makes them 'far-right'? Opposition to Whitmer's lockdown orders? Or were they planning on kidnapping Whitmer to seize control of the Michigan government, install fascism, and exterminate the Jews (in solidarity with Cuomo)?

[Kevin Smith]

Apparently they also talked about attacking a police station and killing police officers

[mad.casual]

You mean like Antifa?

[Compelled Speechless]

They should have just gathered at her apartment building and thrown Molotovs into her lobby. I read somewhere that's no big deal.

[Nardz]

Opposition to totalitarian tyranny is exclusively right wing these days

[The White Knight]

So you are saying you want to see the far-right ID cards poking out of their pockets.

[Nardz]

The FBI badges would be nice

[Jerryskids]

The FBI just arrested a bunch of bozos who fell for the FBI's enticements to kidnap Whitmer. I mean, seriously, how dumb would you have to be to think kidnapping Whitmer was a good idea? What were they planning on doing with her once they kidnapped her, what was kidnapping her supposed to accomplish? Assassinating her might be a plausible plot, kidnapping her is just stupid.

Here's what really happened - a few drunken idiots were sitting around in a bar and one of them said something about kidnapping Whitmer, the authorities were notified of this "threat", the FBI got involved, installed an undercover agent in this "gang" and thereafter it became the undercover agent who actually masterminded this plot to kidnap Whitmer, since the other "plotters" were too stupid to actually see how stupid this plot was, too stupid to actually conceive of a plan, too stupid to actually carry out a plan, and too broke to actually buy any of the equipment necessary to pull off such an operation.

Jesus Christ, this is the exact same scenario as every goddamn terrorist "plot" the FBI has "foiled" since about 9/11 - there wasn't actually any sort of plot until the FBI got involved and created one. The FBI is fucking useless at actually solving any sort of problem they themselves didn't create.

[Ben of Houston]

Good. I'm glad those weirdos were stopped.

That' s the difference between the left and the right. The right wants them stopped and shut up to stop embarrassing us. Oftentimes, they disavow the nuts completely. On the other hand, the left wing extremists still receive support after setting buildings on fire. They left bends over backwards to support their actions no matter how insane

[Sarah Palin's Buttplug 2]

The FBI says it thwarted what it described as a plot to violently overthrow the government and kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and federal prosecutors are expected to discuss the alleged conspiracy later Thursday.

The alleged plot involved reaching out to members of a Michigan militia, according to a federal affidavit filed Thursday.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/10/08/feds-thwart-militia-plot-kidnap-michigan-gov-gretchen-whitmer/5922301002/

[Sarah Palin's Buttplug 2]

The court filing also alleges the conspirators twice conducted surveillance at Whitmer's vacation home and discussed kidnapping her to a remote location in Wisconsin to stand "trial" for treason prior to the Nov. 3 election.

"Several members talked about murdering 'tyrants' or 'taking' a sitting governor," an FBI agent wrote in the affidavit. "The group decided they needed to increase their numbers and encouraged each other to talk to their neighbors and spread their message."

[Don't look at me!]

They should have just set up a CHAZ in Detroit.

[Chuck P. (The Artist formerly known as CTSP)]

HAHAHAHA!

Were any of these "far-right nuts" named Jefferson, Lee or Henry?

“Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!”

The crowd reportedly rose as one and shouted, “To arms! To arms!”

[mad.casual]

Whitmer has literally seized control of virtually every business in the state. I don't see how any group opposing her isn't, de facto, anti-fascist.

[Chuck P. (The Artist formerly known as CTSP)]

“The group talked about creating a society that followed the U.S. Bill of Rights and where they could be self-sufficient,” the FBI agent wrote.

“They discussed different ways of achieving this goal from peaceful endeavors to violent actions. At one point, several members talked about state governments they believed were violating the U.S. Constitution, including the government of Michigan and Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

Um, sounds like an indictment against the Reason commentariat could be coming soon.

[Nardz]

You kid, but that's exactly the kind of thing the leftists will do if they seize power.
And Reason will roll over this time...

[Chuck P. (The Artist formerly known as CTSP)]

I wasn't kidding. I think the reason I feel compelled to post is so that when the day comes can point back and say, "I did say something! Before they came for anybody, I said something!"

[Dillinger]

when they come for Chuck I will totes go off.

[Unicorn Abattoir]

It's not like federal prosecutors haven't harassed the commentariat before.

Fuck Preet.

[Chuck P. (The Artist formerly known as CTSP)]

That was before my time, but I did enjoy reading about it. Personally, I think woodchippers are a great solution for tyranny.

[Nardz]

But a bit more cumbersome than ropes, lampposts, and the third box...

[Fat Mike's Drug Habit]

But think of the spectacle!

[Chuck P. (The Artist formerly known as CTSP)]

The equipment is not a problem if you already have a hitch on your truck; you don't have to deal with pesky body disposal; and the tyrants are full of shit so you don't need any additives to make a great fertilizer. It's really a win-win.

If they have COVID, be sure to wear a face shield with your mask.

[Nardz]

Oh, I've got nothing against at all.
If you've got all the necessary equipment, go to town!

[Longtobefree]

Sorry, but an FBI affidavit is not a reliable source; do you have any actual named, verifiable, reliable sources for this?

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

The guy who is trailing badly and needs more at-bats is threatening a tantrum that would prevent more at-bats?

Clinger logic.

[mad.casual]

Why step up to the plate when your opposition keeps releasing home videos of himself getting hit in the crotch?

[Dillinger]

trailing badly lol

[Bill Godshall]

Looks like the Debate Commissioners want to further confuse and scare Americans about the risks of the China virus, as occurred at last night's rigged VP debate, where the moderator prefaced every question with a false claim about Trump or false left wing talking points.

Just as occurred last week in the first debate, Pence had to ask the truly important questions to Harris because the moderator refused to do so, and then attempted to move on to other subjects so Harris didn't have to answer.

[Longtobefree]

Almost like the moderator was a Pelosi biographer.

[raspberrydinners]

Don't worry- his regularly scheduled idiotic rants will continue unabated on Twitter.

[Unicorn Abattoir]

^Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you a prima facie example of stupid.^

[De Oppresso Liber]

Are you saying his twitter rants are smart?

SPACE FORCE

or

Wow!!! NOW DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS, THE BIGGEST OF ALL POLITICAL SCANDALS (IN HISTORY)!!! BIDEN, OBAMA AND CROOKED HILLARY LED THIS TREASONOUS PLOT!!! BIDEN SHOULDN’T BE ALLOWED TO RUN - GOT CAUGHT!!!

Yeah, he sounds sane and in control. Not desperate whatsoever.

[Unicorn Abattoir]

^Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you another prima facie example of stupid.^

[Dillinger]

part deux even funnier. nice.

[Tom Bombadil]

"Trump Threatens To Drop Out of Virtual Debate"

Trump was never scheduled to be "in" a Virtual Debate so it is not possible for him to "drop out".

[R Mac]

Chtst. Another dishonest headline by Reason.

[Longtobefree]

And the not virtual event was to be a town hall meeting, not a "debate".
Welcome to the wonderful world of propaganda.

[The White Knight]

Sure he was. He is signed up for three debates. If he is changing his mind because they are changing the rules of procedure that could be described as dropping out.

[R Mac]

Wrong.

[Overt]

Semi-OT: https://pjmedia.com/instapundit/405491/

"Trump is losing. Badly. That’s what the recent polls shows. That doesn’t mean he will lose. There’s almost a month left, and if he can turn around 2.5% of current Biden voters, and thus get within around 4% of Biden, plus pick up a few “shy Trump” voters, he can win the electoral college while losing the popular vote by several points. But right now he’s losing, and it’s not because the polls are biased, not because of any conspiracy by the media to cover up his success."

I was surprised, but heartened to see this on Instapundit. With the way people have been commenting, I was really worried about the election. Seeing everyone insisting that the only way they can lose is through the other teams' fraud was rough.

This above is why Biden doesn't have to debate. It is why the media and the Commission are covering for him. Because Trump really is losing right now, and all they need to do is not fuck up in order to pull this out.

[Sarah Palin's Buttplug 2]

That is very surprising and candid commentary considering the source.

Biden would win 350 electoral votes today but a movement of 3-4 points could change everything.

[Tom Bombadil]

You have absolutely no idea what the results would be if the vote was done "today".

[NOYB2]

Biden would win 350 electoral votes today but a movement of 3-4 points could change everything.

That's a meaningless analysis.

[Nardz]

Submission to totalitarianism is so heartening, overt.
Welcome the new normal!

[Overt]

I do not submit to totalitarianism. I also try my best not to delude myself. Kill the messenger if you want- or the messenger's messenger in this case.

Right now, I am just concerned about the country ripping itself apart because everyone lives in such a reenforced bubble that they cannot contemplate the chance of losing.

[Nardz]

The country has already been torn apart.
Perhaps you missed 2020 - the lockdowns, coordinated riots, and struggle sessions, all sponsored by our government and corporate establishment?
There is no going back, there's only degrees of shittiness to go through and where we end up on the other side.
Do we give in to the cancer and live out our days locked in a nursing home where the orderlies beat us, or do we endure the pain and fight back against that cancer to again enjoy some measure of our liberty?

[Cal Cetín]

"If Trump refuses to participate, maybe the commission should consider allowing third-party candidates to answer a few questions. Actually, they should consider doing that anyway."

You know, there's actually a third-party debate scheduled for tonight, 6 PM MDT.

(I'm not affiliated with these guys but I am subscribed to their newsletter - still I can't guarantee it will be any good)

https://freeandequal.org/

[Nemo Aequalis]

Anytime I see the word "equal", I reach for my revolver.

[Cal Cetín]

So did the Founders. Muskets, anyway.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal..."

[mad.casual]

No, it was the word 'birthright' that made them reach for their muskets. "Created equal" was their rebuttal to "divine birthright".

The 'equal' Nemo gets twitchy over is being used to advocate an guaranteed outcome based solely on someone's birth, a divine birthright.

[Gray_Jay]

Or my cup of tea. It's not a bad sweetener.

[NOYB2]

Third party candidates and debates in a WTA system like the US are simply stupid.

You want a seat at the table? Enter the primaries for either party. The bar is obviously very, very low, given the number and low quality of this years entrants.

[Cal Cetín]

It seems that technical difficulties delayed the broadcast of the debate, but I suppose that's OK because probably I was the only one who tried to watch.

[Sometimes Bad Is Bad]

So we'll instead have another Biden meet and greet where "undecided" voters playing the role will ask softball nonsense questions instead of grilling him.

The media has lost it, the public has lost it, so here's your crown Crazy Uncle Joe best of luck.

All I can say at this point is 3 court picks and Cameltoe will fudge pack the court on her way to eliminating elections, guns rights & 1st amendment rights permanently. You were warned this would happen, you voted for her anyway.

[Overt]

You have to hand it to the Elites here. 2020 was an all-out, non-stop pile on Trump. Impeachment, Lockdowns, Riots, Tax Returns, Never Trumpers, and now these debate shenanigans. They threw everything they could at the wall. It would be funny, except it worked. I think the average independent is sick of the chaos, and has started to accept the proposition that the elites are offering- Just vote for Biden and it will all go away.

At the beginning of the Trump administration, I said that he was the Grachii Brothers reborn- a populist firebrand who upset the ruling-class's carefully ordered hegemony. Luckily for Trump, he didn't get killed. But unlucky for us, things are unfolding the same way. After they were done with the Grachii, the ruling class worked quickly to dismantle all of their populist reforms, only serving to enrage the mob further. And then, a few decades later, the last Populist of the Roman Republic out did the ruling class in a march across the Rubicon.

[Nardz]

If the left successfully steals power, he'll have been the Gracchi.
If he wins, he has a chance to be Caesar (to whom there have always been parallels).
In either event, civil war is likely.
If not civil war, then we all lose to the United State Soviet of America.

[Overt]

Trump is no Caesar. Our next caesar is just being born. And he is learning lessons about what happens if you don't play for keeps. Look at how Rome treated the death of Gracchus:

"Gaius' head was cut off, as Opimius had announced that whoever brought back the head would be paid its weight in gold. When the head measured an astonishing seventeen and two-thirds pounds, it was discovered that Septimuleius, who brought the head, committed fraud by removing the brain and pouring in molten lead and therefore received no reward at all. The bodies of Gaius, Fulvius and the three thousand supporters who also died were thrown into the Tiber, their property confiscated and sold to the public treasury. Appian adds that their homes were looted by their opponents"

I don't think the Dems are going to be this violent. But they are going to work to utterly destroy Trump and his followers at the end of this. And so the next Caesar who is probably a young officer or senator, is learning that when he gets into power, he will need to take the military with him.

[Gray_Jay]

"I don’t think the Dems are going to be this violent."

Not at first. The thing about political violence though, is it has a way of spiraling out of control. It's absolutely amazing how fast things change now. Sarajevo went from hosting a Winter Olympics to killing each other with military ordnance in seven years, and mass social media has gotten infinitely better at identifying, amplifying, and broadcasting cultural differences and news of outrages.

Morality, similarly, can change as fast.

The alternative to fighting back is serfdom and bondage.

[Nardz]

Correct

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

" But they are going to work to utterly destroy Trump and his followers at the end of this. "

It's the sole sensible course for decent people to follow.

[Michael Ejercito]

Nothing decent about a Jew-hater like you!

[Nardz]

The next will be an Octavian, complete with the proscriptions.
Or we'll just be consumed by decades of leftist totalitarianism, as Germany, Russia and Eastern Europe, China, and others were.
But those are really the only possibilities at this point.

[NOYB2]

Just vote for Biden and it will all go away.

There will be less craziness on state media; your rights and money will evaporate quicker than ever before, however.

[Nardz]

Struggle sessions sponsored by Big Business are bad enough.
Re-education camps enforced at gun point will be worse.

[Ken Shultz]

"Trump's campaign also agreed to pushing the next debate to Oct. 22"

They're making it a big deal.

Good!

If Trump can pull off a good showing, it may right the ship.

[Michael Ejercito]

Trump wanted to come across as strong by wrangling concessions.

[Nemo Aequalis]

Good for Trump. I wouldn't want to put control of my microphone in the hands of these stooges, either.

[Unicorn Abattoir]

...while moderator and veteran C-SPAN reporter and FORMER BIDEN INTERN Steve Scully will oversee the debate...

FTFY

[BigGiveNotBigGov]

#DuckingDonald as duckling yellow as always. #DuckingDonald was the viral hashtag, before Trump was just viral, and all over the news when Trump ducked debates with Cruz, Sanders, and Clinton.

"Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Tuesday that he will not participate in Thursday’s Fox News debate, prompting a ‘mano-a-mano’ debate proposition from Texas Sen. Ted Cruz—and inspiring use of the #DuckingDonald and #DonaldDuck Twitter hashtags."

https://time.com/4195565/donald-trump-republican-debate-fox-news-duckingdonald/

From his #CadetBoneSpurs physical cowardice to his #DuckingDonald intellectual and moral cowardice of 2016 and now and the too many to recount similar examples Donald Trump has proven to be a lifelong physical, intellectual, and moral coward.

Trump's passion for tyranny and false bravado grow from the same seed, cowardice.

[Sevo]

"..Trump’s passion for tyranny and false bravado grow from the same seed, cowardice."

Asshole TDS victim is here to lie about disliking big gov and Trump while proving the asshole TDS victim is more than willing to take that over accepting that s/he is full of shit.
Fuck off and die; the world will thank your family, you pathetic pile of lefty shit.

[Brandybuck]

Put a plexiglass wall between the two, problem solved. So much rage over nothing.

I say old the debate that was scheduled and if someone doesn't show, that's their problem.

[mad.casual]

Unless, your Biden, in which case Trump not showing up is a problem for you.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

" Put a plexiglass wall between the two, problem solved. "

Science-disdaining, half-educated losers who make silly unqualified declarations are among my favorite culture war casualties.

[Michael Ejercito]

Still hate Jews?

[NOYB2]

Trump needs better coaching for the second debate. He needs to make his accomplishments clearer and speak more clearly about what he wants to do in his second term.

Biden's evasiveness and history speak for themselves. And Trump needs to give Biden time to commit his infamous gaffes; Biden can't do that if Trump keeps interrupting him.

[mad.casual]

Trump needs better coaching for the second debate. He needs to make his accomplishments clearer and speak more clearly about what he wants to do in his second term.

IMO, he needs to be cold and even obtuse about it. Calmly, quietly, steer every question back to his own accomplishment. Force the moderator to overtly say things like "We aren't talking about BLM riots in Portland, we're talking about whether you condemn The Proud Boys." and let Biden stumble over himself either answering the moderator's question or addressing Trump's accomplishments.

[Jackand Ace]

Laughable. Neither the Commission nor the Biden campaign will be snowed by this idiot. They’ll have to prove he isn’t infectious, for the protection of not only Biden and audience but also those working in the room, and Trumps’s word is meaningless, as is Conley’s. Which means an independent testing process, not a White House one.

[Sevo]

Oh, great! Here's jackass to explain how the magic incantation to stop climate change will make all those nasty 'right wing' wild fires go away!
Hey, jackass! Is it the number of times you say the magic words? Maybe lefty shits got together and agreed on a magic password?
Gee, jackass, why not tell the world of your magic solution?
Perhaps it's because you are full of shit.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

'If I don't get my way -- and in particular if you guys don't ignore my belligerent ignorance, selfish recklessness, and relentless lies with respect to the virus -- I will boycott one of the few opportunities to try to reverse my current trajectory toward a historic electoral trainwreck for Republicans.'

Carry on, clingers.

[Michael Ejercito]

YOUR way is the Holocaust.

[Sevo]

Carry on, asshole bigot.

[Uomo Del Ghiaccio]

I propose ending the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) and going back to having sponsors like the League of Women Voters and others.

To change the eligibility to candidates who are on the ballots in enough states to win the electoral college instead of just the Republcrats and Demlicans.

This year it would be the Republcrats, Demlicans, Libertarians (have ballot access in all 50 states) and maybe the Greens (might be on enough ballots). This would make the debates more interesting and actually be debates.

There are more issues important to people other than the limited issues that the Republcrats and Demlicans avoid talking about. The addition of the Libertarians and Greens would force real issues and solutions to the issue be discussed.

The Republcrats and Demlicans have been in power for over the last 150 years and look at the mess the Republcrats and Demlicans have made. It time that the duopoly is broken up and there is an infusion of third party ideas.

[Jhoony_Nash]

Make 6,000 dollar to 8,000 dollar A Month Online With No Prior Experience Or Skills Required. Be Your Own Boss And Choose Your Own Work Hours.Thanks A lot Here>>>Read More.

[De Oppresso Liber]

Case in point ^

[R Mac]

Case in point that you’re a progressive, yes.