That is why there were no presidential debates in 1964 and 1968.
In 1964 the "buffoon" was Goldwater, and the Democrats didn't want him defining himself against the image that LBJ had set for him.
In 1968 the "buffoon" was Wallace, and both parties feared he could throw the election into the House and set back the civil rights revolution for decades. The Republicans feared his inroads in the South, ruining Nixon's "southern strategy." The Democrats feared he would siphon off union votes from Humphrey.
These so-called debates are canned exhibitions of sound bites, so they might as well be abolished.
bttt
Nixon didn’t debate McGovern in 1972. In fact, he never said his name in public.