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Will Joe Biden Duck the Debates? There are growing calls to shield the former Veep from having to perform.
Wall Street Journal ^ | August 3, 2020 | WSJ Editorial Board

Posted on 08/04/2020 4:28:14 AM PDT by karpov

Televised presidential debates have been forcing future leaders of the free world to sweat since Richard Nixon in 1960. Six times President Obama went mano a mano with Republican opponents in 2008 and 2012. But Joe Biden is leading President Trump in the polls and has been known to fumble his words, so now TV debates are apparently passé.

The Commission on Presidential Debates has scheduled three of them for Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump, beginning Sept. 29. But it’s becoming a theme in certain quarters—namely, the New York Times —that Mr. Biden should skip out, or that the face-offs should be canceled. The latest entry is an op-ed by the liberal journalist Elizabeth Drew, who was a panelist during a 1976 debate. “The debates have never made sense as a test for presidential leadership,” she writes, because points are awarded for “snappy comebacks and one-liners.”

What a terrible year to make this argument. The pandemic has put the usual political rallies on hold, so fewer voters will see the candidates in the flesh. The conventions will be largely online. Press aides will shape the news coverage by picking friendly interviewers. Mr. Biden “hasn’t done any Sunday shows since Covid,” Fox News’s Chris Wallace recently said, adding that “we will ask every week.” The debates will be a rare chance for a third party to push Mr. Biden on his plans for tax increases and a Green New Deal.

Also, Mr. Biden would take office at age 78, becoming the oldest President in history on Day 1. Mr. Trump is all but calling him senile, and Mr. Biden’s verbal stumbles and memory lapses were obvious in the Democratic primaries. How about when Mr. Biden mistakenly referred to Britain’s leader as Margaret Thatcher, who resigned in 1990?

(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections; US: Delaware
KEYWORDS: biden; clowncar; debates; delaware; joebiden; joeclowncarbiden
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To: twister881
I can see the DNC trying to get away with this farce, but is his wife so corrupt that she won’t call a halt?

It really is abuse. I wish I could feel sorry for the guy. This really is shameful...

21 posted on 08/04/2020 6:13:37 AM PDT by Magnatron
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To: karpov

“....known to fumble his words”...comparable to the idiotic comment regarding the September 11th terrorist attack...”some people did things”!


22 posted on 08/04/2020 6:13:52 AM PDT by EODGUY (God's Will...nothing more....nothing less.....nothing else!)
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To: karpov

If Sleepy Joe can’t handle a debate with Trump, how’s going to do when he has to confront Russia, China, Iran, or other world leaders?

God help us if that is ever the case.


23 posted on 08/04/2020 6:29:38 AM PDT by unixfox (Abolish Slavery, Repeal the 16th Amendment)
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To: nuconvert

Think of it if you were a Demorat....Joe Bidens actually picking your next President should he win, out of a select group who basically didn’t even run in the primaries???? How’s that going to work????...not to mention Pelosi hiding in the bushes in anticipation should a vast array of (created) voters being eliminated.


24 posted on 08/04/2020 6:37:16 AM PDT by caww
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To: karpov
The public deserves to see how well Mr. Biden holds up under debate pressure, while hearing his answers to pointed questions about his policy proposals. If he ducks debates, voters will have every right to conclude that his handlers are trying to protect him from doubts about his cognitive capacity. If the debates seem too much like an endless succession of sound bites, that’s an argument for changing their format and pushing for longer and deeper answers, not axing them—especially not in 2020. Mr. Biden portrays Mr. Trump as a bumbling incompetent, a racist, and a liar. If he believes that, he should be willing to repeat his accusations face to face.

Well said and all true.

25 posted on 08/04/2020 6:41:32 AM PDT by 1Old Pro (#openupstateny)
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To: BillyBonebrake
the Biden camp might be waiting to see if John Durham has anything coming out in September.

John Durham needs to get off his ars and start the indictments. Mueller took two years and came up empty, they need to start doing this work in a reasonable time frame not on government time.

26 posted on 08/04/2020 6:43:42 AM PDT by 1Old Pro (#openupstateny)
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To: karpov

It’s amazing how the “Presidential Election Industry” keeps pimping their product.

It’s been obvious FOR MONTHS that if the Biden deception were to go forward that there would be no debates.

It’s also obvious that they haven’t found a way out of the deception involved in running Biden in the first place, and that they have a plan or plans to prevent a second term for Donald Trump that go well beyond having him lose to Joe Biden.


27 posted on 08/04/2020 6:45:19 AM PDT by Jim Noble (Think like youÂ’re right, listen like youÂ’re wrong)
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To: twister881
Yep.....I have family member in the throes of this dastardly disease. Once you've seen it close up over a period of time you can easily see it in Biden.

His family and campaign people are committing elder abuse putting him out there the few times they've done so.....and even in a very controlled environment he was having difficulty sustaining his train of thought....to say the least.

28 posted on 08/04/2020 6:45:37 AM PDT by caww
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To: Mr. K

I think debates begin in September.


29 posted on 08/04/2020 6:46:17 AM PDT by caww
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To: DannyTN

Demorats do have options though....they could pull him out for a number of reasons. Which would open a whole can of worms....hello Bernie?


30 posted on 08/04/2020 6:51:04 AM PDT by caww
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To: karpov

Hopefully, this will be addressed on “The Daily Briefing,” today 2:00 PM EDT on Fox News. Doctor! Jill Biden will be the guest.


31 posted on 08/04/2020 6:56:37 AM PDT by PghBaldy (12/14 - 930am -rampage begins... 12/15 - 1030am - Obama's advance team scouts photo-op locations.)
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To: PghBaldy
Jill Biden will be the guest

So my first question would be, Why Jill and not the candidate???

32 posted on 08/04/2020 6:58:02 AM PDT by 1Old Pro (#openupstateny)
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Is this a trick question?...he couldn’t debate a turnip...


33 posted on 08/04/2020 6:58:27 AM PDT by TnTnTn
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To: DannyTN

.....”I’m not sure Trump would riciule Joe....I think Trump would just give coherent answers and let Joe ramble”....

That would be my guess as well. Though he’d certainly counter anything Biden might actually make through with..but my gut say they’ll likely find a way to avoid the debates entirely.


34 posted on 08/04/2020 6:58:51 AM PDT by caww
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To: karpov

It’s all in the rules, the format and the moderators. Biden will debate Trump but insist on conditions favorable to him. the MSM will cover for him and feed him prepared questions. Biden will rope-a-dope through it.

All Trump needs is a moment where Joe is exposed for what he is. Hopefully Trump’s team is smart enough to make that happen.


35 posted on 08/04/2020 7:02:15 AM PDT by plain talk
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To: Magnatron

Yes, but I think Biden and his wife decided he’d run anyway when they already knew he was having cognitive issues at that time.


36 posted on 08/04/2020 7:07:40 AM PDT by caww
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To: caww

I really don’t know who they could replace Joe with.

If Bernie, there’s a lot of Hillary voters that won’t vote for him.
If Hillary, there’s a lot of Sander’s voters who won’t vote for her.
I don’t seen anyone in the primaries that could unify the whole democrat base.

They would have to go for a new name.


37 posted on 08/04/2020 7:11:19 AM PDT by DannyTN
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To: karpov

I think the debates are going to be more of a risk for Trump than Biden. If Biden shows up and doesn’t do some major flub, he can use these debates as a way to disprove the dementia narrative. The bar is being set way too low for him.


38 posted on 08/04/2020 7:12:17 AM PDT by krny9
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To: Jim Noble

.....”they have a plan or plans to prevent a second term for Donald Trump that go well beyond having him lose to Joe Biden”......

Yes...Biden is just the place holder as a diversion while they prepare furthering their ‘resistence’ after the election.


39 posted on 08/04/2020 7:12:57 AM PDT by caww
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To: PghBaldy

Well that’s interesting news.... why would Jill Biden agree to that?...on Fox no less????


40 posted on 08/04/2020 7:15:48 AM PDT by caww
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