This makes no sense at all. Why should Trump debate Bernie, if he’s not going to go up against him (we assume) in November?
To damage Hillary.
To bolster his status and aid him in the CA primary.
Also to diminish Hillary.
Makes perfect sense. Trump doesn’t want Bernie supporters voting for Hillary in the general. He wants them to vote Trump or stay home.
Trump’s mission is to unleach hell on Hillary and ignore Bernie.
This also works for Bernie. He’ll get Dem voters to watch Hillary get torn to pieces, without getting his hands dirty.
This will be worth hundreds of millions in free media for both of them. It’s a win-win. Only Hillary loses. She is probably getting used to it.
Because it will stick a wooden stake into Hillary.
“This makes no sense at all. Why should Trump debate Bernie, if he’s not going to go up against him (we assume) in November?”
It does seem odd in the surface. But everything brilliant Trump has done has been something odd, not ‘normal’ by politician standards.
It serves 3 things I can see:
1) Trump needs Bernie voters in the fall. If he goes soft against Bernie and keeps it to an anti-Hillary debate, some may back Trump when Bernie leaves the race.
2) It might help Bernie win CA, which puts the Democrat race into turmoil.
3) it makes Hillary look irrelevant/scared
“This makes no sense at all. Why should Trump debate Bernie, if he’s not going to go up against him (we assume) in November?”
Really?
No doubt the networks have already started a bidding war to carry this debate, as it will be the best political theater since TV was invented, with ratings totally through the roof, maybe greater than a Superbowl. And best of all, Irrelevant Hillary will be watching on the sidelines, stewing in her own juices.
Also, as others too have pointed out, a debate like this would be totally brilliant for Trump on multiple levels: Trump could only come out of this win-win, whereas no matter what happens for Bernie, this will be a MAJOR lose-lose for the Democrats and for Irrelevant Hillary herself, as it would have a shattering impact on the Democrat race. Basically, a debate like this is letting Trump inside the Democrat party to completely blow it up.
The Democrats couldn’t have imagined going up against someone like Trump in their wildest nightmares, and yet here he is and there they are.
Yes it does. For Bernie it gives him unprecedented media coverage for California and it leaves Hillary out in cold unable to respond.
It lets Trump and Sanders go after Hillary on the e-mail and pummel her. It really has no big downside to either Trump or Sanders.
This makes no sense at all. Why should Trump debate Bernie, if he’s not going to go up against him (we assume) in November?
Read Mariner’s comment #8. It will boost both Sanders & Trump and be a big LOSS for Madame Secretary.
“Why should Trump debate Bernie”
Because Hillary won’t debate Bernie. Bernie wanted to debate Hillary before California. Hilly Billy is afraid.
It will also confuse a lot of dumb voters who don’t know what’s going on. They’ll think Hillary is out.