In the first place,when you're way on top of the heap you never give a political adversary the FREE GIFT of an audience of millions and millions of TV debate watchers.
This is Politics 101.
In the second place, Trump's decision to not participate keeps one of the liberal networks (all of them are liberal) from making millions of dollars for one night...on HIS dime. The TV media honchos must be pulling their hairs out.
Finally, I don't agree that Trump "won all his debates"...and we all know it. He just didn't lose them. He has cut no big swathe as a debater. He has a lot, but not enough grounding in depth to shine in a Capitalism vs. Socialism/Marxism debate with the clever Bernie. Sanders cloaks his true ideology under a blanket of Populism.
Remember, Trump was a businessman up to only months ago, not a finely-educated, long-time FReeper!
I never underestimate Sanders. Bernie is glib, smart, canny and expertly detailed in the ideology and issues he promotes, plus he's just as dominating and loud as Donald if not louder. He has a steel-trap memory for facts and figure which impress the uninformed.
It would certainly be fun to watch such a debate, and I would love it (if Trump was behind)....but I think wiser political heads in the Trump campaign advisory staff put the kibosh on any such encounter.
That's what Manafort and others are around for...to advise at what's best and what is not.....and I see their fine hand in this decision.
Hillary was smart, also, in not debating Bernie because she's got the delegates and there's no way she can gain anything, only lose if things don't go right.
Likewise with Trump.....he's in the catbird seat now...and he doesn't have to get in a public cat fight with the pugnacious Sanders just to satisfy his lifelong personal desire to face any and all challenges and WIN.
Nothing wrong with that, but at this point strategies and battlefields must be chosen carefully.
Leni
Great post—#52.
Kudos.
“Nothing wrong with that, but at this point strategies and battlefields must be chosen carefully.”
A well stated analysis on your part.