Donald Trump boasts that he wants to debate Joe Biden anytime, anywhere. However, the former president's camp has set up an obstacle since Mr. Biden has indicated that he agrees to this.
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Donald Trump boasted that he would debate President Joe Biden anytime, anywhere. Apparently, this statement needs a qualifier. That is only on the president's terms, not when the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) schedules a debate.
The former president's campaign laments that the first debate will only be held on September 16, arguing that “millions of Americans will have already voted by then.”
Not surprisingly, as CPD pointed out in its response to Wednesday's criticism, this is complete nonsense.
The committee noted that the first debate, scheduled for September 16, will be “the earliest general election televised debate ever held.”
CPD chose this date “after a comprehensive review of each state's early voting rules,” and said only North Carolina voters would even have a chance to vote by then (starting Sept. 6). ).
But it is unlikely that “millions” of those people requested, filled out and returned absentee ballots to election officials by September 16th.
In theory, voters in Pennsylvania could also vote. Here, the day of the first debate is the first day you can receive and fill out your ballot.
Still, we're talking about thousands of votes total cast in those two states. Of course, neither Mr. Trump nor his campaign can ever be accused of spoiling a meaningless narrative with facts to feed his supporters.
What seems more likely is that the former president's claims that he is willing to debate Biden are as valuable as his statements that he is willing to testify under oath in any criminal trial. is.
In other words, don't hold your breath.
According to CPD, another reason why debates cannot be held early is that federal law requires that not only candidates from the major parties participate, but also theoretically enough others listed on the ballot. This is because it stipulates that people will be invited to do so. Allow them to win in the Electoral College.
Additionally, three states do not close independent candidate voting until September 6, so it may not be possible to hold a debate that includes all eligible candidates by then.
Of course, now that Biden has signaled his intention to debate the former president, it's entirely possible that the Trump campaign is looking for a way out. This week, Biden told radio host Howard Stern that he was open to debating his opponent.
You can't blame Trump for his reluctance to exchange words with the president.
Polls show that in 2016, Hillary Clinton defeated Biden in all three debates, and in 2020, she lost all three debates against Biden.
The reason is obvious. Trump's rambling, combative style works well with his supporters at rallies, but less so in debates.
That said, the country is simply too polarized, so it seems unlikely that any discussion at any stage will make much of a difference in swinging the vote.
So even if the candidates agree on a date, the debates are largely a spectacle for the media.
And this is a big “what if?” Because neither side would probably want to rush the two old men in front of the cameras. Performance there can easily cause more harm than good.
