Why hold debates between candidates from both parties before each candidate formally wins the presidential nomination at their national conventions in the summer?
This has never happened before. Why now? There is absolutely no reason to do this other than to test President Joe Biden.
Biden has exploited former President Donald Trump's arrogance by getting him to agree to an early debate, which did him no favors and accomplished nothing that the fall debates couldn't have accomplished.
Trump must realize that he can and will beat Biden if given the chance. The question is, will he be given that chance? Democrats have betrayed candidates before. Just ask President Samuel J. Tilden (see the 1877 compromise over the Tilden-Hayes Compromise in the presidential election).
The problem for Trump, as polls suggest, is that he would lose to any popular Democratic candidate other than Biden.
The reason for this debate is simple: Democratic leaders want Biden to realize he needs to step down from the stage. After all, at this point in 1968, it was unclear who was going to be the Democratic presidential nominee, so it's not too late.
If Biden underperforms on the big stage in June, Democrats will have no trouble choosing a new nominee.
Imagine if the debates were held as scheduled (September and October) – if Biden was incompetent or made serious mistakes in the debates, the election would go to Trump.
That would force Democrats to wake up to what independents, Republicans and even some Democrats have been seeing for months: Biden is not capable of serving as president now, and will be increasingly unable to lead the country for the next four years.
Is there a precedent? Yes.
Lyndon Johnson's experience parallels Biden's to some extent. The Vietnam War was raging with no end in sight due to strategic failure. A massive military buildup was undertaken to fund the war. Johnson was performing poorly in the Democratic primaries and his approval ratings were falling.
As a result, Johnson shocked the nation late in the election season by announcing that he would not seek or accept the party's nomination.
Another president with a similar profile to Biden ran for reelection. That's what Democrats are really afraid of. Former President Jimmy Carter faced hostage crises in the Middle East, high inflation and high interest rates. Sound familiar, Biden?
Carter lost the election by a huge margin to Ronald Reagan, who got the hostages out of Iran. Given the current hostage situation in the Middle East, does anyone think Trump would be unable to do the same?
Carter's failure also resulted in the Republican's longest streak in the White House in a century.
Depending on who President Trump chooses as his running mate, the 12 years of Republican control of the White House could be repeated.
Carter was the last Democrat to lose reelection and the only president since the 19th century to do so. Johnson is the only Democrat not to run for reelection. Biden could be set to succeed one of these presidents.
You can probably see now why I'm more than 50% sure Biden won't be the Democratic nominee. But as my wife reminds me, I've been wrong before.
Gary Franks served three terms as a U.S. Representative for Connecticut's 5th Congressional District. He was the first black Republican elected to Congress in nearly 60 years. He is the author of With God, For God and Country. @GaryFranks
