Today we're talking about travel, leisure, sunsets, and presidential debates.
Goody! There will likely be two Biden vs. Trump debates to get us through this summer.
It seems so. But who knows?
hang on. Should you still cancel your dream vacation?
I don't.
I mean, you don't want to pop party balloons. If you think political discussions are a good time than, say, sitting on the sweet sand of a beach and watching the dappled sunset over the water, then step up!
However, the moment when President Biden and former President Trump will share the debate stage is still a long way off.
I thought everything was resolved.
The anticipated debate came together fairly quickly after Biden issued a provocative challenge and Trump quickly agreed to two face-to-face meetings.
The first broadcast is scheduled to air on CNN on June 27th. The second episode is scheduled to air on September 10th on ABC.
However, there are still many details to be ironed out, and there is a good chance that one party will withdraw.
President Trump avoided a debate with Biden in 2020 because the condition of the debate being held remotely as a precaution against the coronavirus pandemic suited him. I want you to remember that it's because it doesn't fit.
I thought all the details had been worked out by an independent debate panel.
That's how it used to work.
Since 1987, the Commission on Presidential Debates, a nonprofit organization with a nonpartisan board of directors, has worked with television networks to set up three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate every election cycle. did.
Matters such as the format, choice of emcee, and seating (or standing) arrangement were decided in advance.
Candidates only had to attend, other than cramming for the 90-minute session.
what happened?
The commission has unveiled plans for four debates this fall, starting Sept. 16 and ending Oct. 9, but Biden and Trump have ignored the commission and vowed to ignore the proposed schedule. Selected.
can they do it?
Yes, certainly. There is no requirement for candidates to follow the committee's recommendations, nor is there any need for them to discuss them.
Jeeper.
In fact, the move wasn't all that surprising.
Trump was unhappy with the committee for several reasons. He complained about the hosts chosen in 2016 and 2020. They also didn't like the decision by some to mute the candidates' microphones during the second debate in 2020, after they kept talking about Biden in their first meeting.
Two years ago, at President Trump's request, the Republican National Committee formally withdrew from its debate committee.
So trump detonated it.
No, Biden also had issues with the committee.
Two of his top political advisers, Anita Dunn and Ron Klain, were part of a bipartisan commission announced in 2015 that, among other things, expanded the pool of potential moderators and expanded the field of moderators. He called for a thorough review of the presidential debate process by eliminating the presidential debate process. audience.
The bottom line is that both sides believed it was in their interests to bail out the committee and schedule their own debates.
So is it a win-win for Biden and Trump?
You could look at it that way.
There's no doubt Biden didn't want to get close to Trump, and if he had run away from the contest, the president's wish might have come true.
But a debate between the two major party candidates is now expected, and a refusal by Biden would invite even more unwanted questions about health and fitness.
Biden has agreed to two debates and no more, limiting the risk of a setback that could threaten his campaign. Also, by holding the debates earlier than usual (the last debate is held about two months before Election Day), the president will have enough time to recover politically even if he doesn't perform outstandingly. Time is given.
That said, Biden could be incompetent, or at least perform reasonably decent. He has shown a penchant for taking on important occasions, such as his well-received State of the Union address in March.
What will it be for Trump?
He has been salivating to be on stage with Biden and has repeatedly said he would debate the president anytime, anywhere. So when Biden responded, “Okay, let's do it,” Trump had a hard time saying no.
Not only that, Trump and his strategists are absolutely convinced that Biden is a walking, or rather shambling disaster. In fact, while it's common for candidates to keep expectations low and brag about their performance after a debate is over, Trump did the opposite.
He called Biden “the worst debater I've ever faced” and a man who can't “put two sentences together.”
So if he puts the two sentences together, will Biden win?
I wouldn't say that.
It doesn't matter whether Biden or Trump sets expectations. Voters can judge their performance independently of the pre-debate debate. That's why tens of millions of people watch it. The debate is one of the few times during a campaign he sees candidates thinking and acting on their own without a script.
What about other candidates?
Both Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden would be willing to exclude Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a leading independent candidate.
No matter how Kennedy performs, if he stands on the same stage as Biden and Trump, his candidacy will automatically rise.
That's another reason the two major party candidates agreed to their own deal, though Kennedy could still qualify under the criteria laid out by CNN and ABC. His participation is one of the unresolved questions surrounding the debate, which could result in the denial of one or both.
So should you stick with your summer plans or cancel them?
please. Go outside and see the world. It's summer!
If you're worried about missing out on political action, make sure your cabana or high up on the mountain has reliable Wi-Fi.
