Cowardly Trump refuses to appear at the Republican debate

Once more, frontrunner Donald Trump has refused to appear at the Republican debate. What's his problem? Is he afraid he might have something to lose?

In the past Trump used debates to crush his Republican opponents. Now he refuses to participate.

Some say he's afraid to debate because he might say something that will get him in trouble with his indictments. If that's so, the Fascist Democrat Justice Department will be able to hamstring him for the entire election process.

Is that what the Republic is all about? Is it a matter of using the legal system to hamstring your political opposition?

Please discuss.

 

Yes, he's being cowardly. That's nothing new. The "Fascist Democrat Justice Department" line is pure bull ****. I take that back. Bull **** actually has some value. Calling this braindead conspiracy theory bull **** is an insult to bull ****.

 

He's holding a rally that night - and he will be doing a lot of talking there that could also hamstring him. I think his ego is leading his decision to participate in the debate. He feels he doesn't have to do it.

 

All he’ll see at the rally will be butt kissers. He needs to be challenged, and he’s not got the courage to face that.

 

Exactly. So why do you need to blame Democrats, for this-- just habit? As the prohibitive leader in the Republican Primary, Trump correctly sees that he has little to gain, in participating in debates against his ineffective challengers, and much to lose, by saying something that runs afoul of what the base of the GOP has become. Also, as the Right is constantly noting of Biden, Trump is old. If his thought processes are becoming more muddled, he would not want to put that on display. If (once) he becomes the GOP nominee, he will probably agree to no more than one debate with Biden, and spend the entirety of it, regardless of what is asked, just repeating that the 2020 election had been rigged, and casting aspersions on Biden, based on irresponsibly unsupported allegations, made by his Republican Congressional cronies.

Participating in debates, when one is in such a commanding position, is not a "smart" strategic move; it is the act of someone who respects democracy, and who believes in the people's right to be fully informed, in choosing their leaders-- hence, this excludes Trump.

 

I think its more about him knowing his loyalists will support him no matter what, so he won't bother.

Interestingly he just came out and identified as pro-abortion, which was a big surprise to everyone. Clearly he is looking for moderate votes, which he will trade for pro-life votes, but I think voters, especially single issue voters, would like to hear him talk about this sudden change, and they would like to hear his challengers challenge that view.

PS DeSantis just dropped 13 points and is now in 5th place in the polls, while the Indian dynamic duo, Nikki and Vivek are gaining.


"A new poll puts Ron DeSantis in fifth place among 2024 Republican presidential candidates, with some candidates — including tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley — surging ahead, but still not quite enough to pose a serious threat to former President Donald Trump.

The CNN-University of New Hampshire poll released Wednesday shows that DeSantis has dropped 13 points since a survey conducted in July. The poll shows DeSantis sitting at 10% among likely GOP primary voters, with Ramaswamy at 13% and Haley at 12%. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, meanwhile, is at 11%. Trump is still the first choice, at 39%."

 

While one might look at that poll as encouraging, it is just one poll. In another recent poll, Haley was at 18%, Tim Scott at 10%, and DeSantis at 9%. Trump had 46% support, in that one.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.da...ace-South-Carolina-poll-evangelical-vote.html

Note that support of these top 3 challengers, combined, were still less than that of Trump. In fact, we could even add in the Christie number in that poll, of 5%, and come up with lower support, than for Trump (to beat his support, would require as well, the addition of the 3% of support going to either of the two, tied for sixth place: Pence, or Vivek Ramaswamy). The reason that these polls show so much variation, is that the poll I quoted was taken only among South Carolina Republicans, and I assume that yours only represents the preferences of New Hampshire, likely Republican Primary voters, who are far less representative of the national GOP base. That is why the 10% Christie number, at this point, should be seen as an outlier, not an indication of where things are headed.

Let me know when the top 3 alternatives to Trump, have more support than the former President, in Republican polls (or if any one of them, hits 30%). If this ever occurs, I would not expect it until after the commencing of one of Trump's pending trials, and not necessarily even then; it is possible that being on trial could firm up Trump support. Maybe after Trump's conviction, which I foresee, would be a more reasonable time to start looking to see if some R voters are having second thoughts.

 

The support is scattered for his challengers, so its hard to say until there are only few left

 

No reason for Trump to debate, just like there is no reason for Biden to debate. He is essentially the incumbent and the race has long been over. He has nothing to gain from it.

 

Okay, all of issues are settled, and there is nothing to debate. Biden and Trump have all the answers and the races are over.

The rest of us are sick about having to choose between two old men who are roundly disliked and supported by overly influential minorities who force this pair on us. Wonderful!

Trump is bully and a coward. He only talks to his cult. Biden is senile and cold. He disrespects the American people. He’s only getting nomination because Democrats think he’s “the moderate” who will beat Trump.

 

Trump has the nomination all wrapped up. It’s the debate with Biden I’m looking forward to.

 

Lol, we live in a democracy...yeah right. We get no say in who gets into office. We are given two choices, both pre-approved by the powers that be, bought and paid for by special interests and the MIC.

 

Yep, the Ds are so powerful that they concocted this entire scheme. The firing of the SecDef immediately following the 2020 election, a lib D plan all along. Bill Barr, clearly a RINO and a lib at heart, probably writes donations to the Ds. Miley, well, he's military and it is a fact that all military personnel prefer government security blankets and socialism. The My Pillow Guy, nothing more than a reformed crank addict D. Probably has a basement full of dead babies. Indeed, IS THIS WHAT THE REPUBLIC IS ALL ABOUT!!!!

 

I agree with everything you said, but I did no

I don't disagree with anything you said, but I was only referring to it from Trump's standpoint. He has nothing to gain from debating and he doesn't care what anyone else wants unless it benefits him

 

Trump will blow that one too, like he did against Biden in 2020. He will just bloviate and act like he’s doing what his base wants. Trump is unelectable, even against Biden who will shake hands with the air and wonder around looking for exit.

Wendell Golder, from NBC News, will come up from the press corp and escort him off him off the stage.

 

I will be shocked if his handlers let Biden do a debate. It would be too embarrassing

They will put out rules for the debate that they know Trump won't agree to as a BS excuse

 

No, they will stack the deck with corporate media moderators who will protect Biden with programmed questions with answers on the teleprompter for Biden to read. They will fill Biden full of Prevagen. If he can’t read the responses, they will ring the bell to cut him off. Of course we need to remember that John Fetterman started his debate with his closing. The Pennsylvania voters still elected him. Now the Pennsylvania Governor has opened the door for illegal aliens to vote with motor voter registration.

Pennsylvania is gone. There is no way that state will vote Republican 2024. That is one of the “key states,” and it is solid blue, just like California and New York. You vote will not count. The illegal aliens will out vote you.

 

That is the alternative and safer strategy to save the senile candidate.

 

Why should Trump participate in the Republican debate? He's far more popular than the rest of the candidates combined. His appearance with striking auto workers will draw far more attention than the bickering lightweights on the debate stage.

 

Trump totally made the correct decision not to appear the first time. For one thing, the debate was hosted by a more Left-leaning news organization who had a moderator who asked terrible questions to the candidates that didn't get to real heart of any of the most important issues.
With Trump as the leading candidate, there was little point in debating on a stage with 8 other candidates, most of whom had virtually no chance of winning. Probably not much to gain, and some potential to lose.
Trump gave a live interview with host Tucker Carlson instead during the same time as the debate, to send the signal that he had better things to do, and give TV viewers an alternative.

I can't speak for the second debate he decided not to attend, but some of the reasons may have been the same.

I do suspect Trump may attend a public debate if and when it finally narrows down to only one or two other contenders.

If current President Biden wanted to debate Trump on a live public stage, I have no doubt Trump would relish taking up the offer.

 

Debates are there to serve the politics of the candidates involved. Trump is a politician who beleives rightly he has far more to lose than gain by attending that debate. It would be campaign negligence for him to accept and attend a debate which will only serve to raise the profile of his opposition at his expense. He wants that debate to get crappy ratings, not good ones.

 

That would be how I see it too. He had been through the debate experience, abused it, and now believes he is above all that. in his mind the debate is for peons. He would rather repeat himself and his slogans at a rally where his "followers" demonstrate their worship for him. His ego is like a bottomless black hole. He cannot have enough adulation.
He continues to get away wit his obnoxious behavior.....and his cult just can't get enough.

 

good points. He is NOT a good , articulate debater. He just trashes his opponents without offering his ideas and plans to make things better in this country. He has nothing to offer in a valid debate, that would show the public what his plans are and how he would defend them. He is just a street level brawler.
Most of all he believes he is superior to everyone else.
He has never elaborated on HOW he would make America Great again
So MAGA is just an empty slogan ....as he has no clue. Nuance completely escapes him.

 

As I'd said-- tell me, when the top 3 contenders' support, exceeds Trump's. Remember, not every vote for someone other than Trump, is an anti-Trump vote; that is, Trump will pick up some voters as well, when other candidates drop out. If there isn't any one of those alternative options with broad appeal among the GOP base, it will likely not matter, that the field gets winnowed down.

 

when you're an elderly old man like Trump, it's understandable that he would not want to participate