Trump considering skipping general election debates in 2020

[fantome profane]

Trump considering skipping general election debates in 2020: report

This is something I have thought for a long time. I can’t imagine that Trump will be able to stand up to fair debate questions. The Presidential debates will not be like one of his rallies, or a call into fox and fiends. It would be him being forced to answer questions by the moderator(s) and being directly challenged by his opponent. I don’t think he will do any Presidential debates in 2020.

What do you think?

 

[Harel13]

This is something I have thought for a long time. I can’t imagine that Trump will be able to stand up to fair debate questions.

Considering he already won one presidential race, why the skepticism?

 

[bobhikes]

Trump considering skipping general election debates in 2020: report

This is something I have thought for a long time. I can’t imagine that Trump will be able to stand up to fair debate questions. The Presidential debates will not be like one of his rallies, or a call into fox and fiends. It would be him being forced to answer questions by the moderator(s) and being directly challenged by his opponent. I don’t think he will do any Presidential debates in 2020.

What do you think?

Yea! He wasn't a good debater anyway. For me its a win if I don't have to see him.

 

[Ouroboros]

Trump considering skipping general election debates in 2020: report

This is something I have thought for a long time. I can’t imagine that Trump will be able to stand up to fair debate questions. The Presidential debates will not be like one of his rallies, or a call into fox and fiends. It would be him being forced to answer questions by the moderator(s) and being directly challenged by his opponent. I don’t think he will do any Presidential debates in 2020.

What do you think?

He doesn't have to, does he? I bet he's already considered to be the front runner regardless. GOP has probably already decided. From now and next year, it's all just a show.

 

[fantome profane]

Considering he already won one presidential race, why the skepticism?

That was then, this is now.

Back in 2016 Trump’s relationship with the media was mixed. Back then he would give interviews to CNN and MSNBC. Can you can you imagine Trump in 2020 answering questions put to him by Anderson Cooper? Or Rachael Maddow?

He won’t get to pick the moderators for these events. That is why he won’t go.

 

[Spirit of Light]

Trump considering skipping general election debates in 2020: report

This is something I have thought for a long time. I can’t imagine that Trump will be able to stand up to fair debate questions. The Presidential debates will not be like one of his rallies, or a call into fox and fiends. It would be him being forced to answer questions by the moderator(s) and being directly challenged by his opponent. I don’t think he will do any Presidential debates in 2020.

What do you think?

I might be wrong here, But I heard Trump worries about questions from Democrats that are negative for his reputation, so it sounds like he is afraid his reputation gets damaged, but he does not care about those things he is accused of breaking the law on.

 

[columbus]

Considering he already won one presidential race, why the skepticism?

What are you talking about?
Trump has only run for office once, and Hillary Clinton got more votes than he did.
Think about it. Godzillary.

Perhaps Trump doesn't want to face an election campaign, where he actually has to explain his platform? Has to explain why Putin isn't supporting him like he used to? Has to explain why Mexico didn't build The Wall?

Who knows? You know Trump isn't going to tell anything more like the truth than he will release his financial records or explain why he was a birther.
Tom

 

[Terry Sampson]

The Putz will skip Republican debates and just settle for T-rallies and tweet his way through the primaries. I'm skeptical that he'll do more than one debate, if even just one: With rallies, he gets the stage all to himself and doesn't have to share with competitors.

 

[Harel13]

What are you talking about?

I'll admit that three years ago I wasn't so interested in American politics as I am today, so I don't remember too much of Trump's previous campaign.
My question was that since he already won one presidential race (which is supposedly the numero uno race, the big one, whatever), why assume that he would drop the ball in this one?

 

[Terry Sampson]

why assume that he would drop the ball in this one?

In 2016,

"Clinton led in nearly every pre-election nationwide poll and in most swing state polls, leading some commentators to compare Trump's victory to that of Harry S. Truman in 1948 as one of the greatest political upsets in modern U.S. history.[17][18] While Clinton received 2.87 million more votes than Trump did (the largest margin ever for a losing presidential candidate),[19] Trump received the majority in the Electoral College and won upset victories in the pivotal Rust Belt region. Trump won six states that Democrat Barack Obama had won in 2012: Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.[20] Ultimately, Trump received 304 electoral votes and Clinton garnered 227, as two faithless electors defected from Trump and five defected from Clinton. Trump is the fifth person in U.S. history to become president while losing the nationwide popular vote.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_United_States_presidential_election#cite_note-23 He is the first president with neither prior public service nor military experience, and the oldest person to be inaugurated for a first presidential term."

In the U.S., it's the Electoral College vote that determines who wins the presidency, not the Popular vote (i.e. the number of citizens who actually vote in favor of a candidate). The Electors in the Electoral College are individual citizens, but each Elector represents a District, i.e. a large number of people residing in a District.

District boundaries are determined at the federal level, and are drawn (I think) by the party in power prior to an election. A District's boundaries can be drawn in such a way as to "water down" the votes of one party or the other. Clinton won the popular vote and lost the Electoral Vote. Trump thinks he'll get the Electoral Vote again, but Districts can turn against a candidate.

 

[columbus]

I'll admit that three years ago I wasn't so interested in American politics as I am today, so I don't remember too much of Trump's previous campaign.
My question was that since he already won one presidential race (which is supposedly the numero uno race, the big one, whatever), why assume that he would drop the ball in this one?

It's hard to explain USA politics to people who aren't familiar. But Trump has never won an election. Not even once.

We don't elect our President, he's appointed by state governments. We pretend to hold a presidential election, and people talk about "the election". But the fact is that Trump came in second by several million votes. The last Republican president also lost his first presidential election, although the margin was much closer. That was George Bush. If Bush's brother hadn't been governor of a big swing state, quite capable of breaking the law, G W Bush wouldn't have been president either.

Take away lesson. Republicans cannot win a free and fair presidential election.

Tom

 

[Terry Sampson]

My question was that since he already won one presidential race (which is supposedly the numero uno race, the big one, whatever)

The U.S. has two presidential races every four years: The Primary Election and the General Election. In the Primary Election, candidates of each party run against other candidates of the SAME party. The winner of a Primary Election in one political party then goes on to run against the winner of the Primary Election in the other party. That last presidential race is called the General Election. That's the numero uno race that you're thinking of.

In other words, Americans get two chances to have a stroke: once in the Primary Election, then again in the General Election.

 

[sun rise]

I hope he does participate and the Democratic nominee repeat "there you go again" in response echoing Ronald Reagan.

 

[fantome profane]

I hope he does participate and the Democratic nominee repeat "there you go again" in response echoing Ronald Reagan.

I am with @bobhikes. I hope he does not do them because I just don’t want to watch them.

But unfortunately I am a sick individual and I will force myself to watch if it happens.

 

[sun rise]

@Terry Sampson quoted "faithless electors" in a post. Unless you are very familiar with how the US system works, this can be confusing. We vote for "electors" who are may or may not vote for the one they're "supposed" to vote for by custom or by law. There's a request in front of the Supreme Court to decide if states can bind electors to vote a certain way or not and to decide this next year before the election.

As it is now, let's say the electoral college vote is within 2 votes. If three 'faithless' electors don't vote for the winner but for someone else, the election goes into the House of Representatives.

This has never happened but who knows what 2020 will bring. It's unlikely to be close enough that a half dozen electors could change the outcome, but it might.

If you think that we're crazy now when it comes to politics, just wait and see what happens if a few electors change the outcome.

 

[Harel13]

@Terry Sampson, @columbus - thanks for the info, but I'll clarify that I didn't mean that I don't know anything about American politics. I have American citizenship, and though I lived in the US several years ago, I still read about the going-ons over there. What I meant was that I'm not too well informed on the details of Trump's first race, and therefore I don't know how good his debating skills are.

 

[columbus]

I have American citizenship,

You are confusing me.
Do you have the right to vote in USA elections?

The reason that I'm confused is that I thought you are eligible to vote in GB and Israel. I didn't think that you could do that and also vote in the USA.
Tom

 

[Harel13]

You are confusing me.
Do you have the right to vote in USA elections?

The reason that I'm confused is that I thought you are eligible to vote in GB and Israel. I didn't think that you could do that and also vote in the USA.

I'm not eligible in GB, I was merely commenting on their thread and asking stuff. Also was greatly relieved that Corbyn is stepping down because of all the problems he was causing for the Jewish community there.

I'm an Israeli and USA citizen. I was born in Israel but my mom's side is from the US and we also lived there when I was younger for a few years which is how I have citizenship. Now we're back in Israel. Officially I can vote at the American consulate here, but it's a pretty big hassle, so I don't know if I'll do it.

 

[Bob the Unbeliever]

Considering he already won one presidential race, why the skepticism?

If by "won" you mean Russian interference? He lost the Majority Votes, but was given the prize by Russians...

 

[Harel13]

If by "won" you mean Russian interference? He lost the Majority Votes, but was given the prize by Russians...

Oh, come on...he was cleared, wasn't he? Is Mueller also a Russian puppet now?