Should There Even Be A Debate?
The main discussion this week has been who should Kamala Harris pick for Veep. But just as the field has narrowed this weekend, out comes an announcement that TFG will debate Harris on September 4th on Fox in front of an arena-sized crowd.
That was news to:
1) Fox,
2) Harris, and
3) Everyone else.
Harris immediately countered with a succinct ‘see you on September 10th on ABC’ response in reference to the previous agreement between the Biden/TFG camps.
But really, I have to ask at this juncture, should there even be a debate? Who is likely to benefit from one? In any given format? TFG? Harris? Voters?
I submit: None Of The Above.
Reasoning? I don’t think there is a ‘persuadable voter’ left to persuade in this year’s presidential election, and that’s a crazy thing to say. But this has been a crazy election year that makes the 1968 election look like an exercise in politics as usual.
The choices are so extremely divergent this year that I can’t imagine a single person (who knows that we have an election this year) that has not formed an opinion on either of the two options.
And in particular, I cannot imagine a single tortured soul out there who will change their opinion from supporting one of them to support the other as a result of a debate between them.
But wait. What about those who simply don’t vote at all? What if, as Julien Labarre, administrator of UC Santa Barbara’s Center of Information Technology and Society, says “…people who were not thinking of going to vote [are spurred] into participation, we do see that kind of effect.”
What if indeed? A sage once said: What if I had some ham? If I had some ham, I could have some ham and eggs.
If I had some eggs.
Half Empty, I think you’re a bit dismissive of the entertainment value such a “debate” would provide, especially if, as I’d hope, Harris could slice and dice Trump into a quivering mass of despair. Knowing he would try to intimidate her, as he did Clinton, she could finally be the one who bares his depraved soul to the world. And that’s why, ultimately, he’ll bail. But perhaps by early September, he’ll be significantly far enough behind in the polls that he’ll have no alternative but to tempt fate and submit whatever he has left of his preening self-respect and go for broke. It’ll be fun to watch.
1A debate could persuade people to either vote, or not vote
2Here is a cartoonist’s perspective on “swing voters”
https://amptoons.com/blog/?p=27392
3If a debate is held in September and the election is in November, how many commercials will each candidate run in the interim? Will anyone walk into a voting booth and remember what occurred in a September debate?
Even if Trump goes full bull-in-the-china-shop during a debate, Fox News has plenty of time to make their viewers believe he won, his actions were justified, or present dozens of debate conspiracies to distract their audience.
4Oops, please switch dates. I plan on seeing Kamala, with or without him, on the 10th on ABC. And I also think there would be some people sitting on the sidelines who may then decide to vote.
5You got the date reversed -> Original Sep 10 on ABC, Trump’s Sep 4 on FOX
6I believe you flipped your dates. The ABC debate was agreed to for Sept 10.
7Trump’s security blanket debate was proposed for Sept 4 on Fox Fake News. No one agreed to it.
Yes, trumpf is trying to control the messaging by his proposal to debate Kamala on fox on 9/4. When she declines (to a nonexistent) debate, he’ll say she’s the one afraid to debate him. And of course he’ll say that because she won’t debate him, he has an excuse to skip the ABC debate. It’s all for the magats. Who do you think they’ll believe- trumpf or Kamala.
8Fixed!
9My favorite scenario would be for Trump not to show up to the debate scheduled for September 10, so Kamala Harris can talk policy for two hours, looking at an empty podium.
10NO DEBATE!!!
11If there is one an Harris chews up Trumpkin a spits him out then lazy fence sitters will figure Harris won and not vote, there by letting The Trumpkin win.
If the opposite happens then lazy fence sitters will figure The Trumpkin won and not vote, there by letting The Trumpkin win.
Debates are always a waste. On interviews layout the points that the Dems are going for, how we get there, and how things will improve. All the MAGA have is hate and bigotry. Unfortunately between the rePUKEians and the evilgenitals that is a lot of people.
Good summary of the VP candidate, Tim Waltz. I see good old fake hillbilly jd vance is already hedging on debating him. That will be interesting if they do. I like that Waltz called out jd as weird early on, cuz he is.
12https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/governing-experience-tim-walz-tops-jd-vance-election-2024-trump-harris-rcna165394
I already bought the damn popcorn, Mr. Empty. I was strongly considering getting just a little bit high just in case Trump is going to one-up Kennedy with his own killing a baby gorilla with a 9 iron story.
13Is RFK trying to one up Kristi Noem? He’s right there in being a real dumb ass politician without that, but this seals the deal
14