Let the debate begin?

[Tybee]

I see where he once said he would debate Harris, but he's now backpedaling. Best I can figure, he says they may change candidates again.

I read that as the Republicans might change candidates and for a hot sec thought oh, they should change to Nikki Haley!

[Alan]

I see where he once said he would debate Harris, but he's now backpedaling. Best I can figure, he says they may change candidates again.

I don't think Trump ever agreed to debate Harris, as far as I can tell he agreed to debate Biden twice but then Biden dropped out after the first one and the Democrats haven't yet officially declared Harris as their nominee. Once they do I'm sure Trump will jump at the chance to debate her given her poor performance during the last election cycle's debates.
I guess time will tell though.

[Rogar]

I did a quick search today and there are mixed reports depending on the source, so we'll have to see. Apparently Buttigieg has been mocking him for not agreeing to a debate and I suspect it's just the start until he agrees. Harris hasn't impressed me with her communication skills, so it could be interesting.

[Rogar]

It sounds like the latest is that Trump has backed out of the ABC debate, but proposed a debate on Fox with similar rules, but with a live audience. Of course Kamala says he's running scared, just playing games, and looking to Fox news to bail him out. Donald says he's not quite ready to accept Harris as the Democrats new candidate.

As popular as the first debate was and as new as Harris is to the spotlight it would be good if people had a chance to see them on stage together.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/03/u...-fox-news.html

[gimmethesimplelife]

I'd LOVE to see Kamala Harris debate DJT. Seriously, all she'd have to say is something like "Mr Trump I used to make my living people people like you behind bars" or some variant thereof. What could he possibly say to that that would work for him? She's got some potent ammo against Mr. Orange. Could swear I read online today that DJT agreed to a September 4th debate with Harris? Fireworks are coming and this is a tinder dry (not such a great monsoon this year for much of Arizona) newly battleground state, so important out of nowhere that's supposedly it needs to be won in order to get into the White House? (please don't ask me to expalain the math on that one). Rob

[LDAHL]

If a debate is held, it will provide little useful information about how either candidate would govern. Trump has always operated on unpredictable whims, and Harris has jettisoned so many positions in this New Coke phase of hers that it’s hard to believe what they say on any given evening would indicate what they would do in office. As one piece in “Reason” put it, it will be a campaign of total policy nihilism.

All we can reasonably expect are a lot of childish personal shots and appeals to the darker side of their respective bases.

[jp1]

I suppose if one thinks that trump’s promises to be a dictator on day one are meaningless then sure; it would be tough to understand the difference between the two candidates. Fortunately most voters aren’t that effing stupid.

[Rogar]

If a debate is held, it will provide little useful information about how either candidate would govern. Trump has always operated on unpredictable whims, and Harris has jettisoned so many positions in this New Coke phase of hers that it’s hard to believe what they say on any given evening would indicate what they would do in office.

All we can reasonably expect are a lot of childish personal shots and appeals to the darker side of their respective bases.

I'd say that any debate involving Trump will have the overriding element of petty attacks, fact distortion, and name calling. It probably applies to both sides, but may go back to the old grade school "he started it" excuse. Inside of that there will probably be some discussion of the issues. For the general public, there is a lot to be said for optics and personality, which we already know about Trump, but less so for Harris. And there's always the chance one or the other will say something totally offensive or condemning for the media to pounce upon.

[LDAHL]

I'd say that any debate involving Trump will have the overriding element of petty attacks, fact distortion, and name calling. It probably applies to both sides, but may go back to the old grade school "he started it" excuse. Inside of that there will probably be some discussion of the issues. For the general public, there is a lot to be said for optics and personality, which we already know about Trump, but less so for Harris. And there's always the chance one or the other will say something totally offensive or condemning for the media to pounce upon.

Having witnessed how cosseted and caressed by an obsequious media the Harris campaign has been so far, I think it’s pretty easy to predict where most of the pouncing will occur. They seem to have learned nothing from their fumbling (deliberately or otherwise) of Biden’s mental decline.

I see that she’s going with Tim Walz as her VP pick. That’s probably a good choice if she wants to shore up support on the far left of the party, who may be angered by her quiet abandonment of so many of the positions she took during her short-lived primary campaign. They may also see him as being appealing to some of the battleground states of the Upper Midwest.

[Rogar]

When it comes down to policy I suspect it will be 75% Biden all over again without all the age and Bidenomics baggage. Trump will bean easy target for the media to pounce upon because he will probably say his usual things that aren't true and will drop a few racial or other bombs. Harris obviously to a lesser degree.

Waltz was probably a strategic pick to win over some of the close running battleground states, but you have to like a guy from Valentine, NE and a graduate of Chadron State. He looks like he could be an attack dog?

He's behind climate change initiatives rather than saying it's invented by kids in basements or the Chinese, which is my main issue.