February 6, 2024

"I’d like to debate him now because we should debate. We should debate for the good of the country."

Said Trump, reported by NBC News.

Biden's response: "Immediately? Well, if I were him, I’d want to debate me, too. He’s got nothing else to do."

Trump avoided participating in any of the Republican debates, apparently because it was not in his political interest to do so, and not because it was "for the good of the country."

Presumably, the desire to debate Biden now — Trump has said he wants 10 debates! — is another calculation of political interest. Biden's got the perfect excuse for refusing to engage, at least for now. He's busy being President. But I suspect he'll attempt to dodge all the debates, and as the months wear on and we get to late summer, the too-busy excuse will need to be bolstered. I predict the argument that Trump is too odious to deserve to be on the same stage as President Biden. 

You might think that if Biden's poll numbers continue to decline that at some point debating will seem like his best option. Is he capable of debate though? If he is, maybe he should. Otherwise, we're out here thinking the man can't debate. And then maybe he's not "too busy." Maybe he's not busy at all. I think a lot of people don't believe that Biden is, right now, performing the role of President.

80 comments:

Howard said...

The inside baseball polls that are not made public must be showing Biden ahead otherwise Trump would not want to waste the energy debating him

rcocean said...

Trump is making a mistake if he agrees to any ol'debate. What happened last time is Biden was protected and helped by Chris Wallace and the other debate moderator, plus the absurd rules that prevented Trump from interupting.

Biden is a terrible debater. But he always get cover from the MSM who claim he did a great job. they did that with Palin and Ryan too. Or maybe its just people are stupid and think someone throwing out insults, smirking, scowling and saying "That's Malarky", shows you're smart and well informed.

Anyway we SHOULD have debates, but we wont. Or if we do, they will be with biased moderators and rigged rules to protect Joe Biden. He's senile, and he was never that smart to begin with. He's done a TERRIBLE job as POTUS, how can he justify 4 more years? Answer: He wont. He'll just call Trump names.

rcocean said...

Trump is making a mistake if he agrees to any ol'debate. What happened last time is Biden was protected and helped by Chris Wallace and the other debate moderator, plus the absurd rules that prevented Trump from interupting.

Biden is a terrible debater. But he always get cover from the MSM who claim he did a great job. they did that with Palin and Ryan too. Or maybe its just people are stupid and think someone throwing out insults, smirking, scowling and saying "That's Malarky", shows you're smart and well informed.

Anyway we SHOULD have debates, but we wont. Or if we do, they will be with biased moderators and rigged rules to protect Joe Biden. He's senile, and he was never that smart to begin with. He's done a TERRIBLE job as POTUS, how can he justify 4 more years? Answer: He wont. He'll just call Trump names.

Humperdink said...

Biden will never debate Trump. The excuses you referenced are obvious. Another not mentioned is the media will debate Trump for Biden.

Dave Begley said...

I want to hear Biden explain why he wants to put his opponent in jail for the rest of his life.

MadisonMan said...

Is he capable of debate though?
I'm not going to participate in the lowering of expectations for Biden. Of course he's able to debate. He's President of the USA! He should be 'on' and actively debating Trump for at least 90 minutes.

gspencer said...

"Biden's got the perfect excuse for refusing to engage, at least for now. He's busy being President."

Yet another lie from the left.

Slacker-in-chief Biden keeps up record 40% ‘vacation’ pace despite disasters,

https://nypost.com/2023/09/02/slacker-in-chief-biden-keeps-up-record-40-vacay-pace/

Mr Wibble said...

Neither Biden nor Trump debated challengers, so the argument that Trump's refusal during the primaries hurts him is fairly weak, IMHO. By the time we get into the late summer, there's going to be more of an argument that the next president will have to face the challenges of whatever current events are in the news, and that people deserve to hear *that* debate.

That said, I doubt that Biden will agree to a debate, and agree that they'll go with the argument that Trump doesn't deserve to be given a platform. I predict that it will not go over well with the general public.

Sebastian said...

"Maybe he's not busy at all."

Let's check his daily calendar and vacation schedule, shall we?

"I think a lot of people don't believe that Biden is, right now, performing the role of President."

Right. Just as progs like it, Joe as figurehead. Meeting with Mitterand of Germany and such. Who needs a president when you can have a prog cabal?

Nice women are going to have a dilemma: do they want to see a debate as part of normal politics, or do they go with the too-uncouth narrative?

tim maguire said...

The risk/reward calculation does not favor debates for the front-runner. Which is why in debate negotiations, the person trailing always wants more than the person leading. So of course Trump skipped the primary debates--there's no upside for him.

Now it's different. Trump and Biden are essentially tied, but it's so much work to get Biden ready for the cameras, so much danger exposing him to unscripted moments, that team Biden can't risk it. They can't risk any debates, but it's hard to see how they get away with that. There will need to be at least a couple.

The risk to Trump from debating Biden early is that Biden humiliates himself so badly he drops out and Trump has to face somebody totally new. The best result for Trump is that he is seen as eager to debate anytime anywhere, but that the debates don't actually happen until after the conventions because Biden resists debating.

Kate said...

Neither wants Bobby on the debate stage with them. If they set up this Abbott and Costello routine now, they'll have established a refusal to debate that will allow them to shrug when RFK wants equal time.

cassandra lite said...

A lot of people believe he’s president in name only. I’m one of them. A lot of people also believe he won’t be the nominee after the convention. I’m one of them. A lot of people believe Michelle Obama, being the only woman in the country who could jump over Kamala without a riot ensuing, will be the nominee. I’m one of them and scared shitless about it.

Dogma and Pony Show said...

I think the lying liars would be better off going with the lie that "Trump's too odious to debate" than with the lie that "Biden is too busy to debate." Biden has spent something like a third or 40% of his term thus far on vacation. Once it's actually too late to schedule any debates, I imagine the lying liars will start in with the lie that it was Trump who wouldn't agree to debate Biden rather than vice versa.

Biden and his handlers would never even consider telling the truth about this or anything else. The truth is that, even if Biden managed to get through the whole debate seeming somewhat coherent, the physical contrast between him and Trump would be devastating.

Chuck said...

President Biden is, if in name only, the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the federal government. He is of course accused, falsely by the TrumpWingers, of directing the Department of Justice's ongoing investigations and prosecutions of Trump and related co-conspirators. If we took those wingnuts at their word, Biden is leading Trump's prosecution.

And thereby, Trump would need to be given a Miranda warning before any debate.

This actually happened, in the 2022 election for Attorney General in Michigan. Insurrectionist lawyer Matthew DePerno was running for the office. Incumbent AG Dana Nessel declined any electoral debate because her office was actively investigating (still is) DePerno.

Trump can't do a debate. He risks self-incrimination.

NKP said...

I would add a requirement for any debate. Drug test all candidates immediately before debate.

I seriously doubt Biden can remain standing and 'connected' for more than 15 minutes without 'assistance'.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

Biden is too busy. LOL.
NBC - sell us another one.

mikee said...

That scene from the Godzilla movie, where the wise old scientist says, "Let them fight," applies here.

iowan2 said...

. Otherwise, we're out here thinking the man can't debate

The Democrat running for re-election turned down the Super Bowl interview. He could not survive 3 minutes (3 questions?) in front of one of the Largest TV audiences of the election season.

Actions (or lack of) not words deliver the message.

On Sunday Biden said he talked to Mitterrand at the G7. So what comes out of his mouth nobody can predict. Least of all Biden himself. But 8 million people are supposed to vote for that level of sentience.

gilbar said...

Is he capable of debate though? NO!
is he "too busy"? Heck Yeah! Constant Vacations are HARD Work! That Icecream doesn't lick itself?
Neither does small children's hair

hombre said...

Biden debate? Bwahahaha!

He has neither the comprehension nor the record.

Original Mike said...

"Is he capable of debate though?"

Hide the decline!

Enigma said...

Democrats became autocrats when they withdrew from real debates in the 2020 primary season -- just after Kamala humiliated Biden and as all the Democratic candidates engaged in their once-routine circular firing squad. After that, Biden was anointed as the "safe old white guy" figurehead, Bloomberg opened his wallet as the money-man and made his analytical staff available, and the party's agenda became a carbon copy of decades-old Congressional Black Caucus rocking horse goals.

This is why Biden campaigned from his basement in 2020 and why Woke and equity took over the party. White male Democrats (e.g., Biden and Newsom) are desired as calming figureheads but simultaneously castrated and have no freedom to debate or speak their true views (Biden often forgets and mumbles out his twisted and half-forgotten mmmmmmhunhhhs).

Per the party's adoption of a know-it-all infallible attitude, Arizona's Democrat Katie Hobbs refused to debate Republican Kari Lake (and Hobbs is now in office). Matching Newsom's long term modus operandi, New York's governor Hochul and New Mexico's Grisham also adopted dictatorial, autocratic stances per their whims.

The public Democrat position is: "The time for debate is over. We know the truth. We are correct. We will now force you to comply."

The political screw turned and the left became next-generation arch conservatives, while easy-going right wing libertarians became today's liberals. The Dems scorched G.W. Bush and Dick Cheney just 20 years ago for their similar international ventures, and then revealed themselves as identical. Thank Trump for ripping off all of their masks.

No actual debates will happen unless and until the Dems fear losing control.

Chaswjd said...

It sounds like the President is retreating to his basement again.

David53 said...

I watched part of Biden's remarks at a recent event in Las Vegas. It was painful. He really seems to be in cognitive decline. I don't know if they can let him debate.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-tells-crowd-he-recently-met-mitterand-former-french-president-who-died-1996

Levi Starks said...

Bingo

Rusty said...

You're safe, Don. Nobody is ever gonna let that senile old man out where he has to answer questions that aren't scripted.
It would be funny as hell though. Our nation's grampa Simpson in a debate.

Two-eyed Jack said...

Did FDR debate Dewey in 1944? No! He was busy! He had a war to win! Also cancer.

tastid212 said...

It's the right move for Trump because he believes he has the better arguments and greater mental stamina. Biden won't be able to defend himself effectively.

A growing number of people are coming around to the belief I've long held - that Biden will announce he's not running for reelection before the Democratic convention.

Left Bank of the Charles said...

If Trump is itching to debate, he can debate Nikki Haley. Or maybe Robert Kennedy Jr. will give him a debate.

Immanuel Rant said...

Too busy?

Could he maybe push back a "lid" from 10 am to maybe 4 pm one of the 3-4 days a week he drops by his office and fit something in?

Debating or not debating is a separate issue, but find a better story.

Left Bank of the Charles said...

Or maybe Donald Trump can get a debate with Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson.

Esteban said...

For once we can have a debate between two candidates that have actually been President and one of them is going to duck it. We are truly an unserious, silly people.

Scotty, beam me up... said...

No way Biden debates Trump or whoever is the GOP nominee this fall, assuming Biden is the Dem nominee. If his poll ratings remain stagnant at today’s levels or continue to fall and voters keep saying he is too old and his mental capacity is diminished, I think the Dems will pull a bait and switch at the convention in a backroom deal. My money is on Newsome as he appears to be running a stealth campaign while publicly proclaiming his loyal support for Biden. Just watching Biden giving a scripted speech, he almost always stumbles on something, pauses, closes his eyes like his mind just went blank and is searching for the words that he is having trouble coming up with. And mind you, he is reading off a teleprompter and doesn’t need to think! Plus, he looks extremely tired while giving the speech! In a debate, he will be eaten alive by whoever the GOP candidate is as he no longer has the ability to constantly think on his feet.

robother said...

Debate? Biden can't even do a Super Bowl half-time soft-ball interview. As a Climate Change scientist might phrase it, it's becoming impossible to hide the decline.

Dan from Madison said...

"I think a lot of people don't believe that Biden is, right now, performing the role of President." Have you seen the guy lately?

Mason G said...

"as he no longer has the ability to constantly think on his feet."

Did he ever? As much crap as Trump gets over mean tweets, what did Biden ever bring to the table aside from snarky insults and made-up shit about his "Joe from Scranton" past?

wordsmith said...

Debating Trump is a pointless exercise. The man is untethered by facts and unconstrained by decorum. Trump just steamrolls over his opponents with bluster and insults and his fans adore him for it. I'm sure Nikki Haley is secretly glad that she didn't have to tangle with him and also that she can now accuse him of cowardice and insecurity, for what little good it does her.

Mark said...

The last couple of "debates" is when Trump decided to throw away his chance of re-election with his obnoxious insult-fest. That is when enough people decided that they were done with this guy that he lost the election.

gilbar said...

Trump is making a mistake if he agrees to any ol'debate

he's Not "agreeing" to debates.. He's Offering to debate someone HE KNOWS will refuse.
This is smart.. Make resident Biden refuse.. Worst Case: Biden agrees, and that won't happen

Original Mike said...

If Biden claims he's too busy to debate, I imagine Trump would be willing to debate him at Biden's beach house.

Mark said...

Biden - who everyone knows was an obnoxious blowhard and liar long before Trump came on the scene - could drool and wet himself and fall asleep in the debate, and Trump would still find a way to lose to him. Because Trump would probably pile on the insults and literally go over and kick the old man a couple of times.

And because Trump World still doesn't get it. Nobody voted for Biden because they wanted Biden. Even Dr. Jill, M.D., didn't want him necessarily, she just wanted to be in the White House. No, they all voted AGAINST Trump because they despise him that much that they will take an obnoxious blowhard liar who drools and wets himself over Trump every time.

Right now, some of the people thinking of voting for Trump are remembering things like the economy. Have a debate where Trump is Trump and they will remember instead why they want nothing to do with him.

Big Mike said...

Maybe he's not busy at all. I think a lot of people don't believe that Biden is, right now, performing the role of President.

Count me among them.

Joe Smith said...

"Is he capable of debate though? If he is, maybe he should."

Biden can debate Mitterrand...

Howard said...

I thought the conventional wisdom of the Putin wing of the Republican party was that Biden's weaknesses has brought us to the brink of WWIII. If that's true, it seems reasonable that Joe is too busy to cater to the ego of a pathetic narcissist and attention whore.

Breezy said...

Both Trump and Biden were so far ahead in respective R and D polls that they did not need to debate to win their side’s nomination. Now, they are relatively close in the national and swing state head-to-head polls, so the need for debates is clear.

For the good of democracy, there must be debates. Biden can’t claim to be protecting democracy if he declines to participate in 2-3 debates. However, if he knows now that he is dropping out at some point, he can just keep up this cat and mouse act.

Skeptical Voter said...

Heck Team Biden turned down a softball interview before the Super Bowl. How much would Team Biden have to spend on television ads to get that kind of exposure? And they have to turn down a freebie for fear that Slow Joe would drool on himself--or something--in that softball interview.

Abdul Abulbul Amir said...


Politicians motivated by political interest!! I'm shocked there is gambling at Ricks.

mccullough said...

If Trump were up enough in the polls, he wouldn’t debate.

Biden can’t debate. So he shouldn’t debate.

No one needs to hear more from these grumpy old men anyway.

Dude1394 said...

"Blogger Howard said...
The inside baseball polls that are not made public must be showing Biden ahead otherwise Trump would not want to waste the energy debating him"

Are you kidding, getting him up on a stage without a teleprompter OR the flash cards with the questions,the answers and the reporters face would be delicious. Since trump is NOT a dementia patient, it's all good.

The problem as I see it is that Trump finds it difficult to be subtle enough to let him just mess all over himself, trump cannot help but try and hammer him.

John henry said...

Blogger Mark said...

The last couple of "debates" is when Trump decided to throw away his chance of re-election with his obnoxious insult-fest.

And yet he won. Even with all that alleged baggage.

In 2020

If ever I run for president again, you won't be on my shirt list of potential advisors, Mark. Or even on my long list.

Joe Smith said...

Simple.

If Biden refuses to debate, Trump travels to whatever beach house he's hiding in, places two podiums on the street outside, and answers questions himself.

n.n said...

National socialization.

Rich said...

"I’d like to debate him now because we should debate. We should debate for the good of the country," ~ Trump

Trump says a lot of things….

Aggie said...

"Biden's response: "Immediately? Well, if I were him, I’d want to debate me, too. He’s got nothing else to do."

Show of hands: How many people believe Biden actually wrote that, or actually even could write that? Trumps' latest Truth Social posts, how about that: How many people believe these come directly from Trump?

Thought so. Joe made it to the finish line in 2020 by hiding in his basement and by not letting anybody see the huge teleprompter feeding his occasional speeches to the 'masses', usually a dozen people or so. It was a successful deception they were able to pull off, making his opponents underestimate the Power of the Juice. I wonder what Trump's debate strategy would be this time? I would advocate for a 'no earpieces' mandate, referee'd on stage.

mikee said...

I recall Palin kicking Biden's ass in their VP debate. Has history been revised again, without me noticing? Pardon my doubleplus ungood wrongthink.

Rusty said...

Howard.
An NBC poll has Trump four points ahead of Biden. Biden has a 37% approval rating.

DanTheMan said...

>>I predict the argument that Trump is too odious to deserve to be on the same stage as President Biden.


That, and "allowing Trump on the same stage would threaten OUR DEMOCRACY(TM)!!

When the D's say "our democracy", they mean 'their democracy', the one they own. Nothing to do with you...

DanTheMan said...

>>An NBC poll has Trump four points ahead of Biden. Biden has a 37% approval rating.

And yet, Joe will get 85 million votes this time, 4 million more than last time.
And don't ask any questions about that, citizen!

rehajm said...

Biden will get help from the moderator(s), the camera operatore, the makeup people, the audience, the media during and afterwards. It won't help persuade the living...

rehajm said...

Biden will get help from the moderator(s), the camera operatore, the makeup people, the audience, the media during and afterwards. It won't help persuade the living...

Joe Smith said...

'Trump says a lot of things...'

And your guy sees dead people...

Josephbleau said...

"Immediately? Well, if I were him, I’d want to debate me, too. …”

That is priceless, Yea I’d want to debate me, that would really make me look good, says Beiden.

rehajm said...

I 'm so old I remember when an approval rating below 40 percent for a sitting President was a political death sentence.

That was back when there were elections, though...

Wince said...

Didn’t Trump offer to do the Superbowl interview Biden refused?

Howard said...

I'm aware of the public polls, Rusty. The private polls that cost big money and the numbers are crunched by hardcore MIT nerds that they don't tell the public are what the major political candidates take action on.

Michael K said...

I predict the argument that Trump is too odious to deserve to be on the same stage as President Biden.

That sounds like the strategy the present Governor of Arizona used to avoid debating her opponent. Of course she then used her position as Secretary of State to steal the election.

Jim at said...

@leftbank

You named several people Trump could debate.

Why don't you want him to debate Biden?

Greg the Class Traitor said...

Trump was a pussy and refused to debate DeSantis.

Now Biden's being a pussy and refusing to debate him.

And that's jack shit Trump can do about it, because he was the pussy first.

It sucks, but that's one of the many costs with going with the pussy Trump.

Jim at said...

The last couple of "debates" is when Trump decided to throw away his chance of re-election with his obnoxious insult-fest. That is when enough people decided that they were done with this guy that he lost the election.

Bullshit. Trump was running away with the election until they shut down the votes in five swing states.

The Godfather said...

Not much mention here of the Trump-Biden debate in 2020. I expected Biden, having been forced out of his basement and into the light of day, would be shown up as a fool. He wasn't. No, he wasn't brilliant, but he was as coherent as a politician is expected to be. He appeared to be the same guy who was picked by the Light-Bringer to be his VP ("Never underestimate Joe's capacity to fuck things up"), a low standard, but Trump wasn't a Lincoln-at-Gettysburg, was he?
Remember: Biden won that election. I assume Trump remembers that.

Mason G said...

"Trump was running away with the election until they shut down the votes in five swing states."

You have to know how many votes you need before you "find" them. Otherwise, cheating might not get you the prize you're after.

Darkisland said...

Regardless of whether our president emeritus really wants to debate or not, great move.

He's put it out there and Brandon can accept or refuse. If he refuses, as I'd bet money he will, he looks scared, weak and incapable. If he accepts, then PEDJT can debate or find some reason not to accept. Perhaps because it will be a rigged debate. (Whether or not it is, it makes a good excuse)

Well played, Donald.

John Henry

Mea Sententia said...

I watched Biden in a friendly interview on 60 Minutes a couple of months ago. He did passably well in what I figured was a scripted and rehearsed performance. I doubt he could debate anyone. I do believe he is the president; I'll give him that much credit. I'd be happy if he and Trump shuffled off the stage, but they won't.

Rusty said...

But Howard! These are your friends at NBC! Surely they know what they're doing.
If it's any consolation, Howard, RCP has the same numbers.
The spread in Vegas has Trump by 10 points.
Nobody likes Biden, Howard, including a fair number of Democrats.

Josephbleau said...

For the past 10 elections moderator bias has made debates a farce. "The moderator finds that Obama is Right and Mormonboy is Wrong!" Candy- you destructive Bt*h. That was a great moment in American Politics. You betcha. Up there with Boss Tweed.

The only way to have a debate is to let the candidates speak whatever they will for 10 min and let the other speak for 10 min for 3 cycles. Don't let the press be in charge. Don't be evil.

Readering said...

Wake me up when Trump has agreed to debate under the auspices of the Commission on Presidential Debates. Challengers don't get to demand special terms.

Howard said...

I don't disagree with your facts, Rusty. However, LV odds flipping to nail punters is as old as the hills. Your interpretation might be right, but Trump wanting to debate is a sign of desperation... IMHO

wendybar said...

Biden refuses to do an EASY 3 minute interview during the Superbowl with his friend Nora O'Donnell, who will ask him things like "What's your favorite desert, Mr President." If he is afraid of answering HER questions, you KNOW he is petrified to be asked any REAL questions about what he is doing to destroy America.

Anybody who thinks he is up to it, needs to get help themselves because they have mental problems too.

wendybar said...

"Nobody voted for Biden because they wanted Biden. Even Dr. Jill, M.D., didn't want him necessarily, she just wanted to be in the White House. "

It doesn't matter why. If YOU are stupid enough to vote for Biden, YOU deserve what is happening to American and should be forced to take in 20 single military aged invaders to support for the rest of YOUR life, for being an idiot.

Will said...

I will continue to believe that Biden is incapable of debating Trump and also Xi, Putin, King Charles, Randi Weingarten, Mitterand and Corn Pop

Maybe the people pulling Biden's strings should just come out from behind their curtains and earpieces and debate Trump. Just be honest about it.

I wonder what amount donated to charity wool compel Biden to take the stage? At some relatively doable amount the pressure on Biden to make an ass of himself for a good cause would be suffocating.