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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBill Kristol: "No tax returns, no debates!"
Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) Tweeted:
Thereve been presidential debates since 1976. Candidates have released tax returns since 1976. Trump got away with not doing so in 2016, because Hillary was unwilling to make debating contingent on his doing so. Why should Biden be so accommodating? No tax returns, no debates!
Link to tweet
RockRaven
(14,784 posts)More as a poke at Trump than actual campaign policy. Biden DOES need some good face time with voters, after all.
But even getting the networks to commit to equal time blocks for speeches or long form interviews would be enough. Debating Trump in the traditional manner is the old pigeon-chess thing.
OAITW r.2.0
(23,862 posts)Rubin, Boot,Krystal, Lincoln Project....the list grows everyday. They know what the real stakes are for this country.
PatSeg
(46,807 posts)we would agree with people like Bill Kristol or David Frum? We truly are living in Bizarro World.
onetexan
(12,994 posts)and we welcome their help, as he is their enemy as well.
I think it's an excellent idea to force the idiot to release his returns. Everybody knows Biden does not need to debate an Idiot.
bullimiami
(13,044 posts)Nothing trump says is worth any time or effort.
SeattleVet
(5,468 posts)everyone will be able to compare and contrast, and see in a very graphic fashion which candidate is able to provide complete, concise, relevant, and lucid answers.
I don't think that tRump will come out of this looking good at all, especially once Biden starts to hit his trigger points and sore spots. He'll crumble quickly and start flailing once he gets pressed.
coti
(4,612 posts)Trump screws up and makes impeachable mistakes daily. It can't get any worse for him. A debate is only an opportunity for Biden to give the GOP gaffes to latch onto.
Not clearer to everybody. Some people honestly aren't paying that much attention or for some bizarre reason are undecided. I think the contrast will be very dramatic and effective.
onetexan
(12,994 posts)returns release idea to needle the Idiot and bring it to the forefront for all Americans to see he hasn't live up to his promise of releasing them since 2015.
Polybius
(15,240 posts)Imagine Trump saying that he wants to debate, or worse yet he shows up for all three debates and Biden doesn't.
mucifer
(23,374 posts)Joe has to debate
JI7
(89,186 posts)so he will be able to go after Trump without having to worry about people being offended he was too tough on him.
captain queeg
(10,036 posts)Laffy Kat
(16,356 posts)He's going to be humiliated by Biden.
BlueMTexpat
(15,350 posts)DFW
(54,059 posts)I'm sure he's being coached by Fox Noise goons, who just say, "interrupt constantly and use more time than you are allowed, no one will dare stop you."
But Biden will not debate unless he is sure of moderators who are both forceful and neutral. If Trump accepts that, he'll get embarrassed so badly that he'll never agree to another one. More likely, he'll get told to complain about "bias" and call them off altogether.
Just like with elections, Republicans know perfectly well what happens when both sides have an even chance: Republicans lose.
OnDoutside
(19,908 posts)a 4th debate in early September, or the first debate to be moved up to early September, because they're now cognisant of the big increase there will be in early/mail in voting. THAT is where Joe should take a stand and say, release your tax returns and I'll consider it. Personally, I think he should let him swing for it, regardless.
DFW
(54,059 posts)The radical right will just try to spin it as Biden being too chicken, of course. But Biden can land a solid blow with "Trump promised the nation this 4 years ago. I think it's time for him to put up or shut up, and if it's shut up, I have more important things to do. We have a country that could use a little attention at the moment. I, at least, intend to give it mine."
ProfessorGAC
(64,427 posts)...realtime fact checking, so Biden doesn't have to spend his time calling out PINO's lies.
Let him use his time to make his points, let fact checkers point out the lies.
No tax returns, no way to check the propaganda, no debates.
DFW
(54,059 posts)No way Biden should let any debate turn into a freebie for Trump to regain lost ground.
And insist on microphones going dead if a candidate exceeds his allotted time by over ten seconds!
OnDoutside
(19,908 posts)current 3 debates. Wouldn't be the first time to be wrong !
DFW
(54,059 posts)The Trumpanzees will find a way to hear brilliance even if Trump sings the last verse of "Rain" verbatim, and will find Biden's coherent speech to be "libbrul kommanism" even all he does is read from his iPhone directions to the nearest McDonald's.
A debate will neither impress nor sway anyone.
OnDoutside
(19,908 posts)that they know they're in trouble, and it's something Biden shouldn't agree to.
DFW
(54,059 posts)Biden now negotiates from strength, Trump negotiates from weakness. Let's hope Biden acts like it.
No quarter. Biden must know by now that Trump would grant him none, were the shoe on the other foot.
OnDoutside
(19,908 posts)possible.
It's interesting to observe the strategy of the Biden campaign versus the Clinton campaign of 4 years ago, where I would have seen a lot of Clinton representatives on the MSM over the 6 months leading into the election, but beyond Simone Sanders and a couple of others there isn't the same visibility. My thought is that they are just getting out of the way of the Trump car crash, at least I hope that's what's happening !
DFW
(54,059 posts)I knew several of Hillary's people and none of them are n team Biden. But Joe has been in the Senate for decades and was VP for 8 years. It stand to reason he would have his own trusted circle. He has stood down early in the face of media rock stars such as Obama and Hillary, but none stepped forward this time, so he did. As it was, he didn't jump in immediately, and as we all saw, he did one hell of a careful study of the map before doing so--more careful than some who jumped in before him, it would appear.
Joe has seen the advantage of letting his opposition crash and burn if they seem prone to doing so, and no one seems more prone to do that than Trump.
OnDoutside
(19,908 posts)Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)But I dont think debates are in the best interest of the Democrats at this point.
Voltaire2
(12,632 posts)No taxes no debates.