Why Biden Should Not Debate Trump

[mitchell76]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1787946530231488699

 

[Valcazar]

First, I think debates in our current era don't have winners. They could be lost (not won). Nixon might have lost the 1960 debate because of his naivete about appearance on television. Gerald Ford didn't do himself any favors with his lax comment on Poland's sovereignty.

I do agree that they mostly only have negatives.
This is why front runners usually don't want to debate.
It is all downside risk.

And, as I have said repeatedly, there isn't much good for the public.
Debates like these are theatre and don't really provide anything useful.

You might say Reagan won the 1984 debate with Mondale, but that was a landslide and it likely was going to be all along. However in a similar vein, Biden can demonstrate vitality and perhaps help his campaign. I just don't think it would turn the election, but who knows.

Outside of a complete meltdown, debates have very little effect from what people can see.
It can bump a needle for a couple of weeks and might fold into a general narrative and so help bolster that, but that's about it.

Lastly, I think Trump has done relatively fine in past Presidential debates. Nothing that turned the election one way or another. I can see where you and others might want to believe what you don't like to hear from is Trump is crazy. When he is prepared and not being interpreted by media commentators he does just fine for general audiences.

It didn't do much in 2016 or 2020, I agree.
Like I said, it almost never does.

Biden probably benefited more from the 2020 one, just because the whole "Biden is a senile fool" was a major narrative being pushed and the fact he obviously wasn't blunted that.

That said, both men are older.
Trump is more and more incoherent, but in a debate, where he just gets to make short statements and yell a lot, he would probably be fine.

His handlers are probably worried, though. It is their job to worry, after all.